2022-12-31-accounts - The Parochial Church Council Of The Ecclesiastical Parish Of All Saints Guildford

This text was generated using OCR and may contain errors. Check the original PDF to see the document submitted to the regulator.

Reports & Accounts

2022

Annual Parochial Church Meeting 26th March 2023

Registered Charity Number: 1149709

www.allsaintschurchgfd.org.uk

All Saints’ Church PCC 2022/23

Ex-officio Members

Vicar

Revd Beverly Watson*

Churchwardens

Deputy Churchwardens

Henrietta Harding Robin Holdsworth Lara Milne *

Deanery Synod Representatives

Rebecca Brown Simon Doran

Current Members - term ending

2023

Simon Moulden Trish Tye *

2024 Rob Crossingham * Ed Gillett * Peter Nicholls Angela Rose * Andy Wells

2025 Katherine Hopwood Annie Twidell Paddy Payne Martyn Whiteman *

Co-opted Carys Lodge Julie Lodge *

Members of Standing Committee

AGENDA

Annual Vestry Meeting - All Saints’ Church Guildford To be held on 26th March 2023

Opening prayers
Apologies for absence
Notice convening the meeting to be taken as read
Minutes of the Annual Vestry Meeting for 2022
Election of Churchwardens
Election of Deputy Churchwardens

AGENDA

Annual Parochial Church Meeting - All Saints’ Church Guildford To be held on 26th March 2023

Notice convening the meeting to be taken as read
Minutes of the Annual Parochial Church Meeting for 2022
Revision of the Electoral Roll
Election of people to the PCC
Election of Deanery Synod Representatives
Annual reports for the church
Financial statement for the year ending 31 December 2022
Appointment of auditor
Review of safeguarding
Appointment of Parish Safeguarding Representative
Year’s report by the vicar
‘Transforming Church, Transforming Lives’ Plan
Questions and points of interest
Closing prayers

Draft Minutes of All Saints’ Annual Vestry Meeting held on 3rd April 2022

1. Opening Prayers

The meeting was chaired by the vicar, Reverend Beverly Watson, who, after welcoming those attending, said prayers.

2. Apologies for Absence

Apologies were received from Paddy Payne, Annie Twidell, Richard Hemingway, Sue Hemingway, Rebecca Brown, Angeline Lee. There were 27 parishioners recorded as attending the meeting.

3. Notice Convening the Meeting

The notice convening the meeting was taken as read as it had been displayed for the requisite time prior to the meeting.

4. Minutes of the Vestry Meeting for 2021

The minutes were accepted unanimously as a true record and signed by the vicar.

5. Election of Churchwardens

Henrietta Harding has served for four years and kindly offered to stand once again. Robin Holdsworth has served one year and has also kindly offered to stand once again. There were no other nominations and so Henrietta and Robin were unanimously elected as our Churchwardens.

6. Election of Deputy Churchwarden

Lara Milne has been nominated as Deputy Warden. Unanimously agreed.

Trish Tye PCC Secretary 2021/22

Draft Minutes of All Saints’ Annual Parochial Church Meeting held on 3rd April 2022

Apologies: Apologies were received from Paddy Payne, Annie Twidell, Richard Hemingway, Sue Hemingway, Rebecca Brown, Angeline Lee.

1. Notice Convening the Meeting

The notice convening the meeting was taken as read as it had been displayed for the requisite time prior to the meeting.

2. Minutes of the Annual Parochial Church Meeting for 2021

These were unanimously accepted as a true record. They were then signed by the vicar.

3. Revision of the Electoral Roll

Richard Pointer reported that the number on roll last year was 130 and this year stands at 133. The annual revisions are six removals, nine additions. Out of interest, there are 91 women and 42 men on the roll. 14% live outside the parish, with 59% living in Onslow Village. Beverly offered her thanks to Richard and Sandra and was encouraged by the increase.

4. Election of members of the Parochial Church Council

Those retiring from the PCC by rotation are Rob Burch, Marguerite Barclay, Jo Smalley and Julie Lodge. Rob is also moving from the parish in July. Beverly gave her thanks to all four for their varied talents and faithful hard work.

We have had four nominated candidates: Annie Twidell, Katherine Hopwood, Paddy Payne and Martyn Whiteman.

Proposal: That we elect these four nominees as one, to serve for the next three years.

Proposed: Beverly Watson; all in favour.

Alison is now a Licensed Lay Minister and so has accepted an ex-officio place on the PCC.

5. Annual Reports for the Church

The Annual Reports had been previously available online and in printed form in the Reports and Accounts document.

Comments on the reports:

Some typos have been noted by Jean Reed and will be corrected.

6. Financial statement for the year ending 31 December 2021

Chris Lambert took the meeting through the accounts. We have made a small surplus, compared to a deficit in 2020 (which was an unusual year due to COVID). Income has increased by about £20,000. and expenditure slightly increased. Planned giving has been good this year.

Income from the letting of the hall and church has increased hugely, particularly helped by the letting of the church now.

Our biggest increase in expenditure is the Parish Share.

The balance sheet has had little movement and the chair and window funds have been brought back into the main fund.

Questions on the accounts: No comments or questions were raised.

Beverly offered a vote of thanks to Chris for his hard work and the clarity of accounts. Beverly also thanked the Finance Vision Group for their support.

7. Appointment of Auditor

Mary-Jane Crump has done this for several years and does the job very well. Chris is confident that she will audit the accounts again next year, although she has not been officially appointed as Auditor at this time.

8. Review of Safeguarding

Julie Lodge presented her report to the meeting.

A significant change this year is that we have a piece of software to record and help monitor our safeguarding actions.

The response to training requests has been phenomenal and Julie really appreciates this. The online courses have improved access for people and made them more convenient. Julie offered her thanks to the Safeguarding Team.

Beverly offered a vote of thanks to Julie for all her hard work.

9. Appointment of Parish Safeguarding Representative

Julie Lodge was prepared to continue as the Parish Safeguarding Representative, and this was unanimously agreed.

10. Year’s Report by the Vicar

Beverly Watson presented her report as published.

11. Transforming Church, Transforming Lives Plan

Beverly Watson presented a summary of the Transforming Church, Transforming Lives Plan and the priorities of that in the coming year.

12. Questions and Points of Interest

a) Richard Pointer asked about the future of the Lady Chapel. Beverly replied that there have been brief discussions about this at PCC and Worship Vision Group meetings. The chapel has not been used due to COVID and it’s used as a storage area. However, the chapel is now back on the agenda for the Worship Vision Group.
b) Richard Pointer enquired about the surplus made and whether this can be used towards the building work. Beverly replied that the Vision Groups will need to let the Finance Vision Group know of any investments they need to make.

13. Closing Prayers

Beverly Watson thanked everyone for coming and ended the meeting with prayer.

Annual Reports 2022 - Introduction

The Parochial Church Council of the church of All Saints, Guildford, Surrey (the PCC) has the responsibility (with the Incumbent) for promoting, in the ecclesiastical parish, the whole mission of the Church: pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. These reports not only contain an account of church activities during 2022 for the benefit of parishioners and others who receive the reports, but also provide a justification of the charitable status of the church, which enables us to claim back income tax under the Gift Aid scheme of HMRC, as well as providing other rights and privileges. The PCC is also specifically responsible for the maintenance of the buildings of the church and church hall, and of the church field, car park and grounds. It is also responsible for the maintenance of 6 Thorn Bank, a house in the parish. Three members of the PCC are eligible to represent the parish on Deanery Synod.

In terms of Licensed Ministry, All Saints has an Incumbent (Revd Beverly Watson), two Licensed Lay Ministers (David Barclay and Alison Moulden), three Occasional Preachers (Martyn Whiteman, Julie Shaw, Andy Wells), and one Occasional Preacher in training (Paul Young). The parish also enjoys the ministry of a licensed Pastoral Assistant (Marguerite Barclay).

One of our members (Cally Burch) was ordained Priest in 2022, and is now serving a curacy in Guildford Diocese. One of our members (Alison Moulden) serves as the Environmental Officer for Guildford Diocese; and another (Alex Tear) serves as Director of Education for Guildford Diocese. The Incumbent is also Assistant Area Dean for Guildford Deanery. All Saints also employs a part time Parish Administrator and Communications Officer (Trish Tye).

The reports that follow give a detailed account of the life and worship of All Saints throughout 2022.

Governance structures at All Saints include nine ‘Vision Groups’ which report to the PCC on a regular basis. These groups cover the following areas of church life: Worship; Pastoral Care; Children and Young People; Events; Missions; Finance; Premises; Administration and Communications; and also Eco Church. Each Vision Group is active in both guiding and serving the community of All Saints. The reports that follow give a more detailed account of the work of the Vision Groups over the past year.

All Saints is an intergenerational church of ‘all ages’, providing for the needs of the youngest child through to the most senior adult. Our worship includes

Sunday services, mid-week services of Morning Prayer and a Thursday Communion, Collective Worship at our church school (Queen Eleanor’s Church of England Junior School), and a monthly service at Dray Court (residential home for the elderly).

The majority of services are Eucharistic; but we also offer two ‘Services of the Word’ (without Communion) on the first and third Sundays of each month at 10am. The first Sunday of the month at 10am is known as ‘Altogether Worship’, and is ‘café style’; and the third Sunday at 10am is referred to as ‘Morning Worship’. Music on the first and third Sundays of the month is led by the All Saints’ Band; and on the second, fourth and fifth Sundays music is led by a choir, under the leadership of Jeremy Barham.

A variety of other services are regularly offered, including Tea Time Church, a Healing Service, ‘Songs of Praise’, Choral Evensong, Occasional Offices (including baptism, marriage and funeral services), Remembrance services (including a Service for the Bereaved), a regular midweek communion service, Morning Prayer three days a week, and home communions.

There is a strong sense of community at All Saints, supported and encouraged through social events and activities, via the work of the Events Vision Group and many others. This ministry of hospitality is extended to the wider community, through such events as the Fireworks Evening and the Summer/ Autumn Fete. The church has strong links with local community groups, including Uniformed Organisations, the Onslow Village Residents’ Association (a local residents’ group), and three schools in the parish. The Incumbent is an ex-officio governor at Queen Eleanor’s, and presently a Vice Chair.

Pastoral Care is offered by the Pastoral Team, under the leadership of a licensed Pastoral Assistant (Marguerite Barclay). Within the Pastoral Team there are five Pastoral Visitors who care for those in need, and take ‘Home Communion’ to the housebound. Pastoral care is also offered via the ‘Small Groups’ at All Saints; and there are now nine such groups meeting regularly for prayer, Bible study, friendship and support. These form an integral part of the pastoral care that is offered at All Saints. Pastoral care now sits within the Vision Group structures at All Saints, in the form of the Pastoral Care Vision Group.

Children and young people are highly valued at All Saints, and are nurtured through Children’s Church, Young People’s Church, Youth Group, and the Toddler Group. Ministry in schools continues, with regular Collective Wor-

ship at Queen Eleanor’s, school services in church, and ‘Faith Days’ in school. Involvement also continues with Onslow Infants School, and the Montessori nursery which meets in the church hall. All Saints hosts ‘Prayer Spaces’ for Queen Eleanor’s, either in school or at All Saints; and the Incumbent leads Harvest, Easter and Christmas services each year.

Work on the buildings has continued, and the hall and the Reading Room are both now in a good state of repair, and in regular use by both the congregation and the wider community. A major challenge during 2022 has been subsidence, affecting the Library and Chapel area of the building; both of these have had to be cordoned off whilst rebuilding takes place.

Wider church links have continued, in partnership with local churches in Guildford Deanery, where the Incumbent is Assistant Area Dean. Clergy in the Deanery meet on a monthly basis, and three Deanery Synods are held each year. Over the course of 2022, All Saints has developed an intentional friendship with St. Francis church in Westborough, during a time when the Incumbent of the parish is off work for the long term, due to ill health.

All Saints has continued to give 10% of its donated income to charities and Christian missions both locally and globally, and overall has made a small financial surplus.

Communication of the life and ministry of the church continues through the church website, social media, the parish magazine, the weekly news sheet, and an occasional video-recorded message by the Incumbent. The Parish Administrator and Communications Officer oversees the delivery of information to both church members and local residents.

All Saints has now achieved a silver ‘Eco-Church’ award, and is working towards the level of gold. This has involved working to reduce our carbon footprint and live in a sustainable way, and to share this vision with our local community.

Along with all other Anglican churches, All Saints is committed to keeping people safe at all times. Much work has been done over the course of the year to ensure that All Saints is fully compliant with the Church of England’s National Safeguarding Policy. We are indebted to our Safeguarding Team for their work in this area.

Revd Beverly Watson, Incumbent

Vicar’s Report

2022 began for me with a sense of gratitude, that the challenges of Covid were largely behind us, and church life could continue openly and freely once again. Formal restrictions had been lifted, and with due care and attention, we could worship and meet normally once again. It felt like quite a relief; and it was good to see established members returning to face-toface worship, and new people joining us.

But very early in the new year clouds started gathering around Ukraine; and by the 24th February it was clear that Russia had invaded and a war had commenced. It’s a date very few of us will forget. Within weeks a mass exodus began, with Ukrainians fleeing for safety in Europe. Under the government’s “Homes for Ukraine” scheme, quite a few families in our parish opened up their homes to welcome refugees; and that included two families from within our congregation. Our church school, Queen Eleanor’s, quickly admitted Ukrainian children, and by the end of the year ten children had joined the school. This ‘welcome’ was a clear expression of the values Jesus taught during his ‘Sermon on the Mount’ (Matthew chapters 5-7).

That theme of ‘welcome’ has continued throughout the year, as we’ve welcomed new people into our buildings and into our worshipping life. Since the replacement of the pews with chairs, and the refurbishment of the Reading Room, we’ve seen increasing numbers of community groups using our buildings during the week. This has been of benefit to us financially, but has also been a way in which we can serve our local community – becoming more of a ‘community hub’. A particularly significant change has been the move of our Toddler Group out of the church hall, and into the main church building on Friday mornings. Numbers have increased, and quite a few families have gone on to request baptism for their children – with some of those families joining us on a regular basis.

Another very significant aspect of 2022 has been the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, followed by her death at the age of 96. We began to celebrate the Queen’s life on the 6th February, and the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne. With the support of the Events Vision Group we held a service of celebration, followed by a Jubilee Tea; and it was lovely to welcome members of the local community to mark that very special day. Wider celebrations took place in June, with a street party organised by the Onslow Village Residents’ Association, and we played our part as a church by offering a very successful cake stall. Then just a few months later, on the 8th September, the news of the Queen’s death was publicly announced. She now stands as the longest reigning British monarch, and has been

succeeded by her eldest son, Charles III.

A very major event took place in September, which resulted in the need to close our Library and Chapel areas as a matter of urgency. For the past few years our Premises Vision Group has been aware of the issue of subsidence, and had been monitoring the cracks which were appearing in that area of the church. Due to a very hot summer, and the increased take-up of moisture by a nearby oak tree, the cracks increased at an alarming rate; and we were advised by our architect (Adam Heike), and a structural engineer to close that part of the building with immediate effect.

With support from our archdeacon Paul Davies, and the Diocesan Advisory Committee for buildings, it has become clear that the Library and Chapel area of the building will need to be demolished and rebuilt. Stronger foundations are required for this part of the building to be safe in the future. Towards the end of the year, a Steering Group of twelve people came together, under my leadership, and with the support of our Buildings Warden, and began to consider possible options for rebuilding in the future. This will no doubt be a major focus for us in 2023.

Other memorable events of 2022 include our Harvest Supper and Quiz Night, which took place on the 1st October. It was lovely to see numbers back to pre-covid levels, with many people enjoying delicious food and a suitably challenging quiz. Our Autumn Fayre, took place on the 15th October, under the leadership of Henrietta Harding. Despite being fairly late on in the year the weather was good, and we welcomed many people from the local community for food, apple pressing, music and many other activities. Just a few weeks later we hosted our annual Bonfire and Fireworks event, with all 500 tickets selling out in a very short space of time. Once again it was great to host the wider community, after the challenges of the Covid years. It has been good to watch the Orchard Project becoming established, under the leadership of Carolyn Nicholls; so far much clearing of our field has been achieved, new hedging has been planted, and a woodland walk created. This project has also welcomed members of the wider community, who’ve come to help on a regular basis.

A further memorable event was the BBC’s filming of ‘Songs of Praise’ from Guildford Cathedral, on the 12th June, under the title ‘Seeds of Hope’. A group of a dozen or so joined other worshippers from across the diocese to sing our hearts out, within a packed cathedral. And it was good to watch the service when it was broadcast, hosted by Kate Bottley, and marking the Cathedral’s 60th anniversary. Some of us returned to the Cathedral a few

weeks later, to witness Revd Cally Burch’s ordination as a priest in this diocese. Cally, Rob and the family were long-standing members of All Saints, before Cally’s calling to ordination a few years ago. It was a joy to witness the culmination of this journey, and to bless Cally in her ministry as a curate in the parish of All Saints in Fleet. I’m delighted that Andy Wells, another long-standing member of All Saints, is now also exploring ordination. Andy hopes to offer himself as an Ordained Local Minister, serving both All Saints and the wider diocese; and our prayers go with Andy as he goes through the selection process. Congratulations also go to Alex Tear, a member of All Saints, and Director of Education for Guildford Diocese. Alex was made a Canon of the Cathedral this year, at a service of Choral Evensong in the Cathedral.

Another significant milestone on the journey in faith was taken by four of our young people, and one young person from St. Francis Church in Westborough, on September 11th. Carys Lodge, Rupert Tear, Avilee Gillett, Teagan Gillett and William Bennett were confirmed at St. John’s Church in Merrow, by Bishop Andrew Watson, along with other adults and young people from Guildford Deanery. Each of these young people have worshipped regularly for the whole of their lives; and it was a joy to see each one making a public declaration of faith, before family and friends.

William Bennett’s presence, as a member of St. Francis Church in Westborough, came about due to a ‘friendship’ that has been developing between our two churches over the past year. When the rector of the parish of Westborough became too unwell to work, our archdeacon, the Venerable Paul Davies, asked us if we would be willing to support St. Francis Church, in an informal way. Our PCC agreed to this proposal; and over the course of 2022 I’ve been meeting with a retired priest at St. Francis, Revd Diane Peters, on a monthly basis, for support and guidance. Our Preaching Team have also offered support, preaching regularly on Sunday mornings at 10am services. This assistance has been gratefully received, and a warm friendship is developing.

As always the life of our parish embraces the whole of human life, from birth through to death; and over the course of 2022 we’ve commended into the Lord’s hands four long-standing members of our church community. These faithful departed are: Rosemary Bailey, Pamela Parke, Brian Coleman – a previous Vicar of this parish, and Dennis Bottomley – a former Church Warden. We thank them for their devoted service, and give thanks for their lives, their faith, and their witness.

Revd Beverly Watson, Incumbent

Structure, governance and management

The method of appointment of PCC members is set out in the Church Representation Rules. We also have a role description for PCC members and a PCC governance structure document, both of which can be found on the PCC noticeboard or in the PCC file in the Church Office. All church attendees are encouraged to register on the Electoral Roll and stand for election to the PCC.

Secretary’s report of the work of the Parochial Church Council January - December 2022

In 2022, there were a total of six meetings of the PCC. The PCC also enjoyed a meal together at Willow Grange and an away morning in September. There were also six meetings of the Standing Committee.

In September, many of the PCC members attended an online course called ‘PCC Tonight’. The course helped to clarify the purpose and place of PCCs, explored some common dysfunctions, and introduced some useful materials.

Following the APCM in March, we welcomed two ex-officio members, Alison Moulden (as Licensed Lay Minister) and Lara Milne (as Deputy Churchwarden). Our other new members voted to PCC were Katherine Hopwood, Paddy Payne, Annie Twidell and Martyn Whiteman. Henrietta Harding and Robin Holdsworth were both voted to serve another term as Churchwarden. At the first PCC meeting, Julie and Carys Lodge were coopted to the PCC.

Rebecca Brown and Simon Doran continued in their role as our Deanery Synod representatives.

The key activities of the Vision Groups and the PCC are recorded within this document.

Trish Tye PCC Secretary 2021/22

Churchwardens’ report on the fabric and ornaments of the church

The Wardens have made their annual inspection of the church fixtures and fittings as recorded in the Terrier. All were found to be present.

The following update provides an overview of the changes now in place.

The Reading Room has been fitted with a sound system and the altar from the Chapel has been relocated there . The room is now being used for the Sunday 8am and 4pm services and the Thursday communion service. It also hosts the weekday Morning Prayers. These changes have been brought about due to the current issue of subsidence in the Chapel and Library areas.
The Library and Resource Centre have been downsized with the books partially retained.

Churchwardens’ Roles

Duties have continued to be split with one warden being responsible for the practical aspects of worship. The other is responsible for all aspects of the maintenance of the church properties. They have a combined responsibility to promote the whole mission of All Saints’ Church.

Central Team

The team met weekly until recently when meetings were put on hold as plans are being developed to define a new structure as the current Worship Warden’s tenure comes to an end.

We are grateful to the Premises Vision Group for all the efforts in ensuring the maintenance of the church building and its surroundings. We are also grateful to the Worship Vision Group for their help with the various setups of the church space for new services and activities which have built confidence and encouraged more people to come to church .

Henrietta Harding & Robin Holdsworth Churchwardens

Safeguarding Report

This year the quest to keep everyone safe has continued with the safeguarding team meeting approximately every six to eight weeks. We discuss a variety of issues that are planned as well as responding to queries as they arise.

Training continues as does safer recruitment. Both of these are always ongoing as new people join teams and training needs renewing. We are grateful to everyone who gives their time to All Saints.

I continue to report on safeguarding at all PCC meetings. We have used the safeguarding dashboard increasingly this year to review what we have done and to plan our next steps. This is proving to be extremely useful.

As ever I would like to thank the whole safeguarding team - Beverly, Henrietta, Trish and Eve. I couldn’t do it without them.

Julie Lodge Safeguarding Officer

Deanery Synod Report

After two difficult years of pandemic restrictions, it was a pleasure once again to meet in the flesh! This was reflected in many of the prayers at the synod meeting in February, kindly hosted by St John’s, Merrow. The evening focused on sharing and learning about each other’s parishes and the areas of common ground, through praying individually and collectively for each church. Parishes were asked to share with the meeting one thing to give thanks for, one thing to pray for and one thing to aspire to. On behalf of All Saints, the prayers gave thanks for the return to in person worship and the re-opening of Children’s Church and our Youth Group; we prayed that congregation members would return to worship consistently again, after the challenges of COVID, and aspire to grow in depth and commitment as a congregation.

The meeting took place on 24 February 2022. Little did we know what a significant date in world history this was going to prove and how much our prayer would soon be needed.

This date also marked Rebecca Brown’s last meeting as Secretary of the Guildford Deanery Synod. She thanked all the members of Synod for making

her most welcome and for their friendship and support. We in turn pay tribute to and thank her for six years of faithful service in the post, and for everything she has done.

In June, Synod met at St Francis, Westborough to hear Archdeacon Paul Davies speak on the topic of “what deaneries are for”. After several years as one of the All Saints’ Deanery Synod Representatives, I find that there is always more to discover about our neighbouring parishes and new acquaintances to be made.

Staying close to home, November’s meeting was at St Clare’s, Park Barn. We heard from two speakers, who together showed powerfully the difference that the church is making to the lives of the poorest in our society. Jane Seals from Christians Against Poverty (CAP) told us how the national charity works, and the story of the local work that is being done in Guildford. Service to the community here started in May 2012 and since that time they have helped clients clear, collectively, over £800,000 of debt.

Clare Porter, representing the North Guildford Foodbank, based at St Clare’s, explained how people are referred, how the tricky logistics are handled and how all of us can help. Perhaps not surprisingly, there is as much need for sympathetic ‘listeners’ as there is for food!

If you would like any more information on these topics or would like to volunteer, do come and find me after a service or contact me via email at Simon.J.Doran@gmail.com and I will put you in touch appropriately.

No excuses for missing the next Deanery Synod, which is a Saturday breakfast at All Saints!

Simon Doran Deanery Synod Representative

Administration & Communication Vision Group

The purpose of the Administration and Communication Vision Group is ‘Overseeing an efficient system of organisation to support the ministry and mission of All Saints’. Our remit is quite wide and varied, including the running of the Parish Office, the administration of the Electoral Roll, managing the hall bookings and communications within and outside the church. Here are some of our key activities:

We continue to put a recording of the Sunday sermon online, as well as on the dial-in telephone service. Although these have low levels of use, we feel they are particularly valued by the few who can’t access inperson services.
The website is a key part of our communication within and outside of the church community.
Our social media channels are relatively well used, with 134 people following our Facebook page, and visiting our pages over 800 times during the year. We continue to post to Twitter (46 followers) and Instagram (52 followers). We are also members of the Onslow Village Facebook group and receive positive reactions to our posts. I think it’s significant that our Bonfire & Fireworks evening was advertised outside of church by social media channels only and we sold out within two weeks.
In addition to social media, communication to our worshipping community is achieved through emails, the weekly news-sheet and our notice boards. As well as using the church admin system ’iKnow’ for sending emails, we also use MailChimp to send out a newsletter style email when there are multiple messages to convey.
The magazine continues to be available to all via the website and it is one of the most visited areas of the website. The number of subscribers of the printed magazine has fallen a little as more people opt to read the online copy. Advertising income remains steady. Thanks to my fellow members of the Magazine Team: Angela Rose, Robin and Sylvia Holdsworth, Angeline Lee, Jo Smalley and Eve Gunn (advertising). It’s no small task to keep the magazine going!
The church, Reading Room and hall lettings have continued their recovery from the pandemic. The hall is especially well used throughout the week. Thanks to Eve Gunn for her work as our Booking Secretary.
We completed the annual renewal of the Electoral Roll, thank you Richard Pointer!
The SumUp card readers and the donation station in church have been well used this year. We have taken £2,182 (42% increase on 2021) across 381 transactions (72% increase on 2021). This includes use at the Autumn Fayre and the Bonfire & Fireworks event.
I must give thanks to Sue Hawkins who provides invaluable help on an adhoc basis.

Trish Tye, Chair, Administration and Communication Vision Group

Children & Young People Vision Group

Toddler Group: The Toddler Group continues to thrive with, on average, 12 to 14 adults attending each week. It is good to be able to provide a corner that is set aside especially for mums with babies, as we now have three or four mums who come regularly to meet up with each other.

Each session begins at 9.30am and at 10 o’clock we stop and move into the Reading Room for refreshments. The children look forward to their drink and biscuit and the adults enjoy being able to relax and chat over a cup of tea or coffee. In fact, several have commented on how lovely it is for someone to serve them with a welcoming hot drink, as this happens so rarely!

Once everyone is settled the children are gathered together onto a rug for a short Bible story. For the last half hour of the session, we return to the main church area and the children continue to play until about 10.50am, when we stop for simple action songs before they all go home.

It is lovely to be able to provide this facility and offer those who attend a warm and welcoming, safe space to bring their little ones to and to begin to form a relationship with those who come regularly.

During the summer holidays we decided to run Toddler Group on several Fridays. This was very much appreciated by the people who attended, as most groups shut down during the summer.

Setting up the space on Thursday is quite demanding so it was suggested that we should find two Duke of Edinburgh candidates, who needed to complete their community service, to help out. We found two willing volunteers but, as their attendance was somewhat erratic, their help was a mixed blessing.

Vanessa led the Toddler Group for a number of years, and we are very grateful for her faithful, dedicated, and able service during this time. In September, however, she started working as a Teaching Assistant at Onslow Infant School and so she is no longer able to continue in this role.

Carolyn agreed to take on the role of leader and Sophie and Angela have joined our team of helpers, but we still need someone who is able to commit to taking a proactive leading role to help out, read a story and lead some singing if either Carolyn or I are unable to be there.

Training: Carolyn, Sophie and I attended an on-line training session run by the Guildford Diocese entitled “Spirituality in the under-fives”, which was very informative.

Children and Young Peoples Church: During the summer it was decided to change the name of the group in order to reflect the age range of those attending.

Up until the end of the summer term, Julie and I have been working out our own sessions based on the lectionary readings. It was, however, quite demanding having to think of fresh ideas each week and so we have decided to use the “Roots” materials, which had been recommended to us. These materials are produced by the Methodist Church, but are based on the lectionary so should fit very well for us.

Our beginning of each term ‘breakfast sessions’ are very popular and the numbers of children and young people attending our sessions each term is beginning to increase which is encouraging.

After an appeal from Julie several people agreed to help out. It has taken time to get them safely recruited but we are now in a position to draw up a rota of helpers.

Youth Group: From September we have started to hold monthly meetings on the third Sunday of each month. Trish and Eve have joined the team of Liz, Alison and me and are a great asset. It is particularly helpful having more help when one of the youngsters brings a friend whose parents have not signed a registration form. On each of the two occasions this has happened, Eve has gone round to the parents’ home with a registration form in hand and returned with a signed copy!

The range of activities we are able to offer are well used and the atmosphere is one of friendship and fun. Some of the equipment is quite old and might, in time, need replacing. The table tennis table in particular was not only old but also very unwieldy. It was decided that we should find another that would be easier to move from the shed. We now have a lovely new table-top version.

Each session we serve a simple meal and, whilst all the youngsters are sitting round the table, we have a discussion. Since September we have been following a scheme called ‘Rooted’, which is produced by Scripture Union. The material gives “…ideas for helping young people to explore their

identity and self-worth” and aims to “..unlock the potential in each young person, enabling them to be the very best version of themselves“.

The three sessions we’ve had so far have been very successful with interesting and thought-provoking conversations.

Over three Saturdays during the autumn term I attended a training course called ‘Youth Scape’ which was run by the youth workers from Saint John’s Church Stoke and Emmanuel Stoughton. Although based on a training scheme for those working with youth groups, Hannah and Sarah had adapted the material so that it was relevant for those working with children also. It was an excellent course, and I came away feeling both encouraged and inspired.

Jeanette Whiteman, Chair, Children & Young People Vision Group

Eco Vision Group

2022 has seen a quiet year for the Eco Team. With Rob Burch moving away, and Julie Shaw leaving a while before, the team consists of Andy and Linda Wells, Trish Tye, and myself, and requests for new members has, until very recently, not swelled our ranks.

The eco agenda has ticked over, with us maintaining our existing progress, but stalling on making new inroads, due mainly to those having a building focus, and a high budget. It didn't seem the right time to be embarking on building works.

So for most of the year we have maintained the highly successful recycling scheme, which continues to bring people into All Saints, creating a real feel of a community hub. We have continued to do everything that won us Eco Church Silver, in the areas of Worship and Prayer, Buildings, Grounds, Community, and Lifestyles - but we haven't ticked off any new goals.

However, things have changed significantly in the last few months.

Now the Big Build is being planned, Net Zero is very much going to be incorporated into whatever happens with our buildings. When before it didn't feel like the right time, it very much does so now. Alison and Trish are both part of the Big Build team, hoping to be the voices of Net Zero in the plans being made.

What is more, Sue Jones has very kindly agreed to co-ordinate the Eco Team, so we have just planned out next meting - the first for about a year.

We are very grateful to her, and looking forward to work continuing now we have her as an important new member of the team .

If we achieve Net Zero with the Big Build, we should also achieve Eco Church Gold as a result, which will be an amazing feeling, and a testament to all the hard work that has gone into our preaching, worship, premises, grounds and orchard, community engagement, and Creation Care award winners.

A huge thank you to everyone who has taken part in environmental work up to now. Let's hope 2023 proves to be a big year for the Eco Team.

Alison Moulden, Chair, Eco Vision Group

Events Vision Group

I think we should call this year ‘the year of the cake’ as we seem to have had so many opportunities for baking many cakes. The Events team started the year very small with just Jeanette, Trish, Henrietta and me on it, but luckily by the end of the year we had two more volunteers: Caroline and Sophie. We are extremely fortunate as there are countless ladies who we can call upon when a cake is needed and they do themselves proud with their offerings.

Our first event was manning the cake stall at the Jubilee Celebrations on the 5th June. This was held in the road outside the village hall and was a huge success. It was a great opportunity for the church to attend and connect with many people in the village who don’t necessarily attend our church, but appreciate it being there. We had all sorts of cakes by lots of different people, some not even church goers, and it was a great success.

Our next event was Rob and Cally Burch’s leaving tea on the 26th June which we held after the 4pm service which was specially to say goodbye to them and then everyone was welcomed back to the Vicarage garden for a very delicious tea. Once more many people brought cakes and we all enjoyed a lovely afternoon in the garden.

We might have thought that everyone had had enough cake by this time but the Songs of Praise followed by Strawberry Teas and Produce Sale on the 17th July was again well attended and we were spoilt for choice with all the cakes that were made for us.

This is a big thank you for all the cakes that have been made in the village this year, you have all been amazing.

Harvest supper and quiz – 1st October

Once again Robin and Sylvia did us proud running a very slick quiz evening with the added Junior Quiz run by Toby Holdsworth. Toby had 16 youngsters in his quiz in the Reading Room supervised by Beverly and Carolyn. I’m told it was a success and thanks must go to Toby and his dad, Justin, for setting this up for us.

We had 70 people to feed for this event which was a mammoth task given the restricted kitchen facilities we were working with, but with the help of the Vicarage kitchen, we were able to get the cheese and onion plaits all cooked and served up in good time. We had to borrow cutlery and chairs from the Vicarage which helped a lot. Washing up was a huge task and we’re very grateful to Martyn, Jeanette, Beverly and Carolyn who helped so much on the evening. We do think that serving a hot evening meal in the hall is really not viable given the facilities we have. Perhaps we need to rethink our catering options going forward until such time as we are able to improve on them.

Autumn Fayre – 15th October

We were originally going to have this fayre in September but when the Queen died, had to re-arrange. It was with trepidation and bated breath that as the day grew closer the weather seemed to be holding, against all expectations. So we were delighted to have a cool day but sunny and only a hint of drizzle before we started although a bit of a downpour at packing up time.

We had arranged for most of the stalls to be inside, so the hall was fully utilised with various stalls as was the church itself with the band playing, ballet dancers showing off their routines and people able to peruse the books in the Reading Room without going outside.

The BBQ had to be outside as were the refreshments, the children’s games, produce stall, football and the Pimm’s and beer tents.

We were delighted with the numbers who attended and I believe the fayre made about £1350 profit which was a great result.

We think we should always run the fayre in the Autumn, preferably in September as it doesn’t clash with other fayres and we do have the space to be inside if necessary.

Thanks must go to Henrietta and her team of happy helpers; they worked hard and it was definitely worthwhile.

Men’s lunch – 28th October

For a little while now Trish and I have been cooking lunch for about 12 to 18 men in the local area who come to the Men’s lunch, organised by Richard Pointer. Some are church goers, some are not. It is a great outreach event.

This was to be the last lunch, although the men will continue to meet for coffee once a month in the Reading Room.

Fireworks Evening – 5th November

This event seemed to come far too quickly after the Autumn Fayre this year and we were disappointed that the lovely weather we had in October did not last and the day was wet and drizzly. However, all 499 tickets sold out in advance, and the rain did not seem to deter anyone.

Simon Moulden and his band of fire crackers did an amazing job on the bonfire and the fireworks were a triumph as always.

On the food and mulled wine stalls the team were very busy for a while, with the queue for mulled wine wending its way down the field. It’s always very popular.

We didn’t sell as many hot dogs as usual, but the cakes were all sold out and the baked potatoes went down very well too.

The team selling the wine and food were troopers and huge thanks must go to them as well as Simon Moulden’s team. This event could not happen without everyone pulling together so well. It’s one of those events that appears to run itself, but of course behind the scenes there’s plenty to do and it’s a testament to the great team how well organised everything is and how smoothly this event runs.

I believe we made £2940 for church funds which was a great result.

Carol Service – 11th December

The last event of the year was a lovely carol service with drinks and nibbles for those who attended.

My sincere thanks to all who helped with the catering for events this year, and a big welcome to the new members who joined the team during the year, Caroline Coatalen-Hodgson and Sophie Robson-Bravery.

We look forward to lots of lovely events in 2023 .

Eve Gunn, Chair, Events Vision Group

Finance Vision Group

The Finance Vision Group has met consistently during 2022, and takes an overview of the finances of our church. It also exists to support Chris Lambert in his role as Treasurer. The group is overseen by me, and includes Chris Lambert, Peter Nicholls, Rob Crossingham, Andy Wells and Ed Gillett.

During 2022 the Finance Vision Group oversaw our stewardship campaign in February, and is now considering the financial implications of the rebuilding of the Library and Chapel areas. An encouragement this year has been the increase in rental income from the church hall, the Reading Room and the church itself; and I would like to thank Eve Gunn (bookings secretary) for her sterling work in this area.

Once again I’d like to thank Chris Lambert for his faithful work as Treasurer, and Mary-Jane Crump for auditing the accounts for us.

Revd Beverly Watson, Chair, Finance Vision Group

Missions Vision Group

The Missions Vision Group met on five occasions in 2022. Membership was unchanged: Katherine and Bruce Hopwood, Richard Hemingway and Carolyn and Peter Nicholls.

We completed a further year of our commitment to support the work of Clare and Andrew Koens working for Wycliffe Bible Translators in Papua New Guinea. During the year the family were able to take the holiday that had been delayed because of the COVID pandemic, flying first to the USA for time with Andrew’s family and then on to the UK for time with Clare’s family in Haslemere.

In August some 12 members of the church plus Clare participated in a sponsored Bible reading event to raise funds in support of Clare and Andrew. The event was held in church and took a full day. We started at 8am and read through the four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John; 89 chapters in total. With a short break for lunch we finished reading John’s gospel a few minutes before 7pm. £350 was donated while other church members sent gift-aided donations direct to Wycliffe. Many thanks to all who participated or donated. During their time in the UK the family shared a walk and tea at Willow Grange and also participated in Sunday services on October 24th.

In addition to support for the Koens we maintained our on-going support for the work of Friends International , working among overseas students studying in Guildford and also for the work of the Town Centre Chaplaincy and the work of the North Guildford Food Bank . The Food Bank has been particularly busy over the last year.

We have promoted the work of Mosaic Middle East , working in churches in Iraq and in displaced refugee communities which have been persecuted because of their Christian faith. We also continued to support Five Talents which works among the poorest communities in the poorest countries of Africa through savings schemes and literacy, numeracy and business training. Five Talents is the Anglican Church's microfinance charity, founded as a Christian response to global poverty but serving people of all faiths and none.

In response to concerns over climate change we have continued to support A Rocha International , a global family of conservation organisations working together to care for creation through church engagement in conservation projects, nature conservation and environmental education. In the UK the work focusses on delivering practical local community-based actions through churches. In supporting the work of United Society Partners in the Gospel (USPG) we are contributing to education and leadership development in churches and communities worldwide. USPG’s vision is for a church that seeks to deepen and enliven faith, strengthen relationships, unlock potential and champion justice.

All Saints has donated a percentage of its income to each of the mission organisations named here. In addition during Christian Aid week, we organised a car wash and cake sale in the village hall car park which was well supported by local people and church members, with donations forwarded to Christian Aid.

We are most grateful for the support and interest shown by members of the congregation and would welcome suggestions on how we might be more effective in creating awareness and involvement in mission, whether local, national or international. New members for the Mission Vision Group would be most welcome!

Peter Nicholls. Chair, Mission Vision Group

Pastoral Vision Group

This year has seen the consolidation of a smaller but dedicated team of Pastoral Visitors commissioned in January last year; Richard Hemingway, Carolyn Nicholls, Dave Barclay and Sue Groves. We have built on our understanding and continue to work out the role of a Pastoral Visitor through further in-house and Diocesan training when available. We have been very pleased to welcome Linda Wells as a new member of the team this November. She will be doing her formal training with the Diocese this year.

This year Carolyn has been able to do additional training provided by the Diocese to raise awareness of mental health issues. It is accepted by the Anglican Church that people affected by mental health difficulties may well turn to the church as a safe place. At this present time, when resources addressing mental health needs are so stretched it is important for us to be able to recognise and support, in an appropriate way, those who may turn to the church or already be part of our church congregation, with those needs. This is an area we want to begin to address in the coming year and where further appropriate training will be needed. If you are someone with some experience or expertise in this area, we would really appreciate you being in touch with us to share your knowledge and understanding. We will also be further exploring what services are available and accessible locally in the community which can offer appropriate support.

We have continued to be able to offer a pastoral service which addresses the whole person and doesn’t just see a person as someone with a particular problem. Fundamental to this is valuing and accepting them as they are and carefully listening to how things are for them. Pastoral visitors use prayer as part of their ministry whether that be in preparation for a visit; in offering prayer with or for the person; or at the end or after a visit. We as a team also offer a confidential prayer request service through the church website, and respond to individual requests by praying for one week. Other important aspects of our ministry include:

helping to identify where outside help may be appropriate to address practical needs;
accompanying someone, if requested, on medical visits, and taking someone with complex physical needs to appointments, which

require particular skills and experience.

supporting people who are going through difficult times of change through health issues etc.
accompanying someone who is too vulnerable to go out on their own, to enjoy walking and being out in the fresh air, following an appropriate risk assessment.

These are skilled and time-consuming activities, and require those with appropriate training and experience to take on these responsibilities.

Richard Hemingway has continued to offer Home Communion on a regular basis to the housebound. This is a service much appreciated by those receiving it in addressing spiritual needs and a time to be listened to, to talk together and to pray.

As team leader I have also had the opportunity of hearing from Beverly of those people she has been able to follow up through hospital or other one to one meetings. This has enabled me to have an overall picture of pastoral needs and know those needs are being met.

We would value your prayers for us as a team as we continue to offer this ministry at All Saints and to those in the wider community we have links with.

Another part of my role as Vision Group Chair is to oversee and support the work of the small group leaders. We have at present nine small groups which include four home groups addressing learning and growing together in knowledge and experience of our Christian faith. The latest group, which started in November, is a daytime Woman’s Bible Study Group lead by Beverly and Annie Twidell which is proving very helpful and is thoroughly enjoyed by those attending. The other groups include the Men’s Coffee and the Hard of Hearing Group both of which meet monthly and reach out both to our church members and the wider community. These groups are not dependent on being a member of the church but reach out to the wider community in offering a particular service and a safe place to meet and share with one another. There is also a monthly lunch group which offers not only a delicious meal but pastoral support for one another.

Marguerite Barclay, Chair, Pastoral Vision Group

Premises Vision Group

This group deals with the day to day maintenance and upgrading of the church, the hall and the field as well as looking after 6 Thorn Bank. We engage practically with our parishioners through our Saturday work sessions which have been productive over the past year.

After many attempts by the supplier of the external door from the Reading Room one has now been fitted which prevents ingress of water thanks to the tenacity of Dave Mowat.

The lightning conductors were checked and found to be in good order and still meet the current regulations and are correctly earthed.

Little work was done on the bell tower which is slowly losing its wooden slats. The wooden structure also seems to be losing its waterproofness. Access to carry out repairs to the slats has proven to be difficult within Health and Safety rules.

The movement in the church structure was monitored throughout the year. In consultation with our architect and engineer it was realised that the subsidence during the dry summer had become significantly worse. This led to a decision to cordon off the Chapel and Library areas. Acrow props were installed to support the failing structure. Following a meeting with the Archdeacon and the Diocesan Advisory Committee Secretary a further decision was taken to ultimately demolish the Chapel and Library structures. This has led to the Big Build Project which we hope will be completed within the next three years.

A brief fire training course was held for all people who run church services and activities. This encompassed some theory, practical fire extinguishing methods and a familiarisation of procedures for ensuring people’s safety in the event of a fire.

Big changes can now be seen toward the bottom (northern end) of the field. Led by the enthusiasm of Carolyn Nicholls, work is well underway on the ‘Orchard Project’ by a team of volunteers led by Carolyn. Clearance of undergrowth and briars has given us a woodland trail, a walk through the trees and bulbs which have been planted. At the end of the field, areas have been cleared prior to planting fruit trees and constructing a small pond. Thanks go to the Woodland Trust, the Queen’s Green Canopy and Shell for their donation for plants and trees.

Routine maintenance jobs and minor repairs have been carried out as they

have arisen in the church and hall. Thanks to Dave Mowat and Peter Nicholls for tackling these tasks and for Paddy Payne’s persistence in ensuring that broken chairs have been repaired.

The hall kitchen is now benefitting from a new cooker with an induction hob. Shortly there will also be some new cutlery. Further changes in the kitchen are being discussed.

The new shed in the field stands on a concrete base and wooden struts rather than on paving slabs as previously. It is primarily used by Montessori. It contrasts with the wooden shed used by the church which now needs replacing.

In cooperation with the Eco Vision Group, work is continuing to evaluate the alternative types of heating for both the church and the hall. Plans to evaluate various ways to cut down heat loss through insulation and improvements to the clerestory windows in the church have been put on hold .

Robin Holdsworth, Chair, Premises Vision Group

Worship Vision Group

Worship remains central to all we do and are at All Saints, both during the Festival Seasons, and also in ‘Ordinary Time’. It’s the heart of our calling, and our core purpose as a church. To worship means to honour the Lord with the whole of our lives, including as we gather together for services.

An overview of worship is taken by the Worship Vision Group, which meets five to six times a year; and a key member of this group is our ‘Worship Warden’, Henrietta Harding. The Group reviews all aspects of the worshipping life of All Saints, and seeks to understand and respond to the Lord’s vision for our church. It also takes an overview of worship in our schools, and at Dray Court; and for prayer and the spiritual growth of members of our congregations. Our Lent Course and Confirmation Course came within the remit of this group, and also oversight of the Resource Library at All Saints.

Looking back at 2022 as a whole, my sense is that the past year has been one of consolidation and growth. After the challenges of Covid it has been good to see the worship pattern that emerged over that time become embedded in the life of our church. Our current pattern of Services at 8am, 10am, and 4pm is working well on Sundays, with new people joining us

regularly. Our café-style Altogether Worship on the first Sunday of the month has proved popular; and the 4pm Service, Tea Time Church, is now well established, with a regular and committed core of members, and a good team of leaders.

Our Preaching Team continues to enrich our services, and it has been good to welcome Paul Young into the group, as an ‘Occasional Preacher’. We now have seven members of the group (me, David Barclay, Alison Moulden, Martyn Whiteman, Julie Shaw, Andy Wells and Paul Young). Since September our preachers have also been preaching at St. Francis Church in Westborough, on a fortnightly basis. This has been greatly appreciated by members of that parish. Andy Wells has stepped up to lead many of our Altogether Worship services, as part of his preparation for the ordination selection process; and this has been an encouragement to many within our congregation.

A significant step forward in 2022 was the re-introduction of wine at Communion services, following the challenges of Covid. Our PCC took the decision to allow the use of individual cups at Communion, as a temporary measure; and this has been widely appreciated by the congregation.

Services of worship continue beyond the walls of our church, both at Dray Court (residential home for the elderly), and within our schools. A significant development during 2022 was the appointment of a new head of RE at Queen Eleanor’s school. This new member of staff has begun to build on good work done by Vanessa Kearns, and has brought new, fresh ideas and momentum both to the RE syllabus and also to Collective Worship in the school. Links with Onslow Infant School have opened up again following Covid, and it was joy a to welcome the school for their Harvest Festival this year.

Baptisms and confirmations have also taken again place this year, with nine baptisms taking place, and four confirmations. In some cases the baptisms were of two children within a family together, where the older child had not been baptised due to Covid; and I was delighted that two of the baptisms were of adults (Melissa Young and Trudi Saunders). It was a joy to witness the confirmations of Carys Lodge, Rupert Tear, Avilee Gillett, Teagan Gillett and William Bennett at St. John’s Church in Merrow, in September.

A significant change took place in September, when the Chapel became out of bounds for worship, following subsidence in that area of the building. As the weather became colder, and the cost of fuel increased, smaller services

relocated to the recently refurbished Reading Room. Currently both 8am and 4pm services on Sundays now take place in the Reading Room, as well as Morning Prayer and the Thursday Communion during the week. The Reading Room has proved to be a welcoming space for worship, with additional benefits such as increased light and warmth, easy access to kitchen facilities, and internet resources accessed via a large monitor.

The Library has also been affected by subsidence, and the resources are largely being decommissioned. Under the guidance of Mike Truman, most of our original library books are being kept, but will need to be put into storage at the Vicarage until the library area is rebuilt.

As well as services of worship, the Worship Vision Group also holds an overview of the spiritual growth and development of church members. This often takes place through courses that we offer on a regular basis. In 2022 as our Lent Course, we offered ‘Christianity Explored’, over five evenings and via Zoom. Later in the year we offered a confirmation course, which was taken up by five young people.

And finally, the music at our services is overseen by our Choir Director, Jeremy Barham (on the second, fourth and fifth Sundays of each month); and by Andy Wells, overseeing the band (on the first and third Sundays). In this way we’ve been able to offer a breadth of musical styles, encompassing both the old and the new.

The choir began the year at full strength and resumed its pattern of contributing regular anthems to the Sunday Communion services. Highlights of the year included singing a new composition by Jeremy 'Such Deeds, O God Do We Do There' at the Maundy Thursday service. This anthem was written as a tribute to the people of Ukraine, setting words by the country's most celebrated poet Taras Shevchenko and text from the Orthodox Prayer to the Holy Spirit. The choir also helped lead the introduction of Jeremy's new Communion setting, 'The Onslow Mass', adjusted well to returning to singing without the social distancing or screens that we have been using for some time, and responded quickly and sensitively to the death of the Queen by singing a choral version of Elgar's Nimrod, 'Lux Aeterna', on the Sunday morning three days later.

The choir was boosted significantly by the appointment in the autumn of two choral scholars - Michelle and Isaac - who are music students at the University of Surrey. Their contribution has been invaluable and has enabled the choir to take on a more ambitious repertoire, and generally to

increase the choice of music available to the singers. We are very grateful to those in the All Saints community who have made the Choral Scholar scheme possible. This bore particularly effective fruit at the Patronal Festival Choral Evensong in October and the Carol Service in December (for which we were also joined by Roger and Heather Kerswell, and Sara Truman). Both of these services drew many appreciative comments from members of the congregation, and I am heartened by the choir's continuing and developing ability to lead, support, and give expression to the spirit of worship at All Saints. My sincere thanks go to Richard, Peter, Simon, Isaac, Fiona, Del, Lara, Sheila, Meg, and Michelle for their commitment, enthusiasm, and musical skills!

Andy Wells is running the All Saints’ Band and reports as follows: I’m delighted and very proud to be able to report on the All Saints Band this year.

We have grown from strength to strength. We have 14 people in the band when we’re all here with a full range of voices and instruments from drums, to guitar and cello to flute. We have a repertoire of over 120 songs ! Our technical team are amazing. This year through them we have mastered the mixing desk to improve the sound from the band.

We play every two weeks in church now, as well other church organised events.

We’re always looking to expand the band whether instruments or singers so please talk to me or a band member if you’d like to join!

Our Flower Team has also continued to provide beautiful displays, both for Sunday services, for funerals and for special occasions. Particularly special displays were also created for Easter, the Queen’s Jubilee, Harvest and Christmas. After 20 years of faithful service Sue Hemingway has stepped down from oversight of the Flower Team; and the role has been taken up by Julie Lodge and Lizzie McAlister. Julie and Lizzie will continue to be supported by a dedicated team of flower arrangers.

To summarise: It’s a rich pattern of worship, which is developing as time goes by; and one which I am privileged to lead. My prayer is that we will continue to worship the Lord together in the Spirit and in truth (John 4:23) in the years ahead .

Revd Beverly Watson, Chair, Worship Vision Group

Finance Review – Year Ended 31 December 2022

In 2022 All Saints Church suffered a deficit of £1,705 on its main unrestricted fund compared to a surplus of £2,883 in 2021, a negative movement of about £4,600. The total incoming resources for the year at roughly £131,300 is very much in line with the equivalent figure for 2021, £131,030 but the total church expenditure was greater, roughly £127,000 compared with £120,000 in 2021. The transfer out to the subordinate funds that we keep for major expenditures has also to be taken into account and this was about £2,000 lower in 2022 than in 2021, £6,000 as opposed to £8,088 in 2021. Hence the above mentioned movement between the two years of about £4,600. Please see the Statement of Financial Activities and Notes 2 & 3 to the accounts.

Incoming Resources (Notes 2(a) to 2(e) to the accounts)

As stated above the incoming resources for 2022 in total was very much in line with the equivalent figure for the preceding year but there are some quite significant variations between 2022 and 2021 in the individual categories making up this figure. Notes 2(a) to 2(e) to the accounts on pages 50-51 show how the £131,300 is made up. The most striking difference between the two years is the drop in the congregational giving from £70,252 in 2021 to £66,234 in 2022.

As always, so it seems to me, the incoming resources section is bolstered by the income from the church hall and now also from the church and reading room as well, up from £33,027 in 2021 to £37,849 in 2022. Over the years the combined income from the hall and church has increased quite significantly from £23,721 in 2019, £18,629 in 2020 (the Covid year) - and £33,027 in 2021.

The voluntary income from the congregation however remains the church’s main source of income and this, as stated above, has declined from 2021.

Resources Expended

As always, the biggest item of expenditure was the Parish Share, £80,123 compared to £78,658 in 2021. The parish share has increased further to £82,618 in 2023.

Most of the other expenditures in the “Church Activities” category were greater than their equivalent 2021 figures, especially the utilities costs which was probably to be expected. The costs associated with the upkeep of the church buildings were also much higher than the previous year, £7,739 as opposed to £4,222 in 2021. But we are not dealing with very large figures here and it does not take much to upset the applecart and a couple

of fairly modest bills from heating or sound engineers can affect the figures quite substantially. For example the 2022 figure includes a biggish bill (over £1,300) for the repair of the church heating system and there were others in 2022 which taken together rather distorted the figures. There was also an accumulation of bills arising from the change in the tenant of the Thorn Bank bungalow.

The transfer out to the subordinate funds of £6,000 was predetermined at the beginning of the year when the budget was set and as mentioned above a smaller amount was transferred out in 2022 than in 2021. Please see the notes to the accounts for an explanation of the mechanics of how these funds work – and please also see below.

The overall result was, as stated above, that the church expenditure, before the transfers to the subordinate funds, increased from roughly £120,000 in 2021 to £127,000 in 2022, and this movement together with a quite static income figure but set off by the lower amount transferred out to the subordinate funds resulted in the year to year movement on the main fund from the small surplus in 2021 to a small deficit in 2022.

Balance Sheet

Everything said above relates primarily to the movement on the main unrestricted fund of the church; it has decreased from an opening balance on 1st January 2022 of £60,070 to £58,365 on 31st December 2022 (the deficit of £1,705).

But as mentioned above there are two subordinate funds In addition to the main unrestricted fund of the church to deal with large scale expenditures of the church and hall respectively. These funds and the movement upon them are described in detail in the notes 1(a) and 1(b) to the accounts. Over the course of the year both funds have increased in value; the church fund has increased from an opening balance of £1,800 to £2,971, note 1(a), and the hall fund from zero to £1,656, note 1(b) and of course this is because a greater amount has been transferred into these funds from the main fund than has been expended from the funds. In order to obtain a comprehensive feel for the financial position of the church it is necessary to look not just at the negative movement on the main fund but to look also at these two funds – which combined, have increased in value by £2,827. So, the surpluses on these two funds taken together more than cancel out the deficit of £1,702 on the main fund bringing the church finances as a whole into a small surplus position of a little over £1,000.

Christopher Lambert, PCC Treasurer

Independent Examiners’s Report to the PCC of All Saints’ Church

I report on the financial statements of the PCC for the year ended 31st December 2022, which are set out on pages 40 to 53.

Respective responsibilities of the PCC and the Independent Examiner.

As members of the PCC you are responsible for preparation of the financial statements. You consider that an audit is not required for this year under Section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed.

It is my responsibility to

examine the financial statements under section 145 of the 2011 Act;
follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act; and
state whether particular matters have come to my attention.

Basis of this report

My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commission.

An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the PCC and a comparison of the financial statements presented with those records. It also includes considering any unusual items or disclosures in the financial statements and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required of an audit, and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the view given by the accounts.

Independent Examiner’s statement

In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:

which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements
to keep accounting records in accordance with Section 130 of the 2011 Act; or
to prepare financial statements which accord with those accounting records have not been met; or
to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the financial statements to be reached.

Mary-Jane Crump ACA

Dated: 26th March 2023

18 Wilderness Road, GU2 7QX

¢J 40

Ln i ri t C C IJ LL L> TT 41

om M0 ff fft r4 r 42

o Ln rs co m to r 43

Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31st December 2022

1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Church Accounting Regulations 2006 together with applicable accounting standards and the Statement of Recommended Practice “SORP” 2015. They have therefore been prepared under the historical cost convention under which the assets attributable to the PCC are valued at the lower of cost or net realisable value. The financial statements include all transactions, assets and liabilities for which the PCC is responsible in law. They do not include the accounts of church groups that owe their main affiliation to another body nor those that are informal gatherings of church members.

Funds

Under the SORP 2015 the church may operate three categories of fund, unrestricted funds, restricted funds and designated funds. An unrestricted fund can be used for anything deemed appropriate by the church to further its general purposes. By contrast a restricted fund has to be set up when money is received by the church under condition that it must be used for a particular purpose. The money must be used for the purpose specified and cannot be used for any other (otherwise it would be a breach of trust). A designated fund is not restricted in this way but is money which has been earmarked by the PCC for a particular purpose and therefore has to be kept separate from the main fund of the church. In 2015 the PCC of All Saints operated a single unrestricted fund for all the financial transactions of the church. In 2016 however, and in each successive year up to 2020 it was found necessary to introduce additional funds in the other two categories to deal with a small number (though large in value) of specialised transactions. At the beginning of 2021 small balances remained on two of these additional funds, the chair fund and the windows fund after all necessary expenditure had been charged to them and these small balances being no longer required were transferred to the church’s main unrestricted fund. This was all dealt with in the 2021 accounts so nothing more needs to be said about them here. The general, day to day activity of the church as always, continues to be accounted for in the church’s main unrestricted fund and the Statement of Financial Activities for 2022 shown on the previous pages relates entirely to this fund; the balance on the fund at 31st December 2022 stood at £58,365. Two other (designated) funds were however set up in

2019; these are explained in notes 1(a) and 1(b) below.

1(a) Church Maintenance Fund: In 2019 it became apparent to the PCC that major repair work will always be necessary to the fabric of the church building and to the church fittings and fixtures on an ongoing basis – but when and to what extent is difficult to predict. In the past when such expenditure has occurred it has had a distorting effect upon the accounts because this sort of expenditure tends to be unpredictable and significant. The idea behind setting up this fund is that anticipated expenditure can be charged evenly to the main fund by transferring equal quarterly amounts to this fund (to build up the fund) and then the actual expenditure when it does arise can be charged to this fund instead. (Instead of against the main fund.) In 2022 the movement on the fund was as follows:

Opening Balance at 1st January 2022 Transfer from main fund over the course of the year Deduct Expenditure: Subsidence – Engineers Report Architect’s Report Gas Pipe Work Balance remaining at 31 December 2022	£ 1,800 3,500 5,300 (900) (831) (598) 2,971

1(b) Hall Maintenance Fund: Everything said above in relation to the Church Maintenance Fund also applies to the Hall Fund. The movement on the fund in 2022 was as follows :

Opening Balance at 01 January 2022 Transfer from main fund over the course of the year Deduct Expenditure: New cooker for kitchen Balance remaining at 31 December 2022	£ - 2,500 2,500 (844) 1,656

1(c) Chair Fund: This is a fund which was set up in 2020 to pay for the new chairs in the church. As stated in Note 1 above the balance on the fund was transferred to the main fund in 2021. The movement on the fund was set out in the 2021 accounts and is not repeated here.

1(d) Windows Appeal Fund: As stated in previous accounts this fund was created to pay for the replacement of the windows in the Reading Room and the church office. As with the chair fund the movement on the fund was set out in the 2021 accounts and is not repeated here.

Assets and Liabilities

1(e) Tangible Fixed Assets: Consecrated and benefice property is the property of the diocese not the PCC Consecrated and is excluded from the accounts by S10(2)(a) of the Charities Act 2011.

Moveable church furnishings held by the vicar and churchwardens on special trust for the PCC and which require a faculty for disposal are inalienable property, listed in the Church’s inventory, which can be inspected at any reasonable time. Such assets are not valued in the financial statements.

The freehold property in Thorn Bank stands in the Balance Sheet at a nominal valuation of £12,000. This valuation arose when the property was transferred from Onslow Village Limited in 1983 to the church (as tenant of the bungalow). As in previous years it has not been thought worthwhile to revalue the property.

1(f) Investments: The CBF Investment Shares are included in the balance sheet at cost price. Our 786 units are valued at £16,240 at the mid-market price of 2066.14 pence per share on 31st December 2022. This is down from £18,407 at the beginning of the year.

Net Current Assets: 1(g) Debtors and Prepayments: Gif Aid & GASDS income tax recoverable Other - mainly payments in advance Total	£ 3,234 1,033 4,267

1(h) Short Term Deposits: Monies surplus to current needs are lodged with the CBF Church of England Deposit Fund at short term rates of interest and with immediate withdrawals allowed.

1(i) Cash at Bank: The PCC banks with CAF Bank Ltd at their West Malling, Kent head office.

1(j) Creditors and Accruals: Thorn Bank rent received in advance Hire of hall and church – advance receipts Secretarial costs outstanding Visitng organists Magazine printng costs Magazine advertsing in advance Choral Scholars deferred payments Utlites accruals Other Total	£ 980 270 700 235 4,050 480 779 607 1,319 9,420

1(k) General Charitable Missions: The Voluntary Giving from the congregation comes to approximately £66,000. So the charitable donations made by the church for 2022 will be in total 10% of that figure rounded to £6,600, and see note 3(a). £1,225 has already been disbursed, mainly to the Wycliffe Bible Foundation so that leaves a further £5,375 to be disbursed, hence the accrual of this amount.

Other Accounting Policies

Planned giving, collections, donations and legacies are credited when received. Income tax refunds in respect of gift aid claims on the Planned Giving are credited quarterly when the claim has been calculated. The income tax recoverable under the Gift Aid Small Donations Scheme (GASDS) is claimed and accounted for twice annually – at the end of the tax year and at the end of the financial year. The income tax recoverable, £3,234, at the year-end – see note 1(g) therefore includes the second of these GASDS elements along with the main quarterly gift aid claim for the December Quarter. Property rents and amounts due in respect of the hire of the hall are credited to the period to which they relate. All other income is credited when received.

Resources expended: Missionary and charitable giving is accounted for when the amounts to be donated have been agreed by the PCC. The diocesan parish share is paid by twelve monthly instalments and accounted for accordingly. All other expenditure is generally recognised when it is incurred.

Missionary and Charitable Giving: Wyclife Bible Translators Green Glasses Friends Internatonal Guildford Town Centre Chaplaincy United Society Partners in the Gospel Five Talents Mosaic Middle East North Guildford Food Bank Total	£ 1,200 25 896 896 896 896 896 895 £6,600

n o cn Ln m Ln Ln ¢x) co 4 rri ov ¢ Ln Ln co Ln Ln cri EJ ¢D 50

0400 Ln m r¥i2 51

Ln Ln Tr4 m o o o) Ln 4Yi O vi Lri rfj v m rs c 52

CQ U Ln Ln m •(Jl 53

Approved by the PCC on 15th February and signed on their behalf by:

Revd Beverly Watson (Vicar)

Mr Christopher Lambert (PCC Treasurer)