OpenCharities

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

← The Parochial Church Council Of The Ecclesiastical Parish Of North Abingdon

2024-12-31-accounts

The Parochial Church Council

of the

Ecclesiastical Parish of North Abingdon

Registered Charity No. 1153844

Annual Report

and

Financial Statements

1 January to 31 December 2024

Table of Contents

Administrative Information 2
Structure, Governance and Management 3
Objectives and Activities 5
-
Volunteers		 6
-
Grant-making		 6
-
Public Benefit		 6
Achievements and Performance
-
Review of the Year		 6
-
Staffing		 9
-
Membership and Attendance		 10
- PCC and Standing Committee Meetings 10
Financial Review
-
Unrestricted income and expenditure		 10
-
Restricted income and expenditure		 10
-
The Barns Café Limited		 11
-
Reserves		 11
Future Plans 11
Statement of Trustees’ Responsibility 11
Independent Examiner’s Report 13
Statement of Financial Activities 14
Balance Sheet 15
Statement of Cash Flows 16
Notes to the Accounts 17

Administrative Information

The Parish of North Abingdon is part of the Diocese of Oxford within the Church of England Correspondence address: Christ Church, Northcourt Road, Abingdon, Oxfordshire OX14 1PL Website: www.cca.uk.net

Bankers: NatWest, 11 Market Place, Abingdon, Oxfordshire OX14 3HH

Independent Examiners: Wenn Townsend, Victoria House, 10 Broad Street, Abingdon, Oxfordshire OX14 3LH The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of North Abingdon is a charity registered with the Charity Commission, charity number 1153844.

Trustees

The following served as members of the Parochial Church Council (PCC) during 2024, or part thereof.

Incumbent Revd Keith Dunnett Inducted as Vicar on 3 July 2018
Clergy Revd Kath Cooke Associate Vicar from 3 July 2018 to March 2024
Revd Phil Cooke Associate Vicar from 3 July 2018 to March 2024
Revd James Whymark Inducted as Associate Vicar on 7th August 2024
Revd Andrew Gilmour Ordained as Curate on 03 July 2022
Revd Ros Steel Ordained as Curate on 03 July 2022
LLM Representatives Miss Anne Taylor
Wardens Mr Andrew Lowe Elected as Warden Jan 2021
Dr Cherry Tweed Elected as Warden April 2022
Deanery Synod Mr Martin Steel From April 2017, re-elected Treasurer May 2024
Mr Ben Jeapes From Oct 2020, re-elected Secretary May 2024
Dr Sue Robbins From Oct 2020
Dr Jeremy Fry From Oct 2020
Dr Penelope Smith From Oct 2020
Mr Eric Graham From April 2023
Mr Roland Knight From April 2023
Col Emil Jeevaratnam From April 2023, Lay Member from Oct 2020
Elected Lay Members Mrs Val Challis From April 2017
Mr Philip Bingham From April 2018 to April 2024
Mrs Hilary Beale From April 2019, re-elected Deputy Warden April 2023
Mr James Ross From April 2022
Mr Nalin Kadodwala From April 2022
Dr David Hancock From April 2022, elected Deputy Chair April 2024
Mrs Lesley Chapman From April 2022
Mrs Sandra Pell From April 2022
Mrs Sarah Smith From April 2022
Mrs Maureen Weston From April 2023
Mr David Greenaway From April 2023
Mrs Elizabeth Bance From April 2023 to April 2024
Ms Deborah Kong From April 2023

2

Mrs Ruthy Trevitt From April 2023 Mr Vinoth Gurusamy From April 2024 (previous co-opted from April 2023) Mr Nigel Chown From April 2024

.

Structure, Governance and Management

The Parochial Church Council (PCC) of the Parish of North Abingdon is responsible for the activities at Christ Church, operating on two sites in North Abingdon (the church site on Northcourt Road, and at Long Furlong Primary School).

The Peachcroft Christian Centre is located within the Parish of North Abingdon. It is an ecumenical church, recognized by the Baptist Union, the Church of England, the Methodist Church and the United Reformed Church. However, the Peachcroft Christian Centre is independent of the PCC and its activities and finances are not included in this report.

The PCC is a corporate body established by the Church of England and registered with the Charity Commission. The governing documents for the PCC are the Parochial Church Council Powers Measure 1956 as amended and the Church Representation and Ministers Measure 2019 and the associated Church Representation Rules 2020.

Trustees of the PCC are either ex officio or lay members who are elected in accordance with the provisions of the Church Representation Rules. Lay members are elected at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) held in April. Elected lay members serve for a three-year term, with approximately one-third retiring each year. All eligible church attendees are encouraged to register on the Electoral Roll and stand for election to the PCC. On appointment, PCC members receive a document which outlines their legal responsibilities as trustees. In addition, the Chairman provides an introduction to the structures of the Church of England and the role of the PCC during its first meeting following the APCM.

The Standing Committee (comprising the Incumbent (Vicar), Associate Vicars, church wardens, deputy wardens and treasurer) has power to transact the business of the PCC between its meetings, subject to any directions given by the PCC.

The PCC operates through a number of Working Groups, which meet as required between full meetings of the PCC. The chair of each Group is responsible for reporting back to the PCC, but need not be a member of the PCC. Other members of the Working Groups may be from the PCC or from the wider church body.

3

The Barns Cafe is established as a separate company with its own board of Directors. The Vicar and churchwardens act as Directors of the cafe.

The day-to-day operations of the church are delegated to the staff team employed by the PCC under the direction of the Incumbent or, in his absence, by the Associate Vicar. The Operations Manager continues to provide capacity to manage the site, other church properties and to undertake maintenance and capital projects. It has also provided additional capacity to deliver central support functions in areas such as administration, HR, ICT and Health and Safety (see above).

The PCC is exposed to risks associated with buildings, finance, legislative compliance and health and safety.

4

The charity trustees have considered the major risks to which the charity is exposed and have reviewed those risks and established systems and procedures to manage those risks.

Objectives and Activities

The main objective of the PCC is (in accordance with the Parochial Church Council (Powers) Measure 1956 as amended) to cooperate with the incumbent in promoting the whole mission of the Church; pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical.

The main areas of activity are:

God has called the church to face outwards, engaging with and serving the local community. As well as our Sunday Services to which we welcome all, in person and through live streaming services, our primary outreach ministries are the Foodbank, run in partnership with The Vineyard Church in South Abingdon, and part of the Trussell Trust, and the Barns Cafe.

5

We are committed to seeing God’s Kingdom extended beyond Abingdon through our Mission Partners. Throughout the 63 years since Christ Church was founded there has been a steady stream of members of our congregations called to various forms of mission service. We have an active Mission Support Group. In 2024 the budget for support for our mission partners and gap-year mission volunteers was £89,000, around 15% of the total church budget.

Volunteers

Since its inception, Christ Church has had a strong tradition of lay involvement and leadership in all areas of ministry. Church members are actively encouraged and equipped to grow as disciples of Jesus: to develop and use their gifts, skills and passions, spending time with Him, and being sent out by Him. The PCC recognises and greatly appreciates the essential contributions made by a large number of volunteers in giving time, money, skills and other resources to the life of the church, for example leading services, preaching, worship, children’s work, youth work, Foodbank, the Barns Cafe, Prime Time, pastoral ministry, setting up Long Furlong School each week, hospitality, welcome and many other areas of church life: as noted above, the church has identified around 100 such areas. Volunteer numbers have started to increase again, but it is worthy of note that volunteers in day time ministry areas is an area of concern.

Grant-making

The PCC believes that it is right to use part of our income to support people and projects engaged in Christian mission outside the parish. Through the Church in Abingdon, an organisation consisting of multi-denominational Churches across the Abingdon area, we contribute to mission and social action projects around Abingdon. Through the Mission Support Group, we use approximately 15% of our income to support a number of long-term mission partners. During 2024, several partnerships ended, and the Mission Support Group began to discern the types of mission organisations we might be being prompted to provide support for in future. There has been a shift from sending out UK based mission partners and individuals, to supporting mission organisations in countries where their mission is based. We are expecting to being partnerships with new mission organisations early in 2025.

Public Benefit

The PCC is aware of the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit in “The Advancement of Religion for the Public Benefit” and has regard to it in their administration of the Parish. Examples of this public benefit can be found in the activities reported above and other parts of this report.

Achievements and Performance

Review of the Year

Christ Church Abingdon is a busy Church, there is much to be thankful for. Examples of this are demonstrated in this report. However, during the last annual reporting cycle, the PCC had recognised that this level of output and its associated ways of working were not sustainable, which triggered a thorough, external review of how CCA operates. Charlie Cleverly, previously of St Aldates, Oxford, was commissioned to conduct the review with the objective of:

6

“...reviewing the leadership, management structure, and underlying culture at Christ Church Abingdon, and recommend improvements that will enable everyone to thrive in ministry and lay the foundation for future growth”.

The review was completed predominantly during the Summer of 2024. It consisted of interviews with past and present staff, current Leadership including Vicar, Churchwardens and PCC members, and observing Sunday services, and in week ministry areas. The report focussed on collaborative leadership, team working, managing difference, prioritisation, line management and operational structure.

The report created as part of this exercise was both encouraging, and appropriately challenging. There was much praise for our Sunday services across both sites, highlighting the atmosphere, organisation, quality and presence of God. His experience of midweek ministries elicited positive comments about the calibre of people involved in running them. Yet, as expected, those who were interviewed did talk about “keeping the machine going”, tiredness, communication challenges and the general problem of attracting new volunteers. The report details a whole raft of recommendations, ranging from smaller tactical items through to major strategic work. The PCC has reviewed and digested the report and has identified a number of actions which are planned for the first half of 2025, including a period of discernment of what we believe God is telling us about our priorities for this coming season, and therefore what we might need to pause or prune, and the development of a documented parish governance model ensuring all staff and volunteer leaders have clarity about their roles and purposes. There will be more communication about this in 2025.

As detailed in the last annual report, Kath and Phil Cooke moved on after 7 years leading Long Furlong. We are deeply grateful for all they contributed to Long Furlong and the wider Parish during that time. During 2024 a full and thorough recruitment process, involving the Archdeacon of Dorchester and Bishop of Dorchester was conducted to find a new Associate Vicar to lead Long Furlong and wider parish activities. James Whymark was licensed as Associate Vicar in August. We welcome him, Jenni and their children to Christ Church and Abingdon.

Sunday services continue to be well attended, with Long Furlong and Northcourt Road seeing new attendees from across the area. Livestream services continue at both sites; the public recording of the 9:30 service at Northcourt Road typically attracting between 50 and 100 views during the week or so after the service..

Life groups are at the heart of Church life - meeting both in homes and on the church site during the week. There are currently 21 groups at NCR and 6 at Long Furlong, plus two missional communities and a Local Houses of Prayer group. These groups are co-ordinated by Maureen Weston at Northcourt Road and Sheila and Simon Furlong at Long Furlong. These continue to flourish and are a key part of our individual journeys in faith and a great way to deepen friendships and pray for one another. Encouragement to join life groups is often delivered through services. During the year a New Comers Lifegroup ran, for those new to Christ Church. This short term lifegroup then connects attendees with other established life groups to help to build community.

Christ Church Abingdon is blessed with many volunteers. Approximately 60% of members regularly volunteer their time and gifts to the various ministries across the Church. Even so, there continues to be pressure points in some areas - Sunday technical teams and worship teams, for example. Part of our discernment of priorities and our operating model will include how we might be able to tackle this issue.

Children and Youth have had another busy year. Numbers of children and youth have not recovered since covid, and indeed mirror the downward trend seen across the diocese and nationally. In both Children and Youth teams there continues to be opportunities for outreach - prayer spaces and assemblies in primary schools reach up to

7

420 and 950 children respectively. In the Youth team, a new relationship with Abingdon & Witney College has ended, but a door has opened at a local secondary school which we pray will be fruitful, particularly in a world with polarising politics, popularism and disinformation, connecting children and youth to Jesus is ever more important.

As previous years, our two key Children and Youth events ran successfully - Youth Weekend Away and Holiday Club both well attended and well supported.

The Barns Cafe has continued to flourish. It continues to operate 5 days per week, plus most Saturdays. The staff and volunteer team are amazing, and continue to offer a welcome that captivates those who visit. During the Summer Annie Brooke stepped down as Cafe Manager. Jo Walker successfully interviewed for the role, and moved from her administrator role. Jo has continued the good work that Annie had started on simplifying menus, reviewing costs and thinking, with the team, about delivering the missional side of the Cafe’s objectives. As a result the cafe made a surplus during 2024 for the second year. This has enabled us to replenish the equipment fund, and will also help offset increased costs as a result of the budget announcement regarding changes to employer national insurance contributions. The cafe’s vision remains to be a welcoming place that is a pleasure to come to; which demonstrates the love and values of Jesus; and which succeeds as a business. We continue to see the Cafe providing a gateway to Christ Church for us; it is a great place where our ministries come together and connections are made, across Foodbank, midweek onsite groups and so on. After much prayer we have been blessed with an increase in volunteers and income enabling us to continue to operate sustainably.

The Foodbank continues to provide a lifeline to those in need across Abingdon and we continue to see an increase in need. 2024 was also a year of internal change and uncertainty. Ruth Atkins left at the end of March and we had over 6 months without a manager until Philip Bingham started in late October. During this time Foodbank Coordinator Aga Candan and two volunteers Toby Whale and Lyndsey Smith did a huge amount of extra work to maintain the service and we are very grateful for their generous commitment.

During 2024 the Foodbank:

· Responded to 2,850 requests for help (2023: 2,791) · Distributed 8,188 food parcels (2023: 6,973) · Helped 616 households (2023: 587)

65 tonnes of food, toiletries and cleaning items were distributed, of which over 40% had to be bought. Donations of food are generous but cannot keep pace with demand.

The Foodbank does not only give out food. Thanks to a Trussell Trust initiative we are able to refer clients to Citizens Advice, where there is a dedicated advisor for our clients. In the 6 months April-September 2024, we referred 40 clients; during that period Citizens Advice managed to obtain £45,000 of extra income for our clients, with a further £29,000 in the pipeline.

Financially the foodbank has continued to be blessed. Donations in the last few years have outstripped our needs, so that at 30/9/2024 we had a balance of £285,000. However a fairly rough initial budget indicates an operating deficit of £20,000 for 2025.

We continue to offer a wide range of ministries across Christ Church. The wide range of ministries offered by the church has continued, including

8

Termly parish prayer evenings, Long Furlong Away Day, an Alpha course and Baptism service on Easter Sunday are all worthy of mention as ways of building community, connecting people to Jesus and seeking God’s wisdom and direction for Christ Church.

Staffing

The PCC greatly appreciates the dedication of the church’s staff team, paid staff, self-funding staff members and those working for the church on placements. Several changes in the year are noted here:

Ruth Atkins stood down from the role of Foodbank Manager and, after a 6 month gap, has been replaced by Philip Bingham. Philip was previously Deputy Chair of the PCC in a voluntary capacity until April 2024.

Annie Brooke stood down from the role of Barns Cafe Manager in September. Jo Walker moved from her role as Cafe Administrator to Cafe Manager.

Stephanie Addenbrooke rejoined the CCA team as Worship Pastor, but subsequently resigned at Christmas to focus on family and this vacancy carries forward into 2025.

Hannah Ramsdale joined the Cafe team as Saturday supervisor.

After a thorough recruitment process, James Whymark was licenced as Associate Vicar at Long Furlong in August.

Reni Vas started as Administrator in November filling the vacancy left by Jo Walker.

We give the deepest thanks and gratitude to all those who have provided so many years of service to God and to our Church.

Workloads of our staff and volunteer leaders remain under scrutiny with plans in 2024 to conduct a deeper review of our structures and culture to enable us all to flourish in our roles and responsibilities.

9

Membership and Attendance

As of April 2024, the Electoral Roll (formal membership) of Christ Church was 461 adults with a further 16 Anglican adult members based at the Peachcroft Christian Centre, giving a total of 477 adults for the Parish of North Abingdon. This is 12 adults up on the last roll count in April 2023, which is encouraging.

Physical attendance on both sites has now returned to normal, although it is noticeable that the mix of adults and young people has shifted, with fewer young people attending services. This reflects the national picture. At Northcourt Road, typically the 9.30 Sunday morning service attracted around 120 physical attendees (plus Children and youth), and around 50 live streaming devices on YouTube (a number which can get to 200 during the week as people catch up). The 11.20 service had a typical attendance of 50-60. Attendance at the 6:30 service has averaged about 60.

Sunday attendance at Long Furlong is still slightly below pre- Coronavirus levels , with numbers of around 120 adults, children and youth each week, including those joining the service via Zoom.

PCC and Standing Committee Meetings

The day-to-day leadership and management of the church is largely delegated to the staff team, wardens, ministry and activity leaders, enabling the PCC to focus on matters of policy and strategic direction. PCC meetings also include time for reflecting on God’s word and prayer for the life of the church. Full PCC meetings take place 6 times a year. The Standing Committee also meets 6 times a year, with meetings taking place in between PCC meetings. The AGM (APCM) takes place annually around Easter-time.

Financial Review

Unrestricted income and expenditure

The majority of our income comes from the generous giving of members. 2024 was a challenging year as costs increased during a period of relatively high inflation, but many of our members were able to respond by increasing their giving during the year which, together with the giving of new members who had recently joined the Church, resulted in voluntary income of £558,000 (2023: £537,000). Income from investments was £52,000 (2023: £48,000) reflecting the continuing higher interest rates paid on short term deposits during the year, and income from church activities increased to £61,000 (2023: £56,000) largely due to a continued recovery in Church Hall lettings. Expenditure was higher than the previous year at £691,000 (2023: £627,000) reflecting the relatively high rate of inflation throughout 2024 together with very few vacancies in the staff team in 2024 compared with the previous year. The unrestricted surplus for the year before gains (losses) on investments was £10,000 (2023: £13,000), and the net movement in funds was an increase of £16,000 (2023: £40,000) due to a gain on investments this year of £6,000 (2023: £13,000) but no transfer from the restricted fund (2023: 14,000).

Restricted income and expenditure

The Abingdon Foodbank experienced another year of increasing referrals, but support from both the community and Church members remained strong with gifts of not only food but also financial donations which, together with Gift Aid where appropriate, totaled £129,000 (2023: £164,000). Foodbank expenses increased to £134,000 (2023: £88,000) and ended the year with a full time manager (previously a part time manager) as well as a part time coordinator. The surplus for all restricted funds for the year after transfers was £21,000 (2023: £68,000).

10

The Barns Café Limited

The PCC is the sole shareholder of The Barns Café Limited whose results are filed with Companies House and are not included in these Financial Statements. The share capital remains at £25,000 (it was increased to this in 2022). The share capital is fully impaired at the balance sheet date (as it was at the previous balance sheet date).

Reserves

The PCC is required to operate on a going concern basis and hold reserves equivalent to at least 2 months’ general running costs plus an additional month’s payroll costs. The accounts show that reserves remain above this minimum.

Future Plans

We will

We are also very mindful of the breadth and depth of work being done across our staff and volunteer teams. We need always to reflect and pray about our ambitions for the year ahead and seek God’s wisdom on priorities for His Church and Kingdom.

Statement of Trustees’ Responsibility

The trustees are responsible for preparing the Annual Report and the Financial Statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Principles).

The law applicable to charities in England & Wales requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources of the charity for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:

11

The trustees are responsible for keeping accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations and trust deed.

The trustees are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other risks to the charity.

This report was approved by the Trustees on 17[th] March 2025 and signed on their behalf by

David Hancock

Vice-Chair of Trustees

Revd Keith Dunnett Incumbent

12

Independent Examiner’s Report

Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees and Members of North Abingdon PCC, Christ Church on the accounts for the year ending 31 December 2024, Charity No 1153844

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the company for the year ended 31[st] December 2024 which are set out on pages 14 to 30.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity’s trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).

I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent examiner's statement

Since the charity’s gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a body listed in section 145 of the Act. I confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales, which is one of the listed bodies.

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

  1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or

  2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or

  3. the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair view’ which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Stuart Bates FCA Wenn Townsend 10 Broad Street Abingdon OX14 3LH

27 March 2025

13

PARISH OF NORTH ABINGDON

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2024

Note
INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS
Voluntary income
2 (a)
Income from investments
2 (b)
Church activities
2 (c)
Other income
2 (d)
TOTAL INCOME
EXPENDITURE
Church activities
3
TOTAL EXPENDITURE
NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)
GAIN/(LOSS) ON INVESTMENTS
7
TRANSFERS BETWEEN FUNDS
NET MOVEMENT IN FUNDS
Balances at 1st January
Balances at 31st December		 2024
£
588,233
52,104
60,985
-
701,322
691,125
691,125
10,197
6,143
-
16,340
2,633,591
2,649,931
Unrestricted
Funds		 Restricted
Funds
2024
£
152,106
9,579
-
-
161,685
141,152
141,152
20,533
-
-
20,533
333,904
354,437		 Total
2024
£
740,339
61,683
60,985
-
863,007
832,277
832,277
30,730
6,143
-
36,873
2,967,495
3,004,368		 Total
2023
£
719,722
51,139
55,971
-
826,832
731,322
731,322
95,510
12,732
-
108,242
2,859,253
2,967,495

14

PARISH OF NORTH ABINGDON

BALANCE SHEET AT 31ST DECEMBER 2024

Note
FIXED ASSETS
Tangible Fixed Assets
5
Investment in subsidiary
6
Fixed Asset Investments
7
CURRENT ASSETS
Debtors
8
Short Term Deposits
Cash at bank & in hand
Amounts receivable after one year
8
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Amounts due within one year
9
NET CURRENT ASSETS
LIABILITIES
Amounts due after one year
9
NET ASSETS
FUNDS
Unrestricted
10, 11
Restricted
12, 13
NET ASSETS LESS
CURRENT LIABILITIES		 2024
£
2,309,141
-
104,304
2,413,445
179,926
81,626
77,905
339,457
-
(102,971)
236,486
2,649,931
-
2,649,931
2,649,931
-
2,649,931
Unrestricted
Funds		 Restricted
Funds
2024
£
-
-
-
-
22,955
331,384
98
354,437
-
-
354,437
354,437
-
354,437
-
354,437
354,437		 Total
2024
£
2,309,141
-
104,304
2,413,445
202,881
413,010
78,003
693,894
-
(102,971)
590,923
3,004,368
-
3,004,368
2,649,931
354,437
3,004,368		 Total
2023
£
2,336,302
-
98,161
2,434,463
154,729
326,847
78,058
559,634
-
(26,602)
533,032
2,967,495
-
2,967,495
2,633,591
333,904
2,967,495

The Financial Statements on pages 14 to 30 were approved by the PCC of North Abingdon on 17th March 2025 and signed on its behalf by:

Martin Steel Treasurer

15

PARISH OF NORTH ABINGDON

STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2024

Note
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES
Net cash provided by / (used in) opersating activities
16
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Dividends, interest and rents from investments
Purchase of property, plant and equipment
Net cash provided by/(used in) investing activities
Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents in the reporting period
Cash and cash equivalents at 1 January 2024
Cash and cash equivalents at the 31st December 2024
16		 Total
2024
£
30,905
61,683
(6,480)
55,203
86,108
404,905
491,013		 Total
2023
£
53,330
51,139
(17,372)
33,767
87,097
317,808
404,905

16

PARISH OF NORTH ABINGDON

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2024

1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of Accounting

The Parish is a public benefit entity within the meaning of FRS 102.

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland issued in October 2019, the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102), the Charities Act 2011 and applicable regulations.

The financial statements are prepared on a going concern basis under the historical cost convention, except for the valuation of Investment assets, which are shown at fair value. The financial statements are presented in sterling which is the functional currency of the charity and rounded to the nearest £.

Funds

General funds represent the funds of the Parish that are not subject to any restrictions regarding their use and are available for application on the general purposes of the Parish. Funds designated for a particular purpose by the Parish are also unrestricted.

Restricted funds are funds which are to be used in accordance with special restrictions imposed by the donor. The accounts include all transactions, assets and liabilities for which the Parish is responsible in law.

They do not include the accounts of church groups which owe their main affiliation to another body nor those that are informal church members.

Income

Voluntary income and capital sources

Collections and planned giving are recognised when received by or on behalf of the Parish. Income tax recoverable on covenants or gift aid donations is recognised when the income is recognised.

Grants and legacies to the church are accounted for as soon as the Parish is notified of its legal entitlement and the amount due.

Funds raised by fund-raising events are accounted for gross.

Sales of books and magazines are accounted for gross.

Other ordinary income

Rental income from letting church premises is recognised when the rental is due.

Expenditure and Liabilities

Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal and constructive obligation and settlement is probable and quantifiable.

Grants

Grants and donations are accounted for when paid over, or when awarded.

Activities directly related to the work of the Parish

The diocesan quota or parish share is accounted for when payable.

17

PARISH OF NORTH ABINGDON

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2024

Fixed Assets

Tangible Fixed Assets

As of 1st January 2022 items costing more than £5,000 are capitalised as assets. Items are depreciated on the following basis:

Category
Office Equipment
Fixtures and Fittings
Plant and Machinery
Cost of Buildings		 Basis
Straight Line
Straight Line
Straight Line
Straight Line		 Period
3 Years
3 Years
5 Years
100 Years

The parish owns various freehold properties, the majority of which were acquired prior to the requirement to capitalise such expenditure. These properties have therefore not been included in cost. Freehold property acquired more recently is included at cost.

Investment in Subsidiary

Investment in subsidiary is stated at historical cost less provision for any diminution in value.

Fixed Asset Investments

Fixed asset investments are held for the long term, and are held at fair value.

Current Assets

Amounts owed to the Parish at 31st December in respect of fees, rents and other income are shown as debtors. Short term deposits include cash on deposit either with the CBF Church of England Funds or at the bank.

18

PARISH OF NORTH ABINGDON

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2024

2. INCOMING RESOURCES

(a) Voluntary income
Planned Giving:
Gift Aid
Income Tax Recoverable
Other Giving
Collections (open plate)
Sundry donations
Grants
Legacies		 2024
£
404,942
101,236
79,126
2,929
-
-
-
588,233
Unrestricted
Funds		 Restricted
Funds
2024
£
56,566
14,122
56,485
-
-
10,500
14,433
152,106		 Total
2024
£
461,508
115,358
135,611
2,929
-
10,500
14,433
740,339		 Total
2023
£
438,361
111,176
161,938
2,684
63
5,500
-
719,722

Voluntary income was £740,339 (2023: £719,722) of which £588,233 (2023: £536,846) was attributable to the unrestricted fund and £152,106 (2023: £182,876) was attributable to the restricted fund

(b) Income from investments
16,148
9,579
35,956
-
52,104
9,579
(c) Income from church activities
Events, Conferences, Courses etc
13,235
-
Bookstall
488
-
Church Hall Lettings
35,072
-
The Barns Café
9,240
-
Fees
2,950
-
60,985
-
Rental Income - Temporary let
Dividends & Interest including any reclaimed tax
Income from investments was £61,683 (2023: £51,139) of which £52,104 (2023: £47,626) wa
unrestricted fund and £9,579 (2023: £3,513) was attributed to the restricted fund		 25,727
12,846
35,956
38,293
61,683
51,139
13,235
15,707
488
307
35,072
32,564
9,240
5,480
2,950
1,913
60,985
55,971
s attributable to the

Income from church activities was £60,985 (2023: £55,971) which was attributable to the unrestricted fund

(d) Other Income

Income from other income was £Nil (2023: £Nil) which was attributable to the unrestricted fund

TOTAL 701,322 161,685 863,007 826,832

19

PARISH OF NORTH ABINGDON

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2024

3. EXPENDITURE

Note
Church Activities
Church Overseas
Home Mission
Events, Conferences, Courses etc
Ministry:
Diocesan Quota/Parish Share
Incumbent Working Expenses
Assistant Staff
Church Running Expenses
Church Maintenance
Upkeep of Services
Bookstall
Support Costs
Property Rental
Other PCC Property Upkeep
Salaries
4
Staff Recruitment
General administration
Equipment & Replacements
Depreciation
Bank charges
TOTAL		 2024
£
53,933
36,826
11,181
188,418
1,952
8,351
59,549
17,230
22,198
340
1,530
27,200
5,753
188,264
3,160
15,150
15,309
33,641
1,140
691,125
Unrestricted
Funds		 Restricted
Funds
2024
£
-
114,300
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
26,852
-
-
-
-
-
141,152		 Total
2024
£
53,933
151,126
11,181
188,418
1,952
8,351
59,549
17,230
22,198
340
1,530
27,200
5,753
215,116
3,160
15,150
15,309
33,641
1,140
832,277		 Total
2023
£
61,277
105,977
19,304
188,389
1,475
4,662
49,287
32,881
25,826
342
1,470
25,800
9,103
170,590
302
10,474
(7,830)
31,154
839
731,322

£691,125 (2023: £627,022) of the above costs were attributable to the unrestricted fund, and £141,152 (2023: £104,300) were attributable to the restricted fund

20

PARISH OF NORTH ABINGDON

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2024

3(b). ANALYSIS OF SUPPORT COST EXPENDITURE

Other Support cost
Independent examiner's fees		 £
1,530
-
1,530
Unrestricted
Funds 2024		 Restricted
Funds 2024
£
-
-
-		 Total 2024
£
1,530
-
1,530		 Total 2023
£
1,470
-
1,470

4. STAFF COSTS

During the year the church employed an average of 8 (2023: 8) members of staff (approximately 6 (2023: 6) full-time equivalent staff): youth pastor, full and part-time children's ministers, operations manager, full and part-time administrators, part-time worship pastor, part-time cleaner, and manager and part-time coordinator for the Abingdon Foodbank. In addition the church employed an average of 5 (2023: 5) members of staff (approximately 3 (2023: 3) full time equivalent staff) on behalf of The Barns Cafe Ltd (the costs are included in the accounts of that company and are not included here). No staff member earned more than £60,000.

Salaries, wages & honoraria
Social security costs
Pension cost		 £
170,300
10,081
7,883
188,264
Unrestricted
Funds 2024		 Restricted
Funds 2024
24,379
1,583
890
26,852		 Total 2024
194,679
11,664
8,773
215,116		 Total 2023
£
157,776
7,703
5,111
170,590

Mr Philip Bingham was a trustee until April 2024, and in September 2024 he was employed as manager of the Abingdon Foodbank. He did not receive any remuneration or employee benefits during the year whilst he was a trustee. None of the other trustees received any remuneration or employee benefits during the year. Where applicable the lay trustees, acting as agents to the Parish, received payment for approved expenses in accordance with Church of England guidelines. These are included in note 3.

21

PARISH OF NORTH ABINGDON

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2024

5. TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS

Cost
At 1st January 2024
Additions in the year
Disposals in the year
At 31st December 2024
Depreciation
At 1st January 2024
Additions in the year
Disposals in the year
Charge for the Year
At 31st December 2024
Net Book Value
At 31st December 2024
At 31st December 2023		 Freehold
Property
£
2,491,951
-
-
2,491,951
185,978
-
-
18,251
204,229
2,287,722
2,305,973		 Plant &
Machinery
£
24,118
6,480
-
30,598
9,038
-
-
4,776
13,814
16,784
15,080		 Office
Equipment
£
7,730
-
-
7,730
7,730
-
-
-
7,730
-
-		 Fixtures &
Fittings
£
108,214
-
-
108,214
92,965
-
-
10,614
103,579
4,635
15,249		 Total
£
2,632,013
6,480
-
2,638,493
295,711
-
-
33,641
329,352
2,309,141
2,336,302

Freehold Property includes land of £712,318 which is not depreciated.

The Market Value of the Freehold Property is considered to be in excess of the above carrying value, however it is not considered practicable or cost effective to quantify the difference.

6. INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARY

Shares in subsidiary undertaking
Impairment		 2024
£
25,000
(25,000)
-
Unrestricted
Funds		 Restricted
Funds
2024
£
-
-
-		 Total
2023
£
25,000
(25,000)
-		 Total
2023
£
25,000
(25,000)
-

The Parish of North Abingdon owns the whole of the ordinary share capital of The Barns Café Limited (company number 08794014), a company registered in England and Wales which operates as a café. The share capital was fully impaired in 2022 and remains so as at the current Balance Sheet date.

The profit for the financial period of The Barns Café Limited was £4,748 (2023: £4,787) and the aggregate capital and reserves surplus at the period end was £10,047 (2023: £5,299). The company's turnover for the year was £171,883 (2023: £146,505).

22

PARISH OF NORTH ABINGDON

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2024

7. FIXED ASSET INVESTMENTS

Fixed asset investments at fair value 2024
£
104,304
Unrestricted
Funds		 Restricted
Funds
2024
£
-		 Total
2024
£
104,304		 Total
2023
£
98,161

The fixed asset investment is a CBF Church of England Fund which is held for the long term. Investments are all traded in quoted public markets. The basis of fair value is equivalent to the market value using the bid price. The total income recognised on these investments in the period was £8,621 (2023: £15,162) representing fair value remeasurement gain of £6,143 (2023: £12,732) and dividend income received of £2,478 (2023: £2,430).

8. DEBTORS

Amounts receivable within one year
Income Tax Recoverable
Sundry Debtors and Prepayments
Trade Debtors
Amounts receivable after more than one year
Loan to Subsidiary Undertaking
Impairment
Amount owed by Subsidiary Undertaking		 2024
£
102,302
67,282
7,604
2,738
179,926
-
-
-
Unrestricted
Funds		 Restricted
Funds
2024
£
22,955
-
-
-
22,955
-
-
-		 Total
2024
£
125,257
67,282
7,604
2,738
202,881
-
-
-		 Total
2023
£
136,601
11,818
6,310
-
154,729
-
-
-

9. LIABILITIES

Amounts falling due within one year
Sundry Creditors and Accruals
Amounts falling due after more than one year		 2024
£
102,971
-
Unrestricted
Funds		 Restricted
Funds
2024
£
-
-		 Total
2024
£
102,971
-		 Total
2023
£
26,602
-

23

PARISH OF NORTH ABINGDON

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2024

10. ANALYSIS OF UNRESTRICTED FUNDS

General Funds
Designated Funds
The Barns Café - Equipment
Tithe Barn Refurbishment
General Funds
Designated Funds
The Barns Café - Equipment
Tithe Barn Refurbishment		 Fixed Assets
2024
£
2,413,445
-
-
2,413,445
Fixed Assets
2023
£
2,434,463
-
-
2,434,463		 Current
Assets
2024
£
256,176
19,581
63,700
339,457
Current
Assets
2023
£
154,849
17,181
53,700
225,730		 Current
Liabilities
2024
£
(102,971)
-
-
(102,971)
Current
Liabilities
2023
£
(26,602)
-
-
(26,602)		 Total
2024
£
2,566,650
19,581
63,700
2,649,931
Total
2023
£
2,562,710
17,181
53,700
2,633,591

24

PARISH OF NORTH ABINGDON

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2024

11. MOVEMENT ON UNRESTRICTED FUNDS

General Funds
Designated Funds
The Barns Café - Equipment
Tithe Barn Refurbishment
General Funds
Designated Funds
The Barns Café - Equipment
Tithe Barn Refurbishment		 Brought
Forward
2024
£
2,562,710
17,181
53,700
2,633,591
Brought
Forward
2023
£
2,535,740
8,930
48,700
2,593,370		 Transfers
2024
£
-
-
-
-
Transfers
2023
£
19,099
4,969
(10,000)
14,068		 Income
2024
£
695,065
2,400
10,000
707,465
Income
2023
£
634,265
3,910
15,000
653,175		 Expenses
2024
£
(691,125)
-
-
(691,125)
Expenses
2023
£
(626,394)
(628)
-
(627,022)		 Carried
Forward
2024
£
2,566,650
19,581
63,700
2,649,931
Carried
Forward
2023
£
2,562,710
17,181
53,700
2,633,591

25

PARISH OF NORTH ABINGDON

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2024

12. ANALYSIS OF RESTRICTED FUNDS

Children's Society
Charity Collections
Equipment
Foodbank
Home Mission
Link
Overseas Mission
Refurbishment
Vicars Discretionary Fund
Children's Society
Charity Collections
Equipment
Foodbank
Home Mission
Link
Overseas Mission
Refurbishment
Vicars Discretionary Fund		 Current
Assets
2024
£
396
335
1,480
267,960
5,316
(6)
766
70,942
7,248
354,437
Current
Assets
2023
£
60
342
1,480
273,471
5,475
684
766
43,779
7,847
333,904		 Current
Liabilities
2024
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Current
Liabilities
2023
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-		 Long-term
Liabilities
2024
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Long-term
Liabilities
2023
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-		 Total
2024
£
396
335
1,480
267,960
5,316
(6)
766
70,942
7,248
354,437
Total
2023
£
60
342
1,480
273,471
5,475
684
766
43,779
7,847
333,904

26

PARISH OF NORTH ABINGDON

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2024

13. MOVEMENT ON RESTRICTED FUNDS

Children's Society
Charity Collections
Equipment
Foodbank
Home Mission
Link
Overseas Mission
Refurbishment
Vicars Discretionary Fund
Children's Society
Charity Collections
Equipment
Foodbank
Home Mission
Link
Overseas Mission
Refurbishment
Vicars Discretionary Fund		 Brought
Forward
2024
£
60
342
1,480
273,471
5,475
684
766
43,779
7,847
333,904
Brought
Forward
2023
£
55
276
1,771
197,373
9,285
742
660
49,378
6,343
265,883		 Transfers
2024
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Transfers
2023
£
-
-
-
-
(4,969)
-
-
(9,099)
-
(14,068)		 Income
2024
£
336
540
-
128,868
2,086
779
-
28,902
174
161,685
Income
2023
£
5
137
5,625
163,614
8,570
689
1,107
3,503
3,139
186,389		 Expenses
2024
£
-
(547)
-
(134,379)
(2,245)
(1,469)
-
(1,739)
(773)
(141,152)
Expenses
2023
£
-
(71)
(5,916)
(87,516)
(7,411)
(747)
(1,001)
(3)
(1,635)
(104,300)		 Carried
Forward
2024
£
396
335
1,480
267,960
5,316
(6)
766
70,942
7,248
354,437
Carried
Forward
2023
£
60
342
1,480
273,471
5,475
684
766
43,779
7,847
333,904

27

PARISH OF NORTH ABINGDON

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2024

14. DESCRIPTION OF FUNDS

Designated Funds - Set aside by the PCC

The Barns Café - Equipment

This designated fund has been set up to fund the replacement of equipment in the premises used by The Barns Café Limited

Tithe Barn Refurbishment

This designated fund has been set up for the future refurbishment of the Tithe Barn at the Northcourt Road site. The intention is that in the next few years there will be a major overhaul of the inside (heating, layout) and possibly the outside (roofing)

Restricted Funds - Given with a particular purpose

Children's Society

A special collection for this charity

Charity Collections

Special collections by Christ Church for various charities

Equipment

Donations used to replace/improve equipment at Christ Church

Foodbank

Donations to Abingdon Foodbank

Home Mission

Funds raised for mission opportunities in the parish and the wider diocese

Link

Funds raised by the Christ Church Link group and used to support ongoing work

Overseas Mission

Donations made to support Christ Church mission partners and other Christian mission organisations working overseas

Refurbishment

Donations to be used for improvements to buildings

Vicars Discretionary Fund

Donations to be used at the Vicar's discretion

28

PARISH OF NORTH ABINGDON

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2024

15. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

Donations received from Trustees

Donations received from the PCC trustees totalled £54,625 (2023: £59,082) during the reporting period with an additional £12,431 (2023: £13,936) recoverable through Gift Aid

The Barns Café Limited

During the year The Barns Café Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of the charity, paid £6,840 (2023: £5,480) to the Parish of North Abingdon for heat and light and £2,400 repair costs (2023: £Nil).

The £25,000 share capital was fully impaired at the end of 2022 and remains so at the current balance sheet date because, although the Café made a modest profit in 2023 and 2024, it is considered unlikely to be in a position to make significant profits in the forseeable future.

The amount due from The Barns Café Limited at the balance sheet date for costs incurred by the Parish on the Café's behalf was £7,604 (2023: £6,310). The trustees decided there was no requirement to impair this year end balance.

Payments to connected organisations / individuals

Payments were made during the year to organisations / individuals connected to trustees as follows:

Trustee Connected
Organisation		 How Connected Nature of conflict of interest Payments made to
Connected
Organisations /
Individuals during
the year
Clergy Oxford Diocesan
Board of Finance		 Clergy are a direct employee of, or
are employed to minister with stipend
by the connected organisation		 Parish Share (Diocesan Quota) is
paid to Oxford Diocesan Board of
Finance		 £188,418
Mr Martin Steel Abingdon Deanery
Synod		 As well as being treasurer of the
Charity, the trustee is also the
treasurer of Abingdon Deanery Synod		 Abingdon Deanery Synod decide
how the total Diocesan Quota
allocated by Oxford Diocese to the
Deanery is shared among the
individual parishes in the Deanery		 £188,418 paid to
Oxford Diocesan
Board of Finance, but
the value is decided by
Abingdon Deanery
Revd Keith Dunnett
Mr Andrew Lowe
Dr Cherry Tweed		 The Barns Café Limited Trustees are Directors of the
connected organisation		 The share capital of the Café
remains fully impaired at the balance
sheet date		 ~~S~~
~~d~~
Value of impairment
remains at £25,000
Mr David Greenaway The Barns Café Limited Relative is employed by the Café Total cost of employment £16,465
Mr Philip Bingham Church Mission Society Trustee was an employee of the
connected organisation during the
early part of 2024		 Grant paid to the connected
organisation for the support of a
Mission Partner		 £12,124
Dr Penelope Smith Church Mission Society Trustee is related to a Mission
Partner employed by the connected
organisation		 Grant paid to the connected
organisation for the support of a
Mission Partner		 £12,124
Dr Penelope Smith The Archway
Foundation		 Trustee is Treasurer (voluntary) of
the connected organisation		 Grant paid to the connected
organisation for the support of a
Mission Partner		 £1,042

29

PARISH OF NORTH ABINGDON

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2024

16. NOTE TO THE STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS

Reconciliation of net income to net cash flow from operating activities
Net income /(expenditure) for the operating period
(as per statement of financial activities)
Adjustments for:
Depreciation charges
Impairment of fixed asset investments
Dividends, interest and rents from investments
(Increase)/decrease in debtors
Increase /(decrease) in creditors
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities
Analysis of cash and cash equivalents
Cash in hand
Notice deposits (less than 3 months)
Total cash and cash equivalents		 Total
2024
£
36,873
33,641
(6,143)
(61,683)
(48,152)
76,369
30,905
Total
2024
£
78,003
413,010
491,013		 Total
2023
£
108,242
31,154
(12,732)
(51,139)
(16,979)
(5,216)
53,330
Total
2023
£
78,058
326,847
404,905

17. OPERATING LEASES - LESSEE

Total future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases are as follows:

Not later than one year
Later than one and not later than five years		 Total
2024
£
5,904
19,187
25,091

30