2025-12-31-accounts - The Parochial Church Council Of St.mary The Virgin, Newent, Gloucestershire

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ST MARY’S CHURCH APCM

Minutes of the APCM held on Sunday 26 April 2026 during 10.30am service.

MEMBERS PRESENT

Rev Canon Simon Mason, Roger & Elizabeth Beard, Carol Gooch, Mary Dunning, Mike & Cynthia Gwinnettt, Shirley Johns, Colin & Julie Tatchell, Derek & Wyn Lemarchand, Kate Blethyn, Meg Roberts, Brenda Passant, Laurence Susan Mathew, Josh Robertson, Annee Barwell, Jane Roach, Ollie & Irene Evans, Pat Phillips, David & Kate Griffiths, Jeff steers, Mary Wilkes, Pam Oakey, Eleri Houldey, Shirley Hill, Annie Caulfield,

David & Ann Wilson, Beryl Whittal, Brenda Barnes, Mark Blunden, Charlie & Gina Brees, Louisa Mason,

Nigel & Rose Gabb, George Lotery, Sarah Kirkland, Helen Lister, Chris Rose, Tony & Anna Hayward,

Coleen Desmond, Enid Woodcock, Jan Perkins, Brian Blackmore, Carole Brookes.

APOLOGIES

Mike & Liz Miles, Graham Barton, Rev Mark Dunning, Steve & Linda Price.

VESTRY MEETING

APOLOGIES MINUTES OF 2025 VESTRTY MEETING MATTERS ARISING

ELECTION OF CHURCHWARDENS/ASSISTANT WARDENS

Colin Tatchell and Carol Gooch will continue as Churchwardens

Cynthia Gwinnett and Mary Wilkes will continue as Assistant Wardens.

ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING

APOLOGIES

As above

MINUTES OF 2025 APCM

Signed off by Simon.

MATTERS ARISING

No Matters Arising which are not covered elsewhere.

ELECTION OF EX-OFFICIO POSTS EN BLOC

Tim Greenhalgh (Treasurer), Sue Cook (Methodist steward), Janet Roach (Baptist Secretary), Carole Brookes (PCC Secretary) will continue to stand as Ex-officio members. Also standing as Ex-officio members are Rev Mark Dunning, Rev David King and Josh Robertson.

ELECTION OF DEANERY SYNOD REPRESENTATIVES

These posts are appointed every three years. Our current reps are Tim Greenhalgh and Andy Goodwin.

Simon asked for continued prayer for Jo and Andy after their recent car accident.

ELECTION OF CHURCH COUNCIL MEMBERS

Simon gave Brenda Passant a gift to mark all her work over the years as a PCC member. Shirley Johns will continue as a PCC member for the next year.

Chris Rose will join PCC. Members can be co-opted throughout the year for the two other vacant posts for PCC.

ACCOUNTS presented by Colin Tatchell (on behalf of Treasurer Tim Greenhalgh) Colin explained that £48,000 is paid out before we can pay for anything else. After all payments we have around £20,000.

£37,000 is available from our reserves. Colin thanked Tim in his absence for all his work as Treasurer.

Thanks went to Shirley Howard for all her work as Treasurer prior to her resignation, and to Nigel Gabb for his work on the Finance committee.

APPOINTMENT OF INDEPENDENT EXAMINER

Mrs Christine Moore has agreed to continue next year. Proposed by Simon and seconded by Roger Beard.

REPORTS FROM THE ANNUAL REPORT

Churchwardens (Colin Tatchell)

Electoral Roll (Simon Mason on behalf of Tim Greenhalgh)

Four new members have been added to the roll this year.

PCC (Carol Gooch)

Deanery Synod Rep (Simon Mason on behalf of Tim Greenhalgh)

Further roles will be set up to stand alongside the Area Dean and other positions. Electoral Roll Officer (Simon Mason on behalf of Tim Greenhalgh)

Children, Youth and Families (Josh Robertson)

Josh read his report and told us that there is £25,00 for each of the next three years to continue his ministry. Meetings to start in May for a September start to liaise with Newent Community School.

Rector’s report (Simon Mason)

Thanks to everyone who participates in our church life, with thanks also to all our retired ministers for their help.

INFORMATION SHARING Current D&BS Status

Safeguarding policies

Jo Goodwin’s appointment as PSO

Simon gave thanks to Annie Caulfield for all her work while she was our Safeguarding Officer. Jo Goodwin has now been officially appointed as our new PSO.

NEW VISION FOR ST MARY’S - Colin and Simon

Colin recapped the Vision statement which was shown on the overhead screen. Simon outlined how we want the vision to look. God is here for all who know him, and for those people who have not yet heard about him.

The PCC of St Mary the Virgin, Newent, Gloucestershire

Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 31 December 2025

Church Street, Newent, Gloucestershire GL18 1AB. www.stmarysnewent.org

Registered Charity Number 1158153

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The Parochial Church Council of St Mary’s Newent Annual Report for the year ended 31[st] December 2025

Aim and Purpose:

St Mary’s Parochial Church Council (the PCC) has the responsibility of cooperating with the Incumbent, the Reverend Canon Simon Mason, in promoting in the ecclesiastical parish, the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. As well as the Church itself, which is a Grade I Listed Building, the PCC is also responsible for maintaining the adjoining Church room.

Local Ecumenical Partnership:

St Mary’s is part of an Ecumenical Partnership involving Anglicans, Baptists and Methodists. Services are led by ministers of all three denominations. The membership of each denomination is also expressed through the Anglican Diocese of Gloucester, The West of England Baptist Association and the Gloucestershire Methodist Circuit.

Objectives and Activities:

The PCC is committed to enabling as many people as possible to worship at our Church and to become part of our parish family. When planning our activities, the PCC has considered the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit, and in particular the specific guidance on charities for the advancement of religion. Our services and worship put faith into practice through prayer and scripture, music and sacrament. We try to enable ordinary people to live out their faith as part of our parish family through:

Worship and prayer: learning about the Gospel, and developing their knowledge and trust in Jesus;
Provision of pastoral care for people living in the parish; and
Mission and outreach work.

To facilitate this work, it is vital that we maintain the fabric of both the Church and adjoining rooms.

Achievements and performance:

Rector’s Report

This past year has been a very full one with high numbers of people attending our special seasonal and other services and events. Feedback continues to show that St Mary’s is very much appreciated by our wider community in many ways and our efforts in community building are valued highly.

The development of our PCC structure and Small Groups is now bearing fruit with significant work being done in-between meetings. Towards the end of the year, we made progress with planning for our Vision Building process which has moved forward in the new year with encouraging signs that we aim to share with the whole church family at our APCM on 26 April.

In a departure from the previous pattern, we are holding our APCM presenting our Vision, reports & future planning in the setting of a Sunday 10.30am service, alongside worship, prayer and teaching.

The sermon series on Nehemiah (along with the Lent Course based on the same book and exploring God’s call to share our faith) has been the springboard for our vision and we look forward to God’s provision and leading into the future in-keeping with the vision He is revealing.

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All this work has only been possible due to the committed service of a whole host of people across the church family and I want to say a huge thank you to each of you. As we go forward the wonderful thing is that the question is not whether each of us has a ministry and part to play but rather discovering what each of our parts will be.

There has been a great response over the year to our sharing the need to reconsider our financial giving and this has borne fruit, meaning we have a firmer platform to walk into the coming years. This does not mean that we won’t face challenges, but in all of this we look to God’s great provision.

A significant development this year has been the newly granted charitable status of “The Lord’s Larder” as a separate CIO Charitable Trust. The Charity continues to have a solid Christian basis reflecting its long connection with St Mary’s and the choice of new Trustees to take over the reins.

And so, I end with thanks: thank you to God for his love and care for us, thank you to each of you for our journeying together in faith, thank you to our ministers, both lay and ordained, and our Parochial Church Council in their faithful efforts on all our behalf.

I am grateful too for the loving care you have shown to myself and the family over this year as we celebrated my special birthday in July and my 20th anniversary in the Benefice in November (marking 25 years since I was first ordained).

Safeguarding

The PCC has complied with the duty under section 5 of the Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure 2016 (duty to have regard to House of Bishops’ guidance on safeguarding children & vulnerable adults).

Our thanks go to Annie Caulfield who has now stepped down from her role as Parish Safeguarding Officer and has been a great support in this vital work. She has been succeeded by Jo Goodwin who was appointed as the new Parish Safeguarding Officer on 16 March 2026 and following her induction training with the Diocesan team, she will begin her role fully.

We continue to be grateful for the clear leadership within Gloucester Diocese on all Safeguarding matters and for their dedication and support with advice being readily available.

The most recent development has been the change to the National Church Safeguarding Framework which is seen as a great improvement in format. It enables us to understand how to respond to situations with greater clarity and emphasises that everyone who participates in the life of the Church has a role to play in promoting a Safer Church for all. In addition, the policy statement has been renewed with the focus on the re-written C of E Safeguarding Policy for children, young people and adults entitled ‘Promoting a Safer Church’.

Churchwardens’ Report

The Churchwardens in 2025 were Carol Gooch and Colin Tatchell. We would like to give sincere thanks to our Deputy Wardens Mary Wilkes and Cynthia Gwinnett for their commitment and service as Deputies. Thanks also to Mandy Wright our cleaner and Martin Passant for his work in the churchyard and other jobs he does around the church.

The Church Terrier and Inventory of silverware etc. has been checked and everything is in order.

The responsibilities were split, with Carol focussing on Worship, Flowers, Catering provision and Communion activities. Colin’s role encompassed Fabric and Maintenance, Health and Safety and Finance. We continually seek opportunities to involve more people in running the church and volunteering their time and will always welcome any offers of help with various activities.

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Fabric and Maintenance

Repairs to the corroded cast-iron boiler pipework in the Lady Chapel
Repairs to the lath and lime plaster ceiling panel in the church room
Disposal of old wooden panels from old pews stored behind the altar (with Archdeacon’s approval)
Disposal of unwanted items in the balcony area and plastic kneelers that were a tripping hazard
Setting up a new children’s area in the back of the church after disposal of old metal chairs
Replacement of 2 old photocopiers in the office with a new (second hand) colour copier funded by a donation
Removal of office kitchen cupboards and replacement with efficient racking and boxes

Health and Safety

As Churchwardens we carry out safety audits, and any issues are identified and addressed. All large events in the church buildings or outside are managed with a Risk Assessment process.

Finance

Change to fund raising via the Gift Day – after our request for members to consider increasing their regular giving, the response was very positive and now means the use of Gift Day will only be for funding planned projects rather than supporting general funds. Church banking was switched to online with much reduced need for cheques, with the transition ably managed by Tim Greenhalgh the new Treasurer. We thank Shirley Howard for her service as Treasurer – she stood down in September 2025 after 3 years of hard work. Thanks also to Nigel Gabb for his support, wisdom and experience in our church finances as a member of the finance sub-group.

Worship

Weekly Sunday Services 10:30am- averaging a Congregation of 65 to 70
First Sunday of the month, Family Service.
First and third Sundays 8:45 Holy Communion
Wednesday Mornings 10:00am - Holy Communion - Numbers have increased
Holy Communion is Ecumenical, with CofE communions back to using the single Chalice again after Covid restrictions were lifted. We also offer Baptist and Methodist style Communions.

Flowers: Regular Flower Meetings have been held throughout the year, and new members welcomed to the Team. A successful and enjoyable fund-raising event was held last year, which was a Cheese and Wine Evening with Sandra Townsend, who did wonderful flower arrangement demonstrations for us. The proceeds raised have enabled the Flower Team to make much needed purchases, including artificial flowers.

Catering and Social Provision

Several church events with food were held during the year, notably a lunch to mark the end of Roger Beard’s time as Churchwarden and Simon’s 20-year anniversary of becoming Rector. Numerous church or community events involved the team providing refreshments, e.g. Newent Fundays, Easter and Christmas events and concerts, as well as Ladies’ Breakfasts.

Social meals out were arranged for Christmas and Easter. Home Groups run through the year and a new 'Get Together Group', (a friendly social time, board games/crafts) meets twice a month.

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Financial review

Total receipts on the unrestricted General Fund were £86,026, and payments from this fund totalled £84,065, giving a surplus for the year of £1,961.

The parish met its Diocesan Parish Share commitment in full, which, together with our contributions to our ecumenical Baptist and Methodist partners, amounted to £48,618.

We are grateful that so many of our church members have responded to our needs and have increased their giving over the past year. Our aim is to be able to match our regular giving with our regular costs which is a challenge with ever increasing costs and a desire to grow our church. The PCC have begun a visioning process to reimagine the priorities and needs for our future Christian mission in Newent and beyond.

Finally, our thanks go to Shirley Howard who retired as St Mary’s Treasurer in September 2025. Her commitment has been valued greatly during her time in office. Tim Greenhalgh took over the role from 1[st] October 2025.

Reserves Policy

The PCC holds free reserves (unrestricted funds not tied up in fixed assets) to ensure financial stability, cover unexpected costs, and maintain ministry and community activities if income falls. Restricted funds are excluded from reserves.

The PCC aims to keep reserves between three and six months of regular unrestricted expenditure, reflecting risks such as reliance on voluntary giving, the condition of the church building, and income volatility. As at 31 December 2025 , cash reserves were £37,832 which, at the equivalent to 5.4 months of the year’s expenditure, is considered appropriate.

The PCC may designate part of its unrestricted reserves for long-term projects, though no designated funds were held at the end of 2025. Reserves are kept in accessible bank accounts, and long-term investments are only counted if they can be converted to cash easily.

The Treasurer reports reserve levels at each PCC meeting, and the policy is reviewed annually. If reserves fall below the minimum, a recovery plan will be prepared; if they exceed the maximum, the PCC will consider investing in mission or building improvements.

Electoral Roll Officer’s Report

The Electoral Roll has been updated prior to the APCM as is required each year under the annual review process. Since last year, 6 members have been added and 2 have been removed. The number on the current Roll as at 12[th] April 2026 is 106.

St Mary’s PCC Report

The PCC met six times during 2025, in January, March, May, July, September & November.

The PCC Standing Committee (Rector/Curate/Churchwardens/Deputy wardens/Treasurer) met four times in February, June, October & November. The Standing Committee meet between PCC meetings to monitor progress in PCC activities, setting the agenda for the next PCC meeting and making urgent decisions as required which are subsequently ratified by the next full PCC meeting.

The PCC works through subgroups in the following areas: Fabric and Maintenance (including Health & Safety), Finance, Children/Youth/Families, Pastoral Care, Safeguarding, Worship, Mission and Outreach, Fundraising and (before changes were made) Lord’s Larder.

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The main business of the PCC during the year has been:

The Lord’s Larder: The PCC agreed to make the necessary changes to spin off the Lord’s Larder as a separate charity with its own bank accounts and governance structure. This was managed through a solicitor with experience in the area and was successfully completed in mid 2025. The new Lord’s Larder charity maintains links to the Newent PCC through the Rector and other members of the PCC who have become trustees of the new charity. All the costs for the transition were paid for by the Lord’s Larder charity, as advised by the Archdeacon. Our belief is that the new charity will be able to move forward more effectively and be better administered and governed by the new trustees and management committee. This will also allow the PCC to spend more time on church related activities.
Children, Youth and Families work: The PCC agreed to wholeheartedly support this area and committed to adopting the findings of the Church of England Youth & Children Growth research report.
Quinquennial Report: The PCC reviewed the main findings of the Quinquennial report and agreed that the Fabric and Maintenance subgroup should follow up on repair work and bring items forward to the PCC for approval and funding as required, according to the priorities outlined in the report.
Maintenance Items agreed and completed
Urgent repair (with Faculty waiver) to church cast iron heating pipes to replace corroded sections in Lady chapel – cost £2,986.83 (net cost after VAT recovery under the now withdrawn Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme).
Repair to lath and plaster ceiling panel in church rooms by lime plaster specialist – cost £1055.60. Approved under Faculty List B.
Worship: Changes were made to various services with some clarifications around our three forms of Communion services honouring Methodist and Baptist traditions as well as CofE.
Commitment to establish a new Vision: The PCC agreed to work on a new Vision for our church to take us forward, with a sermon theme on Nehemiah rebuilding the wall as a way to focus and guide us. This is to be presented to the church at the April 2026 APCM.

Children, Youth and Families

The Children, Youth and Families ministry in St Mary’s is overseen by Josh Robertson but there are many volunteers who support the various activities from Baby & Toddlers to young adults and our involvement with the local schools.

Our existing programmes of Messy Church and Baby & Toddlers along with our collaborative programmes of Young Adults, Holiday Clubs and (Halloween) Light Parties continue to grow and flourish. St Mary’s Church initiated a lively worship event this year- ‘Raise the Roof’ in collaboration with the band Chiya who are members of the church’s young adults’ group. These evenings have attracted a good following hence three events were held in 2025.

Towards the end of the year, we also introduced a youth space initiative in conjunction with Sportily – a sports activity charity supported by the Diocese of Gloucester.

Looking ahead into 2026, we continue to make it our priority to be more effective in our engagement with children, young people and families. It is our desire that anyone and everyone, whatever their age or background, would be welcomed and included in the life of the whole church.

Joshua Robertson (Children, Youth and Families Minister).

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Severn Vale Deanery Report:

The Severn Vale Deanery (12 Benefices, 40+ churches) is led by Revd Canon Jacqui Hyde and Sue Padfield , with Steve Riddick as Secretary and Derek Wright as Parish Share Officer and Treasurer.

During 2025, the Synod met three times covering several topical issues:

6 March: Discussions on future Parish Share funding and a presentation from Stephen Dean (Primary Quest) on major pressures facing primary schools, especially funding and SEND needs.

8 July: Bishop Rachel spoke about the LIFE Vision, mission focus, collaboration, and church priorities. Questions covered Living in Love and Faith, Palestine, church demographics, Archbishop appointment processes, and Church Commissioners’ finances.

15 October: Focus on the Seven Sacred Spaces model. Presentations from Grace Network and Sportily on how the model shapes their work. Update on recruiting Deanery Operations Leaders.

Full minutes are available on the Deanery website or from the Secretary.

Romania Mission Support

Dave & Chris Townsend together with Elaine Frampton from St Mary’s Church have been part of a Romanian prayer support group for around thirty years.

Funds given by church members are sent regularly to the country and individuals from the UK keep in regular touch with the church leaders. The donations given are used entirely to support the charitable work of the church and its Christian mission.

Dave & Chris write: ‘We support two churches, one is in the village of Sadu (Bumbesti Jui), north of the city of Targu Jui, led by Pastor Viorel and his wife Ema. Pastor Viorel also supports a small group of Orphans a number of whom are Christians. Pastor Viorel as deputy of the Southern Baptist Union, supports two further churches in the area.

In the village of Preajba on the east side of the city of Targu Jui. we also support a Christian outreach. Sami and Marta run activities in a Christian centre called the Granary, reaching the children and their mother and currently running a marriage counselling course.

Volunteers:

The members of the PCC would like to thank all the volunteers who work so tirelessly – and often behind the scenes, to make our Church a welcoming and vibrant community.

Structure, Governance and Management

The method of appointment of PCC members is set out in the Church Representation Rules. The Council comprises the Incumbent, curate and the two Ecumenical partner ministers, the Churchwardens, a representative of the Readers, those elected to the Deanery Synod, and other members who are elected at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting, by those on the Electoral Roll. Members of the congregation are always encouraged to join the Electoral Roll, and to consider standing for election to the PCC.

The PCC members are responsible for making decisions on all matters of general concern and importance in the parish, and for all financial matters. The PCC meets regularly every 2-months, and at other times when required.

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Administrative Information:

The church is situated on the Church Street in Newent and is part of the Severn Vale Deanery in the Diocese of Gloucester. The correspondence address is Church Street, Newent, GL18 1AB.

The PCC is a body corporate (PCC Powers Measure 1956 and the Church Representation Rules 2022) and is registered with the Charity Commission – number 1158153.

PCC members who have served from 1[st] January 2025 until the date of this report:

Ex Officio:

Ex Officio:
The Incumbent	Rev’d Canon Simon Mason	(Chair)
Assistant Curate	Rev’d Mark Dunning
Youth & Children’s Minister	Josh Robertson	(From 28/04/25)
Methodist Minister	Rev’d David King
Baptist Minister	Vacant
Reader Emeritus:	Elaine Frampton
Churchwardens:	Colin Tatchell	(From 28/04/25)
	Carol Gooch
	Roger Beard	(To 28/04/25)
Assistant Wardens:	Cynthia Gwinnett
	Mary Wilkes	(From 28/04/25)
	Colin Tatchell	(To 28/04/25)
Baptist Secretary:	Janet Roach
Methodist Steward:	Sue Cook
Deanery Synod Reps:	Tim Greenhalgh	(From 03/04/23)
	Andy Goodwin	(From 20/05/24)
Treasurer:	Shirley Howard	(To 30/09/25 - resigned)
	Tim Greenhalgh	(From 01/10/25)
Secretary:	Carole Brookes	(From 26/01/26)
Elected Members:	Annee Barwell	(From 28/04/25)
	Elizabeth Beard	(From 2024)
	Kate Blethyn	(Fr. 22/04/24 to 26/02/26 resigned)
	Jo Goodwin	(From 2024)
	Shirley Johns	(From 2023)
	Brenda Passant	(From 2023)
	Linda Price	(From 28/04/25)
	Pam Roberts	(To Feb 2025 Deceased)
	Josh Robertson	(From 2022 to 2025)
	Susannah Wardale	(From 22/04/24)

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Receipts & Payments Account for year ending 31[st] December 2025

See note	Receipts & Payments Account	Receipts & Payments Account	General Funds(£)	Restricted Funds(£)	2025	2024
INCOMING RESOURCES
	Voluntary Income
3		Planned Giving	46,400	2,000	48,400	48,769
3		Collections & othergiving	8,843	3,610	12,454	12,071
4		Gift Aid Recovered	11,246	1,017	12,262	11,797
	Grants		677	2,500	3,177	5,565
	Legacies		12,435	-	12,435	0
	Activities forgenerating funds
		Hall lettings	420	-	420	590
	Events & Fundraising		2,283	874	3,157	2,206
	Investment Income
		Dividends & Interest	274	8	282	309
	Income from charitable activities
5	Parochial Fees		3,324	-	3,324	1,477
	Other incoming resources
		Other Income(Lord’s Larder)	125	3,520	3,645	5,448
	Total income received		86,026	13,529	99,556	88,232
RESOURCES EXPENDED
	Charitable Activities
6		Donations to charities	2,143	5,491	7,633	6,023
		Events & Fundraisingcosts	1,471	-	1,471	1,738
7		Parish Share	43,988	-	43,988	41,752
7		Methodist Circuit & Baptist Union	4,630	-	4,630	4,448
		Mission & Evangelism	-	(236)	(236)	0
		ClergyExpenses	273	-	273	444
		Other PCC Expenses	753	-	753	1,307
		Children & Youthwork	-	1,955	1,955	5,861
		Church running& Service costs	2,430	-	2,430	2,457
		Heating,Lightingand Water	7,627	-	7.627	7,488
		Churchyard Maintenance	-	(495)	(495)	495
		Minor repairs & Routine Maintenance	3,498	-	3,498	2,257
	Running costs
		Administration	3,417	-	3,417	3,250
	Salaries & wages			428	428	3,777
	Cleaning		2,302	-	2,302	1,888
	Insurance		6,872	-	6,872	6,754
9	Funds transferred to the Lord’s Larder		-	24,147	24,147	0
	Other		20	6,379	6,399	5,105
	Major expenditure
8		Repairs to church buildings	4,640	-	4,640	0
	Total expenditure		84,065	37,669	121,734	95,043
	Net incoming / outgoing resources		1,962	(24,140)	(22,178)	(6,811)
	Transfers between Funds		-	-	-
	Net incoming / outgoing resources		1,962	(24,140)	(22,178)	(6,811)
	Gains(losses)on investment assets		(123)	-	(123)	209
	NET RECEIPTS/ (PAYMENTS)		1,838	(24,140)	(22,301)	(6,601)

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Balance Sheet as at 31[st] December 2025

Fixed assets used by St Mary’s, Newent PCC: The PCC owns for church use the church plate, furnishings and equipment for which the Churchwardens maintain a terrier (inventory).

	Balance 31 Dec. 24	changes			Balance 31 Dec 25
Barclays Bank	33,153.86	(14,656.10)			18,497.76
Lloyds PCC Classic Account	27,846.10	(7,811.48)			20,034.62
Lloyds Bell Fund Account	1,041.54	338.28			1,379.82
Lloyds Instant Savings	0.77	-			0.77
Lloyds Refurbishment Funs a/c	0.58	-			0.58
CBF Deposit Account	4,810.43	217.69			5,028.12
CBF Investment Fund[151.1 shares]	3,398.17	(42.71)			3,355.46
CBF Investment Fund[87 shares]	2,011.67	(80.42)			1,931.25
PettyCash(Lord’s Larder)	207.42	(207.42)			-
Cash in Hand(Parish)	25.00	(25.00)			-
Lloyds Bank(Trade-craft))	33.83	(33.83)			-
Lloyds Bank(Agape)	0.29	(0.29)			-
	*72,529.66*	(22,301.28)			*50,228.38*

	31 Dec 24	Receipts	Payments	Transfers	31 Dec 25
General Church Funds	35,994.01	95,779.67	(93,941.22)	-	37,832.46
Restricted Funds:
Agape Fund	65.29	-	(65.29)	-	-
Bell Fund	330.00	-	-	(330.00)	-
Children’s Society	402.83	828.43	(1,176.14)	-	55.12
Church Clock Fund	554.00	-	-	-	554.00
Children/Youth Fund	606.81	1,505.03	(1,954.98)	-	156.86
Rector’s DiscretionaryFund	3,551.37	500.00	(500.00)	-	3,551.37
Ecumenical Fund	(136.00)	400.00	(164.00)	-	100.00
Friends of St Marys	(60.00)	-	(20.00)	-	(80.00)
The Lord’s Larder	24,430.23	6,004.08	(30,434.31)		-
Churchyard(FoDCC)	(495.00)	2,502.50	(2,007.50)	-	-
Refurbishment Fund	4,004.75	443.75	-	(180.00)	4,268.50
Romania(Redditch)	459.50	3,545.00	(3,600.00)	-	404.50
Romania(St Marys)	1,506.50	679.25	(360.00)	180.00	2,005.75
Bell Fund Account - Lloyds	1,041.54	8.28	-	330.00	1379.82
Ukraine	240.00	-	(240.00)		-
Traid-Craft(Account)	33.83	-	(33.83)	-	-
	*72,529.66*	112,195.99	(134,497.27)	-	*50,228.38*

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Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ending 31 December 2025

1. Basis of Accounting : - The Financial Statements have been prepared on the receipts and payments basis and in accordance with the Church Accounting Regulations 2006 and S.133 of the Charities Act 2011.

2. Accounting Policies : - The Financial Statements include monetary transactions, assets and liabilities for which the PCC can be held responsible.

Receipts are included as received and expenditure where irrevocably paid.

Unrestricted funds represent money that can be used for the general charitable purposes of the PCC. Restricted funds may only be used for the specific purpose indicated by the donor.

3. Voluntary giving and offerings including regular standing orders.

The underlying increase in regular unrestricted donations and Sunday offerings for the general running of the church rose by 27% in 2025 compared with the previous year. The comparison shown in the accounts above appear to show little change because the 2024 figure included a one-off £10,000+ from a Gift-Day and donation from the Kings Arms. For 2025 there has been an encouraging up-lift in regular weekly and monthly giving. We are therefore more confident that any future gift days would only be for specific capital costs or projects rather than underwriting our day-to-day expenditure.

4. Gift Aid and the Gift Aid (Small Donations Scheme): Gift Aid is claimed twice during the year and GASDS just once at the financial year end.

5. Parochial Fees: The parish receive statutory fees for wedding and funeral services, which are known as Parochial Fees. Disbursements from the amounts received are made as per fixed tariffs to the Diocese and other third parties involved.

and other third parties involved.
Fees received in the year	10,899.00
Less statutory payments to GDBF	( 960.00)
Less 3rd party payments	( 6,615.50)
Net Parochial Fees income	3,323.50

6. Donations to Charities: The PCC donated £2,142.95 from General Funds to various charities throughout the year including Youth Minds, Air Ambulance, Methodist Easter Offering, Open Doors, Christian Aid, RBL Poppy Appeal, Listening Post, Let’s Talk Well and The Children’s Society. In addition, through Specific restricted St Mary’s funds, donations amounting to £5,490 have been passed on to support the church ministry in Romania, The Children’s Society and Christian Aid Week.

7. Parish Share and our Ecumenical commitments to the Methodist and Baptist church

During 2025 the PCC fully paid their parish share of £43,988. This is the Parish’s contribution to the Diocese towards the cost of the ministry we enjoy from the clergy. Because the Parish is in an Ecumenical partnership with the Methodist and Baptist church, Newent church also contributed £4,756 to the Methodist Circuit and the Baptist Union.

8. Major repairs to the Church Building

During 2025, major repairs included the removal of corroded heating pipes in the chancel and reinstalling new pipework. Broken tiles on the nave roof have been replaced and a broken section of the ceiling in the church room has been replaced. The five-yearly Quinquennial Report took place during the year and whilst there are a number of minor items requiring our attention, the main issue concerns the replacement of the roof drainage system on the church room. Steps are being taken to review existing plans drawn up to fix this problem so that we put out the works to tender.

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Note 9: The Lord’s Larder, Newent Receipts and Payments Account for the period 1 January to 31 July 2025

The ‘Lord’s Larder’ is an initiative of St Mary’s, Newent PCC established in 2010. The Food Bank is situated in the centre of Newent and is run by a dedicated and enthusiastic group of volunteers who oversee the food deliveries, monitor the 24/7 Helpline and deliver food packages to those in need.

The responsibility of running the food bank, with the growth in activity, managing volunteers and overall governance prompted the decision to set-up The Lord’s Larder as an independent (CIO & registered charity number 1213443) rather than being overseen by St Mary’s PCC. The CIO was approved by the Charity Commission on 27 May 2025 and the restricted funds held by St Mary’s (£24,147.35) have been transferred to the Lord’s Larder. www.thelordslarder.org.uk

Receipts & Payments Account	Receipts & Payments Account	To 31 July 2025		2024
INCOMING RESOURCES
Voluntary Income
	Personal Donations inc. Gift Aid	2,710.44		4,428
	Donationsother local organisations	793.64		1,444
	Grants received	2,500.00		2,900
Cash added				64

Total Incoming Resources		6,004.08		8,836

RESOURCES EXPENDED
Charitable Activities
Foodpurchases		106.81		1,090
Running Costs
Premises runningcosts & insurance		974.45		2,274
Staff costs, phone and distribution		3,405.70		5,111
Governance(Charitysettingupcosts)		1,800.00
Total Resources Expended		6,286.96		8,475

Surplus(Deficit) income over expenditure		(282.88)		361

The Lord’s Larder Fund Balance Sheet
Openingbank balance at 1 Jan 2025		24,222.81
OpeningPettyCash held at 1 Jan 2025		207.42
Less deficit forperiod 1 Jan – 31 July2025		(282.88)	24,147.35

Cash at 31 July2025 Transferred to new charity		24,147.35
PettyCash as at 31 July2025		0.00
Funds held bySt Mary’s		0.00	24,147.35

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Independent Examiner's Report

To the St Mary’s Church, Newent PCC

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of St Mary’s, Newent PCC for the year ended 31 December 2025.

Responsibilities and basis of this 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 Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 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

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

the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; or
the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or
the accounts did 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.

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,Adoptlon of 2025 Accounts by St Marfs PCC ned: Date: 16,1. Tirn Greenhofyh. Treosurer ,Adopted by St Marfs PCC Date: IL. 3. L Re¢d&rnon M050n- pCCChr Date: /6 c1 TotdlI. Churchworden Date: Curol Gooch- Churchworden Key Dates: 16 Mar. 2026: Independently Inspected Accounts to be adopted by the PCC 26 Apr. 2026: Accounts presented at the APCM & posted on noticeboard for the next 28 days. (Copies of Parish accounts to be sent to the GDBF and Methodist Circuit.) 30 Jun. 2026.. Latest date for submitting the C of E Parish Finance Return. 31 OCL 2026: Latest date for submitting the Charity Commission's Annual Return. 131 Page