## **ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS** For the year ended 31 December 2025 For the APCM 2026 **St John's Church, Studley** _**Worshipping God - Serving Others - Growing Together in Faith**_ St John's Church, Studley | APCM 2026 ## **Contents** - **1** Churchwardens and Parochial Church Council Report 2025/26 - **2** Electoral Roll Report - **3** Church Hall Report - **4** Financial Summary - **5** Safeguarding Report - **6** Other Reports - **7** Appendix: Full Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2025 **1. Churchwardens and Parochial Church Council Report 2025/26** ## **Structure, Governance and Management** The method of appointment of PCC members is set out in the Church Representation Rules. All church attendees are encouraged to register on the Electoral Roll and stand for election to the PCC. The PCC operates a Standing Committee and Hall Management Committee. The PCC is also responsible for the associated surroundings in the churchyard, though not formally its maintenance. ## **Objectives and Activities** The PCC is committed to enabling as many people as possible to worship at St John’s and to become part of our parish community. It maintains an overview of worship throughout the parish. The PCC has met every two months plus additional meetings as required. Our main topics have been the church finances and preparing the Parish Profile ready for the advertising for a new incumbent later this year. St John's Church, Studley | APCM 2026 We met with Bishop Andrew and the Assistant Archdeacon in November to discuss our options. After this meeting it was agreed by the PCC to accept the proposal that the Curate, Rev Craig Bain, would join us in April for six months and the vacancy would then be advertised in September. ## **Fabric Issues** The PCC is responsible for maintaining the fabric of the church. We have had a Quinquennial Inspection this year which, thankfully, did not raise any issues for a change. This is down to all those who have been looking after the fabric of the church. Thank you to all those fantastic people. Our main concern at present is the leaking vestry roof. ## **Achievements and Performance** We are now at the end of our second year of an interregnum, which continues to be a challenge. We continue to struggle with the confusing computer system, and also with how to organise a church with all the different services. We would like to thank all the different priests who have taken services during the year and given us so much variety and support, especially Rev Liz Gifford. Christmas at St John’s was busy as usual, so a big thank you to Liz who took most of the services, including a very busy Christingle. We also managed our second Easter without a vicar with a number of services and various visiting clergy, including the Archdeacon. A big thank you to Wendy, who has done a brilliant job arranging visiting vicars for nearly all of our services. ## **Soup Run** We continue to support the Soup Run, providing food and hot drinks to homeless and needy people. Unfortunately, we are down to only one team now, so thank you to Dawn, Colin and the team for continuing to provide this service. St John's Church, Studley | APCM 2026 Thanks also go to all those people in the past who have made cakes and sandwiches and served hot drinks and soup to those people who need extra help. ## **Food Bank** The much needed donations for Storehouse are gratefully received and collected in our Lady Chapel and the Church Hall. Thank you to Pippa Smith, who takes the donations to the Food Bank. ## **Chat Cafe** A warm welcome is offered to our regular visitors who come, and to those yet to visit. The heart of our mornings is being present for each other, sharing a chat, listening and getting to know each other. We serve good fresh coffee with home bakes. We meet on Mondays and Wednesdays from 10:00am to 11:30am. ## **Church Hall** The Church Hall continues to host both fundraising and income events. Among them were the Souvenir Auction with fish and chip supper, a coffee morning, our quiz night, and other events including a Brass Band Concert in the church followed by refreshments in the Parish Centre. Our regular lettings continue, with a number of local organisations now using the hall regularly, plus occasional baptism and private party bookings. The local authority also holds meetings and hires the hall for election days. ## **Deanery Synod** Three members of our PCC sit on the Deanery Synod: Dawn Sawyer, Denise Collinson and Wendy Thorne. ## **PCC Membership** |**Role**|**Name**| |---|---| |Incumbent|Vacant| |Churchwarden|Heather Thompson| St John's Church, Studley | APCM 2026 |Diocesan Synod Representative|Dawn Sawyer| |---|---| |DeanerySynod Representative|Denise Collinson| |DeanerySynod Representative|Dawn Sawyer| |DeanerySynod Representative|WendyThorne| |Minutes Secretary|Julie Vine| |Treasurer|Brenda Bridges| |SafeguardingOfficer|Vanessa Rose| |Vice Chair(co-opted)|Chris Solman| |PCC Member|Denise Collinson| |PCC Member|TonyThorne| |PCC Member|Vanessa Rose| |PCC Member|Teresa Powell| |PCC Member|Donna Oaten| |PCC Member|Sheila Whitehead| |PCC Member|Carole Price| |PCC Member|Anne Coates| ## **2. Electoral Roll Report** St John’s membership stands at 74. There have been no deletions and 9 additions. 51% live in the parish, with 49% residing outside of the parish. The Roll will open again after the meeting and anyone who meets the requirements may join or leave at any time throughout the year. Forms are always available for people to be added to the Roll at any time of the year. ## _Jane Solman Electoral Roll Officer_ |**74**|**9**|**0**| |---|---|---| |members|additions|deletions| St John's Church, Studley | APCM 2026 ## **3. Church Hall Report** The Centre continues to be well used with at least one booking each weekday apart from Fridays. The new regular users for this year are Vocal Harmony on Mondays, Beyond Dementia on alternate Tuesdays and a Pilates class on Thursday evenings. It was agreed towards the end of the year that, with effect from January 2026, the hourly hire charge would increase from £15 to £20 for community users and the commercial rate would increase from £30 to £35. It was also agreed that there would be no increase in the rate charged to the uniformed organisations. In December, Les Byrtus was welcomed to the committee. The energy costs for the Centre continue to be very high and this needs to be addressed. Two quotes for a replacement heating system were obtained and came in at around £10,000. Grant funding will need to be secured in order to proceed with any improvements to the heating system. Thankfully no major maintenance to the Centre was necessary this year. We continue to receive very good feedback from all the occasional users. _Jane Solman Parish Centre Secretary_ ## **4. Financial Summary** The financial statements for the year ending 31 December 2025 show that the church remains in a stable position despite ongoing financial pressures. The PCC remains extremely grateful for the faithful giving, fundraising, hall income and practical support that continue to sustain the ministry and mission of St John’s. |**Summary**|**2025**| |---|---| |Total Income|**£59,030.49**| |Total Expenditure|**£43,950.19**| |Net Movement in Funds|**£14,416.84**| St John's Church, Studley | APCM 2026 Total Funds Carried Forward **£104,921.33** ## **Areas for Ongoing Attention** - Energy costs - Maintenance responsibilities - Future heating replacement costs - Ongoing fabric repairs, particularly the vestry roof ## **5. Safeguarding Report** During the year we have migrated to the new Parish Dashboard, this is an online system which enables us to track that all disclosure and barring checks (DBS) needed, have be completed and that all relevant safeguarding training has also been completed, giving us the assurance that we are complying with statutory requirements and Church of England policies. This dashboard will also remind us of when any checks or training needs to be updated. Currently we have 18 people on our dashboard, one of which is currently undergoing a DBS recheck; 7 people are undertaking training. _Vanessa Rose, Safeguarding Officer_ ## **6. Other Reports** **Lay Pastoral Assistants’ Report** I continue to be so proud of the care, love and support given to each other in our St John’s family and throughout the wider community. This is evident every Sunday as we meet in worship and in the contacts we make privately during the week. However, there are a group of Lay Pastoral Assistants (LPAs) among us who have felt called to receive training to live out a ministry of serving you all as effectively as possible. These are Bob Rogers, Val Hillier, Pippa Smith, Teresa Powell and me. St John's Church, Studley | APCM 2026 Salisbury Diocese defines LPAs as being “trained and authorised to engage in pastoral ministry on behalf of the local Church, working as part of a team of Clergy and Laity. They may work with children and young people, the sick, the recently bereaved and the elderly and housebound. They may take Holy Communion to those unable to come to Church. All LPAs focus on pastoral care, but an individual’s ministry varies according to their gifts and skills and the local situation. In all cases the ministry calls for a compassionate heart and a willingness to listen and support those most in need”. Quite a tall order but we do try! To undertake this ministry we are asked to keep up to date with our DBS and Safeguarding renewals and our thanks go to Vanessa Rose for her help in this. We aim to meet bi-monthly to discuss our previous visits, any current pastoral concerns and to arrange future visits between ourselves. These are mainly taking Holy Communion to the house bound or in hospital, some of whom have been regulars for many years and really appreciate being able to still feel part of our Church family. Others, of course, are newer recipients. Contact is also made less formally through phone calls and other visits. It is a real privilege to serve them all. However, we can’t do this alone! We do need your help and support as we reach out to those going through difficult times so please let any of us know of anybody who might like a visit, with or without Holy Communion. We would rather be told many times over than not at all! Prayer is at the heart of our ministry and that includes everyone at St John’s. We pray each Sunday for those on our Sick list - names for this can be given to Craig, Carol Price or the LPAs but only with the consent of the person being prayed for please. We aim to have regular updates on their progress. Sadly, the sick and bereaved will always be with us but we look forward to all the good times that lie ahead for our much-loved Church and the community that we all serve. Thank you again for being such a St John's Church, Studley | APCM 2026 ## loving, supportive and caring family. ## _Ann Morland_ ## **Mothers Union Report** This has been an eventful year and as usual, M.U has been a hugely supportive team. We have celebrated welcoming two new members, Ann Berry and Carole McCaw, and have welcomed back two returning members, Anne Mudge and Roberta Bennett. I was delighted to return as Branch Leader, and in the absence of an incumbent, I thank our friend Maureen Allchin for installing me in that role during a Sunday Service. Special thanks go to Pam and Steve for hosting most of our meetings during the past year and for the warmth of their hospitality. Thanks also to Bob Rogers who has been a taxi service and so much more. We continue to be well supported by M.U Diocesan staff, especially Sandra, our Diocesan President. We have had a good year of meetings and fellowship; having had a talk from the organisers of our Foodbank in 2024 our branch has continued to support that outreach, and we also support the Salisbury Women’s refuge. We have visited Beckington branch for afternoon tea and have had a quiz and raffle raising money for M.U overseas. Maureen gave us a very informative talk about her trip to the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania and we have shared personal reflections on readings which have inspired us. Quiet time at Chalfield Manor Gardens is always very special, as are our Advent reflections. In February we gathered to share in the Wave of Prayer. Knowing that members worldwide are carrying out this wave of prayer every minute of every day is a moving symbol of the power of prayer and its fundamental aspect of M.U. Looking towards our 150th Anniversary celebrations I hope that many of you will join us in our Afternoon Tea and also hope that you might visit our meetings. St John's Church, Studley | APCM 2026 We maintain our focus on prayer and outreach, and I am delighted that this summer a family from our parish will be holidaying in the Mothers Union Caravan on Rockley Sands. We will support them in their travel and practical needs. We are privileged to supply Baptism Teddies and Mothering Sunday posies. My thanks go to those who have helped me over the past year; to Ann Swanney our Treasurer, Dawn, our secretary, and each and every member of our branch. _Liz_ ## **Guides and Rangers Report** At the beginning of 2025 we all worked on the Recycling badge which included planting bulbs, painting water bottles and investigating the “top tips of recycling”. In February we held our annual Beetle Drive, an excellent evening was had by all and a big thank you to all the church members who supported us. We also celebrated “Thinking Day” where the Guides/ Rangers celebrated Girl guiding in Mexico,we enjoyed Mexican food and learnt about the history of Mexico . In March we made special flower decorations for Mothering Sunday and in April we went to a glass workshop in Court street in Trowbridge where we made lovely hanging glass ornaments. In May we prepared for our annual camp as this year it took place at the end of May. our camp was held at Wiltshire Guide County Site in Berwick St James nr Salisbury Once again we had a very successful camp, lots of laughter and fun outdoor activities and crafts. . One of the favourite things the Guides and Rangers enjoy is cooking on open fires, so in June the Guides/Rangers planned what they were going to cook and successfully cooked their supper...which ranged from St John's Church, Studley | APCM 2026 spaghetti bolognaise to ham and cheese tagliatelle...everyone did really well. In July we held a joint camp fire evening with the Rainbows and Brownies and we also played some games. Also in July we went to Melksham and went paddle boarding – the weather was good and everyone had a brilliant time, I think this will become an annual activity so much fun was had. In September unfortunately due to the weather we held our campfire inside we still had a good sing and hot dogs that but they had to be cooked in the oven. In October we had a lesson in Tai Chi a very rexing evening was had by everyone and Chloe did a brilliant talk to the girls about her recent trip to Gambia. In November we all made Christmas cakes and then marzipan and iced them we also made a Christmas craft and a Christmas card.. In December we held a Christmas fayre in the hall, where parents and members of the church supported us. Throughout the year the Guides/Rangers undertook all our normal Guide/Ranger activities which included badges, crafts and outdoor activities it has certainly once again been a busy year and we hope the girls have very many happy memories. I would like to thank all the leaders, church community and everyone who has supported us during 2025 Jane Margetts Guider in Charge ## **7. Appendix: Full Accounts for the Year Ended 31 December 2025** St John's Church, Studley | APCM 2026 The following pages reproduce the independently examined accounts for St John’s Church, Studley, for the year ending 31 December 2025. St John's Church, Studley | APCM 2026 St John's Church, Studley | APCM 2026 stJohrh5 Chwch.. S￿d￿Y ststom8nlofAs&otsand Lkibllttbos (by cede) at.. 31 Decerthr2Q25 ind nornlnal Go n•r41 IUfflr••viGi¥dl D**lwTr*t•d EThd¢*TMM Tot*1 Lut Fixed •As¢t- Investh*nts 2Q7.CtsAK¢TIu51Fwvl 1611S11 1657782 16279.35 16.95728 S￿9.61 a￿79.32 SY9J7 16Tf.911 11577.82 141fy8J3 30,YOB21 16,957.26 FIK•d **••i.Tonulbl• ￿•*￿ 2DP5tr 250.00 250m 250 1.41ts5 1.51953 342th 360.U5 2,477A9 2fi07A8 4513.10 4,737.46 1.443.56 .05 2fy)7.e8 4,011.40 Cutmnt *&*4t- Calh A Bankthd In 1W.8wdtyeonk 102.LW&nkHBllknk ir>.9779) 11.495.YJ 11.80950 8501.81 OA74.70 2.747A6 Total 22A72.8ts TJ2.00 11,gM.601 21.284.20 11249.07 ¢wrr•DI*AMI. D•btor• 1.363.20 1.363J) TLstal 1.363.20 1,363.20 W71.59 45x3.% 42.475.10 9.XP4S2 t04.(X1A.c￿O1s2?8(￿l 105..(XxA-C￿Dls422￿l 106.c￿4.¢￿D3147S￿jl PwlSMewrnll￿l1} T¢t*l 76.14 1.W49 4A04.86 1.758 42,647.73 47,052.54 5T,560.70 N•tt•tsl •oB•tB 71J.467.31 17.101A3 17,292.59 104,921.J3 90,504.49 prasonièd by 70AE7ai 7046751 Y.IWOfj 10181 165TI82 10J77.82 16.$77A2 P,0￿￿) g.W 11 9249 9349[ 492.16 Totsl 70A67.31 17,181A3 17,292.59 104,921.33 90,504.49 St John's Church, Studley | APCM 2026 St Johns ChuTch.. Studky stat¢m¢nt of Flnanelal Actlvttl8$ For tha p#rlod from 01 January 2025 to 31 Dacernber 2025 3.635ffj5 8.78B54 16356S &91Z.04 1M.47 4A08.97 123.yl 3,IK1724 1392161 1738.58 3.QOY.24 43.7S156 $9PO>A9 1,397. 40.￿9rd 869.79 44.146.72 ¥fj&TQJ1 83500 123. 42,991159 740. 25D. 49.145.03 123 2.￿e0 40.971Tr3 44*06 11MIO 43J50.19 $0.1352a 14,7UA? 15Jg9.YO IiA6SAS &wstrpn5b5 71 379A4 35622 14,086Jl 32993 7S,541m 1&96116 9IA9ty.51 a7,628.74 17Jg 104J21J3 7..11 l ot 1 St John's Church, Studley | APCM 2026 ## **Thanks and Acknowledgements** The PCC would like to express sincere thanks to everyone who contributes to the life of St John’s Church: clergy and visiting ministers, churchwardens and PCC members, volunteers and ministry leaders, musicians and readers, cleaners, flower arrangers and refreshment teams, those who care for the church building and grounds, and all who quietly serve behind the scenes week by week. During a prolonged vacancy, the faithfulness, generosity and perseverance of the congregation have been especially evident. We look forward with hope to the year ahead as we continue to worship, serve and witness together in the parish of Studley. St John's Church, Studley | APCM 2026