2024-12-31-accounts - St Stephen's Pcc

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PARISH OF ST. STEPHEN, NORBURY & THORNTON HEATH THE ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING 2024 SUNDAY, 4 May 2025 at 11:30, in the Church

THE MEETING OF PARISHIONERS – 11:30 am prompt

AGENDA

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1. Opening Prayer – Father Daniel
2. Notice convening the Meeting – at back of church from 19
April 2025
3. Appointment of Clerk to the Meeting – New PCC Secretary
4. Apologies for absence
5. Minutes of the Meeting of Parishioners held on Sunday, 21
April 2024 [ previously displayed in Church ] also below.
6. Election of Churchwardens.
7. Close of Meeting of Parishioners
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5. MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF PARISHIONERS SUNDAY 21 APRIL 2024 AT 11:30, IN THE CHURCH HALL

Present: Mtr. Joyce Forbes(Chair), Lana Ruddock, Andrea Anderson, Paula Walkes, Coral Martin, Aileen Ross, Simon Lewis, Katy Lewis, Kester O’Connor , Sheldon Lawrence, Dahlia Sterling, Sylvia Simpson-Bowman, Andrew Chadney, Andrea-Sierra Okafor, Angelina Okafor, Eleanor Okafor, Joy Okafor, Denise Gravesande, Paige Gravesande, Margaret Murray, Jennifer Brathwaite, Tanya Grant, Olga Williamson, Dora Joseph, Bertie Joseph, Rhiana Goode, Ann-Marie Goode, Vicky Chafen, Adiatu Bun-Tejan, Janet Bucknall, Sonia Guthrie, Keith Guthrie, Vanessa Cooper, Johanna Cohen

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1. Opening Prayer led by Mother Joyce
2. Notice convening the Meeting – Mother Joyce advised that the relevant notices
have been on display on the notice board at the back of church.
3. Appointment of Clerk to the Meeting – Paula Walkes as secretary to the PCC.
4. Apologies for absence – Veronica Cadagon, Ruth Mbabazi, Sally McNeil-
O’Connor, Kesale O’Connor, Tom Ross, Pamela Pearce, Pamela Sinclair, John
Keane, Sara Keane, Geddes Thomas.
5. Minutes of the Meeting of Parishioners held on Sunday, 23 April 2023 were
proposed by Paula Walkes and seconded by Simon Lewis.
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Election of Churchwardens. Paula explained that the Church Warden Measure 2001(3) states that a warden is disqualified after 6 years of service. Andrea Anderson is entering her 7[th] year therefore we need to pass a resolution to decide that the 6 year rule does not apply. Paula asked if anyone is in disagreement with the passing of this resolution to which there was no response. all were in agreement. Andrea Anderson was proposed by Simon Lewis and seconded by Coral Martin. Lana Ruddock was proposed by Simon Lewis and seconded by Coral Martin
Mother Joyce declared the Meeting of Parishioners closed.

PARISH OF ST. STEPHEN, NORBURY & THORNTON HEATH THE ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING 2024 held on 4 May 2025

THE ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING 2024 – 11:40 am (approx.) AGENDA

1.	Notice convening theMeeting–at backofchurch from 19April 2025

2.	Apologies for absence

3.	Minutes of 2023 APCM – held on Sunday, 21 April 2024 [previously displayed in Church]

4.	Matters arising from those minutes (to be raised with the Hon Secretaryat least 24 hours before the start of the annual meeting)

5.	Notice of the election of Churchwardens at the recent Meeting of Parishioners-at backofchurch from 19April 2025

6.	To elect up to seven Parochial Representatives to the Parochial ChurchCouncil

7.	To appoint Scrutineer(s) if required

8.	To receive a report from the Electoral Roll Officer on the Church Electoral RolloftheParish

9.	To receive the Annual Report, from the Honorary Secretary of the Council, on the proceedings of the Parochial Church Council and the activities oftheParish from April 2024toApril 2025

10.	To receive a Report, from the Honorary Treasurer, on the financial affairs of the Parish and the funds and property of the Council and to receive the Independently Examined Accounts of the Parochial Church Council forthe yearended 31 December 2024

11.	To appoint an Independent Examiner / Auditor for the Financial Year ending 31 December 2025

12.	To receive the Churchwardens’ Report on the fabric, goods and ornaments of the Parish Church of St. Stephen, Norbury & Thornton Heath

13.	To receive a Report on the proceedings of the Diocesan Synod and the Croydon North Deanery Synod

14.	To receive the Reports from Committees, Parish Representatives, Organisations and Groups

15.	To receive the Report from the Vicar and Chair’s Address

16.	To receive (if appropriate), the results of elections of Parochial Representatives to theParochialChurchCouncil

17.	Any Other Business –[_to be notified to the Honorary Secretary at least 24 hours before themeeting]_

18.	ClosingPrayer

Members attending the APCM who are NOT ON THE Church ELECTORAL ROLL OF THE PARISH are reminded that they are permitted to attend the APCM, if so approved by the Meeting, as OBSERVERS ONLY.

3. MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING 2023 HELD ON SUNDAY 21 APRIL 2024 AT 11:30, IN THE CHURCH HALL

1 Notice convening the Meeting – Mother Joyce advised that the relevant notices have been on display on the notice board at the back of church.
Apologies for absence Veronica Cadagon, Ruth Mbabazi, Sally McNeilO’Connor, Kesale O’Connor, Tom Ross, Pamela Pearce, Pamela Sinclair, John Keane, Sara Keane, Geddes Thomas
Minutes of 2023 APCM – held on Sunday, 21 April 2024 were proposed by Kester O’Connor and seconded by Aileen Ross.

4.	Matters arising from those minutes– None.

5.	Notice of the election of Churchwardens at the recent Meeting of Parishioners

6.	To elect up to five Parochial Representatives to the Parochial Church Council. Simon mentioned that we should have elections and nominate people onto the PCC. Dahlia commented that individuals should know their role and what is required of them on the PCC. Paula advised that we will have elections next year as vacancies will arise but in the meantime urged anyone interested in joining the PCC to come forward.

7.	To receive a report from the Electoral Roll Officer on the Church Electoral Roll of the Parish.Jennifer advised that 150 members are on the electoral roll with 86 living outside of the parish and 64 living within the parish.

8.	To receive the Annual Report, from the Honorary Secretary of the Council, on the proceedings of the Parochial Church Council and the activities of the Parish from April 2023 to March 2024.Paula advised that as an officer to the PCC, the work of the PCC secretary is not easy but is rewarding. She advised that she will be stepping down at the next APCM and urged anyone interested in learning more about the role to get in contact with her sooner rather than later.

9.	To receive a Report, from the Honorary Treasurer, on the financial affairs of the Parish and the funds and property of the Council and to receive the Independently Examined Accounts of the Parochial Church Council for the year ended 31 December 2023. Coral Martin advised that the accounts were up to the end of December 2023. She explained that she has tried to follow on from Oscar in modernising the accounts and welcomed any questions. She explained that the accounts have been approved by the PCC. Simon commented on the amount spent on cleaning products. Coral advised we will be changing supplier so this will save costs. She also advised that we had a delivery stolen. Aileen commented that we need look after what we have and suggested that we can all buy an item or two in our weekly shop such as toilet paper. Aileen also suggested that unwanted gifts or raffle prizes such as handwash could be donated to the church as it will cut costs. AndreaAndersonthanked Coral forthe clearaccounts and explanation.

10.	To appoint an Independent Examiner / Auditor for the Financial Year ending 31 December 2024.Coral confirmed that Ian Pudney is happy to continue to be our independent examiner and does so for free. Andrea Okafor proposed and Olga Williamson seconded the motion.

11.	To receive the Churchwardens’ Report on the fabric, goods and ornaments of the Parish Church of St. Stephen, Norbury & Thornton Heath.Andrea Anderson thanked Mother Joyce for all she has done for us so far during the vacancy. Andrea advised that Mother Joyce has taken 55 services already and we have had 12 visiting priests so far. Andrea thanked Simon and Katy Lewis for making the Eric and Pat Pudney room as beautiful as it is. Andrea expressed sincere thanks to all members old andnew fortheirsupport and also thanked all

	teams for keeping St Stephens up and running. She explained that we will be interviewing for the new priest on 4thJune 2024. Coral Martin thanked the wardens forallthey are doingforSt Stephens during thevacancy.

12.	To receive a Report on the proceedings of the Diocesan Synod and the Croydon North Deanery Synod. Kester introduced himself as a Deanery Synod representative. He explained that anyone can attend deanery synod meetings and encouraged us to come along and observe.

13.	To receive the Reports from Committees, Parish Representatives, Organisations and Groups.The reports were discussed briefly. Paula flagged the dates of the premises committee meetings. Lana advised that there were no safeguarding issues recorded for the year and encouraged those required to complete their safeguarding training. Mother Joyce thanked Pam and Aileen for the Wednesday services and the refreshments after the service.

14.	To appoint Scrutineer(s) if required.Nonerequired.

15.	Chair’s Address– Mother Joyce expressed joy in her heart in being part of St Stephen’s noting it as her base church where she finds grounding. She thanked everyone for their support explaining that she could not do it without us all. She urged us to keep growing in faith and fellowship and that the qualities we show as a church family are admired by others. Mother Joyce explained her role as Area Dean is a tough one, especially with 5 churches currently in vacancy. She highlighted that deanery synod is more active and she prays that this continues with each church sharing information about what their parish is about to. Kester expressedhis thanks toMotherJoyceforallthat she doesforus all.

16.	To receive (if appropriate), the results of elections Parochial Representatives to the Parochial Church CouncilAngelina Okafor and Paige Gravesande both showed a keen interest. Paula advised that nomination forms were not obtained but if there are no objections, both could be elected now. Angelina Okafor was proposed by Coral Martin and Seconded by Tanya Grant. Paige Gravesande was proposed by Aileen Ross and seconded by Vanessa Cooper.

17.	Any Other Business–none

18.	ClosingPrayer led byMotherJoyce.

8. REPORT FROM THE ELECTORAL ROLL OFFICER ON THE CHURCH ELECTORAL ROLL OF THE PARISH

Thank you all for assisting in the completion of the new electoral roll. The roll renews every 6 years.

The figures are as follows:

107 members on the renewed Electoral Roll for St Stephen’s Norbury & Thornton Heath.
58 members live outside the parish
49 members live within the parish
Jennifer Braithwaite Electoral Roll Officer.

9. REPORT OF THE PCC HONORARY SECRETARY TO THE ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING 2024 ON THE BUSINESS OF THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL AND THE AFFAIRS OF THE PARISH APRIL 2024 – APRIL 2025

The PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL met seven times since the last APCM, including one short meeting to elect Officers and the Standing Committee of the Council held immediately after the Annual Meetings on 21 April 2024.

The Churchwardens , Andrea Anderson and Lana Ruddock, were elected at the Meeting of Parishioners – held immediately prior to the APCM. Both Andrea and Lana officially took up their role as the 2023-24 Churchwardens and were sworn in by the Archdeacon of Croydon on Wednesday 12[th] June 2024.

The wardens will be sworn in for this year at St John’s, Upper Selsdon Road, CR2 8DD on Tuesday 3[rd] June 2025 at 7.15pm. All are invited to attend.

Andrea is in her eighth year and Lana in her fifth year. Church Warden Measure 2001(3) states that ordinarily a warden is disqualified after 6 years of service. A resolution was passed at the Meeting of the Parishioners to decide that this 6-year rule does not apply.

Officer to the Council was also elected at the short post – APCM Council meeting:

Paula Walkes was elected as Honorary Secretary to the PCC
Coral Martin was elected as Honorary Treasurer to the PCC

The Treasurer is a member of the Incumbent’s staff who was co-opted to the PCC at the short post – APCM Council meeting in 2024. Co-opted members have full voting rights on the PCC.

The following Honorary positions and appointments were also made at the post-APCM Council meeting:

ing:
Safeguarding Officers	Lana Ruddock, Sara Keane
Stewardship	Coral Martin
Parish Clerk	Coral Martin
Garden Steward	Veronica Cadogan
Hall Bookings Officer	Iona Nelson-Ashley
Hall Steward	Vicky Chafen
Hall Manager	Kester O’Connor

Historically, we have had the honorary positions of Lawn Steward and Memorial Book Officer but at present these positions remain vacant.

The Committee structure adopted in 2024 consisted of:

The Finance Committee
The Fundraising & Social Events Committee
The Premises Committee
The Incumbent and Churchwardens are ex-officio members of all PCC Committees.

The Standing Committee , which can make executive decisions between full Council meetings as necessary, was elected immediately after the 2024 APCM. It is composed of: The Incumbent The Churchwardens The Treasurer to the Council The PCC Secretary to the Council During the Vacancy, the wardens were responsible legally for the church.

Attendance at PCC meetings out of 20, we recorded a maximum of 19 and a minimum of 11. In accordance with the Church Representation Rules, a PCC can conduct business if a third of its current membership is present. Therefore, for this PCC, all meetings have been quorate / or business wasn’t conducted.

Issues of note arising throughout the past year have included:

My third and final year as honorary PCC Secretary was enjoyable. Serving in this capacity has been both a humbling and enriching experience. Through the ups and downs, I’ve seen God move in ways I never expected. I’ve learned, grown, and been blessed to serve alongside many faithful and passionate people.

As I vacate this office, I am proud to be handing over to Nina Jevric-Stuwe. Nina’s enthusiasm is admirable and I advised her to be patient with herself, as it will take time to feel confident in the role. I believe that you will pray for Nina as fervently as you have for me.

I would like to thank the PCC members for their support. It has been great working with you all and I am proud of our collective achievements during the vacancy. I would particularly like to thank Denise. I cannot think of a time when Denise has not been willing to help, be it with minutes or setting up the WhatsApp group chat.

The injection of a new incumbent, new secretary and new members, will ignite what is already a committed and passionate council. May God’s presence be with you and continue to guide every decision you make for our church family and the community.

We remember, before our heavenly Father, all those who were either related to, friends of, or were members of our church family who passed away during 2024-25. May their souls rest in peace and rise in Glory.

Paula Walkes Hon Secretary to the PCC.

10. TREASURERS REPORT ON BEHALF OF THE TRUSTEES as at 31[st] DECEMBER 2024

GIFT AID RECOVERED Forecast 2024 was £IO.(XX). Glft Ald recelved was £7.365. This is the Jan-Sep24 clainl OutsL7nding cL•im lor apwo £2.450 whlch t4AU Ing the toL tor 2024 bdow the ca01£10 For•cst 2025 rnmalns th• s•m• £lO.000. £7.365 £iOAUI £398 £na Forecast 2024 was £nlL We recelved donallons lor ChllJren's Sodety ld Gaza whlch ha lJ••n palo 10 III•s• organisations. y expect•d i•cacles lor 2025. No charlty Dltal- Sumup % £1289 Forocast 2024 was £ 1.200. Th• machln• Is l)•lng used mor•. especlaity at events. We have to IirKI Ihe best way io encourny use on Surmlay's at offartory Trea$w•f lU contact Dlocese team lor adCe. For•casl 2025 r•malns at £1300 £1.289 CHURCH AcnvmE& INCOME FROM WEDDINGS. FUNERALS. HALL SHED ANO CHURCH HIRL Weddknc & Funefal servlces £3.571 Forecast 2024 was £7.(0. There wert rK• wed(nts hekl in 2024. Irorne was from funeral& Dthxese fees of £250 e for two funeral Oct24. £3.571 £7AXI for weddiw and funerals the &•i)e. HALL RENTALS: Hall Rentals.. Regulars hires¥ £19.138: Ad-hoc z £6555. Forecast 2024 was £29J)l The Hall iOrne was bek)w our fe(lA lor 2024. There has not ten the expected mber ol ad.hoc hires for 2024. Forecast 20151$ £29.312. Thb remalns the sne. Expertkn8 an income ol U2k Irorn resular h{re. are belry cautIts with the foreL ol a £25.693 £29311 SHED £240 Forecast 2024.£720 Late p•m*nts for shed. Received earty in 2025. Forecast 2015 Is £720. No fee •nuease. £240 £720 Pay 2 APCM 2024 Treasurer's Report

GENEFL4TIP•G FUNDS- FUND RAISING ACTMTIES Fund raisint EvÈrtts - £4,500.39 E4.5 E500 Forecast 2tr24 was E4.5(Ki. We tbeid a Garnes NlgThL 12 Nht wlth Flsh & Chip stspp&r. Biatk Hlgtory Month and crhnstmas Fair. All èvènts attÈrédÈd. W@ wwè on tacyt wlth our knndralsing lorècasL Althotsgh we had a Lgrp OLrtlay tl) pu rchas@ gamès fof thè Gamès Nlght. tt was It that a Ih•so an assèt tor holdlng tuture gams rhlghts. 2025-Forecast 2025 Is £5WO. FundralslnK ¢Trmmlit•e lo m••Q In mah.25 todlscuss I èvénis. Thè plan Is th ra1 tarytèd lunas lé Qull NIRhl prolll to cover the cosl ol repLiclng Ihe Church Board. I1vEsTmENT - terttal ol Béèthwood AvertuÉ Beech¥wyxl AvenL income- f 16.%3 Forecast 2024 was £19,944. We had repairs to the hSe. The estate agents usÈd t1r contractors. ThÈsÈ tosts are ckducted from the rent paid then balance sent to US. We aclvi5ed Foxton'5 that we wlll use our own contractors for certain repairs. Forecast 2025 is £19,944. Rent has been held at the same price lor Z025. PCC may comsider i Thcrease lor 2026. E16.963 £19,944 other ina>me - E13.268 Forecast 2024 was E9.000. Generous donatlons towards organ repairs receiv•d. We withdrew funds from ou CCLA saving account to cowèr 1he cost of our church insurance and other items as thy becam• du4 wh•n our bank fund5 wdere low. Forecast 20Z5 £10.(#. We are eJqJertlng to wlthdraw Uok from CCLA to cOr the cost of the cctv. Use ol the funds in this way was approved at PCC. £13.268 £io.000 INCOME- i" JaThuary 2024 to Jl" December 2014 £117M*5 130,576 PaBe 3 APCM 2D24 Treasu rÈr's RÈport io

EXPENDITURE for period I" January 2024 to 31" Oecernber 2024 AuAL 2024 FORE 2D25 1¥14lOR CAPITAL EXPEhlOITURE- REPAIRS Olt New tsuiLBIN6 WOAK ro CHURCH BUILf>iNG. trL4LL OR OTHÈR Ptt PAtsPEATY INtWOlNG AttsetOAATION. MAK)R CAPITAL EXPENDITLIRE- £3 930 Ftsretast ftsi 2024 was £nil. Repairèd flat roof of hall after lèèk ifito eleartirlÈ tupboa rd. £1.150- dètotatlort tsf vÈ&try £K]. rtpaits tts BÈéthWd Avèhuè £1,880 Fty•¢aSt lot 2025 is £2.IMXI {E3S30 (£iooo CHURCH AcllviTfES- CLERGY EXPENSES, MIS510N. FEES TO THE DIOCESE, LARIEs PLU5 STAFFING EXPENSES AND PARJSH SHARE FUND. 15510N = £42tJ Forecast 2024 was f2.700. Lower than expected. rknnatknns made to Children's s(Kiety, G¢)ts and Bishop's Lent Appeal. Ffftcèst for Z02S is U050. Water Aid £100. Crnydon Nightwatth £1050, Christian Aid £100, Crowlon North attzen £750 IE4201 (£4050 FEE5 TO DIOCESE - £nil Forecast 2024 was £1.420. No fees were paid to the D•ocese durin8 the interregnurn. Noweckllng5 held durlng 2024. We (Ylve the Olocese £250 for funerals held since October 2024. Forecast 1025 is £1,470. knpelul lor mort weddirvds in 1025. One bDDked ft)r Fpb 25. £nil (£L470 SALARIES & STAFF EXPENSES z £8.677 Forecast 2024 was E 10,250 All payrnts made for cleaning church, hall. zrounds orzanist. verger and HMRC employer payments. Ffftcèst 20Z5s £8.700 {£8.677 (£8.700) PARISH SHARE FUND= £S6,694.99 Forecast 2024 wa5 £565 12. Forecast was corrected to be £182 more at £56,694.99pa. Our highest eXnSe 01 £4,725pffl for the Parish Shatè Fund paid to the Diocese. Forecast 1025 Is £57.262pa. All PCCS were requested to irKrease our share by 3.5X Dmxese ha¥e accepted a 1.5% irbtreaSÈ from St StÉphÈn's {£4,771.83 with the Urbtr%taftd1ng wo will iThCr by at laa£t 3% lor 2026. 4£56.6951 1£57,26Z) PRIEST cosrs IDURING INTERREGNUMI 2024= £582.79 Forecast 2024 was £1.200 du@ to paylnE prlests to attend. F(ast 2D25 is £l,(KJ) ¢£5831 (£Looo 4 APCM 2D24 Tr@asurÉtr's Réport li

CHURCH EXPENSES: CLEAP41P4G SUPPLIES. FLCMIERS. INSURANC£ MAINIEMANCE AND REPAIRS. PHOT(XOHEA Ahf pRll. CHURCH SEAVICES. SUNDAIES W4D UTILITIE THE OICKEse AEQUEST THESE EXPENSES ARE SPUT INTO RVNN•4G. TRADING ANO UTIUTY COSTS. NNIN F(xecast 2024 was £3.CMXI. The cost ol eleftnts. candles. ol etc Fe(ast 1025 is £L8SO reduced due lo expenditure In £2024. (£1.7171 (£L8501 RUNNING COST- CLEANING SUPPUES- £689.52 Fe¢as1 2024 was £2.1)Xl. We are thankfid that mary of you t(xJk up the request to purthase black b¥s and toilet paper. This has helped to reduce the cost of cleanin8 supplies. (£LO(KII ¢onttnuos and we thank w)u. NNIN z£1 F(ecast 2024 was £1.41Y). Sincere thanks to Pam Pearce and her team of "Fky4rfer U)dles" who make thwch look so beautiful. We are lortunate also that recelved of £1,435 worth of donatlDns towards I71%. F¢ncast 2025 Is £41. We xe hoplulty that tl generous contribut5ons conUTh IMJt yedlct POSsllAt expendlture to be £1.4 If n(m fecelved. (£1.4631 I£&4) NNIN Fod rnth Forncast 1012025 Is £3.OlXI NNIN MAINTENAN PAIRZ 1£10.6161 Church and Hall - £943.03 Electrical lintefnal and extrmalF £2.886.84 Gas Heaters-£1.78137 CWn. £S.CN)S Church and Hall Repalrs carrled out Clear debrls then palnt membrane seal Inside lo%**r Qutterl al0 the clwrch's north wall; Jet washlW of stonework al0 church; reed fencli the west carde renThed fencknz tsst Page S APCM 2024 Treasurer's Report 12

Fotat 2025-AJ4NUAL SERVICING AND REPAIR-£4,795 ASG Ltd £I.t ElÈttritity- £1,3951nt¥t thÈtk dve 2028) FifÈ- 200 Gas- £1,400, Oryrt- E60Q PAT TÈ&tlh£-£200 (£4,795 FO15t 1025=MISCELLANEOU5 REPAIRS = £ZWM) Aeplacing Pump in the basemènt will tost £iSO_ Hall totsf - £750. ExPÈrtlrtÉ tÈdu¢èd to xtetrtal lhtfihB dué to ccrv. MISC= £1.900 (£4800 TRADING C05tS.. CHURCH INSURANCE z £9 312.B9 Cost insurarbce for Church building and hall. F(ecast for 2024 was £9540. Premium was lower than expected. However, due to bak in v are expectlng a SignifiCat irxrease in Our premium for 2025. Forecast 2025 Is £9.965. (E9313 (£9,965 TRADING C05f5'. Beechwo Ave= £487.65 Insurance fc 2025 paid in NDv24. Forecast 2025 is £522. An increase of 7% on 2024 tosts. 1£488 (£5221 TRADING C05TS.. PHOTOCOPIER PAPER & PRINTI£3 821.60 FcKecast 2024 was £3,1)JO. This is the cost of leasin& usage and supplies lor the pl)Dtocopier. This includes thecostof ryintfine cards for Easter arKI Chrlstrrs to d istr1tte to the parlsh. Also addltlonal pèpei for new ser¥•ce booklets. We received £870 refund due to change of leasing comparvy. Forncast 2025 - £1,735 The alm is to reduce this. <£3,822 (£3,735 TRADING COSTS.. SUNDRIES-CCU LICENCE= £595.78 Cost of lit@nc@ for us to bÈ able to use matÈrial that has copyfi8ht protethon. Fatetast 2024 was £815 Forocast 2025 is £965. Experthng a small increase on thè tual paid in 2024 for CCLI. NÈW for 2025-Annual tost of Quick BODks-£360. 1£596 (£965 UTILITIES: CHURCH EXPEMSES= £15 783.68 Fototast 2024 was £16,195 . Thé rrtain eosts ar@ el@etritity at £5.633 ar•d gas at £6.011 which. althcu£h has £rÈatly rÈdute. Is stfil l a Challenge kn kèep the usagÈlcosts low. Castle Mlater £949,. Cfokvn Gas & A)w*r £6.011.. Diax £8." POSrNv Et7ergy £5.633." 1£15.784 I£L6,5001 Pag@ 6 AP(M 2D24 TrÈasurÈr'g RÈport 13

Irolfeluse) E2,491." MÈdru £691. Foreost 202S is £17,150. We still use Full Power Ulilititrs to (Dmpare the pricEs across the enerBy companies and provitle us with the 5t qYt. P05itiv ETrprgy and Cr(y•Jn Gas & Powpr still rema in the bp5t prKe5 fDr us. The prKes set in ottober kfore thp incrpa5e was 3nnDurKEd. Castle Water £950" Crown Ga5 & Piwr £6.5(Kl' PoyiTv ErrE1 £6,4txr VeDlialrplu5e} £2,6(KJ- Virgin Media £700 Ttrbe external CCTV a nd alarm will be instslled by ASG Ltd once the facu lty has been approved by the Diocese_ There will be 3 4G routet ovidod with an annual lee for maintenance which will Cost the as Virgin rnedia. We hope to disconnect Virgin media irternet seiCe as soon as we can. -knetcsr bosed on Invot5 poidjon Mor25 COSTOF GEIIERAMNG FUP41 FUNOAAISING EVENTS- £3,131.53 The ccst ofgames lor quiz night. speaker for BHM thtnL Cost of alcohol licences. Incl$ the cost ol Pufthaslng games. Thè cost Dlthe coach Irlp lo Canterbury tosl El.350. For•cast 2025 Is £12LKI. Thls CO ol th@ Irlp wlll b@ reliécred In Ihe cosl ol th8 tlckot. l•Ve V•Duld Ilke the wtglts and any Otr Lwni w be seil-lundlng as ffluch as possible. FunLlralslng commrtiee wlll mvet In Ihe new yeai io dvcxje on events <£3,132> (£32lW)} OTHER EXPENDITURE . £3 799 us b £285.89- £4 084.89 £285.89 is the Year Er adjustrnents taking into ConseratIn preptyments arbd iterns actaunted fot in Pre1¢Us year. Othèr xpnditurè fot itèms not listed abovè includ•s bank and digital mathin@ tharges. Purthase ol rÈfreshm@nts and supplies for rbOn- fundraisinE e4nts Carol SÈrite. licentine and weekly teas arbd coffees. cups for hot drink& Hall deposit returns. Also eight new ion£ tables arbd cthers. <£4,085) l£l300} re<at lor 2025 is £2,300 Sunday school a nd Youth Alive vAth £250 eat purrhasÈ of items for thÈ Carol Ser¥ice. Christma4 Easter and rthÈshmÈnts. WavdÈn# AnThl1 for Qu•ck Actual INCOME & EXPENDfllJRE 2024 £117,065 (£126,013) (£8,948) FOfÈCaSt INCOME & EXPEf4crfTURE 1025 £130,576 {EIZ3.5 14) £7 EÉ$s ÈMper•thtUfÈ OvÈf I¢0• Pa 7 APCM 2024 TtÈautÈes 14

Upthte on Bffeak In Bak in June24- wh•ch catsed sleniknnt damaee to: three extemal oak de. leaded leht in Claudette McArthur room. S(wJnd desk door and lock damaged. tablet used to stream services was stolen locked fireproof cablrnt was fipped open wfth a cn)wbar safe bofted to sllf wlthln fire( cwbo•rd siole As tlw c(k1 not reTr Of open the safe, they took the strH the locked safe was bolted to. This contained £150 In cash used for floaL We wrchased a Tablet •t £110. The tkat has been replxed and Is no Iwr kept on the pr•nlses. Locksrnlths attended on the to mak the safe. Cost £1210. archltect has athlsed t locks used wlll need to be charyed. As l(Kks in keeplry ¥rith yade 11 listed tx•ldlnt wlll have to bt installed when the docn are repairnl. The cost ol repair to thÈ and leaded light will bÈ paid for lftsurante. Estlmated valtsÈ of repairs and replatemerts is £15.(XX). The Art'te is wrsuinc the f&ulty applicatlon with the D•ocese. E(clÈsiastlcal InswancÈ hÉ also sa•d thty will ccwer the Arch'tect's fee as he is assisth us durln8 this peoces 14ew oJe¢ts lor 1025 i. ccni- to the break In there has been much dlscusskn fewdknl knstallatl¢M of ccrv. The wardens met wlth varilxts Ccmnpanlek hm chosen Assoclated Secwity Group who ha¥e ollered Inslallatlon of 9 CCTV c•neras afound the exterior wfth monitor located In t vestry. There Is also an app allows the wardens to vlew the cameras on thelr srnartthone& estknated cost wlll be £S.S95 exd. VAT. Six movement alarm devkes located wlthin the n. Thls will be actfvated by a key pad. Cost £2.673 excl. VAT. Addltkrfl costs for annual maintenatKe. The total cost wil be £8268 pkn VAT. The applrat6on to tkic to apwove the faculty for wcKk to be carrled is th prceress. We xe tspecw a posltlve response to the appllcatton early in 2025. 2. Replatynent ol St Step1.$ Ch4wth ts0a. Update of the lrternal VWS txrI. C¢>st WMI bt apwoximately £2.500 p5 the cost of the y8n writer to late the internal vicar's arKI new exterr41 board. 3. Ilew iado fflluob for sound system. Repladry the fadlo m•cs lor the sournl system. These will cost arOxIMatelY £250 for two lad mics aNI a handheld. 4. A complete rlfiNd of the clwrch. We have been twoted in the region of £7C. thls has become more urgent. The hthtters need rewiriry as hwe pertsfrd making the heaters on the S<MJth side unusable. S. RedeccKakn of churth. knhitect has advtsed the u4mbliry walls need wgent attentlorn Trees and small sapliny wtrknch TAwe yowiry akny the s¢xrth wall have been cut back to eourate better ¢ainaÉe. Howwer. the internal walls stlll rned attentlon. & Replac• the Sandsto step at the s¢th v* entrnKe. This has been an item on •)Uf Past two quirquemial rep)rt& Page 8 APCM 2024 Tfeasufer's Report 15

Edwardg memorial - I received sorne very useful information from lan regarding this money and the renctIOn on 11bg it. The proiectswehavein mind {itetn 4,5AR46)silwithinthereslTiCtions laid out for usirbg Ihismoney. Church HallCornmittee-ThePtipst,Wardens.HallMaTragerandTreasureirnelan 10, Odaber2024. Our current hirers rates have been increased ty an average of £5 per month. FininceCommittee-TheFinan(%committeernelinFebruary2025todiscussandsetthe newibudgel for2025. Ifyou h ave anyconcernsorviould likeiternsrelatingtoourfinancessend an emailto me at tiea&LLrer ensnth.co.uk Thank you forlaking the tirne to read Ihis report. Coral Matlin Hon TreaSre[ Parish Church of Sl Stephen's Ugsbu& Thomton Healh | Pageg APCM 2024 RepDrt 16

Ihornton Heat I IP•& ol Ihè PCC yéaf 31 D(mbér 2(r24. aff attach&tL As (rf Iht PCC you r¥&1b1ts kn Ihè rwarat1C ol th Y( ¢Slr Ihal Is nol r•quired Ihls yaar undor 14412) ol thè 2011 (1 2D11 Ad) thal an IrKlép8nd8nl exmatH)n Is noodeAI. 11 IÈ rny rSpobillIY Its: Examin8 the ac(x)unts und8r sec1 145 01 Iha 2011 Act Folkn tlUMS lad Génwal Dtk)n$ give by I crjarkty ConYnrssk)ners seclTh 145t5Mb> ol the 21)11 Act arKI SIAlo wh•thw partdudaf nwtlors havé c£m• to my alknlK). Basb of Indo ndont Examlnor's Ststemerrt exln3tk a6 In wth the Goral DrrKkns given by tr Charity Ccxrnsslon. Th• 0x1n31• In¢k•S a r•v••w of th• ac¢cwJnb'ng rKords k•pt by PCC and a mparIsOn of lh8 count wth th080 rtscords. It al80 inclLMle8 conslderiw &ny umsual iltrms or drsck>sW&5 UntS and s¢ekln9 explarwtloThs Irorn as CorTrirJ any maiwrs. The CeWe$ OrtaKen not provxJ• all If e¥JorKe Ihat Ythjld bo roquir•d in & full atsdit affid conawently I do not oxpre•• ar) audlt oplrkn on Ihe QNan by Iho accour Inde ndent oxamln•rs slatement In cuiThtLlknI wilh my axarrthallon, no matter has c4)rnO to my att•ntlon: 1) Ich gtw•s m• r•asonabl• caus• lo b•lb•v• that hn any mal•fial r•sp•ct Ihtr reqw•morrts to accoun11J records kn accofdafic• vh1h s.130 of Iho 2011 Act,. or to prnpai• accounis ac¢ord ¥llh th• accounllng rocords arml cnY th• r•quIrwrIS ol thè Ad aMI lh• r•gulalAc have bogn mel: or 2) la uth•th. In my oplnlon. al•ntI drawn In ord•r to •rthabl• a FWiy)•r d8fslar•ding of acc¢MJnts to bo fèach8d. slgnad Mr lan Pudnoy 25th March 2025 17

THE PARISH OF ST STEPHEN'S NORBURY & THORNTON HEATH BALANCE SHEET AS e 31ST DECEMBER 2024 siox S10.CD) 131 CBF ETr4ntt DIW F¢r J.1 4.gn B•r Bal 14.7ai 110371 Mvkj 169Jl8 791,140 IfAJ.J71 Fur• •5 al ••t J lJ7J41 IL969 .JJ7 J6•J17 IW70 547,15• iJ.261 6X.42J 2.711 R•vvwon In 2023 614412 611.134 I IrA•ll fwShThS1#1Oknl•¢•.F Omwth 01 1¢tr* nl¢NI. CIJ01fj1424 13 lé .20L 18

THE PARISH OF ST STEPHEKS NORBURY & THORNTON HEATH Bank Reconciliation as at 31st December 2024 op•nli¥8ala•1 as • Isl J*Mwy2024 HSBC IIX315. 2.018AS ISLLTA6 CCLA i4602• DEBT. InCOn58C IC6J14.16 11,150.79 IncomtrNatW•st as @31s1 D•c 24 117.(N.9S 280.52&34 CREDITO. ExpeThdiu¥e Prnpaym•nts Bank and D4ftal ch•ps CCiA Lliffwenc• 3151 D•c24 -126.012.57 -5.571.30 471.74 -11.109.10 -141164.71 -143.164.71 Cl••h¥ as •31•1 D•c•rnlxf 2024 HS8C 3.631.41 11.150.79 140.017. CCLA NrtAss•t iS4.79&.56 292.160.19 19

PAR15H OF ST 51EPHEN'5 NOF4BiIRY X TTrRTON HEATH S1at&met otFln3nclalActlvttle5 35 al 31st DeMber2021- fMCOME sirattstdU en4EknDE Ytary Inca Vctary ¥ I VcthntJry Inca YcainlJry I 7L CMrGhAclhl•s £100 mcamt Ee7T.F7 20

TNE PAF115MOF 5T StEPHEN"S MORBURY & TTr•ORNTON MEATM FlnwDclDL tIrlIeS a5 315[ D8cernDeff 2024 -EXPEhlDilliRE Carytal costs bEty -£712.6 ActlIt*S 7D.7G5.55 -£JJ63.DlJ irwr -£J.1S1.37 .aOX3.DJ .£674.4 -£Y.7YS.B2 .£Ef¥l.20 .EY.7Ei.52 .E471.741 EZ139.47 .E]jI.B5 ewaiiwE .fei.y .E43TI.58 .£ I.51 -5.9 .£12fj,Q12.57 21

11 11111 11 lllll 111 22

12. CHURCH WARDENS REPORT INCLUDING COMMENT ON THE FABRIC AND ORNAMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDING APRIL 2025

Church Grounds - Update on break-in June 2024 at St Stephen’s.

After meeting with our Architect all damage was assessed, insurance payment agreed and works have now been completed.

As a direct result of the break-in a decision was made to review our current security and install CCTV.

Special permission had to be granted before any work could take place as the church has listed building status. This permission was finally given and CCTV is now successfully installed.

The church has also been alarmed for intruders and instruction/information on how to use the alarm is with Father Daniel.

Other items which were damaged during the break-in have also been replaced under the insurance and a new fire cabinet has been installed in the sacristy.

The CCTV has so far had a positive effect on the anti-social behaviour in the church grounds which has greatly reduced. Signs are in place which clearly state CCTV is in operation.

A monitor capturing all movement inside St Stephen’s perimeter is now housed in the sacristy.

13. 2024 – 2025 REPORT ON THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE CROYDON NORTH DEANERY SYNOD AND SOUTHWARK DIOCESAN SYNOD

The Croydon North Deanery Synod is made up of elected members of a Deanery Leadership Team (DLT), clergy, and elected lay members of each of the churches in the Croydon North Deanery area.

Aims: to deliver the objectives of Southwark visions in the deanery, Christ-centered, Outwardfocused.

The DLT meets 2 weeks before the Deanery Synod to plan the agenda for the forthcoming synod, which meets thrice yearly, in Spring, Summer, and Autumn in churches within the 12 parishes.

St Stephen’s Deanery Synod representatives are:

Mr Kester O’Connor Mrs Ruth Mbabazi Mrs Veronica Cadogan

Presently, 3 parishes are currently in vacancy, namely, St Jude with St Aiden and the United Benefice of South Norwood, which is Holy Innocence and St Mark. Obtaining a vicarage is the priority for St. Jude with St. Aidan, hopefully, this will be resolved after Archdeacon Greg Prior returns from his sabbatical in April 2025. Revd Ada is the Priest who supports St Mark’s Church. The Revd Charlie Bell helps to cover some of the 8am services, while Mtr Susan continues to support Holy Innocents with the support of Revd Barbara Gentillia, other members of the clergy, and the Churchwardens.

Since the 2024 APCM, there have been many activities within the parishes, as well as appointments to new roles within the Diocese of Southwark.

Celebrations and Services

Synod welcomed – Fr Jon Fox, Curate, who was ordained as a Priest at All Saints, Upper Norwood on the 6th July 2024.

Synod and St Stephen’s Church welcomed Revd Daniel Burton on 7th October 2024. Synod and St Paul’s Church welcomed Revd Solomon Ekiyor on 15th September 2024. Croydon Citizens’ newly appointed Co-ordinator, Zhane Wallace, was welcomed by the Deanery Synod. She outlined her role, including attending Deanery Synod, providing training to churches, and involvement with Be Well and mental health. She’s happy to be contacted via email or phone. Her contact details are – mobile - 07300889351, email address is: zhane.wallace-mckenzie@citizensuk.org.

Newly elected Clergy and Lay reps at Diocesan Synod - Fr Antonio Fuerte and Fr Tomos Reed were elected as the Deanery’s Clergy Representatives on the Diocesan Synod. Dayo Olumo, re-elected, and Camila Bucknor are the Diocesan Synod Lay Representatives.

Topics discussed at Deanery Synod included:

Marie Williams, our speaker, outlined her role as a Bishop of Southwark’s appointed Lay Champion. These included recognising the value by raising the profile of, nurturing, and affirming the Lay Ministry.

Croydon Citizens campaigns.

Safeguarding Training . Safeguarding Foundation Course, available online. All PCC members should undergo the required training and be DBS checked. The Area Dean made it clear that anyone who refuses to participate in the required training will be asked by Southwark Diocese to stand down from their post. Safeguarding should be a standing agenda item at PCC meetings and Deanery Synod. Attendees were reminded of what is involved in ‘good practice’. Examples of ‘good practice’ were shared. With regards to the role of a Deanery Safeguarding Officer, the person would be expected to collate information about safeguarding from the diocese and other external sources to share at a deanery level.

Parish Support Fund –

The Parish Support Fund for Croydon North Deanery met its pledges for 2024. These pledges were accepted by the diocese.

Around the Parishes segment in the Deanery Synod’s agenda continues to be a good source of information.

ST JOHN’S work with children’s church is going from strength to strength. 30 children are attending Sunday School. ‘Messy church’, which meets every 2nd Sunday of the month, had a recent attendance of 600 children and adults. Playtime during term-time, 9.30 – 11am had 400 children attendees 0-5 years.

ST PAUL’S Funding Appeal met. The parish was successful in raising the required £10,000, match funded by £10,000 to purchase a new boiler. The church currently has 1 working boiler. The church has a growing congregation with 15 children in Sunday School, supported by 4 teachers for the different age groups.

ST LUKE’S Meeting – the revised scheme will be presented at a planning meeting with the council.

ST ALBANS The food bank continues to support the local community, and synod attendees were thanked for their contributions and support. A toddler group was recently launched and attended by 70 children and adults.

HOLY INNOCENTS has been working with Croydon Community Energy on heating panels for the roof to provide the energy for the potential heating system. Holy Innocents is one of the 3 projects in Croydon.

Southwark Diocesan Synod

New Bishops - The Revd Canon Dr Chigor Chike is the new Archdeacon of Lewisham & Greenwich. The new Bishop of Woolwich is The Rt Revd Alastair Cutting,

The Diocese of Southwark announced the newly-elected General Synod members – the Revd Dr Charlie Bell and the Revd Nicholas Lebey. Chair of Laity- Rebecca Chapman. Embedding of Southwark’s vision – Christ-centered, outward-focused across everything. The focus was on Mission and Vision, Christ-centered. Moving towards a silver award by 2027. 2024-2025 endorsed by Synod in 2023. Anti-racist Charter – is it on the noticeboards in churches?

Celebration of Lay Ministries 2025.

Southwark Diocese made the following announcement. This year, we are celebrating our Lay Ministers at Candlemas on Sunday, 2 February . We are delighted that so many people are involved in sharing God’s good news with those around them and working with others in their churches and communities to show God’s love to all.

Youth engagement – who in the deanery will champion the church and young people? The annual budget was approved for £30 M.

The Diocesan Board of Education spoke about participation as school governors in church schools.

14. REPORTS FROM COMMITTEES, ORGANISATIONS AND GROUPS

Safeguarding – Parish Safeguarding Officers – Lana Ruddock & Sara Keene

The Church remains committed to promoting and supporting an environment which ensures that all who attend are and feel welcomed, encouraged, respected and safe.

By way of background, the PCC originally adopted “A Safe Church” in May 2009. This is a Diocesan resource supporting Parishes by providing guidelines and policies to enable us to achieve this. This resource undergoes regular reviews by the Diocesan Safeguarding team and we are advised of any revisions made, which we in turn make to the hard copy of “A Safe Church” which is available at the back of Church.

As a parish, we have agreed statements and policies on Safeguarding Children, Adults who may be vulnerable and those suffering from domestic abuse. These statements are displayed in the Church Hall and on the blue noticeboards at the back of Church, and are reviewed on a regular basis.

Safeguarding is a standing item on the agenda of the PCC, and it is excellent that the Lead PSO is a serving member of the PCC, which is recommended good practice. Sara Keene the other PSO is still in the process of completing the relevant training.

The PCC were advised of changes to DBS checks [i.e. 3years instead of 5years] this process was completed by those in the Church who require them. This included new checks for new volunteers.

The Leaders and Teachers in Youth Alive & Sunday School have also been advised of the online training that they need to complete. Also quite a lot of online training has been completed by servers etc. also Foundation training was done at St Pauls Church in January 2024 and was attended by some.

A safeguarding Audit was completed on the 31[st] January 2025.

As a Church family, we remain committed to promoting and supporting an environment which ensures that all who attend feel welcomed, encouraged, respected and safe. This has been demonstrated by our commitment to ensure all required training has been or is in the process of being completed.

There were no safeguarding issues raised under these procedures during 2024.

Lana Ruddock [Lead Parish Safeguarding Officer] Sara Keene [Parish Safeguarding Officer]

The Serving Team Report

Firstly, I wanted to reflect on just how well the serving team did whilst we were still in the interregnum (between APCM and September 24).

I am really happy to report the size of the serving team has recently increased by three (One has just debuted and the other two to follow soon). I am grateful to all the servers who have shown so much flexibility in the last year and they have adapted well and become multi-skilled in different roles for our main Sunday service and also in the services marking Festivals

I enjoyed the Sunday I went in with the Sunday School, where I lead a session about the serving vessels, vestments worn and the different colours used in Church to cover the different seasons. I am also looking forward to the next session and will hopefully get some of the children to consider becoming servers.

I would like to particularly thank Pamela Pearce who continues to care for all the linen used in Church.

Following the success of the last “great wash” of Cottas and Albs I will look to do this again, but will include the cassocks as well as the cottas and albs, so the serving team is always looking smart for services.

Lastly, I am always looking for new servers to join the team – no previous experience needed, no age or health limits, as we can find a role for you and appropriate training will be given! Please speak to me, Father Daniel (or one of the servers for the low down) if you have any interest in any of these positions.

Thanks,

John Keene – Head Server and Sacristan

Annual Report For The Premises Committee

The year under review was one that I will remember because of the help and support I received as Chair. There were four cleaning mornings and our committee meetings for the period under review. We have a core group of persons that always support the cleaning mornings for which I am very grateful.

St Stephens has been blessed with a new Vicar (Fr Daniel Burton) his arrival has helped streamline the duties of the Premises Committee which has given me better understanding of the purpose of the committee. Now that our duties have been redefined we can focus on the upkeep of the lovely church building.

My vision for the year ahead is to beautify the grounds of the church with flowers. We as a committee have a gardening morning carded for early in the Autumn and we will be engaging the help of the younger members of the congregation.

Below are the dates for cleaning mornings and committee meeting for the year.

I look forward to working with all members of the congregation to continue to contribute in helping the church to make a positive impact on the community.

Cleaning Dates 2025

Cleaning Dates 2025	Cleaning Dates 2025
12/04/2025	10:30 am - 2:00 pm
12/07/2025	10:30 am - 2:00 pm
11/10/2025	10:30 am - 2:00 pm
13/12/2025	10:30 am - 2:00 pm

Committee Meeting

Committee Meeting	Committee Meeting
26/02/2025	7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
15/05/2025	7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
11/09/2025	7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
20/11/2025	7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Gardening morning 13.09.2025

Sally Gale Mc Neil-O’Connor,

Premises Committee Chair

Fundraising and Social Committee

A very successful Pancake Day took place on Shrove Tuesday. Father Daniel had the idea and we will take this event forward to hold annually,

The next meeting of the group is due to take place on the 19[th] of March a special thank you to

all the members who have worked so hard last year to come up with new and established actives for all church members and visitors especially during our vacancy.

A meeting is booked to take place on the 19[th] March new members are always welcome if you are interested please contact Andrea Anderson.

Activities booked for the first part of 2025 are:

10[th] May - Quiz night with fish and chips supper. More details to follow.

Mid June – coach trip to the seaside. Hastings is looking very popular. A 53 seater coach is being booked for this event. Costings and more information will be available after the 19[th] March meeting.

July/August - Summer BBQ in the vicarage gardens. More information to follow.

A full event diary will be added in the newsletter.

Andrea Anderson.

Friendship and Fellowship Group

Since starting the group, we continue to meet every second Saturday in the month at 10.30am in the church hall.

The numbers are steadily growing, and as the name implies, we are all seeing this amongst the current members.

We strive to, and have been having important talk talks and presentations each meeting. These have been both very informative and educational.

My hope is that more people will join us, not only within the Church but from the wider community.

I pray that God will provide knowledge and aspiration to us, bringing people together, to help in banishing boredom, and loneliness in one's life.

Looking forward to a brighter future. Blessings, Iona Nelson-Ashley.

St Stephen’s Choir

The Choir is seasonal. We perform during both the Christmas and Easter time to give a lift to the service at those times of the year. The choir is made of members of the congregation who volunteer their time after our Sunday service to make it possible to give the service a lift. I would like to thank the volunteers for their continued time and efforts they give to the choir, I hope that one day the choir will be a permanent fixture in our services. Kester O’Connor

- Flower Arrangements Pam Pearce & Veronica Cadogan

Flower arranging this year has been a fairly quiet one for the flower arranging team apart from Father Daniel’s induction and one Wedding. We are always willing to do arrangements. If anyone has a special occasion to celebrate please speak to Veronica or myself, and we would be pleased to discuss this with you. Pam Pearce.

Garden Steward – Veronica Cadogan

A few people very kindly maintain plots around the church grounds but we would really appreciate having more people committing to adopting a plot on an ongoing basis. Many thanks to those who do contribute their efforts to helping out and please come forward and volunteer! I would be very pleased to discuss this with anyone who may have a spare moment to give their gardening talents to the church.

Contributions of plants and/or shrubs are always welcome but please let me know if you are giving something so that the planting can be properly arranged.

Brian Halfacre’s gardening outside the church hall exemplifies the continued faithful and notable contributions to the maintenance of God's acre. Allocation of gardening plots helps to share the burden of this heavy workload. If you have time to offer, please speak to me.

Veronica Cadogan.

– Sunday School Paula Walkes, Tanya Grant, Charlotte Perry, Sheldon Lawrence, Vaneese Warner

Sunday School at St Stephens continues to grow as we are blessed with new children joining us. The Sunday School runs every 2nd to 5th Sunday of the month following the school calendar where possible.

The structure of Sunday School follows the gospel reading used in the church service. We replicate the Gospel readings in an age-appropriate format using arts, crafts, quizzes and games. This allows the children to discuss the readings with their families and we encourage this to enhance their development.

We are continually impressed by the knowledge of young people and it is a pleasure to assist them as they grow in their faith by being admitted to Holy Communion.

A special thanks to Vaneese for coming forward to join our team as a Sunday School Assistant. We still welcome volunteers, and ideally would like another two members, so that a proper rota can be put in place. That being said, a continuous commitment is not necessary; we are grateful for whatever commitment can be given to this rewarding ministry.

For all who would like to be involved in working with the young people in Sunday School, please contact us directly as we would love to have your support.

Welcome Team

The wardens currently complete the welcomers rota. Please speak to the wardens if you would like to join the welcome team or assist with completing the rota.

Youth Alive- Denise Gravesande and Garikai Garwe

Youth Alive have had a successful year, meeting twice/three times a month where we hold constructive and thought provoking conversations about our faith and the challenges of young people today. We have also seen some of the older members of YA (Paige and Angelina) plan and deliver sessions to the group, gaining leadership experience and helping to foster a collaborative culture. We continue to look forward and the current focus is increasing our direct involvement with the church community, in particular through creating opportunities for more involvement with Mass - where our members can already be seen with regular serving and in attendance on family service.

Youth Alive Leaders

Denise and Garikai

15. TO RECEIVE THE VICAR’S REPORT AND CHAIR’S ADDRESS

Much of the past year at St Stephen’s was, of course, spent in Vacancy without a full-time stipendiary Vicar in office. However, St Stephen’s very much held its own during this time, continuing to be an active parish church with regular Eucharistic services, social and fundraising events, and so on.

During my interview to become Vicar of St Stephen’s, the Bishop of Croydon made a point of noting how well St Stephen’s had dealt with a lengthy Vacancy, paying tribute to our Church Wardens, Andrea Anderson and Lana Ruddock, and the whole regular congregation. My thanks are due here as well – as an incoming incumbent, it is so much more pleasurable to walk into a house well-ordered than not. The weekly 10am Sung Eucharist was maintained every Sunday throughout the vacancy; numbers held up; pastoral offices, such as baptisms and funerals, continued to take place; events happened, such as a pilgrimage to Canterbury, a quiz night, and so on. Particular thanks need to go to our own Mother Joyce Forbes, whose priestly ministry at St Stephen’s was - and continues to be - appreciated beyond measure, her leadership during the vacancy and beyond being invaluable. St Stephen’s even managed to survive a (heartbreaking) forced entry and burglary in June 2024 which rendered much damage to the church building and fabric, the necessary repairs and installation of CCTV and alarms only having just been completed.

I was collated and inducted Vicar of St Stephen’s, Norbury & Thornton Heath, on 7[th] October 2024. It was obvious to myself, my family, and all those who came to support that the people of St Stephen’s care about this church enormously and are excited about our parish church’s future. The collation and induction was a roaring success and a night to remember, with a stellar service and outstanding refreshments and celebration afterwards in the church hall. Thank you so much to all who contributed, volunteered, or helped in any way on 7[th] October.

My family and I were welcomed in style, a testament to the character of St Stephen’s as a church community.

It takes time to settle-in as a new Vicar (especially when it is your first time being a vicar/a first incumbency!). However, I have been delighted and honoured to serve in this parish in my first 5-6 months. It has been a busy time. After the induction we quickly had to pull ourselves together to celebrate Harvest festival, Black History Month, the festival of All Saints and All Souls, Remembrance Sunday, and then Advent and Christmas. All the services and events during this period of time seemed to go exceptionally well, with very good attendance and participation in our Black History Month event and at all the additional services, such as our All Souls Sung Eucharist, Christmas carol service, and Midnight Mass. We also successfully organised our annual Christmas Fair on 30[th] November. During this time, we have seen regular attendance at our services gradually increase – after our numbers declined significantly during and after the Covid-19 pandemic, we are now back to a place where our Sunday 10am Sung Eucharist very rarely drops below 60 persons in attendance, there quite often being substantially more than that.

It has given me great joy to restore our fuller package of regular worship at St Stephens. Our Wednesday Eucharists were kept going during the vacancy, but our Saturday and weekly Sunday 8am services have now been restored, as well as the addition of morning prayer being said on most Thursdays. During Lent, we have continued the tradition of having Stations of the Cross on Friday evenings, and daytime and evening Lent courses being very well attended. Over the next year, I would like to look at how we can further enrich our regular pattern of worship, as well as opportunities for growth in spirituality and fellowship, such as more courses/study groups and social activities.

Other key aims over the next year are going to be looking at how we do mission and outreach to our local community and parish; how we can grow and develop our engagement with young people, working with our existing Sunday School and Youth Alive groups; and making the most of our church site, looking at how the grounds can be beautified and utilised better, including our church hall. Supporting our work on pastoral care will also be a priority, particularly working closely with our Commissioned Pastoral Lay Minister, Aileen Ross; as well as how we increase our giving and fundraising to make sure we pass on our church to future generations with a healthy balance sheet (a huge thank you to Coral Martin, our Treasurer, who has managed our finances over the past year and compiled our accounts for 2024).

Thank you to all who have served on the PCC over the past year. A huge thank you to Paula Walkes who has been our PCC Secretary and will be standing down at this APCM; please keep Nina Jevric-Stuwe who will be succeeding her in your prayers. Furthermore, a massive thank you to all who help toward the day-to-day running of St Stephen’s in any way, shape or form, some of which can be seen in reports from those who lead specific areas of our church’s life and witness to Christ. The list of names is long indeed!

Please keep me in your prayers over the next year as I continue to settle in at St Stephen’s. A big thank you to all who have supported me personally, especially to my wife, Charline. May God bless us as we serve him and his kingdom here in Norbury & Thornton Heath over the next year.