Annual Report 2023-2024
Contents
Vicar’s Introduction Ministry Report Children’s & Youth Work Report Churchwardens’ Report PCC Secretary’s Report PCC Treasurer's Report Deanery Synod Report Appendices
Vicar’s Introduction
One of the greatest joys of this past year has been the successful completion of Phase One of the Redevelopment Project. We are delighted that the new kitchen and toilets are now available for use on a regular basis, and they have significantly enhanced the welcome that we can offer to worshippers, tourists, and the wider community. The work has been completed to a high standard, and we trust it will benefit the mission and ministry of the church for years to come.
More significantly, we have also experienced the joy of church growth, as our congregation has continued to flourish — both in numbers, and in diversity. In fact, with the addition of the 9:00 am early Communion Service, we now have two congregations, for which we give thanks! Since the very reason we exist here in the city centre is to help draw people together to worship the Lord Jesus Christ, this has been a cause for much thanksgiving and praise.
These two factors together mean that we can look back on a year of great encouragement. Of course, not everything has been straightforward, and there remain substantial challenges as we look to the future (not least around the ongoing concerns for our denomination). But I hope you enjoy reading in this Annual Report of all the signs of God’s blessing we have received at his hand, and that you are encouraged as we look back by his great faithfulness to us.
Mark Wallace (Vicar)
Ministry Report
The second half of this last year has been a time of significant numerical growth. For the first time in several decades, we have more than 100 adults as part of our worshipping community, and now more than 30 children and young people are part of St Peter’s Church. For all this, we are very thankful.
Safeguarding remains a key priority and the PCC is committed to doing all it can to ensure that children and vulnerable people are protected and kept safe. We are particularly grateful for the ministry of Sue Almond as our Parish Safeguarding Officer, and also wish to pay tribute to the support we receive from the Diocesan Safeguarding Team. We continue to ensure that all those involved in positions of leadership, especially with children, have all the required clearances and training.
The church continues to offer pastoral support and encouragement in a variety of different ways. Home Communions are made available for those who are housebound or unable to attend the church for any reason, pastoral engagement remains a priority for those on the Staff Team, and practical support continues to be provided for those with specific needs (especially in terms of offering lifts and providing meals). There are a variety of groups and several different kinds of events have been put on (see below), but informal social occasions, such as the ‘Coffee & Chat’ sessions at the Mercury Theatre Cafe, remain an important part of our pastoral ministry.
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In this last year, we were particularly sad to say farewell to much-loved members of the congregation. Margaret Sawyer served the church for many decades with dedication and kindness before illness overtook her, and we continue to remember her Peter in our prayers. Meanwhile, Sandra Gedling was an inspiration and encouragement to so many as she continued to trust in the goodness of the Lord Jesus while battling cancer, and Matt and the girls remain in our prayers.
A particular highlight of the last year was the baptism of an Iranian convert on Easter Day, and we have been delighted to welcome the children of church members in baptism through the year. Meanwhile, we rejoiced in August at the wedding of Joe and Ellen Ruby, and again in February at the Thanksgiving for Marriage Service for Anthony and Esther Nwosu.
A new initiative in this last year has been the introduction of the Ladies’ Book Club, led by Tash Froude and Anne Kavanagh. The group have been working through ‘Identity Theft’ and discussing how its message applies to their lives and witness. For men, bi-monthly Men’s Breakfasts on a Saturday morning have been introduced, giving the opportunity for people to get to know each other socially and for a group member to share their testimony by way of encouragement. Furthermore, many have joined in with the reading of Advent (‘Fixated’) and Lent (‘Finding Mercy on the Way of Sorrow’) books of reflections.
Various mid-week groups have continued: the 'Christianity Explored’ and ‘Hope Explored’ courses remain good opportunities for enquirers and newcomers to explore the Christian faith in an informal setting, and the Bible Study Groups are opportunities for small groups to meet together to study God's word and to consider how it applies to their Christian walk and witness. In addition, ‘A Walk through Genesis’ was offered by Sheila Lloyd in August, and the monthly Communion Services at Freda Gunton Lodge have been well received.
Christmas and Easter remain key opportunities to invite people to church. The Messy Church format has enabled some of the Tiny Tots parents to join us on a Sunday for the first time, and the Carol Services in December were well-attended. Small groups of volunteers have written cards to members of the wider community, which have been very well received.
More widely, the PCC continues to be concerned about the theological shifts in the Church of England, and have declared themselves compelled to resist the initiatives of the House of Bishops in the autumn of 2023. Our Vicar remains on General Synod, and has been playing an active part in the fellowship of orthodox Anglican ministers across the Diocese of Chelmsford and beyond. We have been glad, however, that our Vicar has been able to return to full-time ministry in the parish after the conclusion of his time as Chaplain to the Bishop of Ebbsfleet, thanks to the generosity of those able to support his ministry financially.
Finally, we are grateful for the opportunity to meet Sunday by Sunday — to hear God’s word from the Bible, to sing his praises, to call on him in prayer, and to encourage one another in our Christian lives. As a church community, we are thankful to all those volunteers who make this possible — and the number of volunteers who serve on a Sunday in one way or another is steadily increasing. But most of all, we thank God for what he has been doing in us and through us over this past year.
Mark Wallace (Vicar)
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Children’s & Youth Work Report
It is now a year since we made some significant changes to our Sunday morning provision: setting up the Family Room with live-streamed service, splitting Bible Tots and Diggers into two separate groups, and moving Spark into the Vestry. These changes have worked well, and have enabled us to cater for the growth that we have seen in our Children’s and Youth Work. Over the course of this year, we have been blessed by the safe arrival of new babies at St Peter’s, several new families have joined us, and we have welcomed a considerable number of young visitors.
Tiny Tots, our evangelistic toddler group, has continued to be well-attended on Thursday mornings in term-time. We have also been delighted to welcome some parents from Tiny Tots to the Messy Church services at Christmas and Easter, which have served as a helpful stepping-stone towards becoming part of the church community.
The reality is that, since our Children’s & Youth Worker moved on from her role in May 2023, much of our children’s and youth work has been over-stretched and under-resourced. We remain extremely grateful to those volunteers who continue to serve the church by serving so sacrificially as leaders and helpers in St Peter’s Kids, but the PCC acknowledges the urgent need for additional support for the team.
The leaders’ and helpers’ prayer, as always, is that we will grow together in knowledge and love of our Lord Jesus, knowing him better and making him better known. And so - amidst the crafts, games, activities, and biscuits - the main thing in every group is always the faithful teaching of God’s word.
On Sundays:
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Bible Tots (Age 2-Reception): Tash and Lizzie have used a variety of materials from Faith in Kids, Mustard Seeds, and TNT to teach both Old and New Testament stories and truth to our little ones.
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Diggers (School Years 1-4): Clare, Peter, and Lizzie have taught their way through ‘Meet the King’ and several of the Mustard Seeds series, helping these slightly older children to think about the implications of who Jesus is, and why it matters for them.
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Spark (School Years 5-8): Karen and Andy have used Discover Bible Notes to help our older children to practise reading the Bible for themselves and engage with God as he reveals himself in His word.
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Ignite (School Years 9-13): Our older teens remain in church on a Sunday morning. They are encouraged to take notes if that helps them to retain what they hear, and they have the opportunity to discuss the sermons with Mark at regular Sunday night Ignite events.
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The SPK Holiday Club has run during holidays and half-terms, thanks to Caroline Sheldrick and Wendy Whitfield, and gives the opportunity for the regular leaders and helpers of SPK to have a short break from their responsibilities.
Additionally, members of our Ignite group have benefitted from ‘Growth Groups’ (a couple of teenagers meeting regularly with an adult to read the Bible and pray) and from ‘Contagious’ (a Christian camp in the summer holiday, looking in 2023 at the gospel of John). This year, we had the particular joy of seeing the first of our young people coming through to serve as a leader at Contagious.
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Finally, SPK continues to be involved in the church’s sponsorship of Richard and Mary, through writing cards and letters, organising a Cake Sale to raise funds, and supporting the ‘Make a Mother’s Day’ initiative each spring.
At the end of another year, we remain grateful to the Lord for entrusting us with this precious gospel work, and thankful for all the leaders and helpers who serve in this way. Our ongoing prayer is that the Lord might continue to give SPK growth in numbers and maturity, along with supplying our needs for more leaders and helpers to resource this growth.
Lizzie Wallace
Churchwardens’ Report
Looking back at the past year we can see God’s hand at work at St. Peter’s. The Redevelopment Project went ahead as planned and we are enjoying the benefits of our new kitchen and amenities on a weekly basis. The memories of carting various items back and forth from the church hall kitchen or even the sound of the urn cranking up at the back of the church seem distant now. Likewise progressing from one toilet, which could be best described as ‘functional’, to two modern ones is something we now take for granted. We are thankful firstly to our God for his provision but also to Wendy, Richard, Mark, and all who assisted in getting the job done.
A preacher once described the local church building as a “rain shelter”. Essentially that is what it does, it keeps us sheltered from the elements while we have our church service. Sometimes the shelter feels very thin, cold, and leaky, but we are grateful that it is still standing and able to be used and enjoyed.
Of course, the Church is really about God’s people, and we have seen growth in numbers and diversity which is further reason for thanksgiving.
We also thank God that we have been able to retain Mark as our full-time Vicar due to the generosity of our congregation. Therefore, Mark has been able to continue to equip God’s people for works of service.
We have been observing with concern the changes in our denomination regarding “Prayers of Love and Faith”. We are encouraged that the PCC has been united in our opposition to the initiatives proposed by the House of Bishops. We long for the day when our attention can be diverted towards more fruitful matters.
Fabric, Goods and Ornaments
The Quinquennial Inspection due in October 2022 is arranged for 15[th] March 2024. This was deferred due to the Redevelopment Project and the associated work for the architect. The inspection will identify and prioritise any work required on the fabric of the church.
Work to complete Phase One of the Redevelopment Project was carried out by Bakers of Danbury between 27[th] March and 24[th] August 2023. This involved removal of all the pews
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from the side aisle (north), re-location of the font, upgrading of our existing toilet facility and the installation of an accessible toilet and kitchen/servery.
During this work the foundations of one of the columns supporting the balcony were strengthened, additional electrical sockets were fitted, and the north wall was re-plastered and painted. A small area still requires painting once the plaster has dried sufficiently. The wooden floor was sanded and lacquered.
Tower Clock: Having been unreliable for some time, the clock stopped in April 2023. Vestry: The vestry remains in a poor condition, and work is required to the walls and ceiling. The nave roof: There are a number of lead sheets that show signs of slippage due to failure of the nails. Cracks have appeared in the lead at the west end/south side resulting in some ingress of rainwater near the font. The roof will need to be replaced at some point. Removals: 17 wooden pews from the side aisle. The ends of the 4 pews that were unsold have been retained.
Acquisitions: Purificators x 6 (white cloths used at Communion). For the kitchen: Coffee machine, dishwasher, fridge, freezer, microwave oven, soup kettle, and 150 white china cups.
On loan: The oil painting of the church, circa 1770, remains on loan to Colchester and Ipswich Museum Service. It remains in a generally good condition with no change over the past year and is currently on display in the Town Hall. The 10-year loan period ends in February 2030, when the City Council would like to have ownership of the painting. This would be achieved as a gift or purchase.
Church Hall: While the hall is a great asset for both the church and the local community, its age poses certain challenges.
The hall roof, apart from the section over the kitchen and office, is in a poor state due to its age. Slates on the pitched roof are prone to slipping and are sometimes removed by strong winds which has recently resulted in some ingress of rainwater. The flat roof over the toilets is in need of replacement.
The boiler continues to function, but we are advised that, due to its age, parts are difficult to obtain, and a replacement is recommended.
Prayer points
| Things togive thanks for | Things toprayfor | |
|---|---|---|
| Church family |
Many new faces within our church family | Continued funding to employ our Vicar full-time |
| Unity within the church family | That we would all grasp new opportunities to ‘love our church’ and the community aroundus |
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| Ongoing perseverance, and joy in their work, for all in service at St. Peter’s |
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| Buildings, contents |
God’s wonderful provision | Ongoing fundraising for various items needing repair |
| The opportunities offered by our central location to reach out to Colchester |
Trevor Froude and John Hartwell (Churchwardens) and Wendy Whitfield
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PCC Secretary’s Report
St Peter’s PCC has the responsibility of co-operating with the Incumbent, Rev Mark Wallace, in promoting in the ecclesiastical parish the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. St Peter’s is a town centre church, with a gathered congregation and a valued heritage of evangelical and expository ministry. The PCC is also responsible for the maintenance of the Church building and Church Hall on North Hill, Colchester.
The PCC is committed to enabling as many people as possible to worship at our church and to become part of our parish community at St Peter's. The PCC maintains an overview of worship throughout the parish and makes suggestions on how our services can involve the people that live within our parish, and beyond.
Our services and worship put faith into practice through study of God's word, prayer, music and sacraments. We also have a concern to provide practical help to those around us in particular need - especially the homeless, families and the elderly.
When planning our activities for the year, we try to enable ordinary people to live out their faith as part of our parish community through:
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Worship and prayer; learning about the Gospel; and developing their knowledge and trust in Jesus.
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Provision of pastoral care for people living in the parish, and members of the congregation.
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Evangelistic, social and outreach work.
To facilitate this work, it is important that we maintain the fabric of the church of St Peter's and its Hall.
Safeguarding remains a high priority for the PCC. Our Safeguarding Committee enables the responsibilities in safeguarding children, young people, and vulnerable adults to be more effectively shared.
Our thanks to Mrs Clare Reid, our Electoral Roll Officer, for her upkeep of the electoral roll. The number on the roll had at the time of writing risen to 78, of whom 18 are resident in the parish.
In the past year, the PCC met formally six times.
Mick Kavanagh (PCC Secretary)
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PCC Treasurer's Report
Overview
I continue to be thankful for the sacrificial and generous giving of the congregation to support the ongoing work and ministry of St Peter’s. In particular, the response to our Gift Day in February to enable Mark's continued full-time ministry in the parish (£82k pledged or donated), and the final push of donations and loan to make the redevelopment project happen (nearly £31k).
Planned giving (standing orders and offering envelopes) was slightly less (1.5%) than in 2022, due to a number of causes: changes in people's circumstances, deaths, leavers, and the withholding of some donations in response to the Living in Love and Faith situation. There were significantly fewer regular donors (31) at the end of the year compared to 2022 (39). Collections at services, however, rose by 42%.
Our Parish Share request for 2023 was £46,791, a significant increase (26%) on the 2022 share. We are very grateful for the help given by two other parishes in the diocese, who between them contributed £5,357 towards our share. The remaining £41k was paid in full by us. At year end, the General Fund balance (excluding fixed assets) was £23,296.
We are also grateful to those trusts who made grants towards our redevelopment work, providing £67k towards the total. These were: Fowler, Smith and Jones (£50,000), Colchester Churches Charitable Trust (£10,000) and Benefact (£7,000).
There is still some expenditure to be made from the Redevelopment Fund – the purchase of tables and chairs, the builders' retention and the repayment of a loan. At the end of the year, the bank balance was just over £13k, but we will need an additional £15k to fully meet our commitments (including repaying the loan).
Part of the Hall Fund deficit was written off by the receipt of some more Section 106 funding from Colchester City Council. However, the hall continued to be a drain on our funds, particularly as it was not used much by external groups, and energy costs kept increasing. The Hall Fund ended the year over £6,500 in deficit. There is some more Section 106 funding to claim in 2024 which will help pay for further maintenance, and it is to be hoped that we can increase the income received from external hirers.
The PCC decided to close the Guest House fund in 2023, as alternative provision is now available for the homeless in Colchester. The balance of £4,637 was donated to Beacon House (a local Christian charity helping the homeless).
Thanks are due to Alan Gray, who procured a donation of £1,000 from Damon Albarn towards the repair of our church clock.
Despite our relatively healthy financial position, costs are likely to remain high in 2024 and beyond - energy costs, Parish Share, and staff costs in particular contributing to this.
The funds held by St Peter's bellringers were transferred to the care of the PCC during 2023, as there is no longer a permanent group of ringers.
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We do give thanks to God for his ongoing provision for our needs - and trust Him for the future as well.
Detailed Financial Review
As our total income exceeded £250,000 in 2023, the accounts have had to be prepared on the 'Accruals' basis for the first time, and the 2022 figures used for comparison have also been recalculated, so some values may differ from our published 2022 accounts. The General Fund balances include a value for the Church Hall.
Total income for our unrestricted funds (General Fund) in 2023 was £79,956, and expenditure was £90,899, which includes the full payment of the Diocesan parish share (£41,019 by us). There was an excess of expenditure over income of £10,943, and the balance at year end, excluding fixed assets, was £23,296.
The hall was hired out more than in 2022, but still not enough to cover our costs. We received £9,277 in Section 106 grants towards repair work and improvements which had been completed in 2022. However, expenditure was substantial, with energy costs doubling. There was an excess of income over expenditure of £3.355, leaving the fund with a balance of -£6,555.
The new Bell Fund had a balance of £1,183 at year end. The only movement was the interest earned.
The balance of unrestricted and designated funds (General, Hall and Bells) at the end of 2023 was £17,923 (excluding fixed assets).
There was no Fabric Fund expenditure during the year, and the fund had a balance at the end of the year of £5,758.
The Redevelopment fund is for the major work taking place to the church building. Income was £130,134 (donations, grants, loan and interest), and expenditure £232,908. Taking into account the £20,000 loan to be repaid, the balance at the end of the year was -£6,719.
The Ministry Support fund is to enable the full-time employment of Rev Mark Wallace within the parish (effective from October 2023), as he only has a ½ post from the diocese. Income was £32,921 (donations and interest), and expenditure £5,457. The balance at the end of the year was £27,465.
There was no movement in our Reserve Fund except for interest earned. The balance at year end was £4,130.
Our only Investment fund is the Sears Fund, which yielded the usual level of interest. The capital value increased by £570, and the fund value was £5,413.
Reserves Policy
The PCC has no stated policy on the minimum balance of unrestricted funds.
The end-of-year balance of £5,758 in the restricted Fabric Fund is to pay for the clock repair, and any urgent maintenance of the church building (for which our policy is to
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maintain a minimum balance of around £5,000). Any expenditure beyond this will involve raising additional funds.
It is our policy to invest our funds with the Central Board of Finance Church of England Deposit Fund.
Richard Lawn (PCC Treasurer)
Deanery Synod Report
The Colchester Deanery Synod is the level of church government next above the PCC. Unlike the national body, the General Synod, the Deanery Synod's activities are quite prosaic and it is more often just a talking shop.
It met in March 2023 at St Botolph's church, and after the normal business we were given a talk about Nightstop Essex, a charity for homeless young adults that had then been in the town for only three months and which seeks to provide overnight accommodation and breakfast to young people. This is with host families that offer a spare room for perhaps as little as one night a month, as a "stepping stone" to more permanent accommodation. There are 33 churches across the country operating "night stop" services, and they are looking for people with "a big heart and a spare room".
We then had a presentation of complex statistics on the deanery, with many charts and figures, and a report on the happenings at General Synod in February. The various notices at the end included the reminder that this was the last meeting before the election of new Deanery representatives, and that the Roger Ennals is to step down after 15 years as Deanery Lay Chair.
At St Peter's last APCM your new reps on Deanery Synod were duly elected, and are now Duncan Breckels and Wendy Whitfield.
The reconstituted Synod met for the first meeting of the new "triennium" in July at St Matthew's, the church converted out of an old school building on Harwich Road, and part of Greenstead parish.
The meeting elected Miss Lynne Gettings as the new lay chair, to replace the previous lay chair Canon Roger Ennals who had retired.
The main part of the meeting was a lively presentation by Beccy Hills, who is Diocesan Parish Giving Advisor for the Dioceses of Chelmsford. It is useful to know that there is a central source of advice and assistance available when we next need to consider the issue of giving and fund raising. However, a major part of what is on offer is centralised management of regular giving and gift aid, which we at St Peter's manage ourselves.
The third meeting of the Deanery Synod in 2023 was at Lexden church in October, where the opening worship was led by Revd Matt Simpkins, who many will remember from when he was a member of the congregation at St Peter's.
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The main presentation was by Revd Canon Pauline Scott, about the "Tendring Border Colchester Garden Community" which is the one remaining of three sets of plans for huge new populated areas around Colchester. It is proposed to build between 7,500 and 9,000 houses, a community the size of Harwich, on open land currently part of the parishes of Ardleigh, Elmstead, and Greenstead. The plans suggest a rapid transit system into Colchester, and a new country park. Revd Scott has been involved from the start of the planning and there are hopes it may become a parish in its own right. However, there will be no church building and any ministry will have to be funded by grants or unpaid. There was no explanation of why there was to be no central funding available. She called for prayer, for the planning, the existing communities in the area, the new community and for the right Christian people to move in and plant the new church.
We then heard from Kate Clifton, the Deanery Environmental Advocate. She wished to receive contact details for an environmental advocate in each church, and encouraged us to complete the energy footprint tool that is part of the parish return and register for the A Rocha Eco Church Award.
The Deanery Treasurer reported that it had not proved possible to transfer the Deanery bank account to new postholders, and no bank would allow them to open a new account as the Deanery was not a charity in its own right. They had therefore moved the funds to a restricted fund held by St Luke's church.
Duncan Breckels and Wendy Whitfield (Deanery Synod Representatives)
Approved by the PCC Standing Committee on 14[th] March 2024, and signed on their behalf by Rev Mark Wallace (Chairman).
Appendices
The PCC of St Peter’s, Colchester 2023-2024
Vicar
Revd Mark Wallace (ex officio & Chair)
Churchwardens
Mr Trevor Froude (Vice-Chair) Mr John Hartwell
Deanery Synod Representatives
Mr Duncan Breckels Mrs Wendy Whitfield
Elected Members
Mr Ed Bradley Mr Tim Hearn Mrs Anne Kavanagh Dr Mick Kavanagh (Secretary) Mr Richard Lawn (Treasurer) Mrs Val Morris Mr Brian New Mrs Clare Reid (Electoral Roll Officer) Dr Dan Watts
PCC Committees
Standing Committee
The Standing Committee has power to transact any urgent business between meetings. Its members are the Vicar, the Churchwardens, the Treasurer, and the PCC Secretary. Finance Sub-Committee
The Finance Sub-committee assists the PCC in overseeing financial and budgetary matters. Its members are the Vicar, the Treasurer, Mr Duncan Breckels, Dr Mick Kavanagh, and Dr Dan Watts.
Safeguarding Committee
The Safeguarding Committee consists of the Vicar, Miss Sue Almond (Parish Safeguarding Officer), Mrs Clare Reid, Mrs Caroline Sheldrick, and Dr Mick Kavanagh (as Secretary).
Miscellaneous information
St Peter’s Church is situated on North Hill, Colchester. It is part of the Diocese of Chelmsford within the Church of England. St Peter’s receives the pastoral and sacramental ministry of the Bishop of Ebbsfleet, in accordance with the 2014 House of Bishops’ Declaration on the Ministry of Bishops and Priests, by permission of the Bishop of Chelmsford. The PCC is a body corporate (PCC Powers Measure 1956, Church Representation Rules 2006). The PCC was granted charitable status in its own right on 24th October 2015.
The church website is https://www.stpeterscolchester.org
The correspondence address is The Vicarage, Balkerne Close, Colchester CO1 1NZ.
The PCC’s independent examiner (of accounts) is Jason Foxwell FCCA FCIE. His website can be found at: https://independent-examiner.net/
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St Peter's Church Colchester
Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2023
Statement of Financial Activities
| Statement of Financial Activities | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Note Income Voluntary income 2(a) Church activities 2(b) Other trading activities 2(c) Investments 2(d) Other income 2(e) Total Income Expenditure Church activities 3(a) Missionary and charitable giving 3(b) Raising funds Other 3(d) Total Expenditure Net income before transfers Transfers between funds Net income before investment gains/losses Revaluation gains on investments 5(b) Net movement in funds Balances b/f 1st January Balances c/f 31st December |
Unrestricted Funds £ 85,019 3,254 3,595 625 1,258 93,751 98,180 1,939 - 37 100,156 (6,405) - (6,405) - (6,405) 664,329 657,923 |
Restricted Endowment Funds Funds £ £ 160,178 - - - - - 4,258 - - - 164,435 - 258,364 - 4,637 - - - - - 263,001 - (98,566) 0 - - (98,566) 0 - 570 (98,566) 570 129,199 4,844 30,633 5,413 |
Total 2023 £ 245,197 3,254 3,595 4,882 1,258 258,186 356,544 6,576 - 37 363,157 (104,971) - (104,971) 570 (104,401) 798,371 693,970 |
Total 2022 £ 183,598 2,084 2,741 1,565 - |
| 189,986 | ||||
| 130,480 2,550 - 361 |
||||
| 133,391 | ||||
| 56,596 - |
||||
| 56,596 (532) 56,064 742,307 |
||||
| 798,371 |
Page 1 of 7
St Peter's Church Colchester
Balance Sheet at 31 December 2023
| Note Unrestricted Restricted Endowment Funds Funds Funds £ £ £ Fixed Assets Tangible 5(a) 640,000 - - Investments 5(b) - - 5,413 Total Fixed Assets 640,000 0 5,413 Current Assets Debtors 6 1,139 706 - Short term deposits 14,598 50,031 - Cash at bank and in hand 3,249 199 - Total Current Assets 18,986 50,936 - Liabilities Creditors - due within 1 year 7 1,062 303 - Net Current Assets 17,923 50,633 - Total Assets less Current Liabilities 657,923 50,633 5,413 Creditors - due more than 1 year 8 - 20,000 - Net Assets 657,923 30,633 5,413 Funds Unrestricted Restricted Endowment Total Approved by the Parochial Church Council on 14th March 2024, and signed on their behalf by: Rev Mark Wallace Richard Lawn Chairman PCC Treasurer |
Total 2023 £ 640,000 5,413 645,413 1,845 64,629 3,448 69,922 1,365 68,556 713,970 20,000 693,970 657,923 30,633 5,413 693,970 |
Total 2022 £ 640,000 4,844 |
|---|---|---|
| 644,844 | ||
| 897 139,549 14,101 |
||
| 154,546 | ||
| 1,019 153,527 798,371 - |
||
| 798,371 | ||
| 664,329 129,199 4,844 |
||
| 798,371 | ||
The accompanying notes on pages 3 to 7 form part of these accounts.
Page 2 of 7
St Peter's Church Colchester
Notes to the Financial Statements
1 Accounting Policies
The financial statements have been prepared under the Church Accounting Regulations 2006 in accordance with applicable accounting standards and the current Statement of Recommended Practice, Accounting and Reporting by Charities and applicable accounting standard FRS 102.
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention except for investment assets, which are shown at market value. The financial statements include all transactions, assets and liabilities for which the PCC is responsible in law. They do not include the accounts of church groups that owe their main affiliation to another body, nor those that are informal gatherings of church members.
This is the first year that the accounts have been prepared using the accruals accounting method. Previous years' financial reports did not include fixed assets. These have been included this year.
Fund accounting
Endowment funds are funds, the capital of which must be retained either permanently or at the PCC's discretion; the income derived from the endowment is to be used either as restricted or unrestricted income funds depending upon the purpose for which the endowment was established in the first place.
Restricted funds comprise (a) income from endowments that is to be expended only on the restricted purposes intended by the donor, and (b) revenue donations or grants for a specific PCC activity intended by the donor. Where these funds have unspent balances, interest on their pooled investment is apportioned to the individual funds on an average balance basis.
Unrestricted funds are income funds that are to be spent on the PCC's general purposes.
Income
Planned giving, collections and similar donations are recognised when received. Tax refunds are recognised when the income to which they relate is received. Grants and legacies are accounted for when the PCC is entitled to the use of the income, their ultimate receipt is considered reasonably certain and the amounts due are readily quantifiable. Dividends are accounted for when declared receivable, interest as and when accrued by the payer. All income is accounted for gross.
Expenditure
Grants and donations are accounted for when paid over, or when awarded, if that award creates a binding or constructive obligation on the PCC. The diocesan parish share is accounted for when paid. All other expenditure is generally recognised when it is incurred and is accounted for gross.
Fixed assets
Consecrated and benefice property is not included in the accounts in accordance with s.10(2)(a) and (c) of the Charities Act 2011.
Movable church furnishings held by the vicar and churchwardens on special trust for the PCC and which require a faculty for disposal are inalienable property, listed in the church's inventory, which can be inspected (at any reasonable time). For anything acquired prior to 2000 there is insufficient cost information available and therefore such assets are not valued in the financial statements. Subsequently no individual item has cost more than £2,000 so all such expenditure has been written off when incurred.
Equipment used within the church premises is depreciated on a straight-line basis over the anticipated life of that item. Individual items of equipment with a purchase price of £2,500 or less are written off when the asset is acquired.
Investments are valued at market value at 31 December.
Page 3 of 7
2 Income
| Note 2(a) Voluntary Income Planned giving Collections at services Gift Days Grants: - Church of England energy costs grant - Fowler, Smith and Jones redevelopment - Colchester Churches Charitable Trust - Colchester City Council Section 106 - Listed places of worship VAT recovery Donations Legacies Gift Aid recovered Loans 2(b) Church Activities Fees for weddings and funerals Tiny Tots Bookstall Chocfest Toy sale 2(c) Other Trading Activities Church hire Hall hire 2(d) Income from Investments Bank and CCLA Deposit Fund interest Sears fund income 2(e) Other Income Bell fund received from bell ringers Return of overpaid expenses Total Income |
Unrestricted Funds £ 51,322 4,381 796 1,045 - - 9,277 - 6,696 500 11,002 - 85,019 1,800 1,120 40 231 63 3,254 260 3,335 3,595 587 37 625 1,157 101 1,258 93,751 |
Restricted Endowment Funds Funds £ £ 1,110 - 0 - 30,480 - - - 50,000 - 10,000 - - - 32,000 - 13,082 - 0 - 3,506 - 20,000 - 160,178 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 4,258 - - - 4,258 - - - - - - - 164,435 - |
Total 2023 £ 52,432 4,381 31,276 1,045 50,000 10,000 9,277 32,000 19,778 500 14,508 20,000 245,197 1,800 1,120 40 231 63 3,254 260 3,335 3,595 4,845 37 4,882 1,157 101 1,258 258,186 |
Total 2022 £ 53,860 3,083 3,043 - - - 3,107 - 90,125 3,000 27,380 - |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 183,598 | ||||
| 1,348 668 11 56 - |
||||
| 2,084 | ||||
| 1,088 1,653 |
||||
| 2,741 | ||||
| 1,528 37 |
||||
| 1,565 | ||||
| - - |
||||
| - | ||||
| 189,986 |
Page 4 of 7
3 Expenditure
| Note 3(a) Church Activities Parish Share Clergy and staffing costs 4 Church running costs and maintenance Hall running costs and maintenance Vicarage maintenance Major building work Loan repayment Diocesan fees for weddings and funerals Other wedding and funeral costs Printing and stationery Ministry costs Organ & music Books and course materials Children's work Audit Chocfest Catering Website and email 3(b) Missionary and Charitable Giving Beacon House Christian Youth Outreach Clergy Support Trust Compassion UK Friends of Essex Churches Samaritan's Purse Simeon's Trustees St John's Church, Colchester The Evangelical Alliance Relief Fund 3(d) Other Expenditure Sears Fund income distribution Mayor's charities (St George's Day) Total expenditure |
Unrestricted Funds £ 41,020 18,927 18,994 7,735 - - - 795 317 4,129 1,499 854 111 1,084 150 399 1,499 667 98,180 63 - 90 1,174 176 37 200 100 100 1,939 37 - 37 100,156 |
Restricted Endowment Funds Funds £ £ - - 4,639 - - - - - - - 252,908 - - - - - - - - - 818 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 258,364 - 4,637 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 4,637 - - - - - - - 263,001 - |
Total 2023 £ 41,020 23,566 18,994 7,735 - 252,908 - 795 317 4,129 2,317 854 111 1,084 150 399 1,499 667 356,544 4,699 0 90 1,174 176 37 200 100 100 6,576 37 - 37 363,157 |
Total 2022 £ 36,878 27,174 23,236 23,066 1,539 7,753 5,000 632 149 - 678 1,012 - 1,123 150 - 2,091 - |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 130,480 | ||||
| 96 630 85 1,411 - 33 195 - 100 |
||||
| 2,550 | ||||
| 37 324 |
||||
| 361 | ||||
| 133,391 |
Page 5 of 7
4 Staff Costs
| Staff Costs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Wages and Salaries Income tax and Social Security costs Pensions - NEST pensions Pensions - CEFPS via the Diocese Average number of paid staff |
2023 £ 19,458 2,762 448 898 23,566 3 |
2022 £ 22,782 3,690 701 - |
| 27,174 | ||
| 3 |
Average number of paid staff
CEFPS is the Church of England Funded Pension Scheme. Rev Wallace's penson contributions for his employment by the PCC are made on our behalf to CEFPS by the Diocese, and the PCC reimburse the Diocese.
During 2023 the PCC employed no staff earning £60,000 or more No employee benefits were received by any staff
Salaries paid in 2023 to members of staff having a connection to the PCC:
| Rev Mark Wallace (PCC chairman) | £2,921 |
|---|---|
| Mrs Elizabeth Wallace (wife of chairman) | £3,903 |
| Mrs Bernice Watts (wife of PCC member) | £9,415 |
5 Fixed Assets
5(a) Tangible Fixed Assets
| Cost or Valuation At 1 January 2023 At 31 December 2023 Depreciation At 1 January 2023 At 31 December 2023 Net book value At 1 January 2023 At 31 December 2023 |
640,000 640,000 - - 640,000 640,000 Freehold land and buildings |
Total 640,000 |
|---|---|---|
| 640,000 | ||
| - | ||
| - | ||
| 640,000 | ||
| 640,000 |
The freehold land and buildings comprise the church hall on North Hill, Colchester. For accounting purposes the historical cost of this property is unknown and was valued in August 2011 for insurance purposes at £640,000.
5(b) Investments
Our investments comprise the Sears Fund, which is a trust in two parts. £400 is invested for growth, with interest available to use if needed, and £400 is invested with the interest to be used for the poor and needy of the parish, at the Vicar's discretion.
The fund is held in the Church of England Investment Fund Income Shares
| Value at 1st January 2023 Additions Revaluation Disposals Value at 31st December 2023 |
£ 4,844 - 570 - |
|---|---|
| 5,413 |
Page 6 of 7
6 Debtors
| Debtors | ||
|---|---|---|
| Gift aid recoverable CCLA Deposit account interest Hall hire December Creditors due within 1 year Energy usage December Sears Fund income distribution Chelmsford DBF - December pension Organist fees October - December Colchester Archaelogical Trust |
2023 £ 769 865 210 1,845 2023 £ 865 37 303 160 - 1,365 |
2022 £ 897 - - |
| 897 | ||
| 2022 £ 899 - - - 120 |
||
| 1,019 |
7 Creditors due within 1 year
8 Creditors due more than 1 year
| Redevelopment fund loan - due 2033 (interest-free) |
2023 £ 20,000 20,000 |
2022 £ - |
|---|---|---|
| - |
9 Funds
| Unrestricted funds General Designated funds Bells (new in 2023) Hall Restricted funds Fabric Guest House (closed in 2023) Ministry Support (new in 2023) Redevelopment Reserve Endowment funds Sears Total Funds |
Balance B/F £ 674,239 - (9,910) 4,538 4,549 - 116,055 4,058 4,844 798,371 |
Income Expenditure £ £ 79,956 90,899 1,183 - 12,612 9,257 1,220 - 88 4,637 32,921 5,457 130,134 252,908 72 - - - 258,186 363,157 |
Transfers Gain on Investments £ £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 570 - 570 |
Balance C/F £ 663,296 1,183 (6,555) 5,758 0 27,465 (6,719) 4,130 5,413 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 693,970 |
Page 7 of 7
The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St Peter, Colchester
Independent examiner’s report on the accounts to the Trustees of The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St Peter Colchester (“the charity”) for the year ending 31 December 2023
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity’s Trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).
I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act. In carrying out my examination I have followed all applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act.
Independent examiner’s statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe:
-
accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act; or
-
the accounts do not accord with those records; or
-
the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Signed Date: 21 March 2024 Name: Jason Foxwell
Relevant professional qualification(s) or body
Chartered Certified Accountant
Fellow of the Association of Charity Independent Examiners
Address 39 Enfield Road Poole BH15 3LJ