## ST. MARY’S CHURCH ## ANNUAL PARISH REPORT 2021 **St. Mary’s PCC, Wivenhoe Registered Charity Number 1165660** ## **Registered Charity Number 1165660** **The Annual Parochial Church meeting will take place on Sunday 15th May 2022 at 12 noon in church** ## **AGENDA** **1. Apologies for absence** **2. Minutes of the meeting held on 22[nd] May 2021** **3. Election of members to the Parochial Church Council** **4. Election of Churchwardens** **5. The Annual Report** **6. Report on the changes to the Roll since the last annual Parochial Church** - **Council meeting and the numbers entered on the Roll.** **7. Annual Report on the fabric and goods and ornaments of the church** **8. A report of the proceedings of the deanery synod** **9. Acceptance of the accounts** **10. Appointment of an Independent Examiner** **11. Any Other Business** 1 ## **Index to Contents** |**Index to Contents**|**Index to Contents**|**Index to Contents**|**Index to Contents**||||| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |Minutes of the Annual Parochial Church Meeting,||||22ndMay 2021||.|Page 3| |Deanery Synod Report|.|.|.|.|.|.|Page 4| |Electoral Roll Officers Report .||.|.|.|.|.|Page 6| |Fabric Report .
.|.|.|.|.|.|.|Page 6| |Health & Safety Report|.|.|.|.|.|.|Page 7| |Rectors Report .
.|.|.|.|.|.|.|Page 7| |Safeguarding Report . .|.|.|.|.|.|.|Page 10| |Secretary to PCC Report|.|.|.|.|.|.|Page 10| |Communications Report|.|.|.|.|.|.|Page 11| |Treasurers’ Report and Annual Accounts|||.|.|.|.|Page 12| |All Together Worship .|.|.|.|.|.|.|Page 23| |Bellringers Report
.|.|.|.|.|.|.|Page 23| |Bible Study Report
.|.|.|.|.|.|.|Page 24| |Catering Report
.|.|.|.|.|.|.|Page 24| |Cleaning Team Report|.|.|.|.|.|.|Page 24| |Churches Together Report|.|.|.|.|.|.|Page 24| |Flower Report .
.|.|.|.|.|.|.|Page 25| |Friendly Club .
.|.|.|.|.|.|.|Page 25| |Friends of St Mary’s Report|.|.|.|.|.|.|Page 25| |Fundraising Report
.|.|.|.|.|.|.|Page 26| |Lectio Divina Report .|.|.|.|.|.|.|Page 26| |Music at St Marys Report|.|.|.|.|.|.|Page 26| |Pastoral Care Report .|.|.|.|.|.|.|Page 27| |Spirituality Steering Group Report||.|.|.|.|.|Page 28| |St Mary’s Link with Uganda|.|.|.|.|.|.|Page 28| |St Mary’s Music Society|.|.|.|.|.|.|Page 29| |Sunday Club Report .|.|.|.|.|.|.|Page 29| |Stained Glass Window Report||.|.|.|.|.|Page 30| |Transformation Appeal Report||.|.|.|.|.|Page 30| |Wivenhoe Baby & Toddler Group Report|||.|.|.|.|Page 31| |Worship Group Report|.|.|.|.|.|.|Page 32| 2 ## **St. Mary the Virgin, Wivenhoe Minutes of the Annual Parochial Church Meeting Via zoom on Saturday 22[nd] May 2021 at 10.30 a.m.** The Meeting opened at 10.30 a.m. Erwin gave a short address about the difficulties during 2020. On 1 March 2020 two weeks before lockdown we didn’t realise what would hit us: 84 people attended church that Sunday of which 10 children – it was All Together Sunday – and all seemed fine. Two weeks later the church doors closed. From June until the end of December there were sessions for private prayer and communion under Covid restrictions. Erwin stated that we now have to look to the future and build the church congregation. Although there were opportunities to have services within the church at some points during the year there was an overriding concern about safety during the pandemic. The decision was taken to close the church to protect others and to comply with the government guidance. The church has however been visible online with virtual services on Sunday mornings and for Mid-Week reflection on Wednesdays. Erwin thanked Marika Footring who has worked tirelessly to provide the online services for over a year and her generosity of time has been exceptional. During the past twelve months some have stepped into roles and others decided to step back and Erwin understood their reasons for doing so but those stepping down hopefully will reconsider that decision and return. It has not always been doom and gloom; the new virtual way of communicating has made us consider other options for the future. The building of the annexe and the reordering of the nave has proceeded during lockdown and is nearly finished. Revd. Dr. Sara Batts-Neale and Revd. Dr. Elisabeth Ring have joined the ministry team during the year. Erwin read the prayer of renewal of the covenant before asking PCC Vice Chair Peter Terry to conduct the meeting. **1. Apologies for absence:** Greg Butler and Revd. Dr. E. Ring ## **2. Minutes of the meeting held on 17[th] October 2020** Graeme Martin proposed, Margaret Bigwood seconded and the meeting agreed that the minutes of the meeting held on 17[th] October 2020 were a true record. ## **3. Election of members to the Parochial Church Council** Erwin thanked Deirdre Gill, Angelique Basson and Eleanor Newman for their time and commitment as members of the PCC. The following candidates were put forward for election to the PCC – - Graham Wadley was proposed by John Williams and seconded by Maureen Reynolds this was approved unanimously. - Suzanne Jones was proposed by Ann Hanagan and seconded by Barry Smith this was approved unanimously. - Under the Church Representation Rules Section M15(1h) it was proposed by Peter Terry and seconded by Bonnie Hill that Reader Glyn Stanway be appointed to the PCC and this was approved unanimously. ## **4. Election of Churchwardens** Peter thanked Margaret Bigwood and Douglas McCormick for their work during the year. Both Douglas and Margaret were prepared to continue. Margaret Ann Bigwood was proposed by Sandra Osborne and seconded by Katy Osborne and this was approved unanimously. Douglas McCormick was proposed Peter Terry and seconded by Rick Cawley and this was approved unanimously. ## **5. The Annual Report** Erwin reviewed the annual report, highlighting and thanking people for their contribution to the life and work of the parish. He mentioned each of the groups many of whom were still reporting into the PCC regularly on their activities during lockdown. Erwin thanked the Churchwardens and the Standing Committee members for their commitment during the past year. Groups had continued to meet either outside when permitted, using email or via zoom. The Transformation Project had involved many different groups during the year, all working 3 towards the same aim - the completion of the annexe and reordering of the nave. Despite the cancellation of events last year many of the groups were already planning activities in the autumn of 2021. As he went through the report Erwin specifically thanked all the team leaders for their leadership and their time given during 2020. Peter Terry thanked Erwin for his ministry in Wivenhoe during a very difficult year. He had maintained contact via various means where he was able to; he had mastered how to deliver online services and through his dedication had ensured that we were able to worship together on a weekly basis. ## **6. Report on the changes to the Roll since the last annual Parochial Church Council meeting and the numbers entered on the Roll.** Peter referred those present to page 6 of the Annual Report. 117 names were on the 2020 electoral roll. Some members of the congregation had sadly passed or moved away. Thanks were given to Vivien Eborn, St. Mary’s Electoral Roll Officer. ## **7. Annual Report on the fabric and goods and ornaments of the church** Peter referred those present to page 6 of the Annual Report. There were no questions. Peter thanked Margaret Bigwood and Douglas McCormick for their report. ## **8. A report of the proceedings of the deanery synod** Peter referred those present to page 5 of the Annual Report. There were no questions. Peter thanked our three Deanery Synod Representatives for their report ## **9. Acceptance of accounts** In presenting St Mary’s accounts for the year ended 31[st] December 2020 for acceptance, Treasurer Bill Eborn asked if there were any questions about the accounts and there were none. The accounts had been prepared in accordance with the Charity Commission and the Church of England requirements. The acceptance of the accounts was proposed by Bill Eborn; this was seconded by Douglas McCormick and unanimously agreed. ## **10. Appointment of Independent Examiner** Peyton Tyler Mears, having agreed to act as Independent Examiners were proposed by Bill Eborn, seconded by Graeme Martin and unanimously agreed that they be appointed for 2021/2022 by the meeting. Peter thanked Bill Eborn and Vivien Eborn for their work during a challenging year. Marika Footring spoke about the fact that Peyton Tyler Mears had been appointed for several years and wondered if fresh eyes should examine the accounts. Bill said that there had been discussion in the press about some companies not pushing organisations to be absolutely accurate. Bill suggested that we didn’t change until after the Appeal had finished on 31[st] December. If there was a change it may result in a higher charge as they would need to read into the accounts which would take time. Marika confirmed that it was a good idea to stay where we were for the examination of the 2021 accounts but consideration should be given to who would be recommended for appointment at the next annual meeting. ## **11. Other matters** There were no other matters. The annual meeting closed at 11.05 a.m. ## **Deanery Synod** ## **The Colchester Deanery Synod** Area Dean, Revd Canon Revd Paul Norrington Assistant Area Dean, Revd Erwin Lammens, Lay Chair, Canon Roger Ennals, Christ Church Talk by Revd. Beverley Vincent, Area Advocate for **Living in Love and Faith.** Beverley’s talk was followed by discussions using the breakout rooms function of Zoom and then a Q&A session. 4 **We have a new Bishop, a new Finance Director, a new CEO and a new Director of Mission** . This is really important as a new team will bring new perspectives and a new sense of listening. It will also bring a new desire to communicate, especially from the parishes upwards. Adrian Jones, was duly elected to serve on the Deanery Standing and Pastoral Committee, (Highwoods and St. Luke’s). **Deanery Vision Plan update** – Revd Canon Paul Norrington, Revd Erwin Lammens and Canon Roger Ennals have met with the Bishop Guli and Archdeacon Ruth looking at the future of our Deanery Vision Plan. Information from this will be shared. Revd. John Chandler has produced a very good **Deanery Financial Strategy** . This details some really important issues that the DSPC is dealing with on behalf of the Deanery. There is a new financial strategy that has been adopted, and the hope is that we can build confidence into the life of the diocese. We have tremendous energy and respect because we have pioneered many things. This will give us confidence and the financial strategy will give us this knowledge. Where things are regarding COVID/ **Post-COVID** – Revd. Canon Paul Norrington praised and congratulated all in the Deanery for doing what we are doing and in particular the vibrancy of ministry that has continued throughout the last year. Revd. John Chandler will be producing a document that will share how well we have done during the last year of the pandemic. That being said there are also some challenges. It is not just simply about paying our share but also raising money to run our churches. The challenge that we face for the rest of this year will go on into 2022 and beyond. There will be a lot of reorganisation and rethinking about how we move forward. Mary Durlacher shared some highlights about **General Synod** , the synod is the third legislative body behind the House of Commons and the House of Lords, so there is a lot of legislation to get through which is important. There is a sense of a turning point with regards to what shape that the church, emerging from the times of the pandemic, is going to be. There is lots of opportunity up for grabs such as transforming effectiveness. Don’t lose heart and please pray for all those involved. **Bibles for Tools With A Mission** (TWAM) – Richard Chadbourn. TWAM renovates tools and sends them to Africa for use. They are now after Bibles to also send. If anybody can help then please contact Richard directly via his email address which is dchadborn@yahoo.co.uk Rev James Gilder, Diocesan Environment Officer gave a talk about the possibility of **Churches coming to Zero Carbon by 2030.** Most Churches where possible are working on their Gardens around their Churches and some have obtained their Bronze and Silver awards. Chelmsford Cathedral has obtained a Gold Award. Every effort even by one person helps. Ideas: Planting only native species, Bug Hotels, Lawn Planting, Plant exchanges, A June picnic for everyone. Service in Church at Harvest. Eco Churches on the rise, some churches buy utilities like Gas/Electric together. Currently the demand is greater than the supply. Monitor what you use first. Get local advice, ask him. Pray. Energy each church uses per Metre Squared. Green suppliers of energy. However it has to be more than just about the gardening, more than how well you insulate your church. Think about your community – get them involved. Be prepared that not everyone will want to be involved. Try to create a Zero plan for 2030, every idea that works makes a difference to your church and your community. Proposed plans for 2022 which may be of interest. June 5th **Pentecost Celebration in Leisure World** (Charter Hall) Colchester 10.30am with Patrick Regan. On the 24[th] September the **Free Family Fun Festival** , 11-4pm. Heather Edwards, Rick Cawley, Nick Gustard 5 ## **Electoral Roll** On 31 December 2021 there were 115 names on St Mary’s Electoral Roll. During the previous year two members moved away, one sadly died and we enrolled one new member of the congregation. Having your name on the Electoral Roll entitles you to attend and vote at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting and to hear about all that has happened in the last year. A list of the names on the Electoral Roll can be found at the back of Church. Vivien Eborn , Electoral Roll Officer ## **Fabric & Transformation Project Report** The Transformation Project was substantially completed in 2021. The new Annexe and transformed Nave are in active use. There remain some snagging items and the wall, railings and gates to East Street are to be completed. None of these are hindering the use of the new facilities. The construction of a path around the Annexe, linking the gable double doors to the Carolin Garden, is being investigated with quotation being sought and subsequent clarification on permissions required from the Diocese. Internally in the Annexe, related to the live streaming project discussed below, a flat screen TV connected to the data network and the connection of the hearing loop to the sound system are all outstanding with measures in hand to undertake these works subject to approval from the Diocese. The stained glass window is complete but not installed and finding a glazier with the correct skills to fit this is a work in progress. We were very delighted to be loaned a model yacht from The Nottage and this adds an interesting feature above the kitchenette. Outside, the flood lights have been replaced with modern LED lights and side panels have been fitted to the lights to reduce glare and light pollution. The entrance to the Tower requires a handrail to be installed. This is in early stages of being investigated. The notice board at the North gate to the Churchyard has been refurbished with new timbers where required. The North roof and North Porch roof were damaged in storms with falling masonry from the tower. The roofs have been repaired and the corner stone from the North West string course replaced as an insurance claim in the period. In the Nave, current projects include the introduction of live streaming equipment and the extension of the fire alarm system from the Annexe, both subject to appropriate outstanding permissions from the Diocese. Redecoration of the Church is in consideration but there is concern over the state of the plaster and the likelihood of significant expense over and above the cost of the redecoration. Agreeing the correct specification for the paint is proving difficult with a number of different paints having been applied in various areas over the years. Permission from the Diocese is in discussion but affordability remains an issue. The Choir Vestry floor is to be repaired, with rotten joists and floor boards to be replaced. This is being investigated and appropriate permissions will be required from the Diocese in due course. The brasses in the Chancel currently pose a trip hazard and solutions to reduce this risk are being investigated. 6 The steps to the Chancel have been repaired as part of the transformation of the Nave and offer an easier going for those with difficulty managing high steps. Much has been achieved in 2021 and thanks are due to the many people who have given of their time and skills for which we are very grateful. There is much more to do in 2022 as we continue to develop opportunity in the heart of the community with good facilities that complement the ongoing ministry of St Mary’s. Douglas McCormick, Churchwarden ## **Health & Safety** James Peters has continued in the Health & Safety Officer role since being appointed in April 2019. All risk assessments and health and safety documentation remain up to date, having last been fully reviewed in August 2021 as the building works were coming to an end. The next review will be in March 2022. Due to new formal advice released by the HSE in November 2021 in respect to organisations which are largely dependent on volunteers, some of the requirements in terms of Health and Safety will no longer apply to St Mary’s. This will lessen the burden in terms of the Health and Safety Management Systems and records which are required to be kept up to date. As part of the review, the below will be rechecked, and non-required sections removed. 1. Health & Safety Management and Premises Audit Report 2. Fire Risk Assessment and Audit Report 3. Health & Safety Policy Statement (adopted by the PCC on 09/09/2019) – **this document will require signing again in April 2022** . 4. Integrated Health and Safety Policy 5. Risk assessments for all areas of activity. There have been no significant issues reported in terms of the health, safety or welfare of any staff, volunteers or visitors to the church premises during the year. Any future issues should be reported directly to the Health & Safety Officer, either in person or by email (details are available in the church or from the Secretary). ## **Rectors Report** _**Re-building the church, community and our confidence**_ ## **A YEAR OF TWO HALVES** ## **January-June: Church closure** 2021 can be divided in two halves: from the beginning of the year until the end of June the church remained closed, first because of the nation’s Covid lockdown, and after Easter because of the works to the floor in the nave. ## **July-December: A fresh start** From July we welcomed our congregation back into church; in the first instance under restrictions but from September the numeric limitation at services was lifted. From then we saw a gradual increase in church attendance until the first weekend in December when the omicron variant took over and caused a steep surge in Covid cases. We were allowed to carry on with services over Christmas but numbers went down again. Since the re-opening of the church for services in June we have welcomed seven new members who regularly attend. Several new young members joined the Sunday Club. ## **STATISTICS** In 2020 it was impossible to keep accurate statistics as attendance was restricted, church closures were required and for long spells we were not able to run weekly services. This year we are able to share figures from mid-June until the end of December. It is clear that attendance hasn’t picked up to the level before Covid but numbers are moving in the right direction. 7 ## **Sunday and Wednesday services** _2021 figures from June (reopening of the church) until the end of December There were no Evensong or Holy Ground services._ ||2011|2012|2013
|2014|2015|2016|2017|2018
|2019|2020|2021| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |8am/9am|10|11|11
|12
|14
|12|10|11
|11||10| |10.30am:
under 16|7|7|7
|6
|6
|5|6|5
|8||6| |10.30 am:
adults|77|79|79
|76
|76
|72|72|62
|67||51| |Evensong|17|16|16
|17
|17
|14|16|12
|11||N/A| |7 past 7|10|11|11
|11
|12
|11|12|8
|8||6| |Taizé|18|12|25|34|28|18|27|26|21||16| |Holy Ground|||||||9|12|12||N/A| ## **Pastoral and initiation services** ||2010|2011|2012|2013|2014|2015|2016|2017|2018|2019|2020|2021| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |Baptisms|15|18|30|20|27|14|21|18|18|9|4|6| |Confirmations|0|4|8|0|6|8|0|6|0|8|0|0| |Weddings|7|12|19|13|6|10|15|8|6|5|3|5| |Renewal of
vows|0|0|0|1|2|2|2|1|1|1|0|0| |Funerals|-|21|20|18|20|20|10|14|6|10|10|8| |Cremation
services|-|8|13|9|8|4|15|10|9|16|17|9| ## **THE TRANSFORMATION PROJECT** While the economy in the country and the entire world suffered, we managed with only a few delays to build the annexe with meeting room, kitchen, toilets, and lobby with levelled entrance and to lay a new floor and introduce flexible, comfortable seating. This was an immense achievement given the crisis. On Sunday 26 September Bishop Roger of Colchester officially opened the premises and blessed the annexe and a newly made altar for use at communion in the annexe. This was one of the highlights of a successful weekend of outreach at our church. ## **HIRING THE CHURCH** From August onwards the church and annexe were available for use by the church and the community. Groups, organisations, families, individuals, charities or commercial organisations have hired the annexe and/or nave for a variety of events. In addition to the voluntary cleaning team, the cleaner for the kitchen and facilities, we appointed a paid caretaker and a voluntary bookings administrator. 8 ## **FAREWELL AND WELCOME** We said farewell to Revd Elisabeth Ring who continues her training in the Parish where she lives with her family. She had received a warm welcome during the year she was with us and left her mark as a compassionate and friendly deacon and priest, loyal colleague and excellent preacher and teacher. Around the time Elisabeth moved on, we welcomed Helena Hughes who had worked as a youth minister in the church of Sweden for three years. It was good to welcome her back among us. Her permission as authorised local preacher was renewed. We enjoy her sermons and Bible Study sessions. ## **LIVING IN LOVE AND FAITH** A course exploring human relationships and sexuality ‘Living in Love and Faith’ has been publicised by the Church of England and churches were encouraged to run the course. At St Mary’s the course was run for two groups by the Revds Dr Sara Batts-Neale and Dr Elisabeth Ring. Participants have been encouraged to take part in a survey in anticipation of the General Synod in the summer of 2022. ## **ZOOM OR IN PERSON MEETINGS** For services in addition to the ones taking place in the church we continued to use YouTube or Facebook. From July services were in person at the church but every Sunday and midweek an online service and reflection has been made available. We hope that by May 2022 we will be able to live stream services from church. In the autumn and winter PCC and other meetings are generally by Zoom. ## **PASTORAL** Because not everyone has been able to return to church we have continued to keep in touch with parishioners by posting Tidings, a monthly letter by the rector, regular phone calls by a phone buddy, online services twice a week and distributing Harvest posies. In collaboration with the churches in the Mission and Ministry Partnership (MMP) social gatherings were organised and lifts offered. People who attended enjoyed meeting after a spell of isolation. Also The Friendly Club is a welcoming initiative for people who have missed the social contact with others. If you are or know of someone who is not on our contact list please do speak to Erwin. ## **CHURCHES TOGETHER AND MMP** We never interrupted the regular contact and strong relationships with other Christian churches in Wivenhoe and our Church of England partners in Greenstead and St John’s Colchester. We have continued to meet and pray together mostly over Zoom. The planning of our cooperation for the near and distant future is in place. ## **AND YOU** St Mary’s is run by more than a hundred volunteers and a leadership team of about a dozen people, lay and ordained. Without these people we would be unable to serve the community in diverse ways. For my report I won’t construct a long list of names of those who build our Parish church in Wivenhoe. We all know who they are. And I hope these people experience how grateful we are to them. The shock of the Covid crisis has caused uncertainty among many and some could no longer contribute to the life of the church. Those who continued to serve in these difficult circumstances took more upon themselves to cover the work that was left undone. As we hope for an end to the pandemic, we also hope for people stepping up by offering to serve. We trust that in 2022 the rebuilding of our church, community and our confidence will continue and that we will be able to organise several events. As an example the Friendly Club was flourishing until their gatherings were suspended at the end of 2021. But there are signs that 9 when activities will resume they will attract even more people. There is a need to rebuild our community and relationships with confidence. Let us achieve this together. We are not people of despair but of hope, not of darkness but of light, not of distrust but of trust in God. _Revd Erwin Lammens_ ## **Safeguarding Report** Much of the year has continued with restrictions around church services and as a result, the role of safeguarding has been less active than in years before the pandemic. Now that the brilliant annexe has been built and as St Mary’s reaches out to the community, appropriate safeguarding will be vital to ensure all involved can enjoy the church activities in a safe environment. St Mary’s has a dedicated safeguarding email address which is monitored by the Safeguarding Officer. There have been no concerns or queries raised through this, and indeed no other complaints or worries to report over this period. It will be important as we look towards the next year that we ensure that DBS checks are up to date for all church officers with direct involvement with children or vulnerable adults, alongside keeping up to date with safeguarding training. The diocese offers online training at a basic level and face to face more advanced training for those in positions where they might be leading groups or have individual responsibilities. El Newman, Safeguarding Officer ## **Secretary to the PCC Report** The PCC is a charity registered with the Charity Commission. The PCC (Powers Measure 1956) states that “the PCC is to co-operate with the Minister in promoting in the Parish the whole Mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical.” The PCC is responsible for the maintenance and repair of the church building of St Mary the Virgin, and for the “movables” in the church. Due to the Covid19 pandemic the Annual Parish Meeting was not held in person on 22[nd] May 2021 but held virtually that day via zoom. Members of the PCC are either ex-officio, co-opted, appointed or elected by the Annual Parochial Church Meeting in accordance with the 2020 Church Representation Rules. The following have served as members of the PCC during 2021 **Incumbent** The Revd. Erwin Lammens Chairman **Licensed Clergy** Revd. Dr. Sara Batts-Neale **Licensed Clergy** Revd. Dr. Elisabeth Ring reassigned Sept. 2021 **Reader** Emeritus Professor Dr. Glyn Stanway **Churchwardens** Margaret Bigwood Douglas McCormick **Treasurer** Bill Eborn **Secretary** Bonnie Hill **Deanery Synod Representatives** Rick Cawley Dr. Nick Gustard Heather Edwards **Elected Members** Peter Terry resigned Sept. 2021 Greg Butler Jane Taylor Eric Jakens Sandra Osborne Jennifer Heaps resigned Oct. 2021 Graeme Martin resigned Sept. 2021 Graham Wadley Sue Jones 10 The PCC members above have worked together to ensure that St Marys Church offered both spiritual and practical support as and where it was possible to do so in what has been another difficult year for everyone. During 2021 the PCC met on seven occasions. Due to the pandemic the PCC only meet in person twice and all other meetings were conducted via zoom. The Standing Committee continued to communicate and met virtually throughout the year. The PCC meeting minutes can be accessed from the St. Mary’s Church website. There have been a number of resignations during the latter half of the year and all have been due to a change in personal circumstances which has led to those decisions being made. The PCC do however go forward with confidence and optimism. Bonnie Hill, PCC Secretary ## **Communication COMMUNICATIONS** The church website [https://stmaryswivenhoe.org] and Facebook page [https://www.facebook.com/St-Marys-Church-Wivenhoe-816444805403094/] remain the primary online platforms to communicate with internet users. Both platforms get good numbers of visitors but the Facebook page attracts the largest number of non-St Mary's viewers. Revd Dr. Sara Batts-Neale is co-editor on the FB page. The church website is hosted by Wordpress; the annual £100 subscription is donated. St Mary's Youtube channel is our third online platform. It is mainly used as a repository for videos that are linked to from the other two platforms, but can be accessed independently at [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeSmLhBMzRU59DBfZ4ZVrKw/videos]. Sara can also co-manage on this platform. Lastly there is St Mary's Twitter account @WivStMarys. Tweets are used to call attention to online services and other events of note that are happening at or in connection with the church. The e-newsletter was discontinued in August 2021. New Microsoft software has been installed on the church computer which means that Powerpoint Presentations can now be run on it. ## **GDPR** St Mary's Privacy Policy has been updated to reflect post-Brexit amendments. It is available online ## **LICENSING** CCLI and OneLicense cover remains in place for the church's music and film use both on site and on line. Marika Footring, Communications Officer ## **TIDINGS 2022** In 2021 our pattern of remote editorial meetings became the norm apart from one or two held at the Rectory in early autumn. We became accustomed to working around Covid restrictions and virtual events, so last-minute amendments became fewer. Fortunately, as restrictions eased, large events such as the opening of the annexe could be celebrated in a big way. Fisher Jones Greenwood became a new advertiser for the year and this will continue in 2022. The four-page content continued, with Erwin’s monthly letter and individual flyers containing any surplus news included in the mailing envelope. We also continued to produce ten, rather than 12, issues per year to enable the rector, editor and designer to take annual leave. There is usually a limited amount of news around Christmas and summer holidays so it seems sensible to take a break at these times. The printing of Tidings still incurs no charge to St Mary’s as the print cost is paid for by the advertising revenue, and the print fulfilled by an online print company. Tidings continued to be mailed out by PCC secretary Bonnie Hill and this will be the distribution system for the foreseeable future. As always, a huge personal thank you also goes to everyone who willingly helps out with photos and contributions, which makes my job as Tidings editor as straightforward as possible, and Tidings a popular publication within St Mary’s and Wivenhoe in general. Sue Clement, Editor 11 ## **Treasurer** ## **REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2021** I am pleased to be able to report that, thanks to everyone’s continuing generosity, our Parish Share and all our bills were paid in full for 2021. The bulk of our regular income comes from monthly standing orders; committed giving envelopes; and loose collections. This is much appreciated. Where applicable we can claim Gift Aid on most of these donations. 2021 has been a trying year for everyone, however, in Wivenhoe, many donors have found ways to continue to support St Mary’s general fund raising which has enabled the Church to continue to function. As the formal Appeal for the Transformation ended on 31 December 2021, it might be of interest to parishioners in the future to know how St Mary’s managed to finance such a huge project especially in the middle of the Corona pandemic. There were two very large legacies, from Ivan Newton and Barbara Patterson; an appeal to the whole of Wivenhoe which brought in donations and monthly standing orders; and many other donations both large and small. As Treasurer these donations must remain confidential but I can assure you that many people have worked very hard to raise money. I retired as Treasurer of St Mary’s at the end of December after six years. Douglas McCormick, having previously been a Church Warden, became St Mary’s Treasurer from 1[st] January 2022. I am very pleased to be handing over to such a safe pair of hands. Once again I should like to record my sincere thanks to Ian Dimmock, of the Diocesan Parish Accounts Service, who takes all our raw data and prepares it for the Diocese and to Vivien who counts and banks all the money and records the Gift Aid for the Inland Revenue. **The full Accounts, which appear on pages** 14 to 22 have been prepared in accordance with the Charity Commission’s Statement of Recommended Practice and have been Independently Examined by Peyton Tyler Mears, Chartered Accountants. Their certificate appears on Page 13. Bill Eborn, Treasurer 12 St Mary's PCC WivcDhoe Independent F.xaminer's Report to the Mem*￿T5 of St Mary'5 PCC Wivenhoe Yrar Ended 31st Dtcember 2021 I retX)rt on (he financial slalcments for th¢ ycJr ended 3 I￿ DecernI￿r 2021. Rc5PCCtivc Rcspon5ibililits of Trnstees and F.xamincr 'I'hc church'5 Iru51ccs aic responsiblc for ihe prcpardiion ofihe financial st3(cincnls.'lTh¢ church's Irusiecs con5id¢r Ihol dn audii is noi rcquired for ihis jear under scclion 144{2} ofihc Charities Aci 2011 (Ihe 2011 Acl) and ihat an indcpcndcnt examinat50ll 15 rt￿￿¢d. l am qualiftcd to undcnakc thc cxaminalion by being a qualified m¢M￿r oIChart¢rcd Asso¢iaiion ofC¢nifJcd Accountsnts. It 15 my rcsponsibiliry to.. cxamine ihc accounls under seciion 145 ofthc 2011 A¢i- to follow thc proccdures laid (k>wn thc ocncrdl Dircthions given by the Chariiy Commission under scciion 14515Xb) of the 2011 Act- and 10 sta￿ whc¢h¢r panicular maiicr5 havc ¢omc ￿ my *iention. Ba515 of Indcpend¢nl F.x4miner's Report Mv examinolion was carried IXEt in a¢¢ordan¢c with thc gcnerdl Direciions given by ihc Charity Comrni5SlOTt. An cxamination includcs a revicw of ihe acco￿￿(]￿0 rccords kcpi by thc charity aTTrd a cumpdrison of ihe accovn prc5cntcd wilh ihosc rLcord5. li also includc5 ¢vnsid¢raiion of anN' unusual 1￿m5 or disclosurcs in ihc accounts. and scckinD cxplanaiions from you as trusic¢s conccrnino anv su¢h mdiiers. lThc procedurc5 undertakLn do noi piovidc all Èbc evidence Ihai would bc rL'qvircd in an audbt and consequcnily no opinion is givLn dy io whether the accounis prcseni a'iruc and fair vicw. and th¢ rew)rt is limi￿d io ihosc maiicr5 Sct oul in Èhe ncxi siaicmci)i. Independent F.xgmintr'$ Stattmcnt In conrhcclion ￿lIh my examtnalion. no material maitcr5 hav¢ come lo rny altcntion which givcs mc rcasonablc causc io bclicv¢ thai in ar2). Ma1￿$al rc5￿1-. the accounting rccords wcre noi kept in accordancc with scction 130 of the 2011 Act, or thc ac¢ollnt5 did noi accord iviih Ihc a¢couniin8 rccords: or Ihc a¢counts did not cornplv with ihc applicable rcquircmcrtts ¢onccniing ihc form and conlcni or accounts set out in the Charitle5 (Accounts and Rcports) Re. laiions 2008 othcr ihan an), rcquiremcni that the accoLErts gsvc a-'(ruc and fair- vTrcw ￿'hIch 1$ noi a maii¢r considcrcd as pari of an indepcndent ¢xaminaiion. I havc cotnc acro55 no oihcr maiicT5 in Conncclion wilh thc cxafflination io which alteniion should bc drawn in Ihis rcpon in ordcr io cnablc a proper undcrstanding ofthc accoun￿ to bc rcachcd. pi'.Y-r()N 'IVI.I--R MI-.ARS Chartcr¢d acruuntani Middleborouljh Ilousc 16 Middlclx)rough Colchc5tcr Es5CX coi io-r 28, February 2022. 13 PAROCHiAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF ST MARYS MVENHOE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTivrfiES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2021 TOTAL FUNDS 2021 TOTAL FUNDS 2020 RÈstrictBd Funds FurKIs Incomirvj reS0￿ceS Volunl&ryiff>¢om& A¢bvibes forgeneff8ting funds Inco￿ frominvtrstments Church activrfies 100.732. 5283.59 45.47 37.C67.18 2.8￿.29 423.99 1,2W.(KI 41.671.46 137.800.08 8,173.88 469.46 15,766.95 162,210.37 276,532.02 2,179.87 2.117.39 14.476.95 120.538.91 7.845.00 288.674.28 Total in¢oming resources R8sour¢es expended Church 3¢tiwO8s 95.(YJ728 524.71 545,452.42 1,055.89 640.549.70 1,580.60 1,464.00 643,594.30 111,018.45 1,270.32 1.380.00 113.668.77 Costs of oen8ts1in9 volunlaryirton Governance Costs Total resources exp¢ndod 1.464.OD 97,085.99 546.508.31 Nat IrtO￿tnglI0utgo1ng> resow¢88 before transfers Gross transf&5 belw funds 23.452_92 1956.051 22.496.87 IW.836.851 956.05 (503,880.801 1481,383.931 175,(￿5.51 ¢481,383.93) 175,(K15.51 Other re￿nIS& gainslbc6s88 Gainsllloss8sJ on inv8stnEnla55ets movement in fvnds 22.496.87 <503.880.801 1481,383.931 175.005.5J funds b￿￿ght at 1 J*uary2021 62,394.55 608.517.02 670.911.57 495.9)6.06 Total fvnds carried ft¥Thwrd at 31 Lkcember 2021 84.891.42 104.63622 189.527.64 670,911.57 14 PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF ST MARYS WIVENHOE BALANCE SHEET AT 31 DECEMBER 2021 Notes 2021 2020 Fixed assets Tangible fixed assets Investments Totsl fixed assets Current assets Investments Debtors Short lemi deposits Transfomialion Appeal deposit account FOSM Current account Transfomiation Appeal ae(xJunt PCC Current account 19,000.00 53,664.85 5.256.56 2.270.00 15.638.29 126.666.90 33,875.00 453,664.85 2,967.98 1,945.00 90,508.05 89,450.69 222.496.60 672,411.57 credi1c￿s.. amounts falling due within one year 32.￿.96 1,500.00 Net current assets 189,527.64 670,911.57 Total ass¢ts less current liabilities 189.527.64 670,911.57 Creditors: amounts falling due aftw one year NET ASSETS 189.527.64 670,911.57 Parish Funds Unrastricted funds 84.891.42 62,394.55 Restricted funds 104.636.22 608,517.02 189.527.64 670,911.57 Approved by the Parochial Church Council on IPCC cha man) and { Chur ed on sts behalf by Revd E Lammens { Churchwardenl The accompanying notes on pages 16 t apart accounts 15 PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF ST w￿￿NHoE NOTES TO THE FINANCL4L STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEA￿ER 2021 1. A¢¢ountlng polfj¢fjes Basi5 of fThncial 5taternents TIE finanoal statemerts haNE been prepared ￿ accordarKe with Church Accountiry ReguL4tions 2006 awordarKe with apph.cabk accounts"rwJ staThJards IFRS1021 arwj the current statetnent of Recorntne￿ed Practice Accounting Repo￿n9 by Charities I SORP 20191 fir%arrial staternents have been prepar￿1 urmler IM5torKxI (xjst statement5 IndLMle all transactions. assets arKI Ik8blities fOr￿*￿th IhÈ PCC ts in bw. ¢Jo inC￿e the acrounts of church groups that their alffl0t￿n to arK>ttEr b(KJy, tIK)se vthKh are I￿o￿nal gatrEriThJs of (*uJrth rnernbefs. Th& Friends of St Marls arKI WNenfK* SL Maws MUS￿ StK*ty ha¥e agreed ￿1th PCC that ttEy Produ￿ separate finaroal statemerts. Fund accowrting Restsicied funds cownwise (al irKx)me from tfttsls or eThJovMents wlx4) is to be eypefKled onty on ihe ￿striCted purposes ITrte￿ed by the doThY Ibl re¥eme dorwtwn orgrants for a specrfK PCC acbvty iiieThled by the doTh)r. Arty babrKe remaiiThJ wnt at ts erKI (rfth8 ￿ar is f2rried foAYwd as a fjaèrte on that fl￿. UnrpsfvFCt8LI fvnds are ino)me f￿ts are tr* be spent Pccs ge￿￿1 PWTMW5. Design8ted fvnds are ger￿ra1 furth set asvje byttE PCC for use futtwe. FuTrJs deswJrtated as invesled in r￿ed assets for ts PCC'S ovm use. abatÈd in 35sets' atYMJal (lep￿laIM)n charges Staternent of FinancK91 AGtNrt*51 SOFA l. DeS￿Jnated fur%ls reffi￿ uNestsried ard the PCC may move any swplLS to otrw ger*ral fL4nds. In¢oming resour¢e$ Planned gmng. ct*leclk￿S aNI sinlar(lorwkn are recogrwd T￿￿Ed. Grarts arby tyaes are accotmted for when PCC ts entitkd to use oftl* ￿$ol￿. ther uth"tnate receipts are c¥)n5wJeTed reasonabty ￿rtain afid the amounts due are Te￿ab￿ quantifiab￿. DwKleThls are acco￿ted for then dedaral re￿l￿db￿, iterest as then accrued by the payer. Al incomirKJ iesouw are a¢￿unte£l for gross. Resources expended Grant5 and dona1xy￿ ar8 aCUxm￿ for paNI over. Or￿+th avorded. rf thal award wte5 a bitvjiry or cor￿tructive obloatN)n on tre PCC. The D￿￿eSan Par￿h Share ewed to be paKI o%*r is a¢¢ounted for l ot￿r eyndrture is ger￿rdlY recogwwl WYA￿ell and is aco)unted for gross Fixed Consecrated arK5 benetsl property ofary i8 trcm Ihe acwunts by s.1012lla} arKI Icl ofthe CharIt￿S Act2011. 16 PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF ST m￿ArS YaVENHt NOTES TO THE FINANCLAL STATEMENTS I￿n￿￿￿ed) FOR THE YENR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2021 2 Inttoming resowtes TOTAL FUNDS 2021 TOTAL FUNDS 2020 FurKI% Funds Volunt8ryinct¥rE gvi 43.432.50 17.502.89 480.(WJ 11.285.(M) 1,020.57 54.717.50 18.523.46 480.00 83.044.72 37,632.58 80.00 3.047.44 3.047.44 1,791.91 Grft days Grants 3.909.63 20.836.21 15.77 37,C67.18 3.909.63 51.106.28 6,015.77 137.800.08 9.864.86 26.273.50 117.844.45 276.532.02 30270.07 6.000.00 1￿.732.￿> b Actiwties forgerjerating fijnds Parysh Magazine (atfvertising) Septetnber& Dec￿￿ trwkets Fundreising 600.00 3.884.58 3,689.30 8,173.88 240. 3.884.58 799.01 5283.59 2,8￿.29 2.8￿.29 1.939.87 2,179.87 c Incon%y from inwsthxnts Dividends on CBF IFJvestwrf Fwjd 8ankand CBF Depti&trU￿IIItt￿$[ 45.47 423.99 469.46 2,117.39 45.47 423.99 2.117.39 Fees fr¢Jm ￿￿ngS andfuTheraL Parish mwJazine Isaesl Church letting5 umThJnty Insuwce CL*n&8 sa￿ of Fi¥ed Assds 9.322. 9,322.00 7,845.00 1.588.15 1.371.80 2.195.QK> 14.476.95 1.588.15 1,371.80 3.485.00 15.766.95 1.290. 1.2￿. 7.845.00 Total incomlThJ res0w￿8 120538.91 41.67f.46 162,210.37 288.674.28 17 PAROCHiAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF ST MARYS WNEP*IOE NOTES TO THE FINANCLAL STATEMENTS leontirn FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2021 3 Resoure•$ oxpon¢Ye TOTAL FLINDS 2021 TOTAL FUNDS 2020 Fun Funts Church Activiti•s missi￿ary and Charl￿Ae win Overseas." 1.020.Tr) 850.57 1.366.45 1,020.00 850.57 1.366.45 949.66 125.00 1,184.82 H(The Miw( s￿uL¥ charilRs 3.237.02 3.237.02 2.259.48 Ministy cfy81$." Sh Other tninisty costs Church Mainten￿Ce Church wnning ewEY Upkeep of s£vrice5 Oig8n & New e￿riC Ffjar¥) Verg¥rs Transformati Mai(rRepairs. Stru(aur¥ Pansh trainirw Parish magaine ts)sts Assigned fees lo D￿￿eSe Administrabcrt Bank ch 65.279_64 2.281.09 1.825 12 6.730.67 3.187.30 1.607.fy) 2.078.IKI 523 65.279.64 2,281.09 2.181.76 6,730.67 3.187.30 1.717.OD 2.078.00 523.00 $44,985.7B 3.408.60 66.317.16 2.011.09 2.644.33 5.802.23 110.fKI 737.00 420.00 22.276.45 1,533.34 116.00 1.477.47 3.570.00 242.94 489.65 INrte10) 544.985.78 3.40B.60 1575.36 2.492.IX 1.575.36 2,492.00 323.88 91,8FA).26 545.452.42 637.312.6B 108.758.97 b G$neratKvy dvc4unt*ryinCfflJ8 Fundrasing (x)sls 524.71 524.71 1.055.89 1.055.89 1,580.60 1.560.60 1.270.32 1.270.32 ¢ Go¥eman¢8 cosrs Inc. Indwdent Ex7Triners rgrnunua 1.464.iKI 1.4￿00 1,380.00 1.464.IK> 1.464.00 1.380.00 Totsl resow¢es 8xwrKltsd 97.e85.99 546.508.31 643,594.30 113.668.77 18 PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF ST MARYS WNENHOE NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2021 4a Staff ¢o$t$ The e>penses paKI lo clergy may include a small immaterial prowrtsm relab.ng lo their functK>n as PCC members. During the year the PCC employed cKganLsts an(1 vergers IncludK￿ 2 PCC members. Payments lo PCC npmbers No payments or eypenses were paKJ to any PCC wnembers(other than noted n al above ) or persons Glosely ¢onne¢ted to them. or other related part￿S except for the reimbursement of approved e4>enses.. 5 Tangible fixed assets {all unrestricted Churth eqLEipment TOTPL A¢tualldeemed Cost Al 1 J8nuary 2021 Disposals Add￿On$ Rev21uatM)n At 31 December 2021 Depreciatlon At 1 January 2021 Withdrawn on disposals ProvKled in the year At 31 De¢ember 2021 Net book amounts At 31 Decern￿r 2021 At 31 December 2021 6 Investments Total CBIFS ABC PI¢ Market value 1 January 2021 Disposals at cafrying value Purchases at cost Nel gains and revaluation Market value 31 De¢ember 2021 19 PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF ST MARYS WIVENHOE NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Ic¢JntirK FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2021 CURRENT ASSETS a Invèstmènt$ Market valLE 1st January 2021 Purchases at ¢ost Gain on revalualw)n Market value 31st December 2021 b Debtors ￿sS than year Tax recoverable Tax recoverable. Tran5formatw)n Pr(4ed Prepayments and accnjed interest Unrestr¢ted Re5tnctwJ 16.500 Total 16,500 2.500 2020 32,375 2.500 16.500 19.000 32,375 LIABILMES Creditors falling dues in ￿$$ than one year AGGruals for utilities aThJ other cost Transfomiation costs Unrestricted Restsided Total 2020 1.500 31.469 31.469 31,469 32,969 1,500 ounts falling aftér more than one year 2021 2020 Other credrtors ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS Unrestrthd Restricted Funds FurKIs E￿lOWment Total Funds FurKIs 2021 Tangible fwl assets Investment fixed assets Current assets Liabilrties Amounts fallirvJ due in ore year Amounts lalliThJ due after orE year (See Note 111 0.00 222,496.60 132,968.961 0.00 o.oo 0.00 189,527.64 86,391.42 136,105.18 {l,5￿.(KIl {31,468.96} 84.891.42 104.636.22 10 TRANSFORMATDN PROJECT The TTartsformat¥M Project Lx)sts ir￿L￿red d￿1r￿j 2021 total £544.985.78 as shown in rK>te 3a. This lolal incl￿eS £31,468.96 aptKoved by PCC but ￿t paKI at year erKI, Thi% swn 15 i￿1￿18￿ li Li8bilit*s l Note 81 20 PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF ST MARYS WIVENHOE NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Icontinuedl FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2021 11 Statement of funds Bal bifmj. Inc￿1& 1 Jan 2021 Ey￿dItUrt Transférs. Bal elfwd. 31 De¢ 2021 Unrestdcted Fund General Fabric Legacies (Designaledl Sunday Club (Designated) 61.650.64 120.￿.91 {96.989.52} 17.756.051 77,411.98 6,500.(K) 6,500.00 300.(K) 979.44 956.051 84.891.42 743.91 32.00 62.394.55 120.538.91 197.085.99 Restrfjcted Fund Bell Carolin Choir Friends of St Ma￿$ Fab￿C General Fabric Lanoley-Bale Fabric Newion Fabric Newton - South Porch Fabri¢ Ashton Flower Cory maint￿anCe Emergency Appeal & Annex Emerg.Appeal & Annex Legacy Transformation Main Transformation Projeci Wivgnhoe St. Mary's Music &x. 11,553.85 10.82 350 (X) 11.914.67 1,235.27 6.113.76 3.322.37 1.797.19 1110.001 1.125.27 7.557.96 3.241.73 0.00 0.00 0.00 10.000.00 1.023.62 2,115.00 1.544.20 276.00 {100.00} 1356.64) 11.797 19} 0.00 0.00 0.00 10,000.(M) 423.62 1.875.IM) 240.00 0.00 0.00 2,461.69 65.597.62 Not8 1 198.45 2,060.35 956_05 104,636.22 570.997_51 1.198.45 608.517 02 37.124.20 (544.985.781 2,116.24 1,055.89 41,671_46 546,508.31 Total funds 670.911.57 162.210.37 643.594.30 0.00 189,527.64 Note 1 Transfomztion Prtsj￿ Ful￿ as at 31st 2021 LESS Grfl rewveable during 2022 65.597.62 12,500.001 63.097.62 21 PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF ST MARYS WIVENHOE NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS {continuedl FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2021 12 Comparative Fund Analy515 for 2020 PREWOUS YEAR Statement of Financial Activities TOTAL Unr•StrId￿ Restrlcted FUNDS Funds Funds 2020 TOTAL FUNDS 2019 Incoming Resources Voluntary income Activities for g￿￿aling fv￿s Income fv4MI investments Church activities 82.797.95 193.734.07 276.532.02 123,017.72 972.37 1,207.50 2,179.87 13.978.26 28.07 2.089.32 2,117.39 2,499.37 7.845.00 7,845.00 12.tK)7.10 Total incoming resources 91.643.39 197.030.89 288,674.28 151,502.45 Resour¢¢$ expended Church activEties Costs of generating votuntary irKx>me Governar￿8 costs 86,3(K).66 8596 1.380.(K 24,717.79 111,018.45 141.835_14 1.184.36 1,270.32 2.398.21 1.380.IKI 1,320. 87.766.62 25.902.15 113,668.77 145,553.35 Not incominWoutgoing resources belore trans 3.876.77 171.128.74 175.005.51 5.949.10 Gross transfers belween fvThYs 1670_00) 670.00 0.00 3.206.TI 171.798.74 175,IJ05.51 5,949.10 Other recognised gainsllosses Gainsjllossesl on inv65tment assets Net movement in funds 3.206.77 171.798_74 175.005.51 5.949.10 Total funds brought forward at l January 2020 59,187.78 436718.28 495906.06 489956.96 Total fvnd5 carried fornTard at 31 De￿rnber 2020 62.394.55 608.517.02 670,911.57 495,906.06 ## **All Together Worship** This report are fairly short as the church was closed until the end of June due to the Lockdown. This was until Easter and then there were works going on until the end of June. The core team consists of Teresa Warren, Rev. Erwin Lammens, Sue Jones and Hannah Cole. Other ministers help out if it is their turn on the day of the All Together service, such as John and Janet Driver, Glyn Stanway and Helena Hughes. Ordinarily we have shared out tasks, leading talks and demonstrations. We usually receive great comments and support/encouragement from the congregation. We still hope for larger numbers of attendees. Due to the pandemic and the restrictions and closures of the church we only managed to carry out 3 All Together worships. They were on the first Sundays in the month in October, November and December. The themes were- **October-** Harvest **November-** The story of Jonah **December-** Make way for the coming of the Lord. Unfortunately, no further services took place. We hope that we can start them again in our previous more interactive ways soon in 2022. We will continue to work on trying to make these services as enjoyable, and as inclusive as possible. ## **Bellringers Report** The early part of the year in some respects was a continuation of the previous year, owing to the constraints imposed by the Covid pandemic, with the bells having to remain silent and the ringers keeping in touch with Zoom meetings. However we were determined that as soon as we could legitimately ring, then the bells of Wivenhoe would sound out again. During the period of "silence" we were specifically requested to toll the tenor to mark the death of Prince Philip in April 2021, on two occasions, the first a few days after his death we tolled the bell 99 times, and again on the day of his funeral, the tenor was rung muffled. Restrictions were eased sufficiently for us to start ringing in mid June and we were delighted that we were able to ring for the first wedding held at St Mary's the same month. The feedback we received from members of the community was that they had missed hearing the bells almost as much as we had missed not being able to ring them. Since June we have continued ringing for Sunday service, and of course held our Wednesday practise evenings. In September we took part in the North East District Essex Association of Change Ringers Call Change Striking competition, held at Great Bromley church and we were jubilant to win the competition and were presented with the Dickie Furminger Trophy for our efforts. The church tower celebrated its 500th Birthday in October so we rang a quarter peal to mark this occasion, and of course, had to have fizz and birthday cake too! On a happier note, the Queen's Platinum Jubilee will be marked on several occasions. We have already been requested by Wivenhoe Town Council to ring on Thursday 2 June at the time the beacon is lit in the evening. Wivenhoe has been extremely fortunate as no-one from our team of ringers has decided not to come back to ringing. Many other towers have lost ringers and are not able to ring regularly without assistance from other towers. We have been fortunate to have had three learners come up the tower and all are now progressing well. We were also joined by Tim, an experienced ringer. We will have to say a sad goodbye to two ringers, Fred and Simon, who are moving to the USA in April this year. The bells are still maintained in good condition and are checked regularly for wear and tear. At the moment there is no cause for concern for any significant maintenance costs. Adrienne Wood, Tower Captain 23 ## **Bible Study Report** September - December 2021 The Bible Study Group reconvened in September 2021 and we were fortunate enough to be able to use the new Annexe. This proved to be a warm and inviting place to meet. We met fortnightly on Mondays at 7pm for coffee and biscuits and started the study time at 7.30pm. We aimed to finish and clear away by 9pm. We usually numbered 10 people in the group. We met five times in the autumn term and our study was centred on the Gospel according to Mark. The overall themes for the study were 'Who is Jesus?" and "What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus?” The last session was taken up with discussion of what we had learned and our response, as Christians in Wivenhoe, to the basic ideals of discipleship as explained by Jesus in Mark chapter 3: spirituality, hospitality, evangelism and acting with confidence and authority. Helena Hughes The Tuesday Bible Study Group led by Dr. Glyn Stanway did not meet during 2021. ## **Catering Report** Catering is slowly returning to St Mary’s. Our first event in September 2021 was the celebration weekend. The new kitchen was used and although small we were able to have three people working in there together. Many cakes were made and sold. Filled rolls served with/without a packet of crisps proved popular at lunchtime Unfortunately due to personal circumstances and high cases of Covid I had to cancel a soup event planned for November. The next event is the quiz where homemade cakes will be served during the break. I am very grateful to all my helpers who are always willing to help. Cakes not only have to be baked but set up and served and of course there is always a mountain of washing up to be done! Mary Jakens ## **Cleaning Team Report** Cleaning at St Mary’s was disrupted not only by Covid but also by the Transformation project. The cleaning team were able to resume their duties at the beginning of August 2021. A caretaker was also appointed and a new Henry vacuum cleaner was purchased. We still have Judy who does a sterling job looking after the kitchen and toilet areas. As always I am very grateful to our caretaker Linda, Judy, and the volunteers who all help to keep our Church clean and tidy. In January I handed over the coordinator role to Sandra Osborne. Mary Jakens ## **Churches Together Report** Another fragmented year but the Walk of Witness went ahead on Good Friday, with no service afterwards. A collection for Christian Aid was held outside the Co-op. Meetings were held in September and October to organise the end of year events. A new Christmas card had been designed and the Scouts and Guides were asked to deliver, which they did. A short meeting in November got the last details organised, and Carols on the Quay went ahead and had over 200 people turn up and raised £450.00 Our churches had resumed some services from September so things are looking up. A meeting in January decided that there would be no Lent course but we shall try showing a film prior to Good Friday. The Walk of Witness and a service should be held on Good Friday. Rick Cawley 24 ## **Flower Report** Due to the pandemic and the reordering of the nave the church did not open for services until the end of June. In September Carol Mitchell kindly took over the leadership of the flower team and during the remainder of the year they have provided a profusion of flowers appropriate for every occasion. This was especially evident at the Blessing of the reordered nave and new annexe on the 25[th] September by the Bishop of Colchester. Autumn, winter and Christmas arrangements followed. Thank you to Carol and her team for using their considerable talents in bringing nature inside our church for us all to enjoy. ## **Friendly Club** The Friendly Club & Café was launched in August 2021 by the Wivenhoe Dementia Support Group in partnership with St Mary’s Church. The Club has been regularly getting over 50 people to its sessions on a Thursday afternoon. We always succeed in having something going on there, particularly music, to make sure the session is fun. We have a big team of volunteers who provide unlimited cups of tea or coffee, as well as biscuits, and whose role is to make sure everyone is made welcome and gets chatting to someone. Alison has established a knitting table for people who want to knit, and chat, which has been proving popular. And George, the black Labrador, a petting dog, brings his owner, Janice down too; he enjoys being made a fuss of. We have had many visiting people to entertain us as The Hoolies who sing sea shanties - Angela Dennis who has led a couple of Singing for the Brain sessions - Sarah McCaskey who gave us a Tibetan afternoon with singing and playing a harmonium and a seated relaxation session - the Time Travellers came along twice now to get us up and dancing; there was twisting, jiving, cha cha cha and much more. Joe from the Wivenhoe Microgym has been a couple of times to get everyone to do chair-based exercises, and will now come every month by popular demand. We did temporarily suspend meetings over Christmas and in January because of the spread of Omicron variant but, given the fall in cases, we agreed we would restart our weekly sessions from 3[rd] February. Also, we can now offer people living in Wivenhoe a lift to and from the Club with Wivenhoe’s Community mini-bus, with thanks to Morag Willis and Ann Hanagan. Sessions are every Thursday and are held in St Mary’s Church from 2.30pm to 4.30pm. Everybody is welcome. Just £2 at the door for unlimited tea and coffee (and biscuits). Half of this £2 goes to St Mary’s Church. This has meant that in the period from August to 31[st] December St Mary’s Church received £454.65 as their share of the takings. Peter Hill, Chairman, Wivenhoe Dementia Support Group ## **Friends of St Mary’s Report** Faced with closure in the Summer of 2021 due to the lack of a Chair and a Secretary, Vivien and Bill Eborn offered to fill these roles. We were able to hold an AGM in the Annexe on Saturday 9[th] October where Vivien was elected Chair and Bill Secretary. The Committee Members remained unchanged. We were able to have a stall at the Town Fayre on the KGV playing field, St Mary’s Celebration Market and the Christmas Market. FOSM goods sold well and our thanks to Wyvern Stores and the Book Shop for also selling these. Our hope is to continue to raise money to maintain the fabric of St Mary’s Church. Vivien Eborn, Chair. 25 ## **Fundraising Report** The opportunities to fundraise during 2021 were extremely limited due to the pandemic and at the beginning of the year there were only a few people on the fundraising team itself. Having no team leader was a difficulty as Tricia Bray had stepped down – thank you Tricia for the time and effort that you devoted to the team during your tenure. As the completion of the reordering of the nave and building the annexe approached the team could no longer be inactive and I volunteered to take on the additional role until the end of July 2022. Erwin wished to celebrate the completion of the Transformation Project and it was decided that on the 25[th] September a community event be organised in the form of a market with stalls in aid of the church, plus local organisations and businesses. The uptake for stalls was amazing and the attendance on the day was heart warming as opportunities to come together as a community had been very rare for some eighteen months. St Mary’s raised approximately £2,500 which was a great total. We then moved on to the December Market and used our experience from the September event to lay out the inside and outside stalls together with the annexe which transformed into Santa’s Grotto which was incredibly popular with extensive queues of small people wishing to visit. The event raised approximately £1350. Finally, a word of thanks to the fundraising team members for their loyalty, optimism and support and without whom things would not have happened. I really appreciate all those who helped with a stall, catering or in another capacity – the church family came together, worked together and delivered two events which we can all be proud of – you were brilliant. As we move into 2022 events are in the diary but a new team leader and additional team members are needed in order to continue organising events during 2022 and beyond. If you know of anyone interested please do ask them to get in touch. Bonnie Hill ## **Lectio Divina Report** Lectio Divina meets on the last Wednesday in the month at my home at 7.30pm (after midweek reflection). It is a small group with Erwin attending occasionally. A passage of Scripture is chosen each month, in turn, and we meditate upon it, discuss how it is applicable to our lives and then pray for one another and other concerns. During the past year we have met in the garden or in the house depending on Covid restrictions. We communicate regularly: sometimes it's just a wave through the window!! Please let me know if you would like to join us. Ann Evershed ## **Music at St Marys Report** The Covid pandemic has decimated choirs everywhere with singing in churches not permitted from March 2020 until about mid-year 2021. Therefore it was not possible for either the Church Choir or St Mary’s Singers to meet for a very long time. Until mid 2021 members of both groups took part in a Thursday Sing-a-long where they received a selection of music by email with YouTube links which they sing along to at home. Some singing resumed in July with choir members taking part in the Sunday morning services from early September exercising Covid caution with social distancing. The music is limited to 5 hymns only and we have still not resumed the full sung Eucharist service. It is encouraging that some young singers have joined with their parents. A Taize service was held in November with thanks to instrumentalists Hilary Cook and Nina Greenwood. A simplified Civic Service was held in October. Singers rehearsed from September onwards and presented a nice Carol Service mid December accompanied by John Dowden. It had been intended to sing over the Christmas period but caution over the Omicron variant led several singers to withdraw and in the end it was not possible to have a choir for those services. 26 Carols on The Quay took place again with a smaller band and fewer people attending, probably due to the increase of the Omnicom variant at that time. I had to withdraw from conducting the event for medical reasons and thanks to Pam Garland for arranging the music and conducting (from the Tuba) on the night. We have purchased a Yamaha Clavinove digital piano to replace the very old upright piano. This new instrument will be a very valuable asset for services and concerts. There was a much appreciated donation towards the cost of the new piano. Additionally we received a donation of a small Yamaha keyboard which is used by the Friendly Club and is available for use in the Annexe. This has really been a difficult period but hopefully we are now emerging from the Covid related issues. For me personally medical issues have made it difficult particularly with extreme Covid caution and eyesight problems. Graham Wadley, Director of Music ## **Pastoral Care Report** ## _**St Mary’s pastoral team reaching out in a time of restrictions**_ It has been another difficult year to deploy our pastoral ministry in person because of the Covid restrictions. Members of our pastoral team were prevented to visit people at their homes during most of the year but alternative ways to reach out were implemented. The pastoral team kept in touch with those on their contact list by phone. And a separate team of phone buddies that was founded in 2020 during the first lockdown had continued to contact people who were housebound or self-isolating. St Mary’s also invested in reaching out by posting the Parish magazine Tidings to 220 addresses. The rector added a monthly letter for each home. Also other announcements of events were included in the mailing. In this way we kept our church family informed of activities in a time that members were dispersed because of being unable to meet in person. Also those who had an internet connection benefitted from weekly online services and other digital communications. At Harvest the flower team prepared little posies that were brought by members of St Mary’s to 20 homes in Wivenhoe as a token that we were thinking of those who hadn’t been able to join the Festival in church. In partnership with the pastoral teams in Greenstead and at St John’s three social functions were organised at different locations in our MMP: annexe@stmarys (with the help of the catering team), St Anne’s and St John’s church. Lifts were organised and those able to participate enjoyed the refreshments, sing-along, raffle and quiz. These pastoral events will continue in 2022. Elsewhere you will read about the weekly Friendly Club that makes use of the church. In 2020 and 2021 Easter Sunday fell during a lockdown and therefore Erwin was unable to bring Easter communion to those who had to stay in at Easter. He is confident that in 2022 Easter home communions will resume. Also the monthly home communions may be organised again when the worst of the pandemic will be over. A couple of pastoral team members have resigned; so any help with reaching out to members of our community is welcome. Despite health issues pastoral assistant Deirdre Gill remains an inspiration for our pastoral team. We are grateful for her longstanding commitment. Revd Erwin Lammens, on behalf of the pastoral team 27 ## **Spirituality Steering Group Report** This seems a very difficult year on which to report, as the Covid 19 Pandemic and its Lockdown Regulations meant we were unable to meet together as a group. With the church having to remain closed until Easter [except for funerals] because of Covid regulations, then closure being continued until 27th June for the installation of new flooring and chairs, this felt in many ways like a ‘lost’ [empty] time for the congregation, except that a lot was going on behind the scenes: there was a continual on-line presence with regular Sunday services via the website, and as previously mentioned, the builders were able to continue their work on the new Annexe. From the end of June we hosted five weddings and a communion service on Sundays. By September the Annexe and church refurbishment were completed and Bishop Roger was invited to lead the opening celebrations, blessing the renewed church and the new Annexe, giving St Mary’s a whole new beginning as the pandemic began to die down, and we began thinking about a ‘new normal’ in the run up to all the Christmastide events and worship. From the end of September we had a more normal pattern of worship with the introduction of a 9.00 am Communion, a Eucharist with hymns and the 7past 7 meditative reflections, continuing our on-line presence for the main Sunday services together with the 7 - 7 meditations We ended this unprecedented year with people either continuing to follow on-line, or returning to discover a much more spacious church interior, with the new subtle archway lighting and chairs enhancing the ambience that enables them to calm down for prayer: more than one person has echoed this comment: " I feel at peace now, as soon as I sit down in here...”, and there is delight in seeing the space re-arranged appropriately for different forms of worship. The Annexe is also beginning to work really well for a variety of smaller groups, and is becoming an excellent space for the 9am Eucharist, just beginning to gain popularity. Briefly, this report, which began with some dejection, is ending on a note of great hope for the future which should begin to bear fruit during the next year and on into generations to come who find a welcoming spiritual home in St Mary’s. Revd. Janet Driver ## **St Mary’s Link with Uganda** Because of the pandemic there has been little activity in our link with the Christian women of St Andrew’s Church, Namalemba, Uganda. We have sent emails at Easter and Christmas and occasionally through the year, but have had little news. Rachel and Livingstone, through whom we have the link, are currently living in Kenya and are unable to get to Uganda because the border is closed. They would normally channel news to us from time to time, especially about the Christmas parcels of blessings that the women distribute to the needy in the village, and send us photographs. We have continued to raise money for this purpose and at Christmas 2021 £220 was donated through our Christmas charity collection. In addition this year half the proceeds of the sale of Nativity Christmas cards was also sent to Namalemba, making a total of £346.50 We understand that availability of vaccines and PPE are practically non-existent and the plight of the people must be grim. Because of the pandemic we have been unable to send any more baby clothes for the maternity clinic, and in any case because of the restrictions in force here people have not been donating them. Currently we have just two small bags of vests and baby hats. However, we continue to remember Namalemba in the Intercessions in Church and hope for better things in 2022. As this report was being compiled we received this email from Namalemba:- “Our friends in Wivenhoe, we send our greetings from the Christian women of St Andrew’s Church, Namalemba with much hope that you had a merry Christmas and you joined a peaceful new 2022. God has continued to protect us from the adverse effects of the pandemic and we believe He will continue to do so. 28 We apologise the delay to reply. Here things were a bit better since the Churches had just been opened. Thanks be to God that the Christians have embraced the word of God. However we are saddened by the exit of two of our elders who passed during the Covid 19 pandemic. We continue to pray for you and request that you pray for us to go through this experience. Our Rev. John Mugaya was happy when he received a message from you informing us about your status. Send our sincere greetings to our friends in Wivenhoe and now we have a new committee member, Jane as head of Christian Women Fellowship. God bless you. Charles, Jane and Betty” Rosemary Murchie ## **St Mary’s Music Society** We managed two concerts last year in the newly re-furbished church building. We were lucky that the church, with its new wooden floor and free-standing chairs, became ready just as the level of the Covid-19 virus had fallen sufficiently low at that time for many people to become confident about attending events. So, on 3[rd] September 2021 the Church was filled with the rich sounds of sea shanties as well as lots of people. The evening with the Wivenhoe Orchestra with the Clarion Quartet was also a sell-out. The result of these two concerts was a surplus of £1,014.53 which we have given to the Transformation Appeal. We are planning 6 concerts this coming year, which will be our 4[th] year of operation. It will be very good to hold all 6 concerts to suit different tastes in music as in each of the last two years our programme was cut short because of the Covid pandemic. In 2018, when we started, we started in mid-year. Profits from concerts in the future will be given to the St Mary’s Fabric Fund. Peter Hill, Chairman, Wivenhoe St Mary’s Music Society ## **Sunday Club Report** The Sunday club is supported and run by a team of 8 volunteers. Teresa Warren Sue Jones Heather Edwards Cora Dai An Verhofstadt Alison Kent Hannah Cole Fran Bailey Our usual activities and Sunday club sessions continued to be difficult at the beginning of the year. Teresa, Erwin, Sue, Heather and Cora hosted a stall outside church on Easter Saturday and handed out activity bags to children which included a copy of the Easter story and of course chocolate eggs and colouring activities. These were appreciated and we were able to hand out all bags, approximately 30. It was a wonderful moment when we were able to begin Sunday club again in September, and in our beautiful new Annexe. We have welcomed some new children into Sunday club and our numbers each week have definitely increased. We have a core group that tend to come fairly consistently. This is of approximately 10 regular children. At the Celebration event as part of the grand opening weekend on 25[th] September, Sunday club hosted a stall that was a Free Raffle game. It caused lots of interest and happy children taking away a gift. There were some games to play and Fran carried out some face painting. We received approximately £30 of donations which was lovely as we were not charging for anything. 29 For the first time ever Sue Jones led us into delivering our Nativity play from a central position with seats positioned in a circular shape. It felt lovely and open and welcoming. We had a good attendance considering the pandemic situation at Christmas time became quite difficult again. We were very pleased with how it all turned out and after the service we were able to use the annexe for the party games and a proper Christmas lunch/snack party at the tables with festive cloths and decorations. Gift bags were handed out as the children left. There is an email address for Sunday club and this is monitored by Teresa. wivstmaryssundayclub@gmail.com We are really hopeful that we can now continue to build on our Sunday club and maintain our positive start with us using the annexe and hope that more children will join us in 2022. Teresa Warren ## **Stained Glass Window Report** The wonderful stained glass window for the east gable end of the Annexe has moved ahead significantly during the last year following the granting of planning permission and faculty. It now awaits installation during April 2022. We have the window through the great generosity and enthusiasm of James Dodds for the design and the skills of Andy Brooke for the manufacture. During 2021 the manufacture of the 10 stained glass panels was completed by Andy Brooke in his workshop in Dumfries with assistance from Pascale Penfold. This followed a lot of preparatory work by James Dodds producing templates, a full size ‘cartoon’ and a large painting of the window design which Andy used as the basis of his work. In October James gave a very interesting talk about the development of the window design. This was well attended and generated much interest. We produced a Greetings Card of the painting of the window and the sales of the card have assisted the funding for the window. The painting itself was displayed at an exhibition of James’ works at a London art gallery. James kindly donated the proceeds of the sale of this painting towards the cost of the window and we are grateful to the purchasers of the painting. Similarly there have been other generous donations towards the cost of the window. All of the glass panels have been transported from Scotland and are now in the studio of James Dodds. awaiting installation into the Annexe, planned for April 2022 Graham Wadley ## **Transformation Appeal Team Report** When we established a Project Committee late in 2016 to lead an Appeal to raise a likely sum required of £500,000, we all had hopes that church-friendly grant-making trusts including the National Heritage Lottery Fund would be willing to support the Appeal. First though we needed to get the Appeal underway and show local support for it. By early 2018 we had agreed the key messaging for the Appeal and designed 3 key leaflets to describe it, with various other documents and web pages in support. We formally launched the Appeal in May 2018 with a letter and leaflet which we handdelivered to every house in Wivenhoe. We got a lot of favourable publicity as well as many donations, including a £5,000 grant from the Wivenhoe Community Trust to kick-start the Appeal. By the time we were able to pursue grants from trusts which required a fully-costed scheme as part of the application, the Covid-19 pandemic had started and such bodies as the Heritage Lottery Fund had closed their doors to us in order to concentrate their financial support on organisations which were directly helping people adversely affected by the pandemic. St Mary’s Church has been very fortunate to have received two substantial legacies in recent years, one in 2019 from Barbara Patterson and the other a little earlier from Ivan Newton. 30 Other, smaller legacies have been received by St Mary’s and these too have been utilised in finding the necessary money to complete the building work in 2020, taking advantage of the fact that the Church building had been closed for ordinary worship due to the pandemic. However, we were very fortunate to have two successful bids. We were awarded grants of: £7,500 from the All Churches Trust; and, £5,000 from The Beatrice Laing Trust. Friends of St Mary’s had given a generous grant early on; a great many people gave individual donations of varying amounts, and supported sponsored walks as the Rector’s Pilgrimage to Canterbury Cathedral and Terry Vanner’s cycling adventures, or bought a ticket to win a framed picture by renowned local artist Annie Bielecka. Lots of people helped too by paying a sum of money into the Appeal Fund each month by standing order. All of this money added up to enough so that Baker’s of Danbury, the building firm which had won the tender in 2020, could begin work in January 2021. During 2021, people began to gradually see the Annexe take shape until it was eventually finished in early September 2021. The visit by the Bishop of Colchester to a special Service in St Mary’s Church on Sunday 26th September 2021 to bless the new facilities was a perfect way to mark the hard work of so many people in different roles and committees during these last 5 years, including that of raising and finding of £500,000 necessary to turn the overall vision of ‘ _Enabling St Mary's to fulfil a greater role in Wivenhoe’_ into a reality. The Church building, without the fixed pews in the Nave but the Chancel continuing to look as it has for a long time, and the new wooden floor and the lightweight wooden chairs have certainly transformed the building into something which is much more light and airy. The meeting room in the Annexe with its modern kitchen and new entrance lobby from the south side of the Church, featuring two modern toilets, including one for people with disabilities, and leading to an outside courtyard area, all complements the atmosphere of the Nave. A great many people have made lots of favourable comments about what has been achieved. I should like to thank the members of the Transformation Project Appeal team for their help, support and commitment from the outset of our meetings each month from late 2016. They were: Alan Charnock, Carol Connell, Lucy Crocker, Philippa Hawley, Lynne Horner, Ann Jones, Sue Jones, Robert Needham, Graham Wadley, and the Rev Erwin Lammens who attended all of the monthly meetings (until lockdown when they had to cease). Ann Jones took the notes at each of the meetings and Lynne Horner wrote to everyone who sent in a donation. Lucy Crocker created many 3-dimensional images for the Project which were extremely useful in helping people to visualize what the Project was about, as well as the Logo for the Appeal. I feel sure everyone feels huge satisfaction at what has been achieved. Peter Hill, Chairman ## **Wivenhoe Baby & Toddler Group Report** After over a year off for Covid we finally started meeting again in July by holding informal gatherings on the King George playing field. Unfortunately, the weather was not kind to us so we only managed to meet a couple of times. From September we were back to our usual Tuesday mornings in the Scout & Guide Hall. Sadly, for us, a lot of our previous children had now moved on to school, but many new babies and toddlers have joined us, and the group continues to thrive. We still follow the same format each session, with role play, construction, craft, book corner and a designated baby area. Snack time is at 10.40 when the children come together for a healthy snack and drink and the session ends with singing time. Covid put paid to our summer party, but we did hold a Christmas party in the hall. We had a change of format from previous years and had a children’s entertainer come along, who basically ran the whole party. It was a great success! Our leadership team still need more helpers to volunteer especially as at present our Church ladies who do the refreshments for us, feel they are unable to help due to Covid, which we 31 quite understand but this does mean one of our team has to take on this role, leaving us short in the main hall. The group has been very fortunate in receiving donations from both the Wivenhoe News magazine and Councillor Michelle Burrows. This money was used to buy a large gate to use across the main room double door, lidded cups for the adult drinks and various new toys. This gate has increased the security of the hall for the little ones. The group is always on the lookout for new volunteers and continues to welcome new babies and toddlers with their adult. Vanessa Reed ## **Worship Group Report** The Worship Group was dormant for the early part of the year as Covid restrictions prevented the normal worship pattern taking place. As the year progressed the details of restrictions were closely monitored and services gradually opened but with the year end again attracting some hesitancy as the Omicron variant became prevalent. The Group met in March and May by Zoom and managed an in-person meeting in the Annexe in October. Margaret Bigwood left the group at the end of the year, with Helena Hughes joining us again. For the early part of the year we followed the legal requirements and the guidance issued by the Church of England covering the Covid measures. This led to some severe restrictions which coincided with the closure of the church for the building works. The Rector will elaborate on the pattern of worship and on-line services in his report but there were no Sunday services in church from the beginning of the year until 27[th] June. From that date said services were held but socially distanced and with no singing as this was still restricted. At the end of July some hymns were introduced and a relatively normal pattern of worship in church re-commenced but still being Covid cautious. This continued through the autumn and the usual round of services planned including the Civic Service, Memorial Crosses,Taize, Carol Service and the Dedication of the new church facilities in September. The normal Christmas services were planned but by that time there was increased nervousness about the Omicron variant of Covid and, whilst the services were held, attendances were much reduced over the Christmas period. Graham Wadley 32