## **APCM 2025 Rector’s Report 2025**
Just before Christmas, in our sermon series in Luke, we read these words of Jesus…
_“What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds perched in its branches.”_
Luke 13:18&19
That is how the Kingdom of God has always been. From small beginnings… growth. Abraham becomes a nation. A no-name carpenter, from an obscure backwater, now the most famous man who ever lived. From a small band of twelve friends, to billions of disciples worldwide. That is how God works.
I wouldn’t describe Alfold and Loxwood in 2024, as either a mustard seed or a great tree. We are probably somewhere in between. But what has been so encouraging over the past year, is to see some signs of growth. Of God growing his Kingdom here. Growth in depth, as we know the Scriptures better and love Jesus more. Plus a few new faces coming to join our church family.
## **Looking Back**
As we look back at 2024, I could give you some bare numbers/ facts and figures – which is probably what the Charity Commissioners want to read!
- We worshipped God, learned from the Scriptures, and shared at the Lord’s Table 52 Sundays this year.
- We welcomed a total of 842 people through our doors over Christmas.
- We met weekly for Pilgrim Groups, to care for one another, and to go deeper into God’s word.
- We met monthly to pray.
- We ran a load of outreach to our villages, with Little Angels, Women’s and Men’s Breakfasts, Christianity Explored and Door Knocking.
- We managed to break-even for the year, which back in January looked very unlikely.
- And we’ve invested in our children’s work, our website and our admin infrastructure.
- All of which we give glory to God for!
But as we look in finer detail, there are some areas that I’d particularly like to give thanks for:
Firstly, our **children’s work** . At our APCM last year, I set out the PCC’s ambition for the year to become a church for… Every Child. Every Sunday. While there is still lots of work to be done (not least in creating a space to belong for teenagers and youth), I’m immensely grateful for everyone who has rolled up their sleeves and got involved. A total of 22 people now regularly serve on Kid’s Team. Many of whom wouldn’t have thought themselves able at the start of the year. They are doing a fabulous job teaching the Bible to our children and having fun while they do it! Reaching families in our villages is still our number one priority. With the new housing, the number of kids and young people is constantly growing. Could you use your gifts to help?
One of our great flops for the year, were the Summertime Lunches. The plan had been to have free food, games, and Bible teaching each week during August. With the aim of helping parents out with the cost of living during the school holiday. We had no sign-ups (other than folk from church) which I think suggests we were scratching where nobody was itching.
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I was, however, delighted to welcome Loxwood School for their Harvest festival. We’re thankful for warm relations, greatly helped by so many volunteers from church offering to assist with early years reading, chess club etc. The school, alongside our weekly toddler group, are two of the key ways in which we aim to reach young families. Little Angels is great fun, with a regular core of kids and parents from the villages forming a supportive group for play and Bible Stories.
What we desperately need is for someone to spearhead our efforts for Sunday Kid’s Teams, and outreach to young families. That is why I was delighted that the PCC decided to allocate a significant portion of our budget towards appointing a Children’s Pastor. Please, let’s all be praying the right person into the role. And if it might be you… drop me a line!
Secondly, I think we’ve grown in **depth of discipleship** in 2024. Paul in Colossians 2:7 exhorts us to be deeply rooted in Christ, which is what has been happening as we have heard God’s word taught sequentially, week by week. I’ve loved working our way through Luke’s Gospel for the majority of the year, with an adventure off into Nehemiah. It’s been a joy seeing people making connections that they hadn’t seen before and learning a greater trust in and obedience to Jesus.
The Sunday preaching has been well supported by our Pilgrim Groups following the same teaching series. Lots of us have enjoyed going deeper into the passage midweek, and thinking about how God’s Word connects to the boots on the ground reality of our lives. Pilgrim is the primary place for pastoral care within our church, and many of us rely on the smaller group for prayer and all-of-life support. To support the ministry of Pilgrim Groups, I’m also immensely grateful for the re-constituted Pastoral Care Team who exist to offer extra care for those who need it.
In the Summer Term we read together ‘Extraordinary Hospitality (for Ordinary People)’, by Carolyn Lacey. And I want to encourage us not to let the lessons of that book drop. Churches that eat together stay together! And Churches that eat with their neighbours… grow!
Thirdly, we’ve **been on mission** this year. Mission is not something we pay missionaries to do. Nor is it only what happens when we put on an event. Mission is for each of us to do every day, as we hear the words of Jesus, and then speak them.
As a Parish Church, we have been given a spiritual responsibility for every person in and around Alfold and Loxwood. And in 2024 we have sought to use the Parish Magazine to bless ‘our patch’ by keeping everyone informed of local news and letting them know what’s going on at Church. Similarly refreshing our website was a big undertaking, but it now offers an attractive and welcoming ‘front door’ into the church. I’ve also been delighted that we’ve begun to systematically ‘door knock’ the parish. With so many new families coming to A&L, we’ve received a warm reception when visiting the new developments to offer welcome. At the time of writing there is great consternation on local Facebook groups about all the development going on. While valid infrastructure concerns might be beyond our paygrade – how can we play our part in building community to avoid stratified ‘old vs new’ villages? How can we offer the welcome of Jesus to everyone?
Alongside efforts to ‘go & tell’, we’ve also invited people to ‘come & see’. Christmas and Easter remain superb opportunities to share the gospel. A particular highlight was the rammed Christingle Service on Christmas Eve. Our monthly Men’s or Women’s Breakfasts are ever popular, and we continue to pray that we might see people who join us on a Saturday, also come along on Sundays. We also want to give people a regular opportunity to explore faith throughout the year. Hope Explored and Christianity Explored in recent months have given just such an opportunity, to a few, to ask any and every question.
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Finally, I want to take this opportunity to thank the **teams** that have served so faithfully over the previous year.
It was a year in which we said goodbye to Revd. James Hanson, who having finished his curacy, left to pastor the church in Burpham. He has been missed by us all, but the transition to a smaller clergy team has been relatively smooth. We have increased our Parish Administrator, Emily Cross’ hours, and given her greater responsibility, which she has risen to brilliantly. Revd. Richard Allan serves us so well as a part-time curate, with his responsibilities for the Pilgrim Groups and the Prayer Meeting (which if you’ve never been, is often the highlight of my month). And we are delighted that Andy Beattie has been studying towards ordination via the Caleb programme. God willing, we look forward to his ordination and joining the clergy team in September 2025.
Beyond what we might loosely term ‘the staff team’, there are countless others who serve sacrificially across so many areas of church life. I can’t and won’t name them all! But our sung worship is improving week on week thanks to the dedication of our musicians. I also want to extend my thanks to our Church Wardens, who with great wisdom, serve our parish so sacrificially. Ruth Allan has again poured herself into our Safeguarding to ensure that everyone is able to worship God here in safety. Safeguarding is always such a crucial area of church life, but with recent reports highlighting the horrendous damage that has been done to people, and the resignation of the Archbishop of Canterbury, let me encourage us all to re-double our Safeguarding efforts.
I also want to thank our two Treasurers this year, Trevor Martin (to Nov 24) and Steven Board (from Dec 24). Last year, I needed to write that we had made a loss for 2023. I’m delighted to be able to say that we have made a small surplus for 2024. This is in part thanks to our generous giving, and in part due to a close control of costs. As with most charities and business around the country, our expenses are expected to go up again in 2025 owing to inflation and changing National Insurance contributions. Unless we can generate further income to keep pace with costs, we are very likely to incur a deficit in 2025.
Therefore, please could I ask you once again to prayerfully reflect on your regular giving? Perhaps considering adjusting annually for inflation as a minimum. Put simply, regular giving allows us to do the exciting stuff! When we can set a budget, we can make plans to grow and do the things that would be game changers for our church. For example, we can employ a Children’s Pastor with far greater confidence, when we can see where the salary is coming from.
Additionally, have you considered leaving us a gift in your legacy? The benefit of having a new treasurer is having a fresh set of eyes. And Steven has noted how low our legacy giving is, when compared to other charities nationally. Many in our church are drawing a pension. Which means that increasing regular giving is difficult. However, to leave a gift to the church in your will, would enable Alfold and Loxwood to keep sharing the gospel with many generations to come.
But to everyone who has served, in whatever way big or small this year. I want to say thank you.
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## **Looking Forward**
Looking ahead to the coming year, there is a chance to refresh our vision. Through March, April and May 2025, the church has entered a new cycle of the diocesan led, Parish Needs Process. Several members of the PCC will be meeting to think and pray about what God is calling us to be and do, as a church. I hope to share with you some of our workings after the APCM. Having been the Rector here for 21 months, I think I have a good feel for what we are, and what we could be. So now feels like a good time to pray these big prayers and ask these big questions.
That said, what can a new vision do that we have not already been doing? We are still going to be a loving church family. We are still going to have our village focus – reaching our neighbours with the gospel. We are still going to try and grow younger – knowing that it is our job to pass the gospel onto the next generation. We are still going to be prayerful, and gentle, and joyful, putting God’s Word front and centre, and learning from the Bible how to love and follow Jesus. My hope is that the process of getting a new vision down on paper, won’t undo all that we have been. But that it will bring into sharper focus what our priorities and objectives should be for the decade ahead.
Two areas that I already know God has put on my heart, are our children and our growing villages. You may have noticed that, even in the ‘looking back’ portion of this report, I couldn’t resist looking ahead at these points! Here are some big questions to be prayerfully considering:
How can we be a church for ‘Every child. Every Sunday.’? What will A&L look like in 5, 10, 15 years’ time if we don’t bring through the next generation? What can we do to build links with local schools and nurseries? What can we do to pastor teenagers through some of the most formative years of their lives? What can we do for children and young people, to connect them with the life changing good news of Jesus?
What does the future of our villages look like? How do we best welcome so many new folk? How can we be a focal point for community? How do we welcome Christians, who are new to the area, into our church family? How do we best share the gospel with people moving in who don’t yet know Jesus?
Jehoshaphat, in 2 Chronicles 20, was faced with war against both the Moabites and Ammonites, and similarly had lots of questions. But this is what he said to God…
_“We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”_
2 Chronicles 20:12
That is how I’d like us to enter the coming year. With lots of questions, yes. But crucially, with our eyes fixed on God. Trusting him to provide the answers.
With love in Christ, Revd. James Forward
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## **Cranleigh Deanery Synod Report**
Deanery Synod is the level of Church governance above the PCC, and below General and Diocesan Synod. Alfold and Loxwood has six people representing them at Cranleigh Deanery Synod. Along with the Clergy our thanks go to Judy McMath, Sue Burdfield, Ruth Allan and Juliet Beattie for serving in this way.
Deanery Synod met three times this past year, twice for business meetings and once for a social. It can be a useful channel for parish to hear what support and help is available. This year we heard from Alistair Etheridge about the Youth Catalyst Project, with the aim to grow more thriving youth ministries around the Diocese. There is a common commitment between the churches in the deanery to work together and learn from one another wherever we can!
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## **Safeguarding Report for Alfold and Loxwood 2024**
Safeguarding is rooted in our mission and theology. It is everyone’s responsibility as an out working of God’s blessing. As we read in Psalm 46 God is our refuge and strength so the church should be a place of refuge and strength as well. This is especially true for vulnerable adults, widows and orphans, as well as children and young people. Proverbs 31:8 says, “speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.” Our desire is at Alfold and Loxwood that this will be a golden thread within our parish.
In response to the widely published safeguarding failures the National Safeguarding Team of the Church of England modified and further developed five standards. These are now being implemented at parish level. Safeguarding is an item on the agenda at every PCC meeting. We have begun to discuss these standards at PCC to allow us to reaffirm our commitment to safeguarding and for us to understand the quality and, most importantly, the impact of our safeguarding activity.
**1. Culture, Leadership and Capacity** : Church bodies have safe and healthy cultures, effective leadership, resourcing and scrutiny arrangements necessary to deliver highquality safeguarding practices and outcomes.
**2. Prevention** : Church bodies have in place a planned range of measures which together are effective in preventing abuse in their context.
**3. Recognising, Assessing and Managing Risk** : Risk assessments, safety plans and associated processes are of a high quality and result in positive outcomes. The assessment and management of risk is underpinned by effective partnership working.
**4. Victims and Survivors** : Victims and survivors experience the timeliness and quality of Church bodies' responses to disclosures, and their subsequent support, as positively meeting their needs, including their search for justice and helping their healing process.
**5. Learning, Supervision and Support** : All those engaged in safeguarding-related activity in Church bodies receive the type and level of learning, professional development, support and supervision necessary to respond to safeguarding situations, victims and survivors, and respondents, effectively.
Annually, the PCC reviews and adopts the Church of England’s Safeguarding Policy ‘Promoting a Safer Church’ and this, along with the Parish Policy Statement, is displayed in both Churches. These can also be found, and are clearly accessible, in the link on our new church website. I am grateful for the hard work of Katie Forward and Juliet Beattie who have ensured that our safeguarding page is well presented and compliant with national guidance.
This past year we have reached a high level of compliance for those who serve in the parish. Effective training plays an important part in supporting PCC members to discharge their responsibilities. Along with the Safeguarding Basic Awareness and the Foundation modules, the Domestic Abuse Module is available online. These are now mandatory for all PCC Members, Pastoral Care Team and Children’s Volunteers. To comply with the mandatory Safer Recruitment requirements, application forms are now completed, references are submitted, and role descriptions have been agreed by all new volunteers.
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With the increased number of volunteers this past year, I am personally thrilled that Julie Sayers has become a DBS validator having completed her training. She is a much-welcomed addition to our safeguarding team.
All risk management and risk assessment plans have been reviewed over the year and amendments made as necessary.
The parish dashboard and hub continue to evolve and I have found the further training I received to be invaluable. This tool is used to record and monitor our safeguarding activity. This year it has generated reminders for the DBS and training renewal for each volunteer, sent to me by email. The dashboard highlights all matters that need attention, and an action plan is initiated. I am pleased to report that, along with only a small handful of parishes within the diocese, we have achieved 100% for all mandatory requirements and we are currently making significant progress with recommended standards. Much further work is to be done!
Last year I mentioned two published safeguarding reports: the Wilkinson report written by the Sarah Wilkinson KC, and the Jay report. The recommendations from these are still under discussion, led by Bishop Joanne Grenfell, who was appointed as the new safeguarding lead in 2023. Watch this space!
Finally, I wish to thank all members of our church family who have completed many tasks and for those who have supported me in my role as PSO. In addition, I am especially grateful for the support received from the diocesan safeguarding team and our Rector James Forward.
Ruth Allan PSO January 2025
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## **Alfold and Loxwood Pastoral Care Team Report 2024**
A new Pastoral Team was launched this year when Ruth Allan, Mal Simmonds, Sharon Brockway and Sarah Taylor met with Rev James Forward. Every member of the team has now completed the Lay Pastoral Visitors training course provided by the diocese.
We met in early May to agree our new terms of reference and since then we have met every three months with Rev James for support, guidance and supervision.
The Pastoral Care Team seeks primarily to serve Christians who belong to our church family.
The word pastoral comes from the word ‘to shepherd’. We can therefore shepherd the sheep that belong to Jesus. We are guided by John 13 v34-35: “A new command I give you: Love one another as I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Our desire is to love people like Jesus has loved us.
Pastoral care is the work of every Christian, and every member of our church. It should and does indeed happen organically. We very much appreciate the pastoral support shown by all parishioners. Love and care are a mark of our church where many look out for the needs of others. A good number of volunteers in the parish help with providing meals, transport for medical appointments, shopping and collecting prescriptions for those who have been unable to leave their home.
Within the pastoral structures of our church the Pilgrim Group is the primary place for pastoral care. We do not seek to undermine this, but to work alongside Pilgrim Group leaders.
Our aim therefore is to fill the gaps where pastoral care may not be happening organically. There are four areas of work which we focus upon and are as follows:
1. **Keeping in the church family those who are too ill to come to church** . When someone becomes home-bound they do not cease to be a part of our church family. We visit them and arrange home communion when appropriate to ensure that they are spiritually cared for and know that they continue to be loved by the church family.
2. **Offer some level of pastoral care when needed to those who are not in a Pilgrim Group** . Some people may choose not to be in a Pilgrim Group. We seek to offer some level of pastoral care to such people, whilst acknowledging that this might not be as fulsome as the care that can be offered within a Pilgrim Group
3 **. Write greetings cards to the hatches, matches and dispatches** . We keep a list of baptisms, weddings and funerals, and write greetings cards of encouragement and love on anniversaries and at key times of the year. For those who are part of our church, this is an important way of showing our love and ongoing prayer for them. For those who have come for a life event service, but then dropped away from Sunday attendance, this has an evangelistic edge. The aim is for them to know that they are being prayed for, and to encourage them to join us on a Sunday.
4. **To coordinate Meal Trains when Pilgrim Groups are unable to do so** . If someone has a major life event e.g. a birth or bereavement, and it looks like their Pilgrim Group may struggle to organise a run of meals for them, we may step in and arrange this for them.
In all these tasks we wish to uphold several values.
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**We are prayerful** and offer pastoral care in a distinctively Christian way. We are conscious that the tools that God has given us to care for people are prayer, God’s word, God’s family, and practical acts of service. We seek to offer prayer and a bible verse in all our visits when appropriate.
**We are committed to a church culture of Safeguarding** . We have developed a risk assessment so that we fully comply with Safeguarding regulations. All members of the team have the appropriate level of DBS clearance and have completed the required safeguarding training. We commit ourselves to keeping this up to date. And we commit ourselves to passing on all and any concerns that may arise, either to the Parish Safeguarding Officer, the Rector, or the Diocese Safeguarding Team.
**We maintain discretion and confidentiality** . We don’t share people’s news without permission (aside from where a safeguarding concern prevents us from maintaining confidentiality). We ask permission to share news within the Pastoral Care Team, or with the whole church. If in doubt we say less. We acknowledge that gossip is sinful, and we will guard our own hearts and our lips. Our WhatsApp group and email communication follows the same. We continue to make full use of our WhatsApp group so that the team can communicate quickly and confidentially when needs arise.
**We know our limits** . We signpost to outside agencies when we can. We offer pastoral care within what we can reasonably offer. We are a smallish parish church, and so we unapologetically know the limits of what we can offer.
Finally, we wish to make ourselves available. Each member of the pastoral team can be found at services in both Alfold and Loxwood.
The Pastoral Team March 2024
Ruth Allan Sharon Brockway Mal Simmonds Sarah Taylor
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## **Alfold and Loxwood Parishes Building and Fabric Report APCM 2024**
## General
It has been a quiet year thankfully with both buildings only requiring minor repairs and maintenance being carried out.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the people who help out with the church buildings to keep them functional, they work behind the scenes undertaking minor repairs, cleaning etc. and without them we simply would not be able to keep things going.
## St John the Baptist, Loxwood
Only general maintenance has been carried out this year with changes of lightbulbs etc. After a Health and safety report a new lock has been fitted to the bell tower door. In the coming year there is essential electrical work to be carried out.
## St Nicolas, Alfold
Various pew repairs have been carried out which is to be expected on furniture of this age. Various loose bricks in the floor have been repaired and made safe to walk on, this is expected maintenance of a building of this age.
The ceiling in the North porch has been sympathetically repaired or replaced in their various sections, removing years of this than ideal repairs.
We would like to make a special thank you to the Friends of St. Nicolas for funding most, if not all the works at the church.
Steve Hursthouse
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## **Creche**
Creche runs in Loxwood every week alongside the 10am service, born out of our desire to be a church for ‘Every child Every Sunday’ it’s important even the smallest among us have a great time and learn about Jesus. In Alfold it runs alongside the Lionhearts group due to lack of a separate space and often due to numbers these two groups have been combined (from December 2024). However, this has worked well and Lionhearts have enjoyed the company of creche children and vice versa on these occasions.
Spring 2024 saw many new volunteers stepping up to serve at Creche which has been a massive blessing to the parents of small children making it so much easier to get to and stay at church on a Sunday morning. Sarah Taylor, Eleanor Lynn, Sharron Brockway, Tessa Bourne, Lauren Hursthouse and Anny Board all joined the team and now serve once a month each.
Numbers fluctuate with the average at Alfold being 2 and the average at Loxwood often 4-5. On a busy baptism/visitors Sunday we have up to 6-7. The Christmas nativity from Scratch saw lots of visiting under 4’s come several from the Little Angels group which was brilliant!
Mustard seed has been a valuable resource for the Creche team with simple bible truths made accessible to small hearts. We have looked at Psalm 139, the creation story in Genesis, and we have just started the Life of Jesus series culminating in the eater story. Children love the group and the leaders and are getting used to the pattern of different leaders across the month. Some children still find it difficult to leave their parents, so some parents stay for the session as well.
Big thanks go to all our wonderful Creche volunteers!
Katie Forward
## **Lionhearts**
Lionhearts is for our 4-11 year olds and takes place every Sunday morning, during the services, at Loxwood or Alfold church rooms. We have four regular attendees, of varying ages, with occasional guests and visitors. Different teams of two adults are involved, each teaching/supervising roughly one Sunday per month.
We continue to use the TnT/Mustard Seeds set of resources/materials (https://www.mustardseeds.net) which have proved most successful. Mustard Seeds offers an attractive, well produced combination of accurate Bible teaching, crafts, games and activities. Over the past 12 months the children have been taught from series including Luke's First Easter, Mission Unstoppable and Exodus.
The great benefit of Mustard Seeds is not only that the children receive faithful Bible teaching but the adults teaching them also have to study the passage carefully and diligently each week. This means all that they too are growing in their knowledge and application of scripture as they teach the young ones.
Iain Taylor
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## **The Little Angels Parent, Baby and Toddler Group - 2024**
The Little Angels Parent, Baby and Toddler group began in September 2023. It takes place weekly during term time at Loxwood Church from 10.00 to 11.30 a.m. and is organised and run by a dedicated group of church members. As of January 2024 the day has moved from Friday to Thursday and the group has subsequently transferred from the church room to the main church to have more space for the children.
Parents attending are asked to make an optional, maximum donation of £2 per visit. This year, the donations have enabled us to purchase age appropriate instruments and sealable thermal mugs for the parents to avoid spillages. It also pays for children’s snacks and allows money towards some of the craft activities. This year we have also contributed a total of £125 towards the heating of the church.
The attendance has been varied over the year with a maximum of 15 children from 11 families. The average throughout the year is around 8 children from 7 families. The adults attending with the children have included mothers, fathers and grandparents and the age range of the children varies between babes in arms to preschool.
The morning is structured initially to offer time for the children to play, giving the adults the opportunity to chat and consume a beverage of their choice along with homemade cakes. The children are then assembled at the table and, having sanitised their hands, they are offered commercial, age appropriate, snacks.
Next, we have a song and musical instrument time, followed by a biblical story and a craft linked to the theme. We actively encourage all the parents and children to participate.
We have been very fortunate to have parents who are prepared to stay long enough to help us pack up the toys at the end of the session as alternate weeks we have to return the church to formal rows of seating.
Little Angels has received nothing but unsolicited positive comments, referring to the warmth of the welcome we offer, the relative informality, and the enjoyable craft activities.
Heartfelt thanks are owed to all those who are dedicated to ensuring Little Angels is such a success.
Linda Beadle
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## **The Parish Office and Parish Magazine Report 2024**
The account for the year 2024 shows a loss of £3241, due to a donation of £5000 to the PCC in the first quarter of 2024.
Income was down £502 on 2023, due to lower magazine sales and the absence of a grant from Alfold Parish Council, usually £300.
It should be noted that fewer people are subscribing for a monthly magazine and the number of free copies required is increasing due to the increase in new housing in both villages.
In 2025 the advertising rates, which have been static since 2016, will be increased by just over 7%.
Our grateful thanks go to Julie Sayers for her help in preparing the accounts and Jim Jewell for examining them. We are also most grateful to everyone involved in the production and distribution of the magazine and, in particular, John Glover for printing, and Hazel Gravenstede for the overall assembly and distribution.
Alfold & Loxwood Magazine: 2024 Account summary
|**Income**from:
Magazine sales
1368
Advertisements
2931
Parish grants
300
**Expenditure**
Depreciation of new computer
125
Depreciation of Colour Printer
156
Printing & copying supplies
975
Printer contracts
781
Office costs
89
Telephone
668
Computer equipment, toner etc
0
Transfer to PCC
5000
Advertising costs
16
**Overall profit**
Loss
Hugh Beadle|_____
£4599|
|---|---|
||_____
£7840|
||____
£3241|
|||
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## **The Friends of St Nicolas Alfold**
The Friends of St Nicholas Alfold is an independent charity for people who love St Nicholas Alfold, founded in 2005 to assist in the preservation, repair, restoration, maintenance and/or improvement for public benefit of the church building. It raises money through subscriptions and social events in the village of Alfold, and has paid for a number of building related projects for the church that would otherwise have had to be paid for out of church funds.
In the year 2024 it contributed £4446 for the replastering of the ceiling of the North Porch, for which the church expresses its sincere thanks.
Roger Brockway
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**ALFOLD AND LOXWOOD Annual Report and Financial Satements for the year ended 31 December 2024**
## **STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES for the year ended 31 December 2024**
||**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**Endowment**
**funds**|
**2024**||**2023**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|**£**
**£**
**£**
**Income and endowments (Note 2)**
Donations and legacies
115,293
22,991
-
Income from charitable activities
5,578
-
-
Other trading activites
6,910
-
-
Investment income
92
3,469
-
**Total income**
**127,873**
**26,460**
**-**
**Expenditure (Note 3)**
Expenditure on charitable activities
126,085
8,805
-
**Total expenditure**
**126,085**
**8,805**
**-**
**Net income / (expenditure resources)**
**1,788**
**17,655**
**-**
**before unrealised gains / (losses) on investments**
**Gains / (losses) on investments- unrealised**
605
1,293
953
**Net movement in funds**
**2,393**
**18,948**
**953**
**Total funds brought forward**
85,809
56,594
41,639
**Total funds carried forward**
**88,202**
**75,542**
**42,592**|**£**
**£**
**£**
115,293
22,991
-
5,578
-
-
6,910
-
-
92
3,469
-|**£**
138,284
5,578
6,910
3,561||**£**
104,922
12,191
7,116
3,449|
||**127,873**
**26,460**
**-**
126,085
8,805
-|**154,333**
134,890||**127,678**
140,135|
||**126,085**
**8,805**
**-**|**134,890**||**140,135**|
|||**19,443**
2,851||**(12,457)**
10,690|
||**2,393**
**18,948**
**953**
85,809
56,594
41,639|**22,294**
184,042||**(1,767)**
185,809|
||**88,202**
**75,542**
**42,592**|**206,336**||**184,042**|
||||||
## **Represented by the following funds - carried forward:**
|**Unrestricted funds**
**General fund**
**Resticted funds**
Fabric fund - Alfold church
- Loxwood church
Bell fund - Alfold church
Hardship fund
Youth work fund
Garden of Remembrance
Churchyard maintenance
Accumulated income fund
**Total restricted funds**
**Endowment funds**
**Total funds carried forward**|**Unrestricted Restricted Endowment**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**88,202**
**-**
**-**
-
5,017
-
49,880
-
1,359
-
1,866
-
13,750
-
2,500
-
1,170
-
-|
**2024**
**£**
**88,202**
5,017
49,880
1,359
1,866
13,750
2,500
1,170
-||**2023**
**£**
**85,809**
4,418
48,927
1,359
1,890
-
-
-
-|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||**-**
**75,542**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**42,592**|**75,542**
**42,592**||**56,594**
**41,639**|
||**88,202**
**75,542**
**42,592**|**206,336**||**184,042**|
||||||
_The attached notes on pages 3 to 8 form part of these accounts_
1
## **THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ALFOLD AND LOXWOOD Annual Report and Financial Satements for the year ended 31 December 2024**
## **BALANCE SHEET as at 31 December 2024**
|**BALANCE SHEET as at 31 December 2024**||
|---|---|
|**Fixed assets**
Tangible assets (Note 6)
Investments (Note 7)
**Current assets**
Stocks and work in progress
Debtors
Short-term deposits and cash at bank (Note 8)
**Liabilities**
Creditors - amounts falling due within one year
**Net current assets**
**Net assets**- total assets less liabilties
**Represented by the following funds - carried forward:**
**Unrestricted funds**
**General fund**
**Resticted funds**
Fabric fund - Alfold church
- Loxwood church
Bell fund - Alfold church
Hardship fund
Youth work fund
Garden of Remembrance
Churchyard maintenance
**Total restricted funds**
**Endowment funds**- (Note 10)
**Total funds carried forward**|**2024**
**£**
5,425
127,754|
||**133,179**
492
7,061
73,726|
||**81,279**
(8,122)|
||**(8,122)**
**73,157**|
||**206,336**|
|||
||**£**
**88,202**
5,017
49,880
1,359
1,866
13,750
2,500
1,170|
||**75,542**
**42,592**|
||**206,336**|
|||
_The attached notes on pages 3 to 8 form part of these accounts_
2
## **THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ALFOLD AND LOXWOOD Annual Report and Financial Satements for the year ended 31 December 2024**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - 31 DECEMBER 2024**
## 1 Accounting policies
## _Basis of the financial statements_
The financial statements have been prepared under the Church Accounting Regulations 2006 in accordance with applicable accounting standards and the current Statement of Recommended Accounting Practice and Reporting by Charities (SORP2015).
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention except for the valuation of investment assets, which are shown at market value. The financial statements include all transactions, assets and laibilites for which the PCC is responsible for at law.
## _Funds_
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 used as restricted income funds.
Restricted funds represent (a)income from trusts or endowments which may be expended only on those restricted objects provided in the terms of the trust or bequest, and (b) donations or grants received for a specific object or invited by the PCC for a specific object. The funds may only be expended on the specific object for which they were given. Any balance remaining unspent at the year end must be carried forward as a balance in that fund. The PCC does not usually invest separately for each fund.
Unrestricted funds are income funds, which are to be spent on the PCC's general purposes.
## _Incoming resources_
Planned giving, donations and collections are recognised when received. Tax refunds are recognised when the incoming resource to which they relate is received. Grants and legacies are accounted for when the PCC is legally entitled to the amounts due. Dividends are accounted for when receivable, interest is accrued. All other income is recognised when it is receivable. All incoming resources are accounted for gross.
## _Resources expended_
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 due. Amounts received specifically for mission are dealt with as restricted funds. All other expenditure is generally recognised when it is incurred and is accounted for gross.
## _Fixed assets_
Consecrated and benifice property is not included in the accounts in accordance with s10 (2) (a) and (c) of the Charities Act 2011.
Various items of movable furniture are vested in the churchwardens for the use and benefit of the parishoners and cannot be disposed of without a faculty. These assets are regarded as "inalienable" property held on special trust on behalf of the PCC and are not accounted for in these accounts. Expenditure to renew, improve or add to them is written off as an expense in the financial year in which it occurs.
The organ in the Loxwood church has been depreciated on a straight-line basis over 10 years. Printing and electronic equipment is depreciated over 5 years on a straight-line basis.
Investments are valued at market value at the balance sheet date.
3
## **THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ALFOLD AND LOXWOOD Annual Report and Financial Satements for the year ended 31 December 2024**
## **2 Analysis of income**
|**Analysis of income**|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Donations and legacies**
Gift Aid - Planned giving
Gift Aid -Parish giving scheme
Gift Aid - Other giving
Non- Gift Aid - Planned giving
Loose plate collections
Giving through church boixes
Donations
Tax recoverable through Gift Aid
Legacies
Non-recurring grants
Recurring grants
**Total income from donations and legacies**
**Income from charitable activities**
Fees for weddings and funerals
Flower festival
Beer and carols
Auction of promises
Youth activities
Book sales
Church hall letting - objectives
**Total income from charitable activities**
**Other trading activities**
Bazaars and fetes
Church hall lettings
Parish magazine - Advertising income
- Sales
**Total income from other trading activities**
**Investments**
Dividends
Interest from bank / building society
**Total income from investments**
**Total Income**|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**Endowment**
**funds**|
**2024**||**2023**|
||**£**
**£**
**£**
9,224
56,662
9,809
13,000
11,762
3,691
51
3,098
4,446
19,196
3,250
1,000
-
2,295
800|**£**
9,224
56,662
22,809
11,762
3,691
51
7,544
22,446
1,000
2,295
800||**£**
9,258
44,102
10,365
10,360
4,146
39
5,383
15,169
-
5,000
1,100|
||**115,293**
**22,991**
**-**
3,188
-
895
-
-
140
1,355|**138,284**
3,188
-
895
-
-
140
1,355||**104,922**
4491
0
1243
6120
62
0
275|
||**5,578**
**-**
**-**
2,051
560
2,931
1,368|**5,578**
2,051
560
2,931
1,368||**12191**
2105
406
2870
1735|
||**6,910**
**-**
**-**
-
3,469
92|**6,910**
3,469
92||**7116**
3417
32|
||**92**
**3,469**
**-**|**3,561**||**3449**|
||**127,873**
**26,460**
**-**|**154,333**||**127,678**|
||||||
4
## **THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ALFOLD AND LOXWOOD Annual Report and Financial Satements for the year ended 31 December 2024**
|**3 Analysis of expenditure**
**Raising funds**
Cost of fetes and other events
**Total expenditure on raising funds**
**Expenditure on charitable activities**
Giving to missionary societies (note 5)
Hardship fund donations
Home mission
Diocesan parish share
Employment costs - parish staff
Working expenses of incumbent
Working expenses of clergy
Rectory expenses
Curate expenses
Parish training and mission
Insurance
Church office expenses
Youth activities
Organ / piano tuning
Church maintenance - minor repairs
Major works - Alfold (note 4)
- Loxwood
Upkeep of services
Upkeep of Churchyards and Garden of
Remembrance
Utilities
Magazine expenses
Printing stationery and computer
Cost of books sold
Other expenditure
**Total expenditure on charitable activities**
Depreciation
**Total expenditure**|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**Endowment**
**funds**|
**2024**||**2023**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||**£**
**£**
**£**
-|**£**
-||**£**
-|
||**-**
**-**
**-**
6,417
-
23
51
80,653
9,763
11
430
-
-
7,447
1,770
3,483
881
185
293
551
-
4,446
-
593
3,623
1,852
4,191
16
2,086
270
3,331|**-**
6,417
23
51
80,653
9,763
441
-
-
7,447
1,770
3,483
881
185
293
551
4,446
-
593
5,475
4,191
16
2,086
270
3,331||**-**
5,883
-
218
76,114
6,120
75
243
5,081
17,327
660
3,294
829
281
279
3,200
1,405
-
673
3,601
2,210
342
1,809
64
6,237|
||**125,615**
**6,751**
**-**
470
2,054|**132,366**
2,524||**135,945**
4,190|
||**126,085**
**8,805**
**-**|**134,890**||**140,135**|
||||||
5
## **THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ALFOLD AND LOXWOOD Annual Report and Financial Satements for the year ended 31 December 2024**
|**Major works**
Alfold -
Plastering of Porchpaid for by Friends of St Nicholas Church Alfold
(see Donations note 2)
Loxwood -
**Total major works**|**2024**
**£**
4,446
**4,446**
-
**-**
**4,446**|**2023**|
|---|---|---|
|||**£**
1,405|
|||**1,405**
-|
|||**-**|
|||**1,405**|
## **4 Major works**
## **Total major works**
## **5 Missionary giving and donations**
||||
|---|---|---|
|**Missionary giving and donations**
Paul Mansaray Theophany School of the Gambia
Street Angel
Prison Fellowship UK|**2024**
**£**
6,417
-
-
**6,417**|**2023**|
|||**£**
4,633
625
625|
|||**5,883**|
## **6 Tangible fixed assets**
(organ is restricted, all other assets are unrestricted)
|**Cost**
At 1 January 2024
Additions
Disposal
**At 31 December 2024**
Depreciation
At 1 January 2024
Charge for the year
Disposal
**At 31 December 2024**
**Net book value at 31 December 2024**
**Net book value at 31 December 2023**|**Loxwood**
**organ**
**Church**
**equipment**
**Parish**
**office**
**equipment**
**£**
**£**
**£**
17,625
24,092
4,585
780
-
(980)
(980)
**17,625**
**23,112**
**4,385**
17,625
17,171
4,336
2,244
281
(980)
(980)
**17,625**
**18,435**
**3,637**
**-**
**4,677**
**748**
**-**
**6,921**
**249**|**Total**
**£**
46,302|
|---|---|---|
|||**45,122**|
|||39,132|
|||**39,697**|
|||**5,425**|
|||**7,170**|
||||
Church equipment comprises computer equipment, the projector system at Loxwood church, a laptop for the incumbent and chairs in Loxwood church, The PCC owns the Alfold Church Office building for which the Diocese acts as Custodian Trustee. The building was gifted by Edith Cammell in 1929 and has an estimated value of of £200,000 to £250,000.
6
## **THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ALFOLD AND LOXWOOD Annual Report and Financial Satements for the year ended 31 December 2024**
|**7 Investments**- mainly restricted or endowment
**Units**
CBF Church of England investment fund
4,289.73
COIF Charities inverstment fund
1,407.54
Of which the following investments were:
Restricted
Endowment|**2024**
**£**
99,190
28,564
**127,754**
40,035
42,592
**82,627**|**2023**|
|---|---|---|
|||**£**
96,971
27,932|
|||**124,903**|
|||38,742
41,639|
|||**80,381**|
|**8 Short-term deposit, bank current accounts and cash**
**Deposits:**
Bank current accounts
CBF church of England deposit
Bank deposit account
Cash in hand
**Total short-term deposit, bank and cash**
Of which the following deposits and current accounts were:
Restricted
Unrestricted
**Total short-term deposit, bank and cash**
**2024**
**9 Analysis of net assets by fund**
**Unrestricted Restricted Endowment**
**funds**
**funds**
**funds**
**£**
**£**
**£**
Tangible fixed assets
1,317
4,108
-
Investment assets
45,127
40,035
42,592
Current assets
49,148
32,131
-
Current liabilities
(7,390)
(732)
-
**Net assets**
**88,202**
**75,542**
**42,592**|**8 Short-term deposit, bank current accounts and cash**
**Deposits:**
Bank current accounts
CBF church of England deposit
Bank deposit account
Cash in hand
**Total short-term deposit, bank and cash**
Of which the following deposits and current accounts were:
Restricted
Unrestricted
**Total short-term deposit, bank and cash**
**2024**
**9 Analysis of net assets by fund**
**Unrestricted Restricted Endowment**
**funds**
**funds**
**funds**
**£**
**£**
**£**
Tangible fixed assets
1,317
4,108
-
Investment assets
45,127
40,035
42,592
Current assets
49,148
32,131
-
Current liabilities
(7,390)
(732)
-
**Net assets**
**88,202**
**75,542**
**42,592**|**2024**
**£**
42,713
888
30,114
11
**73,726**
28,328
45,398
**73,726**
**Total**
**£**
5,425
127,754
81,279
(8,122)
**206,336**|**2023**|
|---|---|---|---|
||||**£**
54,916
843
111
52|
||||**55,922**|
||||13,822
42,100|
||||**55,922**|
||||**2023**
**£**
7,170
124,903
61,690
(9,721)|
||**Unrestricted Restricted Endowment**
**funds**
**funds**
**funds**
**£**
**£**
**£**
1,317
4,108
-
45,127
40,035
42,592
49,148
32,131
-
(7,390)
(732)
-|**Total**
**£**
5,425
127,754
81,279
(8,122)||
||**88,202**
**75,542**
**42,592**|**206,336**|**184,042**|
|||||
7
## **THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ALFOLD AND LOXWOOD Annual Report and Financial Satements for the year ended 31 December 2024**
## **10 Restricted and endowment funds**
The Fabric funds represent accumulated donations and appeals for fabric maintenance and improvements and can only be spent for that purpose in the respective churches.
The Hardship fund represents donations and appeals during the Covid 19 pandemic given to provide grants for individuals needing financial support.
The Alfold Church Bell fund accumulated donations is restricted for expenditure on the maintenance of the church bells.
Endowment fund investments are held in trust, the income from which is only to be spent on prescribed purposes: CBF Church of England Investment Fund
596 units in a Loxwood Churchyard Trust
435 units in a G Whitmore Gift for beneficial purposes in Loxwood parish 811 units in A Cardale Trust for beneficial purposes in Loxwood parish These investments give rise to the Endowment Trust income which is shown in the Accumulated Income fund.
|**Movement in Endowment and re**
**Restricted funds**
Fabric fund - Alfold church
- Loxwood church
Bell fund - Alfold church
Hardship fund
Church growth fund
Garden of Remembrance
Churchyard maintenance
Accumulated income fund
**Total restricted funds**
**Endowment trusts**
**Total - Restricted & Endowment**
**funds**|**stricted funds**
**Opening**
**balance**
**Incoming**
**resources**
**Resources**
**expended**
**Investment**
**revaluation**
**gains**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
4,418
5,045
(4,446)
48,927
1,715
(2,055)
1,293
1,359
-
-
-
1,890
-
(24)
-
13,750
-
-
2,500
-
-
2,295
(1,125)
-
1,155
(1,155)|**2024**||**2023**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||**£**
**Closing**
**balance**
**£**
5,017
49,880
1,359
1,866
13,750
2,500
1,170
-||**£**
**Closing**
**balance**
**£**
4,418
48,927
1,359
1,890
-
-
-|
||**56,594**
**26,460**
**(8,805)**
**1,293**
**41,639**
**-**
**-**
**953**|**75,542**
**42,592**||**56,594**
**41,638**|
||**98,233**
**26,460**
**(8,805)**
**2,246**|**118,134**||**98,232**|
||||||
The Hardship fund will be used at the Rector's discretion to assist anyone considered to be in need of financial help The Church Growth fund is intended to be used to further growth in the ministry for children and youth-work in the Parish
## **11 Trusts**
The Guildford Diocese holds shares in trust for the use of the residents of Loxwood parish, administered by the Smallpeice Bequest Trust.
8
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF
ALFOLD AND LOXWOOD
Annual Report and Financial Statements
for the year ended 31 Decernber 2024
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT
I rc'purt on ihe dctuunts lor the yi'ar £JndL.d 31 Oect'mbo'r 2024
a) Respective responsibilities of the Trustees and the Examiner
ThL' charily's truslec'5 con51dL)r ihd)t Jn dudil Is nor r£'qkJir?d fi)r this year under sL'itio)n
144121 of the ChdritlC5 Acl 2011 Ithc. 2011 ALI) and thdl an Independenl ex43minJtion Is
Jpprupridtc.
It 15 my responsibil Ity to
1,1> c*aminL' Iho aototJnt5 under sc>ction 145 ol ihe2011 Act."
Ihi follow the procodures laid down In thi. GLinL'fdl Dircctions given
by the Chdrily CommissionL&fs 5L'Clion 1451 J Ilbl ol ihe 20 1 l Acl.
and
IL I StatLi whether particular rnatters have come to rny atieniion
bl Basis of Independent Examiner's Statement
My exdfflindtion wa5 carrictt out In accu¥ddn£e with the General Directions Eiven by the
Charity Comm15510n.
An examination Includes a review ol the accounting records kepi by the charily and a
compafison of the accounis pre5ontod with thoso records It also Includes the con51dpr3iion
of any unusual Items or disclosures In thc accounts and seeking pxplanations IrDrn tho
rnanagemeni comrnittee concerning any Such matlers The procL,d¢Jre5 untt£Jriaken do not
provide all ihe evidence that would be rcouireé In a lull audit. and consequently I do not
express an audii opinion on the accounts.
cl Independent Examiner's Siatement
In connection with my Cxdminalion, no matters havc come lo my atlL&ni ion.
l. Which EIVC me reasonJble caustitobelieve ihat In any material re5PCCt the
ro¢uircmLinis'.
IILI to keep accounring records In accoréance with scction 130 01 Ihe 2011
Act OT
Ibl to prepareaccountswhichaccord withthcse accounting records have
not bconmL)t" or
to which, In my opinion. attention should be drawn In order lo pnable a proper
understanding ol the accounts to be reached
Jim Jewell
Trehennv
Spy Lane
Loxwood
Date: lit / r.