## **Friends of All Saints’ Brixworth TRUSTEE ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31[ST] December 2020** 

Friends of All Saints’ Brixworth is registered with the Charity Commissioners (number 1168452) and is constituted by a Trust Deed dated 28[th] January 1986, amended 7th October 2008. 

The Charities Act 2006 requires specific identification of ‘public benefit’. The Trustees confirm that the objectives and aims, as described below, fall within the following charitable purposes - The ‘advancement of culture and heritage’ and the ‘advancement of religion’. 

The objectives of the charity are currently to maintain, improve, supplement, and keep in repair the fabric, fittings, furniture, and furnishings of the Parish Church of All Saints’ Brixworth and its churchyard and Heritage Centre. The Friends of All Saints’ Brixworth also aim to foster interest in the Parish Church from near and far, not only as a place of worship but also for its significance to the area’s local heritage. 

## **Review of the year and church projects:** 

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions imposed in March the Trustees consider the charity adequately fulfilled their 2020 objectives with respect to church projects which concentrated mainly upon support to church repairs and Heritage Centre maintenance. 

The Board of Trustees continued to meet regularly throughout the year on Zoom, reviewing finances, making decisions on church projects, and planning for when the pandemic came to an end (whenever that would be). 

We had one very successful fundraising event in February before the lockdown began.  A ‘Curry & Quiz’ evening raised just under £1000 towards our funds.  The Church and Heritage Centre closed to visitors and remained so for the rest of the year.  Friends’ Day, the Brixworth Lecture and a Christmas Concert were all cancelled. 

Income from the hire of the Heritage Centre and the sale of publications, two of our most stable and profitable forms of income, came to almost an abrupt halt. 

In September a team of steeplejacks removed the battered looking cockerel weathervane from the church spire.  This was taken to a workshop for repair and regilding. In early October the steeplejacks returned and replaced the, now very shiny, cockerel back on top of the church spire.  The team also carried out an inspection of the fabric of the steeple, tested the lightning conductor and repaired some roofing tiles which had been damaged in a storm a few weeks earlier. The Friends contributed £1,500 towards this project. 

The Heritage Centre building, the first Charity School dating back to 1811, was showing signs of distress to the stonework on the roadside due to salt erosion. In October the Trustees employed a local stone mason to replace some of the stones in the lower half of the wall on the North side of the building. This maintenance will ensure the building remains watertight for some years to come. 

The need to reinvigorate the membership, both in numbers and participation, is still an ongoing objective. This project has obviously been on hold during the year.  However, in September we undertook to build a new website to inform visitors about the heritage of the Church and the work of the Friends.  This time it will include a ‘donate’ button and an online ‘publications’ shop. It is planned to launch the website in early 2021. 

## **Finance Report:** 

The Cash, Bank, and Investment balance on 31st December 2020 is approximately £39k. Total assets including buildings amount to approximately £370K. The Charities’ income during 2020 was significantly reduced.  The Charity has held a small capital reserve in COIF Charities Investment Fund for several years, and acknowledges that owing to the current financial situation, the growth that has been achieved over this period has not been very strong. The Trustees have £20K in the Charities Deposit Account thereby gaining some interest on the funds. It is not envisaged that this money would be required immediately for church projects until the outcome of the church Quinquennial inspection in 2021 but is accessible should the occasion arise. 

## **Trustees:** 

Our incumbent for the last seven years, the Revd. Chloe Willson-Thomas, left Brixworth Church in February for another post in Buckinghamshire. Following a period of interregnum, a new Rector, the Revd. David Reith, was appointed and arrived at Brixworth in October.  We hope he will accept an invitation to become a Trustee of the Friends. A new Treasurer, Ian Smorfitt was appointed at the beginning of 2020 and has supported the Friends throughout the year. The Treasurer’s report and accounts for 2020 were accepted and approved at a Board of Trustees meeting in March 2021. The Trustee’s report for 2020, together with the Treasurer’s report and accounts will be published on our website.