NEWSLETTER
2024 Activities
CURRY & QUIZ
The popular Curry & Quiz evening has now become one of our regular annual fundraising events and 2024 was no exception. On Saturday 24th February fifteen teams came together to pitch their knowledge and expertise against each other, mostly for fun and pride rather than the prizes. Following the consumption of a meal of curry, rice and poppadom, Keith, the Quiz Master, assisted by his wife, commenced throwing out
the rounds of questions. It was a very enjoyable evening with the winners going home very happy with their achievement and others content with their efforts.
NORTHAMPTONSHIRE HERITAGE FAIR
On April 28th Northampton Heritage Forum held their annual fair, this years event was in the grounds of Wicksteed Park. The Friends once again were delighted to take part in the event, showcasing the history and architecture of the Church. The event was well represented by other Forum members and well attended by the public. We had opportunity to sell some publications and take some tour enquiries
NORTHAMPTON MALE VOICE CHOIR
We were very fortunate to secure the Northampton Male Voice Choir to perform a concert for us on the evening of Saturday 8th June. This delightful and engaging concert was very well attended and it was pleasing to see the church fill up as people arrived. The choir have an excellent reputation and gave a performance involving a mixed genre of songs with some audience participation. The Trustees are most grateful to O’riodan Bond in Brixworth for assisting with sponsorship for this event.
www.friendsofbrixworthchurch.org.uk
brixworthchurchfriends@gmail.com
BRIXWORTH HISTORY SOCIETY - SUMMER DISPLAY The Brixworth History Society put together a display of photographs and information about Brixworth Village ‘ How Times Have Changed’ which was presented in the Heritage Centre throughout the Summer from June until the end of September. Working in partnership with the Brixworth History Society the Heritage Centre opened for visitors to view the display and have refreshments each weekend. os > HERITAGE OPEN WEEKEND On 14th September 2024, the Friends of Brixworth Church participated in the National Heritage Open Day event, offering mini guided tours of the church throughout the day. Many visitors extended their experience with a tour of nearby historic buildings along the Brixworth Heritage Trail. Our Heritage Centre welcomed visitors with a fascinating exhibition from the any ger 8eu Brixworth History Society, and homemade cakes and refreshments were served. The beautiful weather ensured a | HS ffl great turnout, with the tours being so popular that additional times were added on the day.
ANNUAL LECTURE
The Annual Brixworth Lecture was held on Saturday 2nd November. The subject ‘The Reign of Offa of Mercia in Context’ was presented by Professor Rory Naismith, University of Cambridge and proved to be very popular with the church almost full. A number of students from Oxford, Cambridge and Leicester universities attended and were taken on a tour of the church by Professor Story before the lecture. Tea and cake were served in the Heritage Centre by members of the Friends prior to the start of the lecture. The Trustees thank Professor Jo Story for arranging the visiting lecturer and attending to support the Friends on the day.
www.friendsofbrixworthchurch.org.uk
brixworthchurchfriends@gmail.com
General Update
2024 FRIENDS DAY
It was with great sadness the Trustees made the decision to ‘cancel’ our Annual Friends’ Day at the beginning of June. Unfortunately, the response for attendance was very low and the event would not have been viable. We had a local expert booked to give a talk on ‘Bellringing’ and a buffet lunch was to be served following the talk. It was disappointing we did not get to meet some of our Friends as usual.
TRUSTEES
In June Gillian Brunton resigned as a Trustee. Gill had served 8 years (max length of time one person can serve as a Trustee is 9 years, in line with our CIO constitution) and contributed her energy, resourcefulness and ideas to support the Friends activities and her fellow Trustees. Sadly Walt Thompson also resigned his position as a Trustee in October.
At the end of the year there were six Trustees in office. We hope to be able to enlist more Trustees to assist us with the important charity work in order to maintain the fabric of the church and promote its heritage.
If you know anyone or if you yourself would be interested in becoming a Trustee or joining our Events Team please do get in touch.
CHURCH PROJECTS
There were no ‘major’ projects during the year which the Parochial Church Council had requested financial assistance with. However, going forward there are a number of identified maintenance issues requiring attention in order to keep the fabric of the church in good order and the Trustees will be actively supporting the PCC with these. The next Quinquennial Inspection is due to take place in June 2026 and the Trustees will be supporting any urgent requests for financial support as a matter of priority.
GROUP GUIDED TOURS
We are very pleased to be able to welcome visitors to our church, both as individuals and as groups. The church is open every day during daylight hours and it is pleasing to see visitor numbers have increased during the summer months since the Pandemic, though having inspected the visitor’s book, it appears there was someone visiting the church almost every day.
Our three knowledgeable Guides conducted eight arranged tours during the year, consisting of groups of varying sizes from a selection of different organisations; U3A History Groups, Christian Fellowship, National Farmers Union, Rotary Club and University Students etc. Some of the groups, particularly those who travelled from out of the county, also stayed for refreshments served in the Heritage Centre making the visit more of a social occasion.
Arrangements can be made for a guided tour of our church by going to our website www.friendsofbrixworthchurch.org.uk
www.friendsofbrixworthchurch.org.uk
brixworthchurchfriends@gmail.com
2024 Financial Update
The Friends of Brixworth Church have formally approved the Financial Statements for the year ended 2024, which will be filed with the Charity Commission in due course.
The charity achieved a positive cash surplus of £10,149 for the year. Fundraising events continued to be the primary source of income, supplemented by steady sales of our publications. While rising costs associated with hosting events have presented some challenges, the Trustees are actively monitoring event pricing to ensure the best possible outcomes for the charity. The Trustees were especially grateful for the generous sponsorship received from O’Riordan Bond during the year.
Income from the Heritage Centre declined slightly over the course of 2024; however, bookings for 2025 are already showing encouraging growth, with a number of new groups now making use of the facilities.
Requests for financial support from the Parochial Church Council were limited during the year. As a result, the Trustees made the decision to transfer surplus funds to the Charity’s Deposit Account, where they will earn a better return until needed for the maintenance and preservation of the church’s fabric.
www.friendsofbrixworthchurch.org.uk
brixworthchurchfriends@gmail.com
FRIENDS OF ALL SAINTS BRIXWORTH - 2024 vs 2023 CASH REPORT
| 2024 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cash | Cash | |
| Movement £ | Movement £ | |
| Receipts | ||
| Membership Subscriptions | 492 | 404 |
| Donations | 715 | 1,006 |
| Visiting Parties | 595 | 256 |
| Events | 5,004 | 2,540 |
| Catering | 177 | 201 |
| Souvenirs & Publications | 3,296 | 3,554 |
| Heritage Centre Income | 3,572 | 5,032 |
| Charities Account Interest | 1,768 | 1,088 |
| Miscellaneous Income | 0 | 33 |
| Total Receipts | 15,618 | 14,113 |
| Payments | ||
| Events | (1,652) | (1,243) |
| Visiting Parties | 0 | 0 |
| Catering | (31) | (73) |
| Souvenirs & Publications | (282) | (952) |
| Heritage Centre | (2,249) | (2,237) |
| Church Fabric | 0 | (1,750) |
| Insurance | (835) | (799) |
| Website | (243) | (240) |
| Miscellaneous Expenditure | (176) | (80) |
| Capital Expenditure | 0 | 0 |
| Total Payments | (5,469) | (7,375) |
| Surplus / (Deficit) of Receipts over Payments | 10,149 | 6,738 |
| Cash and Bank Balance b/f | 46,000 | 39,261 |
| Surplus / (Deficit) of receipts over payments | 10,149 | 6,738 |
| Cash and Bank Balance c/f | 56,150 | 46,000 |
| Charities Deposit Account | 42,886 | 21,313 |
| Bank Account | 13,019 | 23,884 |
| Heritage Centre Cash & Cheques | 0.00 | 215 |
| Paypal | 15 | 15 |
| Cash in Hand | 230 | 72 |
| Uncleared Cheques | 0 | 500 |
| Total Cash and Bank | 56,150 | 46,000 |
The value of the COIF account is £7,181.60, consisting of 353.89 units each worth 2,029.33 pence
The value of the Heritage Centre for insurance purposes is £370,000