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← The Parochial Church Council Of The Ecclesiastical Parish Of Holy Trinity Washington

2024-12-31-accounts

The Parochial Church Council of the

Ecclesiastical Parish of Holy Trinity Washington Registered Charity Number: 1168608

ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST ] DECEMBER 2024

Administrative Address:

Holy Trinity Church The Avenue Washington NE38 7LE.

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Objectives and activities

The Parochial Church Council (PCC) is the group of people who, with the Priest-in-Charge (when not in vacancy), run Holy Trinity Church. We describe who we are, how we are elected and how we organise ourselves in this report. Our objectives derive from the Parochial Church Councils (Powers) Measure 1956. We have the responsibility, under the guidance of the Area Dean and the Archdeacon of Sunderland during Vacancy, in promoting in the parish the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. We have the ‘power, jointly with the minister, to determine the objects to which all moneys to be given or collected in church shall be allocated’. With the Churchwardens, all members of the PCC are responsible for the maintenance of the church building.

The 2004 report Mission-shaped Church sets out the meaning of the ‘whole mission of the church’ as currently interpreted by the Church of England. Worship lies at its centre. It aims to transform people through faith in Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. It is welcoming, relates to local culture, and is open to change.

More recently, the published Vision and Strategy for the Church of England in the 2020s identifies three priorities for the church to realise its vision for mission this decade:

  • the mixed ecology describes the flourishing of church and ministry in Church of England parishes, and in other communities of faith through things like church planting, fresh expressions of church, and chaplaincy and online.

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Holy Trinity Parish

Holy Trinity Church is situated in Washington Village within the town of Washington. It is part of the Diocese of Durham within the Church of England.

In 2024, Holy Trinity Church was in Vacancy until the appointment of the Reverend Teresa Walton, who joined us as Priest in Charge on 9 September 2024. Consequently, this report has been prepared jointly, by the Churchwardens who report on the period of Vacancy and Reverend Teresa who reports on the period from September – December 2024. The PCC are immensely grateful to the employees and many willing volunteers who have enabled so many aspects of the church’s life and activities to continue and be developed during the period of Vacancy and want to express particular thanks to staff and clergy who have done so much up front and behind the scenes.

They are:

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Achievements and Performance in 2024

There were 206 names on the Electoral Roll at the date of the Annual Parochial Church Meeting on 30 April 2024.

Average attendance at our Services in October 2024 were as follows:

8am Sunday Communion (fortnightly) – 13 adults and 2 children under 16.

10am Sunday Communion - 70 adults and 0 children under 16.

10am Tuesday Communion Service – 29 adults and 0 children under 16.

Worship: Our worship services on Sundays and weekdays include quiet Said Communions, Sung Communions, and Morning Prayer. Our monthly service on the first Wednesday of the month, is an evening midweek service in the Celtic Iona tradition and is lay-led. Our informal, regular ministry to young children and their families, “On the Hill”, is a seasonal, themed event. It has been lay-led during vacancy by a dedicated team of volunteers, with a carousel of craft, games, music and story activities for young families. We continue to consider it to be a key element in our outreach and mission. We have a strong tradition of lay participation in worship, with a rota of readers, intercessors, chalice assistants and servers. There is also an enthusiastic team of volunteers who act as welcomers, greeters and supporters at services including baptisms, funerals and weddings. We have a dedicated technical team who enable us to Zoom our 10am Sunday Eucharist and special services during the year. This is vitally important in allowing us to stay in touch with those who cannot attend in person.

Alongside regular worship patterns there were several special services during the year. These have included special services at Candlemas, Easter and Advent including A Service of Hope & Light, Carols & Candlelight, 2 Christingle services and Christmas Day Eucharist. The Christmas services were particularly well attended, especially the Carols & Candlelight Service and the Christingle services on Christmas Eve. The Deanery Confirmation service was this year held

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at St. Barnabas’ Church, Bournmoor. 1 adult from our congregation was confirmed. Holy Trinity Church continues to support the Remembrance service at the cenotaph and this year we were again pleased to welcome several representatives from the local community and the British Legion to a special Remembrance Service and Eucharist in church before gathering at the Cenotaph. In March, we were pleased to welcome Archdeacon Bob Cooper to preside and join us in worship. On 9th September 2024, we were delighted to welcome the Right Reverend Sarah Clark, Acting Bishop of Durham, to License and Install the Reverend Teresa Walton as Priest in Charge of Holy Trinity. This was a very special, joyous service with many visitors.

The Holy Trinity Church Choir and organ continues to support the whole life of the church by playing a major part in leading our regular sung worship and special services throughout the church year. The choir has nurtured young talent and is a lively and dedicated dimension of our church life made up of a group of people spanning many decades in age, and our church family includes a wide variety of musical talents.

Refreshments are served following the Tuesday morning service and the 10am Sunday morning service.

Prayer and Bible Study: All our church members are encouraged to pray and study the Bible regularly as part of their personal devotion. Our weekly sheet, with Bible readings and Collect prayers, is distributed by committed volunteers to some church members who are unable to attend church. This is also accessible via both the monthly update email and the website. Morning Prayer is said in church on Tuesdays and occasional Mondays and Lent Bible study booklets were distributed.

Occasional Offices : We offer regular baptism services and frequently host marriage services and funeral services. In 2024 there were:

Pastoral care and Safeguarding: Care and love for one another and our neighbours is a fundamental way we live out our Christian faith. The Ministry Team, consisting of the Priest in Charge, two Licensed Lay Ministers, Ordinand

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and two Lay Pastoral Ministers plus a churchwarden in vacancy, forms a structure of pastoral care for those in specific need. This group meets regularly to discuss specific pastoral issues and is supplemented by a small team of volunteers who administer Home Communion. Our Parish Safeguarding Officer, Val Wilson, works closely with the Priest in Charge, the Church Wardens, members of the Ministry Group, the PCC and others to ensure good practice across our whole church life in the safeguarding of children, young people and adults.

Our groups and initiatives such as the Mothers’ Union, Craft Group, Flower Group, Trinity Trekkers, Women’s Fellowship and Choir are all ways we offer pastoral support within our church community and beyond. The Baptism Team is lay-led and through Baptism Preparation evenings, parents/candidates are given the opportunity to explore baptism prior to booking. Monthly “Coffee and Chat” mornings, open to all and offering a space for pastoral care to those in our wider community were paused in July.

Young people and children: We have long-standing partnerships with several local primary schools. This year we have welcomed classes and year-groups to church for lessons and special services and all the local primary schools were once again, very supportive of our Advent activities. Our ‘On the Hill’ seasonal events are designed to engage the interests of children and their parents and seek to build on relationships within the extended families of existing church members, those families approaching the church for baptisms and the wider community. Teresa and the PCC identified the need for a preschool group. Planning, preparation and advertisements were carried out for ‘Trinity Tots’ to start in January 2025.

Community and social concern: As a church body, we seek to share the love of God in practical ways with the local community of our parish and enhance the lives of those who live here. This includes inviting and welcoming members of the community into our church building for our social initiatives. Members of the local community walk with the Trinity Trekkers and volunteer in the churchyard. We further support and raise funds for local charities alleviating poverty and distress. We also participate in a range of community activities, including caring for the biodiversity and beauty of our churchyard as a valued public space within central Washington.

Our social and community engagement has developed further this year. We started in January with a very enjoyable Twelfth Night Bring and Share Supper. There have again been a number of Beetle Drives when we have been joined by members of the wider community. We have enjoyed concerts held in church by visiting choirs and in August we welcomed Martin Stephenson and the Dainties

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to perform in Holy Trinity Church, a professional rock/folk band. Martin Stephenson grew up in Washington and enjoys bringing the band back to his home town. In November we had a very enjoyable evening of music and entertainment with our Bring and Share Supper and Ceilidh. The weekly Zoom Quiz Nights, which began during the Covid Pandemic, continue to be a popular, fun way of keeping in touch with each other from the comfort of our own homes.

The church was opened to the public on several weekends over the summer and was appreciated by all who visited. Thank you to the volunteers who enabled this to happen.

A small group of film-makers received permission to use the church and grounds to produce a short 2 scene film. They are all volunteers assisting a local filmmaker produce his first film and are to finish filming in 2025.

Unfortunately, for safety reasons, our Christmas Fair had to be cancelled along with Washington Village Christmas Fair due to Storm Darragh. However, the church was opened by a small group of volunteers who welcomed and offered refreshments to a number of people who weren’t aware of the cancellation.

Fundraising initiatives and our monthly Foodbank Sunday in aid of WCFP have continued. A collection for the Washington Foodbank was made at our Harvest festival and over the Christmas period we raised funds for Wateraid, Sunderland homeless charities, The Children’s Society, Washington Mind – the mental health charity, and St Benedict’s Hospice, Sunderland.

Stewarding our building and churchyard for future generations : We want our church to be a continuing centre of Christian worship for generations to come, as it has been for many centuries. We further want to care for the natural environment around our church, including the green space of the churchyard. We seek to ensure our church building is well-maintained and fit for its purposes as a worship and community space.

We are extremely conscious of our responsibilities towards the environment and nature conservation. As members of the Parish Buying Energy Basket for our utilities, we ensure that we use 100% renewable electricity from onshore wind farms. We have been very mindful of our gas usage for both economic and environmental reasons.

The church building is generally in good repair and in good condition. Some pointing of water table/coping stones on the vestry roof was carried out by Wensley Roofing and several small maintenance tasks were carried out over the course of the year. The PCC are grateful for the volunteer time and effort that ensured they happened. The PCC are also grateful for the support of Tyne and

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Wear Access who service our bell chains free of charge. There are issues with the external lighting and an area of damp which are both under investigation.

Our Flower Group has continued to excel this year, providing excellent flower arrangements throughout the year, and particularly ensuring that the church looks wonderfully inviting at the major festivals of the Christian year.

The PCC once again wishes to thank the Friends of the Old Churchyard, a small community-based group of volunteers made up of members of the community and our congregation, for all their efforts in restoring, maintaining and developing our grounds as a community friendly, biodiverse wildlife area and green space. This has proved to be an excellent way of involving and engaging with the wider community, caring for our heritage and green space together. The considerable efforts made to restore and nurture our churchyard were recognised once again when Holy Trinity Churchyard received a Gold Award in the Conservation category in Northumbria in Bloom for 2024.

As part of the Washington 60 celebrations, a bench was installed in the churchyard commemorating the life of the Reverend Canon Cyril Lomax. The bench was funded by Washington Heritage Partnership and built by Sunderland Maritime Heritage. It was officially installed by Councillor Dianne Snowdon and blessed by Reverend Teresa on 5[th] May with entertainment from Washington Village U3A Ukulele Band. The bench is welcome addition to our churchyard and very well used by the community. Thank you to Mary and Terry Evans who spearheaded this project.

Also, as part of Washington 60 activities, we have worked with Washington Heritage Partnership contributing to the creation of the interactive Washington UK Heritage Map on the History Pin website, with pins relating to Holy Trinity Church.

Groups : Working groups, both existing and newly formed, are as follows:

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Structure, governance and management: The method of appointment of PCC members is set out in the Church Representation Rules. All Church attendees are encouraged to register on the Electoral Roll and stand for election to the PCC.

Trustee meetings : The full PCC met 6 times during the year with a high level of attendance.

Deanery Synod : Representatives from Holy Trinity Washington have continued to attend Deanery Synod meetings this year. There were 2 meetings in 2024.

Financial Report

The financial year ending December 2024 has seen our overall position decline compared with the previous year. We ended the year with total funds of £90,407.32, of which £59,236.62 is unrestricted (our general operating fund). The remainder is allocated for specific purposes including building development, youth and children’s ministry and church flowers.

Our total income saw a significant decline of £13,000+ over the course of the year compared to 2023, in part because we did not benefit from any legacies which accounted for £6,000 of our income in 2023. Our total planned giving income remains static, although it has been a joy to see our numbers at services increase since Teresa was licensed. Collections at both regular and occasional services are higher than in 2023. Fee income from weddings and funerals is at a

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similar level to last year. The rental income from the telecoms mast in the tower continues to be welcome. Our income from fundraising events was reduced largely due to the cancellation of the Christmas Fair, but there are plans for this to be held as a Spring Fair early in 2025.

Our expenditure is slightly higher than in 2023. We committed to paying our full Parish Share amount and achieved this, but at an extra cost of £2800+. Many of our running costs however are at a lower level than in 2023 as we have not needed to do any major repairs, and our utility costs have stabilised. There have been increases in salaries and honoraria and our insurance premium.

Thanks to your generosity, we were able to send donations to our regular charity partners over the Advent and Christmas period, including The Children’s Society, Washington Mind, St Benedict’s Hospice and WaterAid. It should be noted that the level of donations raised overall was higher than in 2023, especially from our Hope and Light service. In the absence of a fundraising ceilidh, we collected donations to support rough sleepers through Hexham and Newcastle Diocese. Thanks to you all.

We are extremely grateful to those of you who have continued to support the life and work of the parish through your regular giving in all its forms.

Your PCC have again committed to paying our full Parish Share amount for 2025, an increase of around £3,000 over the year. This reflects an acknowledgement of our place in the wider church and our responsibilities to it, and the fact that our current bank balance can support this increase. We pay monthly by standing order so if our financial situation was to significantly change over the year, we could rethink our position. This decision may seem strange considering what the future may hold for us, and Teresa or myself would be happy to discuss this with you further should you have any questions.

Going forward, our financial position is not without challenges. On the plus side, our operating costs, particularly in respect of clergy fees, will reduce now that we have our own priest-in-charge. We are also now able to make concrete plans across all aspects of our church life, including income generation. Your PCC has continued to be extremely vigilant in monitoring our finances and in forecasting future income and expenditure, showing that we remain on an overall downward trajectory despite tight controls on our expenditure. The year ahead is critical for us in reversing this trend so we do not reach our stated reserve level and breach charity commission rules.

What can we all do to help? Income generation is key, not just from our own planned giving but from fundraising, legacies, grants to support specific activities and possible hire of the building by external groups. Our current facilities are a limiting factor in how our building can be used, and there are plans for development, but we should try to optimise use in the meantime. We plan to have a stewardship campaign in 2025 and are grateful for your support in

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this. Gift Aid income is extremely important to us, and we need to make sure that everyone who is eligible is signed up. This is free money, and we need to ensure we are benefiting from it. It is very difficult to see how we can cut costs any further, but it is important that we are all mindful of our use of resources. Our utility contracts are due for renewal in September 2025, and we will of course be looking to get the best deal for our church.

We need to remain vigilant and prayerful regarding our finances in the wider context of our church life and our place in the community and diocese. If you have ideas to share, expertise to offer or just questions to ask, please do not hesitate to do so.

With thanks to you all, to Josh for his oversight of the accounts and to our external examiner.

Judith Petherick

PCC Treasurer 3rd March 2025

Parochial Church Council Membership (Trustees)

PCC members (trustees) who have served during 2024 until the date this report was approved are:

are:
Priest-in-Charge: Reverend Teresa Walton (Sept-Dec 2024)
Licenced Lay Ministers (Lay
Readers):		 Olive Sangha (Secretary)
Dinah Gollan
Churchwardens: Andrew Cresswell (Lay Chair/Vice Chair)
Janet Miller
Representatives on the
Deanery Synod:		 Barbara Fiddy (2023 - 2026)
Ashley Powell (2023 - 2026)
Ann Harrison (2023 - 2026)
Christine Scorer (2023-2026)
Elected members: Dorothy Butler (2022-2025)
Josh Hindmarch (2022-2025)
Jane McIntyre (2024-2026)
Beryl Nesbit (2023-2026)
David Petherick (2023 - 2026)
Judith Petherick (2024-2027) Treasurer

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Janice Rutter (2023 – 2026)
Audrey Scarr (2024 – 2026)
Elizabeth Slowther (2023-2025)
Shirley Talbot (2022-2025)
Jonathan Tyerman (2022-2025)
David Wood (2024-2027)
Phyllis Wood (2023-2026)
Observers: Choir Master: George Roberts
Safeguarding Officer: Valerie Wilson

Signed on behalf of the PCC

Reverend Teresa Walton (Chair)

17[th] March 2025

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Washington Parochial Church Council

Financial Statements For the year ended 31 December 2024

Washington Parochial Church Council

Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024 Receipts and payments account

Incoming resources
Voluntary Income
Planned giving
Collections and other giving
Income tax recovered
Donations and fundraising activities
Grants received
Income From Investments
Bank interest
Rental income
Generated Income
fees
Total Incoming Resources
Outgoing resources
Activities Directly Relating to the Work of the Church
Diocesan parish share
Wedding and funeral costs:
Clergy
Organists
Verger
Flowers
Clergy expenses:
Working
Accommodation
Church Running Expenses
Rent and rates
Light and heat
Insurance
Repairs and maintenance
Architect fees
Worship and service costs
Secretary
Choir and organists
Church Management and Administration
Office and administration costs
Donations paid
Total Expenditure
Net Income / Expenditure
Bank Accounts Brought Forward
Bank Accounts Carried Forward		 Unrestricted
Designated
Restricted
Total
£
£
£
£
39,852.72
-
-
39,852.72
7,794.68
-
-
7,794.68
10,946.35
-
-
10,946.35
6,560.97
571.93
152.00
7,284.90
-
-
-
-
65,154.72
571.93
152.00
65,878.65
-
474.82
-
474.82
7,150.00
-
-
7,150.00
24,020.00
473.00
-
24,493.00
96,324.72
1,519.75
152.00
97,996.47
59,220.96
-
-
59,220.96
4,946.50
-
-
4,946.50
3,121.20
-
-
3,121.20
348.00
-
-
348.00
-
1,201.05
-
1,201.05
6,374.45
-
6,374.45
514.41
-
-
514.41
74,525.52
1,201.05
-
75,726.57
-
-
-
-
6,787.20
-
-
6,787.20
4,454.24
-
-
4,454.24
4,230.04
-
-
4,230.04
-
-
-
-
746.66
270.03
-
1,016.69
5,675.40
-
-
5,675.40
6,376.24
-
-
6,376.24
28,269.78
270.03
-
28,539.81
2,620.20
-
-
2,620.20
3,451.06
-
-
3,451.06
7,048.17
-
-
7,048.17
109,843.47
1,471.08
-
111,314.55
13,518.75
-
48.67
152.00
13,318.08
-
72,755.37
30,283.58
686.45
103,725.40
59,236.62
30,332.25
838.45
90,407.32
2024		 2023
Total
£
39,823.06
5,842.91
11,795.18
9,438.74
5,852.10
72,751.99
196.41
7,150.00
23,644.00
103,742.40
56,400.96
3,139.00
2,853.90
660.00
1,382.12
8,272.82
-
72,708.80
-
8,943.93
3,691.51
6,518.98
-
877.08
5,405.40
5,043.16
30,480.06
3,789.09
2,301.02
6,090.11
109,278.97
5,536.57
-
109,261.97
103,725.40

Washington Parochial Church Council

Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024 Statement of reserve movements for year ended 31 December 2024

Reserve movements

Unrestricted Funds
Designated Funds
- Youth and Children's Fund
- Building Development Fund
- Flower fund
Total Designated Funds
Restricted Funds
- Friends of the Churchyard
- Diocesan Youth Grant
Total Restricted Funds
Total reserves		 Brought
Carried
Forward
Income
Expenditure
Transfers
Forward
72,755.37
96,324.72
109,843.47
-
59,236.62
1,368.15
40.04
270.03
-
1,138.16
27,982.60
474.82
-
-
28,457.42
932.83
1,004.89
1,201.05
-
736.67
30,283.58
1,519.75
1,471.08
-
30,332.25
186.45
152.00
-
-
338.45
500.00
-
-
-
500.00
686.45
152.00
-
-
838.45
103,725.40
97,996.47
111,314.55
-
90,407.32

Notes:

Washington Parochial Church Council

Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024 Statement of assets and liabilities as at 31 December 2024

Monetary assets
Virgin Money account
Santander current account
Cash in hand
Total cash and bank		 2024
£
35,452.90
54,749.12
205.30
90,407.32		 2023
£
34,978.08
68,547.85
199.47
103,725.40

WASHINGTON PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st DECEMBER 2024 INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE PCC OF HOLY TRINITY WASHINGTON I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts for the year ended 31 st December 2024. Respective responsibilities of the Trustees and Independent Examiner As trustees of the charity, the members of the PCC are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. They consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act, follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act and state whether particular matters have come to my attention. Basis of Independent Examinerfs Statement My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and 8 comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the management committee concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in a full audit, and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the accounts. Independent Examinerfs Ststement I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect: 1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the 2011 Act., or 2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or 3. the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a 'true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination. I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Catherine Milbanke FCA 20 Mitfoid Close High Shincliffe Durham Date 4 March 2025