2023-12-31-accounts

Home for all : Sharing God’s love

Annual Report for the year ending 31 December

Celebrating the Life of our Church

The Life of Our Church - Ministry & Mission Report 2023

Where do you even begin to review a whole year of ministry and mission!

Let’s start at the very beginning… New Year’s Day 2023.

What was so wonderful about the very start of 2023 was how we began our year with church breakfast together, before our first All Together Service on New Years Day!

These moments of togetherness in 2023, happening mostly over food of course, have been core to the coming together of us all as a church family over this past year – Kings Coronation Garden Party, Volunteer Sunday Church Picnic, Quiz Night, Beer & Carols, Flower Festival & Fete! They have been opportunities for cementing relationships, forming new ones and creating memories together – and this, is family. It is through our togetherness, united in our faith and service, that we grow in strength!

Post pandemic and post vacancy, 2023 was what I would maybe refer to as the ‘Year of Stability’. It was the first year where everything seemed to return to some form of ‘norm’. That ‘normal’ may well be our ‘new normal’ but we settled as a church into a new rhythm and pattern of worship and togetherness. I also felt that by the beginning of 2023, having been here for seven months, I had personally begun to settle as the ‘new vicar’ and my feet felt firmly planted within you all.

~*~

Having started the work on our church vision and Mission Action Plan (MAP) in September 2022, March saw the launch of what we discerned to be God’s new vision for our church. The vision to be:

A Home for All : Sharing God’s Love

From this vision, we felt God was guiding us to strive towards being a church with core values of welcome, connection and rootedness.

As we came together prayerfully, we felt God was guiding us to be ‘Home’; where everyone feels welcomed and valued, where we are connected to our community, to God and one another and a place where we can seek to grow deeper roots in our faith.

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This vision and these values are now what unite us and drive us forward in our ministry. This vision is the place we always come back to when we consider our ministry here at St Peter & St Paul’s.

Mission Action Plans, (ours attached to the end of this report) provide a way to focus churches on specific projects, goals or actions and be in intentional about mission and growth, growing spiritually, numerically and in engagement with our community,

Through our Mission Action planning, we set our church focus to look at community engagement, ministry with our young people and the spiritual life of the church. Some of these goals have been reached already.

~*~

Led by Emma, Sam and myself, our first Alpha Course was run in January. We were able to invite people through Christmas services and this course saw sixteen people come together, to discover more about the Christian faith. We had an amazing nine weeks of discovery and discussion and from this course, some found a new and exciting faith and have taken the steps to be confirmed, others finished with a desire to keep seeking and some felt their faith was deepened through it.

Many from our Alpha group enjoyed this course so much that they asked to continue together and from here we followed with two further discipleship courses, resulting now in the joy of our first weekly ‘home group’ being born, post pandemic.

In March, the land of the site of St Andrews church was finally sold. We held a wonderfully poignant service on the site with members of the St Andrews congregation joining us and Revd Canon Michael Bradley returning to lead the service. There was joy and there was sadness and despite rain that had threatened us all day, the sun shone upon us as we thanked God for the ministry and service of St Andrews church.

Easter and Holy Week was a highlight in our year, with once again a set of new services for our church. Embraced by all who attended, the journey through Holy Week was a rollercoaster of emotion, drama and worship culminating in a wonderful Easter Day service and egg hunt in the churchyard.

There was a focus after Easter towards our biggest outreach and fundraising event, our ‘Flower Festival and Fete’. It was a weekend of colour (and sun) as we welcomed our community into our church to admire the amazing displays of flowers, into the Chapter House to sample the cake and scones and onto the lawn to bounce on the bouncy castle! It was a huge team effort and through all that was happening and on offer, we were able to engage beautifully with those in our community we knew already and those we didn’t yet know – and we raised an amazing amount of money along with it!

Through our ‘Generosity’ sermon series this year, as a ministry team we preached into the world of giving and this sparked a wonderful response to a request for us all to review how we have supported the church, both of ourselves and financially. It was deeply encouraging to see the impact this made and continues to make to our resources and our mission.

In June, a team made up from members of our PCC (Parochial Church Council), were invited to join me at a weekend conference designed at helping churches to focus on church growth. The ‘Leading Your Church into Growth’ (LYCiG) conference was a wonderful opportunity to spend focussed time considering how we can grow a flourishing and thriving church.

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It was not a course about ‘how to get people into our pews’, it started with considering how we can foster a prayerful culture and seeking to look to God for our inspiration and guidance. It went on to ask us to consider how we welcome, what are we inviting people into when we invite them to our church? (fundamentally, is worship the best it can be?), how do we engage with our community? And… at the heart, are we intentional about church growth?

Our LYGiC group now meet regularly as we strive to keep God at the heart of what we do here, whilst intentionally focussing on growing His people and His church.

In light of this, we focussed our preaching in September on the book of Nehemiah. It was an opportunity to consider how we ‘Restore, Renew and Rebuild’ our church post pandemic, as Nehemiah restored, renewed and rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem… the fruits of this year have been evident in our services and worshipping community across the board.

We are a growing church… and what a joy!

Not only did we grow as a congregation, but we also welcomed a new member to our ministry team. Revd Andy Jefferson was ordained deacon in June at a fantastic service at St Albans Cathedral and he began his curacy with us the day after!

Andy remains with us for a three year period to train in his calling to be a priest and to learn all about the joys (and challenges) of church leadership. Andy brought with him, his own experience in pioneer and youth ministry and we hope the learning will be a two-way pathway! Andy settled very quickly into life and ministry in Flitwick and through his first six months has helped to launch youth work and sowed the seeds of men’s ministry, which fills the church with the smell of bacon, in the form of monthly ‘Men’s Breakfast’.

We have continued to provide our usual pattern of regular worship and have expanded that to include a few focussed or themed services, with the introduction of an Eco-Church service ‘For the Beauty of the Earth’ and our new ‘Safeguarding Sunday’ service. We also include our additional services of ‘In Loving Memory’, ‘Baby Loss’ and Christmas and Easter Services, as well as Harvest and Remembrance Day.

Through this year we supported our town Mayor by hosting an ecumenical Civic Service involving all town churches and we support the Royal British Legion by leading the service at the war memorial on Remembrance Sunday.

Our ‘All Together Service’ has found its feet over the last year utilising creative and interactive ways to worship together. The support of this service has been quite overwhelming from our existing congregation, who may at times be thrown a little outside their comfort zone. What is the greatest gift to

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our church is to have the faithful and committed congregation that we do, supporting all ministry and embracing difference.

The Home Communion team continue to visit those we are ‘Together at Home’ with and provide critical pastoral visiting to those who are unable to come to church. Alongside this vital ministry, we began new relationships with both Ferndale and Baycroft care homes and now attend both monthly to hold communion services in each residential home, serving

approximately 30-40 people unable to come to church. At Christmas we were able to take members of our choir and our worship team into both homes to sing carols together – it was joyful!

Christmas happened in the most joyous of ways and through our Christmas services we were able to see the fruit of the work as a church, to outreach and mission.

We shared the Christmas story in our schools, care homes, with our families through Messy Church, within our community by carol singing at our Beer & Carols event (which was awesome and the pub wanted us back in January!), at the Light Switch on with our ‘Pop Up Nativity', in our traditional candlelit carol service, through our wonderful ‘all singing, all dancing, beach ball throwing’ Christingle Services and beautiful Midnight Service… and of course, the joyful Christmas Day service, welcoming Christ into the world.

It has been quite a year!

As I read this report back, I recognise the use of the word joy in many places and if I were to sum up ministry in our church, it is the one word I would use. Ministry here is an absolute joy (challenging at times for us all, but still full of joy), and the joy of this ministry is held together by a very dedicated ministry team, a huge number of committed and generous volunteers and you all, our faithful and faith-filled congregation. There is no way to thank you all however, please know how appreciated you all are in every big and small way.

As we continue to be inspired by God in 2024, we are grateful for his guidance and assurance though this last year. As we keep our eyes fixed firmly on Him, let us continue down our path or ‘Restoration, renewal and rebuilding’ carrying out our ministry and mission here at St Peter & St Paul’s in His name.

What a joy!

Rev’d Claire

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MISSION ACTION PLANNING - July 2023 An update to our Mission Action Plan is in green

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1 [st] Priority – Community Connection Transforming Communities / Making New Disciples
Planning ways to intentionally engage and effectively communicate
with the local community to make our presence known and shine Christ’s light.
1) Three community engagement events throughout the year (Christmas, Easter, Summer)
Completion aim: Sept 2024 and then ongoing each year
Lead: Leading Your Church into Growth (LYCiG) focus group / Event Team
Beer & Carols – a fantastic success
2) Engaging with our local schools by offering an Easter Journey to all lower schools – either to be held in
the church or taken into schools .
Completion aim: Easter 2024
Lead: Sophie Tucker, Pioneer Enabler.
3) Develop a communication strategy for engaging with our community – looking at how can we
communicate more effectively, who we are and what we do? Reviewing our social media presence,
mailchimp email system, parish magazine, notice sheets
Completion aim: Summer term 2024
Lead: Leading Your Church into Growth (LYCiG) focus group
2 [nd] Priority – Rooted in Faith Going Deeper into God
Developing the Spiritual Life of the Church
We have a desire to grow as a praying community and recognise the need to focus our
attention on the praying heart of the church. We hope to listen well to God and to learn
His will for us as a church and community .
1) Creating a prayer space in the church for those who visit when the church is open and also to allow for
some creative prayer opportunities. This also allows for prayer ministry to be a focal point for our
church community.
Completion aim: Easter 2024
Lead: Sam Davis
2) Organise and gather a church wide walking pilgrimage to St Albans Cathedral.
Completion aim: Easter Monday 2024
Lead: Revd Andy
3) Bringing together a team to develop and encourage prayer ministry within the church.
Completion aim: Summer 2024
Lead: Revd Claire
3 [rd] Priority – Growth (Young People) Making New Disciples / Going Deeper into God
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With no current provision for the young people in our church or on the fringe of our church community, we aim to intentionally focus on creating opportunities for spiritual and personal growth for our young people.

Fostering an environment where our young people are known to be valued and appreciated .

• 1) Setting up and running an activity (ice skating & pizza night) that encourages engagement with our current group of young people and listening to their needs and hopes for youthwork at our church. Completion aim: Sept 2023

Lead: Revd Claire & Revd Andy

Ice skating was great fun !! From this a new monthly youth group formed and after school coffee meet up.

• 2) Develop and grow a team to work with our young people. Completion aim: Jan 204

Lead: Revd Andy & Revd Claire

New team developed and growth begins!

• 3) Start a regular group/session to encourage and engage young people in their faith. Completion aim: Jan 2024

• Lead: Youth Team

Y:MaaC youth group was formed and ran three sessions before Christmas

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Reports to the 2024 Annual Parochial Church Meeting

Background

The Parochial Church Council (PCC) has the responsibility of co-operating with the incumbent in promoting in the Ecclesiastical Parish, the Whole Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. It also has the responsibility of the Parish Church and Chapter House. It did have responsibility for St Andrew’s Hall in Windmill Road.

The PCC of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St Peter and St Paul, Flitwick is a registered Charity and is registered with the Charity Commission. Registration number 1169624. The name of the charity was changed following the sale of St Andrew’s Hall.

Membership

Members of the PCC are either ex-officio or elected at the Annual Parochial Church Council Meeting (APCM) in accordance with the Church Representation Rules or co-opted during the course of the year. There are also two members of the PCC who have been elected as representatives for the Deanery Synod.

All members of the PCC are DBS checked and have to undertake safeguarding training and domestic abuse awareness training.

We welcomed Andy Jefferson as our new Curate.

The PCC meets every two months. There was however an additional meeting in February 2023.

The Standing Committee which consists of the Vicar, Curate, Church Wardens, Secretary, Treasurer and Emma Williams. The Standing Committee meets every two months.

During the year, we have continued with a vacancy for the third place on the Deanery Synod.

Linda Foale and Richard Fullbrook continued in their roles as Church Wardens and were ably assisted by David Golding and Chris Macintosh.

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During the calendar year, Samantha Davis did not seek re-election to the PCC, due to training commitments. John Stafford resigned from the PCC, Jo Farrington-Sharp was co-opted to fill the vacancy. Emma Williams stood down from her role as Safeguarding Lead. This was taken on by Jane Thompson and she was invited to attend PCC meetings.

The following have served as members of the PCC during the calendar year ending 31 December 2023. The number of meetings they have attended is shown in brackets.

Incumbent	Rev Claire Harald		(7)
Curate	Andy Jeferson		(2)
Licensed to the Church	Sophie Tucker		(3)
Church Warden	Linda Foale		(5)
Church Warden	Richard Fullbrook		(4)
General Synod	Becky Mynet		(1)
Deanery Synod	Tony Brown		(7)
Deanery Synod	David Watson		(5)
Treasurer	Terry Thurley		(2)
Secretary	Nigel Taylor		(7)
Safeguarding	Emma Williams		(6)
Deputy Church Warden	David Golding	(4)
Deputy Church Warden	Chris Macintosh		(4)
	Joanna Chandler		(3)
	Samantha Davis		(1)
	Ciaran Diver		(7)
	Jo Farrington-Sharp	(2)
	Emma Herman		(3)
	Mary McKeand		(7)
	John Staford	(3)
	Carol Thompson		(6)
	Jane Thompson		(2) by invitaton

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Church Safeguarding Report for the APCM 2024

There have been several changes to Safeguarding practice and procedures introduced this year by the Diocese and Church of England, however what has remained constant is the commitment of the members of our church family to keeping our children, young people and vulnerable adults safe.

Emma and I completed a comprehensive handover in the autumn and I am very grateful to her for maintaining such effective records. Thank you also to Claire, who along with Emma has always been willing to answer a myriad of questions.

During this year we have continued to use the Parish Dashboard as a reporting tool to the PCC. We are also now starting to use Level Two of the Safeguarding hub, which helps to ensure that we safely recruit all volunteers and any paid staff. As a result of all the above we will be in a strong position to complete the Diocese Safeguarding Declaration Form, which forms part of our annual return, stating that we are compliant with current safeguarding requirements.

One major change, required by the Church of England was that by January this year, all DBS checks must have been renewed within the past three years, instead of every five years, as previously. Thank you to everyone who responded so willingly to enable this to happen. We will continue to renew all DBS checks every three years. Thank you also to everyone who has undertaken or renewed safeguarding training over the past year.

In November we celebrated national Safeguarding Sunday with a special service, with a superb sermon by Emma, followed by a get together for leaders of children’s groups and PCC members. Over 20 people looked at the Biblical basis for Safeguarding and how it relates to best practice in our church. We came to the realisation that safeguarding is not the responsibility of a few, but something we all need to be involved in, just as Jesus’ ministry was all about safeguarding. The Church of England has a short online Safeguarding module called Basic Awareness and this can be accessed by any interested member of our church family.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the safeguarding of our children, adults and young people with such willingness, however we must never be complacent and always remain vigilant. As a church community we also have a responsibility to safeguard and protect each other. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with either Claire or myself if you have any questions or concerns about safeguarding, however small or insignificant they may seem. Thank you.

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Jane Thompson Parish Safeguarding Officer

Church Life Reports 2024

Bellringers Report for APCM 2024

We currently have 9 regular ringers, although not all are able to regularly support Sunday ringing. The bells were rung for most weekly practices (19:45-21:00 on Fridays) and Sunday services and for all weddings where bells were requested. In addition, the bells were rung on Remembrance Sunday (half-muffled).

The bells and fittings are regularly inspected by the ringers to ensure that the frame, ropes, wheels, pulley blocks, stays, sliders, headstock and clapper bolts are in good order. The most recent formal inspection of the bells was performed in January 2024 by the Honorary Technical Advisor of the Bedfordshire Association of Church Bell Ringers, and all fittings were fully inspected and found to be in good order. The rope tail ends are showing signs of wear and it is planned that replacements will be purchased (from the Bells reserve fund) during 2024.

Ian Holman

Churches Together in Ampthill and Flitwick

Events planned for 2024 include a Walk of Witness, Sunrise service, a Mind, body and spirit event, big brekkie for Christian Aid Week, Breeze in the Park (a celebration of Pentecost) an outdoor event during the summer and carol singing possibly at Aldi.

Events often have a low attendance and we are looking to see how we can encourage people to attend.

Carmel Golding

Director of Music’s Report 2023

Choir membership

Choir membership remained fairly steady in 2023. We had a core of six ladies regularly attending rehearsals plus three men, who joined us whenever they were able. We welcomed Sheila Briggs to the choir but sadly one other member appears to have left the church. Unfortunately, we had no response to our summer recruitment drive this year.

Regular activities

Services in 2023 were back to the ‘new normal’ after the pandemic and vacancy. The sung Sanctus and Benedictus were reintroduced to the 10.30 service, using the setting by David Thorne to match the Gloria reintroduced in 2022.

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In the summer term, choir rehearsals were temporarily moved to Thursday afternoons, due to the Director of Music’s continued long covid, but returned to Thursday evenings after the August break.

The choir has continued to use the ‘Successful Warmups’ programme to improve their singing technique and they have gained in confidence over the year, enabling us to sing more music in parts and to add descants to more hymns and carols.

Special Services

The choir sang for services on Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday and the ‘In Loving Memory’ service in October. We again invited friends of the choir to join us for the Carol Service and Midnight Mass.

Organ Accompaniment

Most services were accompanied by Martin Pacey on the organ. We are also very grateful to John Mower who stepped in at very short notice to play for the Carol Service and Midnight Mass when Martin was unwell. The music group continued to play at 10.30 on first Sundays and Richard has written a separate report.

It was decided not to continue the organ scholarship scheme as it has now been realised that there are considerable limitations to our organ that make it less than ideal for a beginner to learn or practice on (Becky is learning to play properly and has to use an instrument elsewhere to do so properly, largely due to the organ bench being too high, but there are other limitations too). The Director of Music and Vicar felt that it was unreasonable to expect an organ scholar to play here.

Handbells

As in the last couple of years, a band of handbell ringers was convened to play at Midnight Mass, despite the difficulties of finding people both able to attend the service and rehearse during November and December.

Update on Future Plans

• It is hoped that we will be able to hold a recruitment event in the summer – more singers, especially men who can sing (or learn to sing) tenor or bass, are always welcome!

• The plans for starting a junior choir that were approved by the PCC just before the pandemic are still on hold pending an improvement in the Director of Music’s health.

• It is intended that there will be additional sung evening services during the year in due course, hopefully beginning in 2024.

Becky Mynett

Eco Church

Eco Church began as an A Rocha UK project in 2016 in partnership with others, equipping churches to care for God’s creation and offering an environmental award scheme for churches in England and Wales. It has been a huge success, inspiring and assisting churches as they seek to embed creation care throughout the whole of church life. Today, Eco Church is spreading around the world as different A Rocha national organisations and their partners find ways to engage churches in creation care.

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In the UK, the vision through Eco Church is to create a vast network of churches across England and Wales as local centres of creation care in the community - shining beacons of hope for a brighter environmental future.

Here in Flitwick, our own church was one of the first in Bedfordshire to achieve a Bronze Eco Church award and we are now working towards achieving a Silver Award.

The small team supported by Rev Claire comprising Ciaran Diver, Heather MacIntosh, and Don and Mary McKeand has achieved a significant amount to date including:

• A dedicated area on the Chapter House noticeboard with news and information on Eco Church

• Updating the churchyard noticeboard with seasonal posters

• Better compost facilities to allow our grass cuttings and dead flowers to decompose quicker naturally

• A bird feeder and bug hotel outside the Chapter House

• A bird identification poster in the Chapter House

• Installation of bird and bat nesting boxes in the churchyard

• Eco Church themed prayers in the churchyard contemplation box

• Twinning our churchyard and our toilets to help communities in developing countries

• Recycle bins in the kitchen and vestry, and energy saving ice blocks in the freezer

• A survey of all energy-consuming devices within the church premises

• Commissioning an external energy audit to help reduce our carbon footprint and energy costs

• Small notices dotted around the church and Chapter House advising how we can save energy

• Monitoring of our gas and electricity consumption to help reduce the amount of energy we use

• Renewing our electricity contract on a renewable energy tariff at no extra cost

• Installing a smart meter to get more accurate readings of our electricity usage

• Changing our Gas supply contract to reduce our heating costs

• Notepads made from scrap paper in the vestry

• An Eco Church prayer station in the North Aisle of the church

• Organising Eco services

• Supporting the Church of England’s path to net zero carbon

• Connecting with the Town Council as part of community engagement within their environmental policy

• A stall with games at the Summer Fete to raise awareness across the community

• Exhibiting at the Church Flower Festival

• Mapping out the wild flowers in the churchyard

• Taking part in the 2024 Great British Birdwatch

We could not have achieved all of this without the support of all of you, our church members – through your prayers, your financial giving, and your time. So, a big thank you to you all. Over the coming year we have a lot more planned and will be working to achieve an Eco Church Silver Award and investigate replacing our aging Chapter House boiler to reduce our carbon footprint.

We are a small team and need more help so we can achieve even more. If you are interested in joining the team or would

like to help with any of our future initiatives, please speak with any member of the team.

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Further information regarding the Eco Church and its objectives can be found on the Eco Church website: ecochurch.arocha.org.uk

Ciaran Diver

Fl ower team

In 2023 the flower team provided flowers throughout the year in church (except for Lent and Advent). Marion Tucker and Carol Thompson were ably supported by Sheila Briggs and Belinda Jenkins. On those special occasions, Easter, Harvest and Christmas, we were also grateful for the help of Noreen Clark, Pam Parker, Pat Payne, Catherine Haycock and Clare Thompson. Thank you everyone for your support.

We look forward to welcoming Catherine to our regular flower team rota in 2024.

Church flowers are an integral part of church life and we would welcome any new members to our team. If you would like to see how it’s done, we are usually preparing the display on a Friday morning and would welcome anyone who might be interested to join us. You do not need to have any experience – just enthusiasm!

We are grateful to all the individual sponsors which have ensured the flowers incurred no cost to the church. A sheet is kept in the porch and anyone wishing to sponsor a week’s flowers should put their name on the list.

Highlight of our year was a most successful flower festival held in May. With the theme “Flitwick Past and Present” the team, with the support of other congregation members and local organisations, produced 26 interpretive designs and welcomed lots of visitors to the church, raising funds for the church.

Marion and Carol have continued to offer wedding couples their services to decorate the church for their wedding. This has resulted in extra funds being raised for church. They will continue to offer their services to wedding couples in 2024.

In December we again ran our popular Christmas Wreathmaking workshop in the

Chapter House attended by 16 people, which was thoroughly enjoyed by all who came. We were able to give over £150 profits from the session to the church funds.

Carol Thompson

Flitwick Food Extra

Flitwick Food Extra continues to serve families in Flitwick who have been hardest hit by the cost of living crisis. While the numbers have gone down, and we celebrate this, we are very aware that there are still parents and carers out there, struggling to feed their families. The move to collections rather than deliveries has enable us to spend time with the parents, having a chat over a cup of tea and a slice of cake, and getting to find out more about how our provision can help.

FFX now has three regular contributors:

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• Tesco continue to donate goods as requested for each box. They also allow us to use their fruit and veg boxes to pack our recipes.

• Judith has forged a relationship with the Ampthill Army Cadets who are now collecting long life and canned goods for or boxes on a termly basis.

• A member of the community has also reached out to FFX and is now part of our shopping team, donating his purchases each half term.

In September, we were contacted by Groundworks (the organisers of the blue token scheme at Tesco) as they needed a third charity for their October – January campaign. I was happy to submit another application with them and was pleased that this resulted in another £1000 grant.

In addition, the lovely people at Sacred Heart church on behalf of St Vincent de Paul Society donated Easter eggs from the meaningful chocolate company for our Easter Boxes. This meant that every child had an Easter Egg and a booklet telling them of the true meaning of Easter.

Sophie Tucker

Litle Fishes

We have now been back doing Little Fishes since October 2021 since stopping during the covid pandemic in March 2020 and having successful sessions on Monday mornings in the Chapter House during term time.

We have kept the cost to £1.50 per child which covers our expenses and also enables us to contribute to the church’s heating expenses by £100 per term.

We have a team of church members running Little Fishes which include Enid Clark and Lesley Coglan helped by Christine Denton and Jane Thompson which makes it a viable and enjoyable activity.

We have met all the Mondays in term time with varying numbers from 8 to 18, with Mums, Dads, grandparents and carers, not knowing until children turn up how many we will have attending.. The children are noticeably younger than prepandemic as they seem to be leaving to go to nursery sessions younger.

We have toys, playdough, colouring sheets, jigsaws etc and pre-prepared crafts which the adults do with their children, fruit and water for the youngsters and tea or coffee for the adults which we encourage them to drink safely. Following this we have more constructive play, with tunnel, parachute and floor activities for the children to mix and share, with music time concluding with a children’s prayer.

We have a core of regular children who are able to play well together and hope to be able to continue Little Fishes safely, providing an outlet for mums, babies and toddlers at a small cost, with the children going home with a craft they have made themselves.

Enid Clark

Men’s Breakfast

We started the Men’s Breakfast on the first Saturday in September and have subsequently had a breakfast on each first Saturday of the month since.

It’s a very simple concept – we have tea and coffee as people arrive and then sit down for a cooked breakfast which is then followed by a short talk/presentation/discussion. This creates an opportunity for

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men to do something which they are not always good at – connect with one another. It is hoped that this will be accessible to both regular members of our church, those who are new and even those who currently have no connection to our church.

On our first week we started with just seven men and have steadily grown since then with 15 being our largest number. Overall, over 20 different men have attended across the different weeks. This includes people who are regulars at both the 9am and 10.30am services and also some men who are new to the church or on the fringes. One of the encouraging things from my perspective has been seeing how people who see one another regularly but don’t necessarily know each other very well have deepened in their friendships. And it has also been a place where new members have felt welcomed and further involved in the life of the church.

We are very grateful for our small and dedicated kitchen team who have taken on the challenge of catering for these events. One of the challenges moving forward is trying to draw more people into this team so that we can share the load more widely.

Overall it has been a very positive start for this ministry.

Rev’d Andy

Messy Church Report for APCM 2024

This last year has been very busy and exciting for Messy Church. We have been pleased and privileged to welcome approximately 70+ people (including volunteers) to most sessions. The booking system is working well, helping us to keep track of numbers and dietary requirements, however sadly we have had to cap numbers, meaning some people are disappointed not to be able to attend, but we cannot fit more in the Chapter House at meal times.

Instead of Messy Church, in May, families were invited to attend the church flower festival and fete and it was good to chat to some of them in the beautiful sunshine.

July was our Messy Church picnic with a seaside theme when the children had great fun making painty footprints for a beach scene. It turned out to be the wettest day of the year – however spirits were not dampened, and we gathered on picnic rugs in the Chapter House for an indoor picnic.

Harvest was celebrated at the end of September with a theme based around the days of creation, including a light and dark tent and a nature trail around the churchyard. There were so many families taking part, and the weather was glorious, so we enjoyed hot dogs with crunchy salad vegetables outside.

In December we explored the Christmas story with activities which included sheep stacking (no sheep were harmed in this session!) and an encounter with a wise man from long ago. Children also enjoyed making a nativity scene with chocolate biscuits for the stable, a Mary and Joseph made from grapes, a Jelly Baby Jesus, a cheese star and mini marshmallow sheep! We were also pleased to meet some families again at Christingle and other Christmas events.

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Worship and celebration is always a vital part of Messy Church and it is lovely to see so many children and adults joining together enthusiastically in the songs and activities and exploring creative ways of praying, including the Messy Church Grace, with actions!

In 2024 we are now looking forward to our February session where we will be exploring The Lord’s Prayer, in interesting and creative ways. Messy Church continues to be popular, and this session was full within a couple of days of booking opening! We will hope to find ways to expand Messy Church in some way during this year.

During the past year we have been delighted to welcome some new volunteers helping in the kitchen, leading activities, preparing food for the meals, and clearing up afterwards. It has also been great to have 4 young leaders from our church family who have helped out with craft activities and games. Messy Church is always busy and sometimes feels a bit chaotic, however the warmth and enthusiasm of everyone attending is great to experience in a faith filled environment, with wonderful conversations, friendship and fellowship taking place.

Thank you very much to everyone who has helped at Messy Church or supported us in any way and thank you to everyone who has responded to our odd requests for resources for sessions. We are very lucky to have such willing and enthusiastic volunteers who contribute enormously to each session. We are always ready to welcome new volunteers to our friendly and supportive team.

Jane Thompson - Messy Church co-ordinator

Mothers Union 2023

MU has continued to meet monthly and in spite of low numbers we have continued with our core activities. Our aims call on us to pray for the world, especially for families and those whose lives have met with adversity. We also offer practical help in the form of collecting and making items to be given to local refuges, Yarlswood, hospitals and, recently, refugees too.

Amongst us we have managed to attend every MU cluster and diocesan event held this year as well as having a representative at the International Gathering in York in September.

We took part in the Wave of Prayer in June, being a link in the continuous chain of prayer offered by MU members worldwide every hour of every day. In August we hosted the West Cluster service for Mary Sumner Day (beautifully led by Claire and Andy) followed by a picnic in our churchyard.

We were delighted when Carol Thompson decided to become an enrolled member in March. In August we provided the market day coffee morning in the village hall, raising £160 for the national MU Summer of Hope appeal. In September we had an outing, cruising on the river in Bedford on the John Bunyan community boat.

In the parish we have helped by assembling Christingle kits and also making posies of daffodils to be distributed on Mothering Sunday. Baptism cards continue to be sent to those baptised here. In May we took part in the flower festival. We would welcome new members.

Mary McKeand

Music Group.

2023 has been an extraordinary year for the group, with four new musicians added to our number. At the risk of sounding like pre-concert credits, we would like to welcome Alice on double bass (our first ever), Alison on cello, Jo on clarinet and Jeremy on guitar, ukulele or mandolin. Of course, it's great to celebrate increased numbers, but our main aim is always to support the tone and message of worship, in whatever

17 | P a g e

context. It has therefore been really pleasing to hear people remark how 'All Together' services have been enhanced by the group, and I would like to thank every player for their talents and dedication.

This has also been one of our busiest years. Aside from the regular monthly services, members have played at the annual Baby Loss Service, Healing Services, and a memorable month of Christmas commitments, including two Christingle services, two care homes, and, for the first time, a full-spirited evening of pub carols. For special choir occasions, some members have also joined as singers and handbell-ringers.

There are a couple of practical considerations as well. Firstly, we deeply appreciate the kind donation of a more portable new keyboard. The previous one is still in excellent condition after over 20 years' service, but needed two people to carry it and this was becoming a problem. Secondly, our growing numbers mean that we are fast outgrowing our space, so we are in discussion about how to address this. It is, however, a nice problem to have.

Richard Luscombe

Open the Book

Open the Book continues to be well received in all members including two new members who Kingsmoor now that some of our existing The team is working well together and the without me when there was a clash of events. Story in Templefield and the Advent Nativity at the Baptist church.

So with our Methodist storytellers, Open the Book

three lower schools in Flitwick. The Team has 10 stepped forward after a plea in church for help at storytellers have other commitments on Thursdays. Storytellers felt comfortable to present an assembly The Open the Book team also helped with the Easter the Light switch on, which also involved members of

has become a great ecumenical project for Flitwick.

Sophie Tucker

Pioneer Enabler

I survived the first year of Reader Training and have passed all the modules, with better grades than I had previously thought possible. The Residential weekend in April was a wonderful time with my fellow students and the practical aspects gave me plenty to think about. I have enjoyed being in St Albans for the autumn term of year two and have found the Pastoral Care and Preaching modules immensely engaging. I have also enjoyed participating in the worship at the beginning of each session, although I was a little daunted to be first up to preach in September, having not witnessed any previous homilies while participating in the course via the online sessions for the first year. But after some encouraging feedback from the course facilitator and my fellow students, I have grown in confidence and feel encouraged to continue to preach as myself, and not be tempted to fit into the mould of others.

Sophie Tucker

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Puppet Power Ministry Team

The group of young people who puppeteer have been growing in confidence and in number over this last year. They have puppeteered for a number of our All Together Services, with particular focus towards the amazing songs they performed at our festival services, Easter Day, Harvest and Christingle.

The group of seven young people who support our ministry and services, do a wonderful job of bringing the Gospel alive in a fun and engaging way, through their song and choreography. They help to bridge the gap for those where church may be unfamiliar and encourage people to discover more. The message they bring is for all people and is not simply for children, adults enjoy them just as much… maybe even more! This ministry and group of young has been supported by Sophie Tucker and Emma Herman.

Rev’d Claire

Rock Solid

The Rock Solid Group has grown throughout the year. We provide activities, singing, bible stories and when possible getting outside onto the lawn. There is always a buzz when the children leave the main service for their own time together. There is also the anticipation of the children returning to the main service when parents/carers are waiting to go for Communion. We continue to grow in numbers of children and also in people helping with the group. It is especially pleasing to see more teenagers helping the children with the activities.

Emma Herman

YMAAC

Introducing YMAAC, or Youth Messing Around At Church, our new youth group for 12-18 year olds.

In the Summer of 2023, Claire applied to the diocese for a small grant which we received to help start up a new youth project. This money was used to fund an October trip to Milton Keynes Ice Planet and a Pizza Restaurant for a group of young people who we already have contact with but were not yet formed as a group. We used this as an opportunity to ask the young people whether they would like to be part of a youth group and, if so, what they would like from a new youth group.

From these conversations we have launched a monthly Sunday night youth group which combines three

key ingredients: faith, food and fun! A sit-down meal where we engage in conversations is a central part of this and we are introducing the group to different approaches to pray and bible study too. And there are also lots of games and laughter too! Alongside this session we also have been offering a monthly midweek meetup at Costa Coffee after school. This has been attended by a smaller group but has been a good way to deepen friendships and build community within the group. And finally, one of the other things which the young people decided on was a Christmas outing to Ninja Warrior. This was a great evening together jumping around an inflatable assault

course and climbing across monkey bars though some of the leaders were still aching several days later!

Speaking of leaders, a group of seven (five involved in youth sessions and two providing food) has formed and we are steadily getting to grips with organising these sessions and growing in confidence as a team.

19 | P a g e

There is a lot of potential for growth for this group. There are 10 young people who have attended so far – though never all at the same time. And we have not yet advertised it or opened it out beyond those families who are already in our church. This has been so that the group can settle and form its own identity first. Advertising it more broadly may well be part of the next steps for this group.

Rev’d Andy

20 | P a g e

THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF FLITWICK

REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDING

31 DECEMBER 2023

CONTENTS

CONTENTS
	Page
Trustees Report	2 - 6
Independent examiner's report	7
Statement of financial activities	8
Balance sheet	9
Notes to the financial statements	10 - 16

The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Flitwick, is registered with the Charity Commissioners for England and Wales (Charity no. 1169624)

1

Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Flitwick

TRUSTEES’ REPORT FOR YEAR ENDING 31 DECEMBER 2023

Aim and Purpose

The Parochial Church Council has the responsibility of co-operating with the Incumbent and promoting in the ecclesiastical parish of Flitwick the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. It also has the responsibility for the maintenance of the Parish Church and Chapter House.

Objectives and Activities

When planning our activities for the year, we have considered the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit and, in particular, the supplementary guidance on charities for the advancement of religion. In particular, we try to enable all people to be able to live out their faith as part of our parish community through:

• Worship and prayer, learning about the Gospel: developing knowledge and trust in Jesus.

• Provision of pastoral care for people living in the parish

• Missionary and outreach work

• The ministry and administration of significant life events; weddings, baptisms, and funerals.

Achievements and Performance

In July this year we welcomed the Revd. Andy Jefferson as assistant curate in training in the parish. Over the next 3 years he will continue his ministerial training in Flitwick and assist the Revd. Claire Harald

Worship and Prayer

During the year we have continued to offer two services on a Sunday morning. A Sunday Celebration at 9am held either in Church or on the lawn depending on the weather for all ages and stages of life and faith. A Parish Eucharist at 10.30am in Church of which part is live streamed. Our average attendance throughout the year was 76 adults and 12 children.

On the first Sunday of the month, we combine the two services for an All-Together service at 10.30am. Refreshments are served following each service.

Morning Prayer is held on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday led by one of the Ministry team. Wednesday at 10am we hold a said communion service followed by refreshments.

Our Children’s Church held during the Sunday morning service was renamed Rock Solid and our Youth group re named Ymaac (Youth messing about at Church)

Special services throughout the year included all Easter services, including a communion service held in a parishioner’s home; In Loving Memory; Baby Loss Service; Midnight Mass and a traditional Carol Service. We also held two Christingle services on Christmas Eve afternoon.

During one-week preceding Christmas local Lower Schools were welcomed into the Church for a variety of Christmas celebrations

An ecumenical Civic Service was held in conjunction with Flitwick Town Mayor and Town Council.

2

Pastoral Offices

The following pastoral services were taken this year:

Type of Service	2023	2022
Funerals	28	30
Baptisms	16	11
Weddings	6	10

Pastoral Care:

Members of the congregation and the Ministry team regularly visit those from the Parish who are unwell, housebound or in Hospital often taking the form of a home Communion. In addition, a service of Holy Communion is regularly celebrated at local care homes.

Mission and Evangelism:

Our Pioneer Enabler, along with the Open the Book team, regularly visited schools to take assemblies throughout the year. Harvest, Christmas and Easter services were taken into schools by our incumbent and Pioneer Enabler.

Our Eco-church team is fully active and will be working towards achieving a silver award

As a Church we continue to make regular contributions to the Need Project food bank, as well as raising money for other charities carrying out Gods work.

Messy Church, our outreach service to families, meets every half term and continues to flourish, and is often oversubscribed.

Flitwick Food Extra (FFX) continued throughout the year; it provides local families with food boxes during the school holidays, the boxes consisting of lots of fresh produce and recipe cards.

Ecumenical Relationships:

The church is a member of Churches Together in Ampthill and Flitwick, and we are continuing to build strong relations with Kings Baptist Church.

Deanery Synod:

Three members of the PCC sit on the Deanery Synod. This provides the PCC with an important link between the parish and the wider structures of the church.

Buildings:

Routine maintenance of our building continues where possible.

We completed on the sale of the St Andrew’s site

3

Financial Review:

Income and expenditure:

Description	£ 2023	£ 2022
Income	£87,961	£73,727
Expenditure	£92,586	£73,004
Surplus/(Deficit)	£ (4,625)	£723

Giving:

Type of Stewardship/Giving	2023	2022
Number of Parishioners who support our church via the monthly Parish Giving scheme.	47	41
Number of Parishioners who support our church via a monthly/weekly standing order.	14	14
Number of Parishioners who support our church via the regular Gift Aid envelope scheme.	9	10

To ease the administration burden on our church and to improve cash flow, we are actively asking parishioners to consider moving to the Parish Giving scheme.

Reserves:

It is the PCC’s policy to try to maintain a balance on free reserves which equates to between three and six months of unrestricted payments. This is equivalent to approximately £22,600 to £45,200 It is held to smooth out fluctuations in cash flow and to meet emergencies. The balance of the free reserves (unrestricted reserves which have not been designated by the PCC for use for other purposes) at the year-end were £26,438.

Our PCC legacy policy is to use legacy gifts to help fund significant development projects, whether buildings, equipment, mission or staff. The PCC has created a designated Legacy Reserve Fund to separate legacy donations from free reserves. Use of Legacy Reserves to fund specific projects requires approval of the PCC via a PCC resolution. At the year-end, the Legacy reserve stood at £24,125 (2021 £24,125).

The restricted reserves of £25,946 (2022 £21,947) can only be spent for the purposes for which they were originally donated.

The endowment reserves £12,275 (2022 £11,211) are a special kind of restricted fund that must be retained permanently as capital. The income on the PCC’s endowment reserves can only be spent on fabric related items and are paid into the restricted Chancel and Fabric repair funds.

It is our policy to invest cash balances over and above those required to fund day to day expenditure with the CCLA Church of England Deposit Fund. Endowment funds are invested in the CCLA Church of England Investment Fund

4

Structure, governance and management

The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St Peter & St Paul, Flitwick is a corporate body established by the Church of England. The PCC operates under the Parochial Church Council Powers Measures. The PCC is registered with the Charity Commissioners for England and Wales (Charity no. 1169624)

The method of appointment of PCC members is set out in the Church representation Rules. In this parish, the membership of the PCC consists of the incumbent, members of the Ministry team, members of Deanery Synod and members elected by those members of the congregation who are on the electoral roll of the Parish.

Administrative Information

The Parish Church of St Peter and St Paul is situated on Church Road, Flitwick, MK45 1E. The Parish is part of the Diocese of St Albans within the Church of England. The correspondence address is The Vicarage, 26 Dew Pond Road, Flitwick, Bedford, MK45 1RT.

The following have served as members of the PCC during the calendar year ending 31 December 2023. The number of meetings attended is shown in brackets.

Incumbent	Rev Claire Harald
Curate	Rev Andy Jefferson
Licensed to the Church	Sophie Tucker
Church Warden	Linda Foale
Church Warden	Richard Fullbrook
General Synod	Becky Mynett
Deanery Synod	Tony Brown
Deanery Synod	David Watson
Treasurer	Terry Thurley
Secretary	Nigel Taylor
Safeguarding	Emma Williams
Deputy Church Warden	David Golding
Deputy Church Warden	Chris Macintosh
	Ciaran Diver
	Jo Farrington-Sharp
	Emma Herman
	Mary McKeand
	Carol Thompson
	Joanna Chandler-Clarke

5

Report approved by the PCC on 10[th] October 2024 and signed on their behalf by:

Reverend Claire Harald (Incumbent)

Terry Thurley (Treasurer)

6

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT

Report to the Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Flitwick. Charity Number 1169624

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the PCC”) for the year ended 31 December 2023, set out on pages 8 to 16.

Responsibilities and Basis of Report

As the charity's trustees, you, are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”).

I report in respect of my examination of the PCC’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent examiner’s statement

I have completed my examination.

I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in any material respect:

• the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; or

• the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or

• the accounts did 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.

25th September 2024

Natalie Coleman FCCA Chartered Certified Accountant 24 Dew Pond Road Flitwick Bedford MK45 1RT

7

Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Flitwick

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31 DECEMBER 2023

	Note	Unrestricted Funds £	Restricted Funds £	Endowment Funds £	Totals £	Totals £
						2022
Income and endowments:	2
• Grants		500	0	0	500	1,279
• Donations & legacies		65,120	6,237	0	71,357	60,198
• Income from Church activities		5,631	0	0	5,631	8,031
• Activities forgeneratingfunds		6,900	0	0	6,900	1,486
• Income from Investments		3,575	0	0	3,575	2,733
Total income:		£81,726	£6,237	£0	£87,963	£73,727
Expenditure on:	3
• Expenditure on Church activities		90,348	2,238	0	92,586	73,004
Total expenditure:		£90,348	£2,238	£0	£92,586	£73,004
Net Surplus/(Deficit) before investmentgains/(losses)		£ (8,622)	£3,999	£0	£ (4,623)	£723
Transfers between funds		£0	£ 0	£0	£0	£0
Other recognisedgains/losses
Unrealised Gains/(losses) on investment assets		0	0	1,064	1,064	108
Net movement in funds		£(8,624)	£3,999	£1,064	£(3,559)	£831
Reconciliation of funds:
Total funds brought forward		£61,040	£21,947	£11,211	£94,198	£93,367
Total funds carried forward		£52,418	£25,946	£12,275	£90,639	£94,198

The notes on pages 9 to 16 form part of these financial statements

8

Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Flitwick

BALANCE SHEET AT 31 DECEMBER 2023

		2023	2023	2022	2022
	Note	£	£	£	£
Fixed Assets:
Tangible assets	7	1,068		0
Endowment investments	8	12,275		11,211
Total Fixed Assets			£13,343		£11,211
Current Assets:
Cash at bank	9	78,603		80,157
Debtors &prepayments	10	914		11,099
Total Current Assets			£79,517		£91,256
Creditors: amounts falling due within oneyear	11		£2,221		£8,269
Net Current Assets:			£77,296		£82,987
Total Net Assess			£90,639		£94,198
**The Funds of the Charity: **
Unrestricted	12	52,418		61,040
Restricted	13	25,946		21,947
Endowment	14	12,275		11,211
Total Funds of the Charity			£90,639		£94,198

Approved by the PCC on 10[th] October 2024 and signed on their behalf by

Reverend Claire Harald (Incumbent)

Terry Thurley (Treasurer)

9

Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Flitwick

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31 DECEMBER 2023

1 ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of preparation:

The PCC is a public benefit entity within the meaning of FRS102. The financial statements have been prepared under the Charities Act 2011 and in accordance with the Church Accounting Regulations 2006 governing the individual accounts of PCCs, and with the Regulations’ “true and fair view” provisions, together with FRS102 as the applicable accounting standards and the Statement of Recommended Practice, Accounting and Reporting by Charities (SORP(FRS102)).

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention except for the valuation of investment assets, which are shown at fair value.

Income and Endowments:

Recognition: These are included in the Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA) when:

1. the PCC becomes legally entitled to the use of the resources; and

2. inflow of economic benefit is probable; and

3. the monetary value can be measured with sufficient reliability.

Fund Raising: Funds raised from events and trading activities are reported gross in the SOFA – i.e., before any related costs that may have been deducted from the gross proceeds.

Grants and donations: Grants and donations are included in the SOFA when any preconditions preventing their use by the PCC have been met. For collections and planned giving this is when the funds are received.

Gift Aid Tax claims, etc., on cash donations: Gift Aid and other tax claims are included in the SOFA at the same time as the cash donations to which they relate.

Investment gains and losses: This includes any gain or loss on the sale of investments and any gain or loss resulting from revaluing investments to market value at the end of the year.

Expenditure & Liabilities:

Liability Recognition: Liabilities are recognised as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation and settlement is probable and quantifiable.

Assets:

Consecrated and benefice property: In so far as consecrated and benefice property of any kind is excluded from the statutory definition of “charity” by Section 10(2) (a) and (c) of the Charities Act 2011 such assets are not capitalised in the financial statements.

Tangible fixed assets for use by charity: These are capitalised if they can be used for more than one year, and cost at least £400. They are valued at cost.

Depreciation is calculated to write off the capitalized cost of fixed assets less their currently anticipated residual fair value over their estimated useful lives as follows:

• § Office equipment and lawn mower - 5 years

Investments: Investments quoted on a recognised stock exchange or whose value derives from them are valued at market value at the year end.

Short term deposits: Include cash held on deposit either with the CBF Church of England Funds or at the bank.

Funds:

Unrestricted Funds: These represent the funds of the PCC that are available for spending on the general purposes of the PCC, including amounts designated by the PCC for fixed assets for its own use or for spending on future projects.

Designated Funds: These represent unrestricted funds that are set aside for a designated purpose.

Restricted Funds: These are income funds that must be spent on restricted purposes and details of the funds held and restrictions provided are shown in the notes to the accounts.

10

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (cont.)

Endowment Funds: These are restricted funds that must be retained as trust capital either permanently or subject to a discretionary power to spend capital as income, and where the use of any income or other benefit derived from the capital may be restricted or unrestricted. Full details of their restrictions are shown in note 10.

	Unrestricted Funds	Unrestricted Funds	Restricted Funds	Endowment Funds	Totals	Totals
2. Income & endowments	General	Designated			2023	2022
	£	£	£	£		£
Grants
EnergyGrant	0	0	0	0	0	1,279
Historic Churches Grant	0	0	0	0	0	0
Covid Grant Central Beds Council	0	0	0	0	0	0
St Albans Diocese	500	0	0	0	500	1,175
Total Grants Received	£500	£0	£0	£0	£500	£2,454
Donations & legacies
Parish GivingScheme	25,152	0	0	0	25,152	21,343
Regular Stewardship (Gift Aided)	10,800	0	0	0	10,800	12,185
Regular Stewardship (Not Gift Aided)	1,796	0	0	0	1,796	2,340
Donations(Gift Aided)	3,100	0	0	0	3,100	2,026
Donations(Not Gift Aided)	5,312	0	0	0	5,312	7,306
Sum Up (donation machine)	2,499	0	0	0	2,499	1,432
Charities Aid Foundation	600	0	0	0	600	600
Candle stand Donations	378	0	0	0	378	344
Gift Aid Tax Reclaim	9,673	0	0	0	9,673	9,987
Philippian Trust	1,100	0	0	0	1,100	1,160
Little Fishes	150	0	0	0	150	200
Bible Donations	675	0	0	0	675	0
Children’s Society	211	0	0	0	211	0
Flitwick Singers	50	0	0	0	50	0
Bishops Harvest Appeal	50	0	0	0	50	0
Donation – Friends of Flitwick Church Re Spitter Repairs	3,317	0	0	0	3,317	0
Choir Donation	0	0	140	0	140	0
Historic Church’s Trust	257	0	0	0	257	0
Flitwick Town Council	0	0	0	0	0	100
FFX(Flitwick Food Extra)	0	0	6,097	0	6,097
Total Donations & Legacies	£65,120	£0	£6,237	£0	£71,357	£59,023
Income from Church Activities
Weddings	2,249	0	0	0	2,248	3,105
Funerals	3,382	0	0	0	3,382	4,926
Total Income from Church Activities	£5,631	£0	£0	£0	£5,631	£8,031

11

	Unrestricted Funds	Unrestricted Funds	Restricted Funds	Endowment Funds	Totals	Totals
	General	Designated			2023	2022
Activities for Generating Funds
Men’s Breakfast Club	187	0	0	0	187	0
Quiz	102	0	0	0	102	268
Surplus Annual Flowers	95	0	0	0	95	0
Xmas Stars	157	0	0	0	157	83
Flower Festival	2,607	0	0	0	2,607	0
Reader Training	275	0	0	0	275	0
MessyChurch	202	0	0	0	202	0
Lettings Chapter House	2,617	0	0	0	2,617	585
Village Hall Coffee Morning	658	0	0	0	658	330
SundayMorningCoffee/Tea	0	0	0	0	0	165
Parish Magazine Advertising	0	0	0	0	0	55
Total Activities for Generating Funds	£6,900	£0	£0	£0	£6,900	£1,486
Income from Investments
Interest from CCLA/CBF Funds	3,575	0	0	0	3,575	2,733
Total Income from Investments	£3,575	£0	£0	£0	£3,575	£2,733
Total Income (Grants/Donations/Church Activities/Activities to Generate Funds/Interest/Dividends	£81,726	£0	£6,237	£0	£87,963	£73,727

12

	Unrestricted Funds	Unrestricted Funds	Restricted Funds	Endowment Funds	Totals	Totals
	General	Designated			2023	2022
	£	£	£	£		£
3. Expenditure:
Expenditure on Church Activities:
Parish Share	62,001	0	0	0	62,001	55,757
Parish ClergyExpenses	265	0	0	0	265	331
WorshipSupplies & Costs of Services	472	0	0	0	472	619
Readers Training	174	0	0	0	174	0
Baptism Cards	0	0	0	0	0	8
Mission	63	0	0	0	63	35
Rev’d Claire Advert	70	0	0	0	70	0
Safeguarding	6	0	0	0	6	3
MessyChurch	507	0	0	0	507	28
SundayGroup	51	0	0	0	51	0
Churches Together(Amp& Flit)	100	0	0	0	100	0
Rev’d Claire’s Induction	0	0	0	0	0	353
Beds & Herts Historic Trust	40	0	0	0	40	40
Flowers	0	0	0	0	0	-63
Upkeepof Churchyard	0	0	0	0	0	219
Music	4,167	0	0	0	4,167	4,016
Parish Administrator Salary	2,376	0	0	0	2,376	3,516
Children’s Church	417	0	0	0	417	0
Tea/Coffee	35	0	0	0	35	0
Light/Heat/Water	6,348	0	0	0	6,348	5,521
EnergyAudit	330	0	0	0	330	0
Eco Church	128	0	0	0	128	29
Broadband/Office Software/Zoom/Printing/Postage & Stationery	2,618	0	0	0	2,618	2,431
Cleaning	1,297	0	0	0	1,297	1,150
Repairs & Maintenance	5,274	0	0	0	5,274	2,437
Insurance	2,272	0	0	0	2,272	2,487
Depreciation	266	0	0	0	266	772
Bank Charges	195	0	0	0	195	110
Turkey& Syria Earthquake Appeal	350	0	0	0	350	0
Christingle	261	0	0	0	261	0
Centre Point(Homeless)	167	0	0	0	167	0
Alpha Course	153	0	0	0	153	0
Miscellaneous	0	0	0	0	0	455
Corgi Home Plan	0	0	0	0	0	252
Guide Dogs for the Blind	-55	0	0	0	-55	60
FFX Food	0	0	2,238	0	2,238	2,352
Adjustment to St Andrews Expenses	0	0	0	0	0	(9,914)
Expenditure on Church Activities:	£90,348	£0	£2,238	£0	£92,586	£73,004

13

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (cont.)

NOTES	TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (cont.)
4	Staff Costs & Employee Benefits	2023	2022
	Wages & Salaries	£4,255	£5,566
	Employees	2	2
	During the year the PCC employed a Director of Music and a Parish Administrator (both part-time). Payments were not large enough to attract social security costs. No employee received employee benefits for theyear of more than £60,000.

5 Transactions with Trustees

During the year the Rev’d Claire Harald, chair of the PCC, received a total of £265 (£331) of expenses related to her duties within the parish. All expenses are consistent with Church of England guidance on the parochial expenses of clergy. During the year members of the PCC, were reimbursed for expenditure incurred as agents on behalf of the PCC. These other payments were recorded in the accounts under the relevant expenditure category.

6 Independent Examiners Remuneration:

The Independent Examiner was not remunerated for her work on the 2023 accounts (2022 £Nil).

7	Tangible Fixed Assets	Office Equipment		Lawn Mower	Total
	Cost
	At 1stJanuary2023	£2,180		£0	£2,180
	Additions	410		925	1,335
	Disposals	0		0	0
	At 31st December 2023	£2,590		£925	£3,515
	Depreciation
	At 1stJanuary2023	£2,180		£0	£2,180
	Depreciation	£82		£185	£267
	Disposals	0		0	0
	At 31st December 2023	£2,262		£185	£2,477
	Net Book Value at 1st January 2023	£0		0	£0
	Net Book Value at 31st December 2023	£328		£740	£1,068
					Value 31st January 2023 6,194 339 5,742 £12,275
8	Endowments	Value 1st January 2023		Increase / (Decrease) in Value	Value 31st January 2023
	Fabric Endowment Fund	5,657		537	6,194
	Byron Endowment Fund	310		29	339
	Chancel Endowment Fund	5,244		498	5,742
	Total	£11,211		£1,064	£12,275

14

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (cont.)

9	Cash at bank & in hand		2023		2022
	Short Term Deposit Accounts		£54,647		£52,796
	Cash at bank		£23,956		£27,361
			£78,603		£80,157
10	Debtors and Prepayments		2023		2022
	Debtors & Prepayments		£914		£11,099
			£914		£11, 099
11	Creditors and Accruals		2023		2022
	Creditors & Accruals		£2,221		£8,269
			£2,221		£8,269

12		Funds of The Charity	Funds of The Charity	1st Jan’23	1st Jan’23	Income	Expend	Expend	Transfers	Transfers	31st Dec’23
		General Fund		36,915		81,726	90,348		0		28,293
		LegacyFund(Designated)		24,125		0	0		0		24,125
		Total Unrestricted Funds		£61,040		£81,726	£90,348		£0		£52,418
		Legacyfunds are used to helpfund significantprojects,whether building,equipment,mission or staff.
13		Restricted Funds	1st Jan’23		Income	Expend		Transfers		Gains/ (Losses)	31st Dec’23
		Religious Education Fund	6,992		0	0		0		0	6,992
		Lych Gate Repair Fund	3,751		0	0		0		0	3,751
		Fabric Repair Fund	3,189		0	0		0		0	3,189
		Bell Fund	3,471		0	0		0		0	3,471
		FFX(Flitwick Food Extra)	927		6,097	(2,238)		0		0	4,786
		FurnishingFund	1,673		0	0		0		0	1,673
		Choir Fund	689		140	0		0		0	829
		Chancel Fabric Fund	536		0	0		0		0	536
		Pither Legacy (Charitable uses in Parish)Fund	476		0	0		0		0	476
		Appeals for CharityFund	183		0	0		0		0	183
		Church Flowers Fund	60		0	0		0		0	60
		Total	£21,947		£6,237	(£2,238)		£0		£0	£25,946

15

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (cont.)

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (cont.)	NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (cont.)
Restricted Funds have been donated to the PCC for the specific purposes, and may only be used for thepurpose for which they were donated.
Religious Education Fund	Represents the accumulated income from the Old School Endowment, a separate charity of which the Vicar and Churchwardens are Trustees. The income of such Endowment Funds is restricted by an Act of Parliament and can only be used for Religious Education.
Lynch Gate Repair Fund	Represents amounts donated to fund the repairs to the Lynch Gate in 2018/19. The remaining balance will be spent on completion of the planned repairs and future repairs to the Lynch Gate.
Fabric Repair Fund	Represents amounts donated by individuals as well as the Friends of Flitwick Church and is restricted to, expenditure on the fabric of the church building (including the Chapter House)and the Churchyard.
Bell Fund	Is restricted to repairs and maintenance of the Bells and other Bellringingexpenses.
FFX(Flitwick Food Extra)	Is the balance of the FFX Fund.
FurnishingFund	Is restricted to expenditure on furnishings for the Church and Chapter House.
Choir Fund	Represents donations byindividuals for Choir related expenditure.
Chancel Fabric Fund	Is restricted by the Ecclesiastical Dilapidations Measure 1923 to repairs to the Church Buildingand Churchyard.
Pither Legacy (Charitable uses in Parish)Fund	Is restricted to charitable use within the Parish and is spent at the discretion of the incumbent.
Appeals for CharityFund	Represents collections for specific Charities which haveyet to bepaid to the Charity.
Church Flowers Fund	Represents donations to the Church Flower Fund, which is administered by the Flower Arrangers.

14	Endowment Funds/Fixed Asset Investments	1st Jan’23	Expend	Transfers	Unrealised Gains/ (Losses)	31st Dec’23
	Brooks LegacyEndowment(Fabric)	5,657	0	0	537	6,194
	Byron Bequest Endowment(Fabric)	310	0	0	29	339
	Chancel Endowment Fund (Chancel Fabric)	5,244	0	0	498	5,742
	Total	£11,211	£0	£0	£1,064	£12,275

15 Old Sunday School Fund:

When the Old Sunday School was sold the proceeds were placed in Trust with the Diocese. The Funds were to be used for the “ purpose of religious education of the children of Flitwick” . The Vicar and Church Wardens decide how the monies should be spent, not the Parochial Church Council (PCC). An application was made to the Charity Commissioners to widen the scope of the Fund. The Charity Commissioners approved our application. The Fund can now be used to employ a Children’s and Family Worker, to promote Religious Education in Flitwick.

As the Old Sunday School Fund is not controlled by the PCC, it does not need to be reflected in these accounts.

For information purposes only - The value of the Old Sunday School Fund at 31[st] December 2023 was £56,531 (2022 = £51,631).

16 Sale of St Andrews Hall:

St Andrews Hall was sold in May’23. After the deduction of associated expenses, £287,244 was deposited with CCLA. The PCC are currently seeking clarification from the Diocese as to who controls these monies, the PCC or the Incumbent plus the Church Wardens. There are no restrictions as to how the monies can be spent.

The value of the Sale of St Andrews Fund as at 31[st] December 2023 was £290,160.

16

THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF FLITWICK

REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDING

31 DECEMBER 2023

CONTENTS

CONTENTS
	Page
Trustees Report	2 - 6
Independent examiner's report	7
Statement of financial activities	8
Balance sheet	9
Notes to the financial statements	10 - 16

The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Flitwick, is registered with the Charity Commissioners for England and Wales (Charity no. 1169624)

1

Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Flitwick

TRUSTEES’ REPORT FOR YEAR ENDING 31 DECEMBER 2023

Aim and Purpose

The Parochial Church Council has the responsibility of co-operating with the Incumbent and promoting in the ecclesiastical parish of Flitwick the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. It also has the responsibility for the maintenance of the Parish Church and Chapter House.

Objectives and Activities

When planning our activities for the year, we have considered the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit and, in particular, the supplementary guidance on charities for the advancement of religion. In particular, we try to enable all people to be able to live out their faith as part of our parish community through:

• Worship and prayer, learning about the Gospel: developing knowledge and trust in Jesus.

• Provision of pastoral care for people living in the parish

• Missionary and outreach work

• The ministry and administration of significant life events; weddings, baptisms, and funerals.

Achievements and Performance

In July this year we welcomed the Revd. Andy Jefferson as assistant curate in training in the parish. Over the next 3 years he will continue his ministerial training in Flitwick and assist the Revd. Claire Harald

Worship and Prayer

During the year we have continued to offer two services on a Sunday morning. A Sunday Celebration at 9am held either in Church or on the lawn depending on the weather for all ages and stages of life and faith. A Parish Eucharist at 10.30am in Church of which part is live streamed. Our average attendance throughout the year was 76 adults and 12 children.

On the first Sunday of the month, we combine the two services for an All-Together service at 10.30am. Refreshments are served following each service.

Morning Prayer is held on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday led by one of the Ministry team. Wednesday at 10am we hold a said communion service followed by refreshments.

Our Children’s Church held during the Sunday morning service was renamed Rock Solid and our Youth group re named Ymaac (Youth messing about at Church)

Special services throughout the year included all Easter services, including a communion service held in a parishioner’s home; In Loving Memory; Baby Loss Service; Midnight Mass and a traditional Carol Service. We also held two Christingle services on Christmas Eve afternoon.

During one-week preceding Christmas local Lower Schools were welcomed into the Church for a variety of Christmas celebrations

An ecumenical Civic Service was held in conjunction with Flitwick Town Mayor and Town Council.

2

Pastoral Offices

The following pastoral services were taken this year:

Type of Service	2023	2022
Funerals	28	30
Baptisms	16	11
Weddings	6	10

Pastoral Care:

Members of the congregation and the Ministry team regularly visit those from the Parish who are unwell, housebound or in Hospital often taking the form of a home Communion. In addition, a service of Holy Communion is regularly celebrated at local care homes.

Mission and Evangelism:

Our Pioneer Enabler, along with the Open the Book team, regularly visited schools to take assemblies throughout the year. Harvest, Christmas and Easter services were taken into schools by our incumbent and Pioneer Enabler.

Our Eco-church team is fully active and will be working towards achieving a silver award

As a Church we continue to make regular contributions to the Need Project food bank, as well as raising money for other charities carrying out Gods work.

Messy Church, our outreach service to families, meets every half term and continues to flourish, and is often oversubscribed.

Flitwick Food Extra (FFX) continued throughout the year; it provides local families with food boxes during the school holidays, the boxes consisting of lots of fresh produce and recipe cards.

Ecumenical Relationships:

The church is a member of Churches Together in Ampthill and Flitwick, and we are continuing to build strong relations with Kings Baptist Church.

Deanery Synod:

Three members of the PCC sit on the Deanery Synod. This provides the PCC with an important link between the parish and the wider structures of the church.

Buildings:

Routine maintenance of our building continues where possible.

We completed on the sale of the St Andrew’s site

3

Financial Review:

Income and expenditure:

Description	£ 2023	£ 2022
Income	£87,961	£73,727
Expenditure	£92,586	£73,004
Surplus/(Deficit)	£ (4,625)	£723

Giving:

Type of Stewardship/Giving	2023	2022
Number of Parishioners who support our church via the monthly Parish Giving scheme.	47	41
Number of Parishioners who support our church via a monthly/weekly standing order.	14	14
Number of Parishioners who support our church via the regular Gift Aid envelope scheme.	9	10

To ease the administration burden on our church and to improve cash flow, we are actively asking parishioners to consider moving to the Parish Giving scheme.

Reserves:

It is the PCC’s policy to try to maintain a balance on free reserves which equates to between three and six months of unrestricted payments. This is equivalent to approximately £22,600 to £45,200 It is held to smooth out fluctuations in cash flow and to meet emergencies. The balance of the free reserves (unrestricted reserves which have not been designated by the PCC for use for other purposes) at the year-end were £26,438.

Our PCC legacy policy is to use legacy gifts to help fund significant development projects, whether buildings, equipment, mission or staff. The PCC has created a designated Legacy Reserve Fund to separate legacy donations from free reserves. Use of Legacy Reserves to fund specific projects requires approval of the PCC via a PCC resolution. At the year-end, the Legacy reserve stood at £24,125 (2021 £24,125).

The restricted reserves of £25,946 (2022 £21,947) can only be spent for the purposes for which they were originally donated.

The endowment reserves £12,275 (2022 £11,211) are a special kind of restricted fund that must be retained permanently as capital. The income on the PCC’s endowment reserves can only be spent on fabric related items and are paid into the restricted Chancel and Fabric repair funds.

It is our policy to invest cash balances over and above those required to fund day to day expenditure with the CCLA Church of England Deposit Fund. Endowment funds are invested in the CCLA Church of England Investment Fund

4

Structure, governance and management

The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St Peter & St Paul, Flitwick is a corporate body established by the Church of England. The PCC operates under the Parochial Church Council Powers Measures. The PCC is registered with the Charity Commissioners for England and Wales (Charity no. 1169624)

The method of appointment of PCC members is set out in the Church representation Rules. In this parish, the membership of the PCC consists of the incumbent, members of the Ministry team, members of Deanery Synod and members elected by those members of the congregation who are on the electoral roll of the Parish.

Administrative Information

The Parish Church of St Peter and St Paul is situated on Church Road, Flitwick, MK45 1E. The Parish is part of the Diocese of St Albans within the Church of England. The correspondence address is The Vicarage, 26 Dew Pond Road, Flitwick, Bedford, MK45 1RT.

The following have served as members of the PCC during the calendar year ending 31 December 2023. The number of meetings attended is shown in brackets.

Incumbent	Rev Claire Harald
Curate	Rev Andy Jefferson
Licensed to the Church	Sophie Tucker
Church Warden	Linda Foale
Church Warden	Richard Fullbrook
General Synod	Becky Mynett
Deanery Synod	Tony Brown
Deanery Synod	David Watson
Treasurer	Terry Thurley
Secretary	Nigel Taylor
Safeguarding	Emma Williams
Deputy Church Warden	David Golding
Deputy Church Warden	Chris Macintosh
	Ciaran Diver
	Jo Farrington-Sharp
	Emma Herman
	Mary McKeand
	Carol Thompson
	Joanna Chandler-Clarke

5

Report approved by the PCC on 10[th] October 2024 and signed on their behalf by:

Reverend Claire Harald (Incumbent)

Terry Thurley (Treasurer)

6

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT

Report to the Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Flitwick. Charity Number 1169624

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the PCC”) for the year ended 31 December 2023, set out on pages 8 to 16.

Responsibilities and Basis of Report

As the charity's trustees, you, are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”).

I report in respect of my examination of the PCC’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent examiner’s statement

I have completed my examination.

I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in any material respect:

• the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; or

• the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or

• the accounts did 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.

25th September 2024

Natalie Coleman FCCA Chartered Certified Accountant 24 Dew Pond Road Flitwick Bedford MK45 1RT

7

Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Flitwick

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31 DECEMBER 2023

	Note	Unrestricted Funds £	Restricted Funds £	Endowment Funds £	Totals £	Totals £
						2022
Income and endowments:	2
• Grants		500	0	0	500	1,279
• Donations & legacies		65,120	6,237	0	71,357	60,198
• Income from Church activities		5,631	0	0	5,631	8,031
• Activities forgeneratingfunds		6,900	0	0	6,900	1,486
• Income from Investments		3,575	0	0	3,575	2,733
Total income:		£81,726	£6,237	£0	£87,963	£73,727
Expenditure on:	3
• Expenditure on Church activities		90,348	2,238	0	92,586	73,004
Total expenditure:		£90,348	£2,238	£0	£92,586	£73,004
Net Surplus/(Deficit) before investmentgains/(losses)		£ (8,622)	£3,999	£0	£ (4,623)	£723
Transfers between funds		£0	£ 0	£0	£0	£0
Other recognisedgains/losses
Unrealised Gains/(losses) on investment assets		0	0	1,064	1,064	108
Net movement in funds		£(8,624)	£3,999	£1,064	£(3,559)	£831
Reconciliation of funds:
Total funds brought forward		£61,040	£21,947	£11,211	£94,198	£93,367
Total funds carried forward		£52,418	£25,946	£12,275	£90,639	£94,198

The notes on pages 9 to 16 form part of these financial statements

8

Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Flitwick

BALANCE SHEET AT 31 DECEMBER 2023

		2023	2023	2022	2022
	Note	£	£	£	£
Fixed Assets:
Tangible assets	7	1,068		0
Endowment investments	8	12,275		11,211
Total Fixed Assets			£13,343		£11,211
Current Assets:
Cash at bank	9	78,603		80,157
Debtors &prepayments	10	914		11,099
Total Current Assets			£79,517		£91,256
Creditors: amounts falling due within oneyear	11		£2,221		£8,269
Net Current Assets:			£77,296		£82,987
Total Net Assess			£90,639		£94,198
**The Funds of the Charity: **
Unrestricted	12	52,418		61,040
Restricted	13	25,946		21,947
Endowment	14	12,275		11,211
Total Funds of the Charity			£90,639		£94,198

Approved by the PCC on 10[th] October 2024 and signed on their behalf by

Reverend Claire Harald (Incumbent)

Terry Thurley (Treasurer)

9

Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Flitwick

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31 DECEMBER 2023

1 ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of preparation:

The PCC is a public benefit entity within the meaning of FRS102. The financial statements have been prepared under the Charities Act 2011 and in accordance with the Church Accounting Regulations 2006 governing the individual accounts of PCCs, and with the Regulations’ “true and fair view” provisions, together with FRS102 as the applicable accounting standards and the Statement of Recommended Practice, Accounting and Reporting by Charities (SORP(FRS102)).

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention except for the valuation of investment assets, which are shown at fair value.

Income and Endowments:

Recognition: These are included in the Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA) when:

1. the PCC becomes legally entitled to the use of the resources; and

2. inflow of economic benefit is probable; and

3. the monetary value can be measured with sufficient reliability.

Fund Raising: Funds raised from events and trading activities are reported gross in the SOFA – i.e., before any related costs that may have been deducted from the gross proceeds.

Grants and donations: Grants and donations are included in the SOFA when any preconditions preventing their use by the PCC have been met. For collections and planned giving this is when the funds are received.

Gift Aid Tax claims, etc., on cash donations: Gift Aid and other tax claims are included in the SOFA at the same time as the cash donations to which they relate.

Investment gains and losses: This includes any gain or loss on the sale of investments and any gain or loss resulting from revaluing investments to market value at the end of the year.

Expenditure & Liabilities:

Liability Recognition: Liabilities are recognised as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation and settlement is probable and quantifiable.

Assets:

Consecrated and benefice property: In so far as consecrated and benefice property of any kind is excluded from the statutory definition of “charity” by Section 10(2) (a) and (c) of the Charities Act 2011 such assets are not capitalised in the financial statements.

Tangible fixed assets for use by charity: These are capitalised if they can be used for more than one year, and cost at least £400. They are valued at cost.

Depreciation is calculated to write off the capitalized cost of fixed assets less their currently anticipated residual fair value over their estimated useful lives as follows:

• § Office equipment and lawn mower - 5 years

Investments: Investments quoted on a recognised stock exchange or whose value derives from them are valued at market value at the year end.

Short term deposits: Include cash held on deposit either with the CBF Church of England Funds or at the bank.

Funds:

Unrestricted Funds: These represent the funds of the PCC that are available for spending on the general purposes of the PCC, including amounts designated by the PCC for fixed assets for its own use or for spending on future projects.

Designated Funds: These represent unrestricted funds that are set aside for a designated purpose.

Restricted Funds: These are income funds that must be spent on restricted purposes and details of the funds held and restrictions provided are shown in the notes to the accounts.

10

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (cont.)

Endowment Funds: These are restricted funds that must be retained as trust capital either permanently or subject to a discretionary power to spend capital as income, and where the use of any income or other benefit derived from the capital may be restricted or unrestricted. Full details of their restrictions are shown in note 10.

	Unrestricted Funds	Unrestricted Funds	Restricted Funds	Endowment Funds	Totals	Totals
2. Income & endowments	General	Designated			2023	2022
	£	£	£	£		£
Grants
EnergyGrant	0	0	0	0	0	1,279
Historic Churches Grant	0	0	0	0	0	0
Covid Grant Central Beds Council	0	0	0	0	0	0
St Albans Diocese	500	0	0	0	500	1,175
Total Grants Received	£500	£0	£0	£0	£500	£2,454
Donations & legacies
Parish GivingScheme	25,152	0	0	0	25,152	21,343
Regular Stewardship (Gift Aided)	10,800	0	0	0	10,800	12,185
Regular Stewardship (Not Gift Aided)	1,796	0	0	0	1,796	2,340
Donations(Gift Aided)	3,100	0	0	0	3,100	2,026
Donations(Not Gift Aided)	5,312	0	0	0	5,312	7,306
Sum Up (donation machine)	2,499	0	0	0	2,499	1,432
Charities Aid Foundation	600	0	0	0	600	600
Candle stand Donations	378	0	0	0	378	344
Gift Aid Tax Reclaim	9,673	0	0	0	9,673	9,987
Philippian Trust	1,100	0	0	0	1,100	1,160
Little Fishes	150	0	0	0	150	200
Bible Donations	675	0	0	0	675	0
Children’s Society	211	0	0	0	211	0
Flitwick Singers	50	0	0	0	50	0
Bishops Harvest Appeal	50	0	0	0	50	0
Donation – Friends of Flitwick Church Re Spitter Repairs	3,317	0	0	0	3,317	0
Choir Donation	0	0	140	0	140	0
Historic Church’s Trust	257	0	0	0	257	0
Flitwick Town Council	0	0	0	0	0	100
FFX(Flitwick Food Extra)	0	0	6,097	0	6,097
Total Donations & Legacies	£65,120	£0	£6,237	£0	£71,357	£59,023
Income from Church Activities
Weddings	2,249	0	0	0	2,248	3,105
Funerals	3,382	0	0	0	3,382	4,926
Total Income from Church Activities	£5,631	£0	£0	£0	£5,631	£8,031

11

	Unrestricted Funds	Unrestricted Funds	Restricted Funds	Endowment Funds	Totals	Totals
	General	Designated			2023	2022
Activities for Generating Funds
Men’s Breakfast Club	187	0	0	0	187	0
Quiz	102	0	0	0	102	268
Surplus Annual Flowers	95	0	0	0	95	0
Xmas Stars	157	0	0	0	157	83
Flower Festival	2,607	0	0	0	2,607	0
Reader Training	275	0	0	0	275	0
MessyChurch	202	0	0	0	202	0
Lettings Chapter House	2,617	0	0	0	2,617	585
Village Hall Coffee Morning	658	0	0	0	658	330
SundayMorningCoffee/Tea	0	0	0	0	0	165
Parish Magazine Advertising	0	0	0	0	0	55
Total Activities for Generating Funds	£6,900	£0	£0	£0	£6,900	£1,486
Income from Investments
Interest from CCLA/CBF Funds	3,575	0	0	0	3,575	2,733
Total Income from Investments	£3,575	£0	£0	£0	£3,575	£2,733
Total Income (Grants/Donations/Church Activities/Activities to Generate Funds/Interest/Dividends	£81,726	£0	£6,237	£0	£87,963	£73,727

12

	Unrestricted Funds	Unrestricted Funds	Restricted Funds	Endowment Funds	Totals	Totals
	General	Designated			2023	2022
	£	£	£	£		£
3. Expenditure:
Expenditure on Church Activities:
Parish Share	62,001	0	0	0	62,001	55,757
Parish ClergyExpenses	265	0	0	0	265	331
WorshipSupplies & Costs of Services	472	0	0	0	472	619
Readers Training	174	0	0	0	174	0
Baptism Cards	0	0	0	0	0	8
Mission	63	0	0	0	63	35
Rev’d Claire Advert	70	0	0	0	70	0
Safeguarding	6	0	0	0	6	3
MessyChurch	507	0	0	0	507	28
SundayGroup	51	0	0	0	51	0
Churches Together(Amp& Flit)	100	0	0	0	100	0
Rev’d Claire’s Induction	0	0	0	0	0	353
Beds & Herts Historic Trust	40	0	0	0	40	40
Flowers	0	0	0	0	0	-63
Upkeepof Churchyard	0	0	0	0	0	219
Music	4,167	0	0	0	4,167	4,016
Parish Administrator Salary	2,376	0	0	0	2,376	3,516
Children’s Church	417	0	0	0	417	0
Tea/Coffee	35	0	0	0	35	0
Light/Heat/Water	6,348	0	0	0	6,348	5,521
EnergyAudit	330	0	0	0	330	0
Eco Church	128	0	0	0	128	29
Broadband/Office Software/Zoom/Printing/Postage & Stationery	2,618	0	0	0	2,618	2,431
Cleaning	1,297	0	0	0	1,297	1,150
Repairs & Maintenance	5,274	0	0	0	5,274	2,437
Insurance	2,272	0	0	0	2,272	2,487
Depreciation	266	0	0	0	266	772
Bank Charges	195	0	0	0	195	110
Turkey& Syria Earthquake Appeal	350	0	0	0	350	0
Christingle	261	0	0	0	261	0
Centre Point(Homeless)	167	0	0	0	167	0
Alpha Course	153	0	0	0	153	0
Miscellaneous	0	0	0	0	0	455
Corgi Home Plan	0	0	0	0	0	252
Guide Dogs for the Blind	-55	0	0	0	-55	60
FFX Food	0	0	2,238	0	2,238	2,352
Adjustment to St Andrews Expenses	0	0	0	0	0	(9,914)
Expenditure on Church Activities:	£90,348	£0	£2,238	£0	£92,586	£73,004

13

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (cont.)

NOTES	TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (cont.)
4	Staff Costs & Employee Benefits	2023	2022
	Wages & Salaries	£4,255	£5,566
	Employees	2	2
	During the year the PCC employed a Director of Music and a Parish Administrator (both part-time). Payments were not large enough to attract social security costs. No employee received employee benefits for theyear of more than £60,000.

5 Transactions with Trustees

During the year the Rev’d Claire Harald, chair of the PCC, received a total of £265 (£331) of expenses related to her duties within the parish. All expenses are consistent with Church of England guidance on the parochial expenses of clergy. During the year members of the PCC, were reimbursed for expenditure incurred as agents on behalf of the PCC. These other payments were recorded in the accounts under the relevant expenditure category.

6 Independent Examiners Remuneration:

The Independent Examiner was not remunerated for her work on the 2023 accounts (2022 £Nil).

7	Tangible Fixed Assets	Office Equipment		Lawn Mower	Total
	Cost
	At 1stJanuary2023	£2,180		£0	£2,180
	Additions	410		925	1,335
	Disposals	0		0	0
	At 31st December 2023	£2,590		£925	£3,515
	Depreciation
	At 1stJanuary2023	£2,180		£0	£2,180
	Depreciation	£82		£185	£267
	Disposals	0		0	0
	At 31st December 2023	£2,262		£185	£2,477
	Net Book Value at 1st January 2023	£0		0	£0
	Net Book Value at 31st December 2023	£328		£740	£1,068
					Value 31st January 2023 6,194 339 5,742 £12,275
8	Endowments	Value 1st January 2023		Increase / (Decrease) in Value	Value 31st January 2023
	Fabric Endowment Fund	5,657		537	6,194
	Byron Endowment Fund	310		29	339
	Chancel Endowment Fund	5,244		498	5,742
	Total	£11,211		£1,064	£12,275

14

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (cont.)

9	Cash at bank & in hand		2023		2022
	Short Term Deposit Accounts		£54,647		£52,796
	Cash at bank		£23,956		£27,361
			£78,603		£80,157
10	Debtors and Prepayments		2023		2022
	Debtors & Prepayments		£914		£11,099
			£914		£11, 099
11	Creditors and Accruals		2023		2022
	Creditors & Accruals		£2,221		£8,269
			£2,221		£8,269

12		Funds of The Charity	Funds of The Charity	1st Jan’23	1st Jan’23	Income	Expend	Expend	Transfers	Transfers	31st Dec’23
		General Fund		36,915		81,726	90,348		0		28,293
		LegacyFund(Designated)		24,125		0	0		0		24,125
		Total Unrestricted Funds		£61,040		£81,726	£90,348		£0		£52,418
		Legacyfunds are used to helpfund significantprojects,whether building,equipment,mission or staff.
13		Restricted Funds	1st Jan’23		Income	Expend		Transfers		Gains/ (Losses)	31st Dec’23
		Religious Education Fund	6,992		0	0		0		0	6,992
		Lych Gate Repair Fund	3,751		0	0		0		0	3,751
		Fabric Repair Fund	3,189		0	0		0		0	3,189
		Bell Fund	3,471		0	0		0		0	3,471
		FFX(Flitwick Food Extra)	927		6,097	(2,238)		0		0	4,786
		FurnishingFund	1,673		0	0		0		0	1,673
		Choir Fund	689		140	0		0		0	829
		Chancel Fabric Fund	536		0	0		0		0	536
		Pither Legacy (Charitable uses in Parish)Fund	476		0	0		0		0	476
		Appeals for CharityFund	183		0	0		0		0	183
		Church Flowers Fund	60		0	0		0		0	60
		Total	£21,947		£6,237	(£2,238)		£0		£0	£25,946

15

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (cont.)

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (cont.)	NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (cont.)
Restricted Funds have been donated to the PCC for the specific purposes, and may only be used for thepurpose for which they were donated.
Religious Education Fund	Represents the accumulated income from the Old School Endowment, a separate charity of which the Vicar and Churchwardens are Trustees. The income of such Endowment Funds is restricted by an Act of Parliament and can only be used for Religious Education.
Lynch Gate Repair Fund	Represents amounts donated to fund the repairs to the Lynch Gate in 2018/19. The remaining balance will be spent on completion of the planned repairs and future repairs to the Lynch Gate.
Fabric Repair Fund	Represents amounts donated by individuals as well as the Friends of Flitwick Church and is restricted to, expenditure on the fabric of the church building (including the Chapter House)and the Churchyard.
Bell Fund	Is restricted to repairs and maintenance of the Bells and other Bellringingexpenses.
FFX(Flitwick Food Extra)	Is the balance of the FFX Fund.
FurnishingFund	Is restricted to expenditure on furnishings for the Church and Chapter House.
Choir Fund	Represents donations byindividuals for Choir related expenditure.
Chancel Fabric Fund	Is restricted by the Ecclesiastical Dilapidations Measure 1923 to repairs to the Church Buildingand Churchyard.
Pither Legacy (Charitable uses in Parish)Fund	Is restricted to charitable use within the Parish and is spent at the discretion of the incumbent.
Appeals for CharityFund	Represents collections for specific Charities which haveyet to bepaid to the Charity.
Church Flowers Fund	Represents donations to the Church Flower Fund, which is administered by the Flower Arrangers.

14	Endowment Funds/Fixed Asset Investments	1st Jan’23	Expend	Transfers	Unrealised Gains/ (Losses)	31st Dec’23
	Brooks LegacyEndowment(Fabric)	5,657	0	0	537	6,194
	Byron Bequest Endowment(Fabric)	310	0	0	29	339
	Chancel Endowment Fund (Chancel Fabric)	5,244	0	0	498	5,742
	Total	£11,211	£0	£0	£1,064	£12,275

15 Old Sunday School Fund:

When the Old Sunday School was sold the proceeds were placed in Trust with the Diocese. The Funds were to be used for the “ purpose of religious education of the children of Flitwick” . The Vicar and Church Wardens decide how the monies should be spent, not the Parochial Church Council (PCC). An application was made to the Charity Commissioners to widen the scope of the Fund. The Charity Commissioners approved our application. The Fund can now be used to employ a Children’s and Family Worker, to promote Religious Education in Flitwick.

As the Old Sunday School Fund is not controlled by the PCC, it does not need to be reflected in these accounts.

For information purposes only - The value of the Old Sunday School Fund at 31[st] December 2023 was £56,531 (2022 = £51,631).

16 Sale of St Andrews Hall:

St Andrews Hall was sold in May’23. After the deduction of associated expenses, £287,244 was deposited with CCLA. The PCC are currently seeking clarification from the Diocese as to who controls these monies, the PCC or the Incumbent plus the Church Wardens. There are no restrictions as to how the monies can be spent.

The value of the Sale of St Andrews Fund as at 31[st] December 2023 was £290,160.

16