## **The Ecclesiastical Parish of Freshford**
## **with Limpley Stoke**
## **and Hinton Charterhouse**
**Registered Charity Number 1170099**
**Trustees' Annual Report for**
**the year ended 31[st] December 2020**
**Prepared in accordance with the requirements of "PCC Accountability - The Charities Act 2011 and the PCC"**
**The Parish is part of the Diocese of Bath and Wells in the Church of England**
## **General Information**
Trustees Revd Michael Taylor Steve Ashcroft (appointed Sep 2020) Mark Baines (resigned Sep 2020) John Banks Jane Butterworth (resigned Jan 2020) Malcolm Chatwin Karen Grattage Lesley MacKenzie (resigned May 2020) Rachel Moore Penny Murray Roger Paine Trevor Quartermaine David Sibley Pat Smith Pam Southam Kathy Tucker Liz Wordsworth Honorary Secretary John Banks Honorary Treasurer Malcolm Chatwin Independent Examiner John Ager Parish Office The Old Bakery High Street Freshford Bath BA2 7WF
## **Charitable Status**
The Parochial Church Council (PCC) of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Freshford, Limpley Stoke and Hinton Charterhouse became Registered Charity Number 1170099 in November 2016 as its annual income was likely to exceed £100,000. It was previously recognised by the Charity Commission as a Charity but since its gross annual income had not then exceeded £100,000 it was previously 'excepted' from registration.
All members of the PCC are Trustees of the 'Trust' - that is the PCC - and the whole has body corporate status.
## **Trustees**
In accordance with one of the governing documents, the Church Representation Rules, Trustees are nominated for election by Church Members and additionally in the case of Churchwardens by those having a residential qualification. They are elected at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) and serve until the completion of the succeeding APCM. Legislation rules that the Minister of the Parish is Chairman of the PCC.
## **Strategic Vision**
Our vision is to find a model of rural ministry that makes disciples and grows the church in today’s society.
## **Objects and Activities**
The chief objective of the PCC is the development and growth of the Christian faith in the villages of Freshford, Limpley Stoke and Hinton Charterhouse. This is achieved by services at our three Parish Churches and wider mission in the communities. The PCC also maintains and develops its three church buildings and The Old Bakery (church rooms) for the benefit of its church members and the wider community
The Revd Mike Taylor was licensed as Priest in Charge on 17[th] March 2016 and by the time of the APCM in May 2021 he will have been developing his ministry with us for five years.
## **Pandemic Covid-19**
The worldwide pandemic had a significant effect in limiting our charitable activities during the year. The national lockdown from late March until July prevented the normal pattern of services and other activities in the Parish and severe restrictions continued during the second half of the year. Fortunately infection levels were very low in our three villages and a number of initiatives were put in place to help those self-isolating and shielding in accordance with government legislation and guidance.
## **Achievements and Performance**
The Trustees who form the PCC normally review our aims, objectives and activities each year. However, in view of the pandemic meetings of the PCC were curtailed or delayed during the year.
The special Sunday morning service for families with young children at St John’s Church, Hinton Charterhouse introduced in 2019 was well supported in the months before the national lockdown when our churches had to close. Throughout the periods of lockdown our Priest in Charge kept in touch with church members through a series of daily thoughts. When regulations allowed our churches were opened for services to limited numbers with reservation in advance. It has been a matter of doing what we can in very difficult and unusual circumstances.
The plans to reorder St Peter’s Church Freshford and to provide disabled access were finalised early in the year and an application for a full faculty was submitted to the Diocese. It was very pleasing to receive approval and fund raising plans are in progress so that the work can begin in 2021.
## **Future Plans**
Our aim is to grow our Parish and to offer a range of worship to meet the needs of our village communities of all ages. The plans to achieve this aim under the leadership of our Priest in Charge have had to be put on hold during the pandemic but we look forward to a future where our activities can return to normal.
## **Organisational Structure**
The Trustees normally meet regularly and determine overall policy and approve applications for Faculties and major capital expenditure. However such meetings were curtailed in 2020 by the pandemic. The day to day operations of our three churches is delegated to the Churchwardens who have worked hard in very difficult circumstances to do what we can within government regulations and guidance from the Diocese. We have however taken care to ensure that key items such as finance, employment, risk management, health and safety and safeguarding of children and the vulnerable have been properly covered.
## **Risk Assessment**
The Trustees are conscious of their legal obligations to maintain the places of worship, buildings, churchyards, curtilages and other property for which they have responsibility and to conduct their operations and activities in such manner as satisfies current Health and Safety and other legislation. Specifically this extends to arranging that prescribed routine inspections of the fabric of the buildings, electrical installations, fire fighting appliances, gas fired appliances and accessibility audits are carried out by appropriately qualified
professional bodies. Also included is a review of our safeguarding procedures in relation to children and vulnerable persons. A programme of health and safety audits has been implemented to assure the Trustees that all material risks have been addressed and that all practical steps have been taken to minimise the effects of those risks. In particular during the pandemic each activity has been the subject of a risk assessment.
## **Safeguarding**
Our policies and practices remain in line with advice from the Diocese of Bath and Wells Safeguarding Adviser.
## **Impairment Review of Fixed Assets**
As Managing Trustees of the three parish churches and The Old Bakery, the PCC is confident that its operational potential would not suffer significant impairment were one of the three churches to become unavailable in the short term. Permanent loss of one church or temporary loss of more than one church together with temporary or permanent loss of The Old Bakery would require fundamental change of strategy and re-deployment of resources.
The Trustees are confident that adequate levels of insurance are carried for the parish churches, their contents and The Old Bakery.
## **Reserves**
The Trustees’ policy is to ensure that as far as possible, income should at least cover day to day operating costs on an ongoing basis. It is recognised however that it may be necessary, in pursuit of our vision, objects and activities, to draw down reserves from time to time to enable us to maintain adequately and improve the facilities in our three church buildings and The Old Bakery, all of which are listed. The Trustees consider that reserves should be maintained in excess of 50% of annual expenditure so that emergency funding of essential building repairs can be carried out and all normal expenditure can be met. As at the 31[st] December 2020 unrestricted reserves amounted to £113,988 (£115,527 in 2019) which represented 137% of total annual expenditure.
## **Financial Review**
Given that the PCC's gross annual income is less than £250,000, it has chosen the option of maintaining and preparing its accounts on a Receipts and Payments basis. The accounting year is 1[st] January to 31[st] December. Total receipts amounted to £94,210 and payments £83,084 leading to an excess of receipts over payments of £11,126. However it should be noted that during the year restricted donations towards the costs of reordering of St Peter’s Church of £17,270 were received and professional fees of some £7752 were incurred in the preparation of the associated plans and faculty application.
The investments held by the Parish and the Diocese for St Mary’s Church increased in value during the year by £4,043.
Trustees. Responsibilities
Charity Law requires the Trustees to Prepare accounts for each financial year which give a
view of the stste of affairs of the Trust and of the profrt or1055 of the Trust for that period.
In preparlng those accounts the Trustees are required to:
l. selert atttsunting pofKies and then apply them con5i5tently
2. make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and pmdent
3. follow applicable èccountlng standards
4. prepare the accounts in accordan *ryth the ststement of recommended practice
{SORP}, accounting by chartties
S. prepare the accounts on the ongoing concem basis
The Trustees are responsible for ensuring that proper accounting records are kept which
disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial posttion of the Trust so a5 to
enable them to ensure that the accounts compfy with Charity law. They are also respCsIble
for safeguarding the assets of the Trust and hence for taking reasonable steps for the
preventlon and detectlon of fraud and other Irre8ulaTlties.
As the TnteeS of the Trust- the Ecdesiastical Parish of Fre5hf(Kd with LKnpley Stoke and
Hinton Chartethouse- we confirm that:
l. so far as we are aware. there is rto relevant audit information of which the Trust's
Independent Examiner is unaware and
we have taken the Steps that we ought to have taken in order to make oursefves
aware of any relevant audit infonnation and to e5tabli5h that the Trust's
Independent Examiner is aware of that infonnation.
Sl8ned on behalf of the Trustees by Michael Ta. Chairnian and Priestryin-charge
8 March 2021
## **The Ecclesiastical Parish of Freshford with Limpley Stoke and Hinton Charterhouse**
Registered Charity Number 1170099 Financial Statements for the year ended 31st December 2020
## **A Receipts and Payments**
## **Receipts**
|**Receipts**|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||2020||2019|
||Unrestricted|Restricted|TOTAL|TOTAL|
||Funds|Funds|||
||£|£|£|£|
|_Donations_|||||
|Planned giving|39502|2625|42127|45431|
|Collections donations and other giving|9182|23872|33054|24964|
|Income tax recovered|10337|1049|11386|12802|
|_Trading activities_|||||
|Magazine sales and Hall Lettings|2811|0|2811|6371|
|Annual Fete and events|75|410|485|1801|
|_Receipts from Investments_|||||
|Interest and dividends|1338|108|1446|1588|
|_Receipts from Charitable activities_|||||
|Parochial Fees|2326|0|2326|4765|
|_Other receipts_|||||
|Other|575|0|575|44|
|**Total Receipts**|66146|28064|94210|97766|
Page 1
## **Payments**
|**Payments**|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||2020||2019|
||Unrestricted|Restricted|TOTAL|TOTAL|
||Funds|Funds|||
||£|£|£|£|
|_Charitable activities_|||||
|Donations to charities|1317|0|1317|1530|
|Mission and Evangelism|3941|0|3941|9275|
|Parish Share|33959|0|33959|35194|
|Clergy expenses|1577|0|1577|2430|
|Church running expenses|12184|5864|18048|16058|
|Churchyard maintenance|2482|1500|3982|3292|
|Cost of raising funds|0|30|30|220|
|Support costs|99|0|99|0|
|Administration costs|7113|0|7113|7513|
|Governance costs|||||
|Other|496|0|496|1318|
|_Major expenditure_|||||
|Repairs to church buildings|7752|4770|12522|10019|
|Repairs to other property|0|0|0|5840|
|**Total payments**|70920|12164|83084|92689|
|**Excess of Receipts over Payments**|-4774|15900|11126|5077|
Page 2
## **B Assets and Liabilities**
|**Assets**
_Cash Funds_
Cash non restricted
Cash Restricted
_Total Cash Funds_
_Investments_
Non restricted
Restricted
_Total Investments_
**Total Monetary Assets**
**Liabilities**(5.44 - 5.46)
**Total Monetary Liabilities**
**Net value of accounts (for illustrative**
**purposes only)**|_As at 31st December_
2020
£
63424
51344
114768
50564
12513
63077
177845
0
177845|2019
Change in year
£
£
68198
35443
103641
11127
47329
11705
59034
4043
162675
15170
0
162675
15170|
|---|---|---|
## **NOTES**
1. The Old Bakery, High Street, Freshford is retained by the PCC as Managing Trustees for Parochial Purposes. Purchase Price in 1992 - £45000
2. Limpley Stoke Village Hall is retained by the PCC as Managing Trustees for parochial purposes.
3. The Friends of St Peter's Church is a connected charity Number 1097233.
Its funds are available to assist in the care, preservation and maintenance of St Peter's Church building. The balance as at 31st December 2020 was £2279.
Page 3
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