The Parish of the Ascension
Annual Report 2022-23
The Parish of the Ascension Church at Castle ecumenical partnership
www.churchatcastle.org
Parish of the Ascension Office, The Old School, Harvey Goodwin Avenue, Cambridge CB4 3EU
The Parish of the Ascension
The Parish of the Ascension is a single benefice comprising four church buildings around Castle Hill and beyond (north of the river, as far as Gilbert Road, West Road, Histon Road and Madingley Road, beyond the M11). They form a family of community-serving churches. Resident numbers in the parish are increasing rapidly due to Cambridge's ever growing population as well as from new housing on sites such as the University's Eddington development and Darwin Green (see map). In Cambridge, the population size has increased by 17.6%, from around 123,900 in 2011 to 145,700 in 2021. This is higher than the overall increase for England (6.6%) and higher than the increase for the East of England (8.3%). https://www.ons.gov.uk/visualisations/censuspopulationchange/E07000008/
St Augustine's was built in 1898 as a multi-purpose building; a primary school and social space during the week and a church on Sundays. It continues to be very much at the heart of its community as it celebrates in 2023 its 125th anniversary of its founding and consecration .
St Giles' parish dates back to 1092. Open daily, the church is a quiet city centre space for prayer and meditation. At other times it welcomes people for the musical events, concerts, talks, celebrations and commemorations. The garden, a green space in a busy city, is used for lively fun days, garden parties and picnics as well as being cared for with the environment in mind.
St Luke's Church is a local ecumenical partnership between the United Reformed Church and the Church of England. The halls and church rooms, called St Luke's Church Centre, area venue for a wide variety of groups and activities including COPE (Cambridgeshire Older People's Enterprise) and a Montessori nursery.
St Peter's Church is located just across the road from St Giles' Church. Christians have been worshipping there for well over a thousand years. Day to day care of the church is shared with The Churches Conservation Trust. The building is open as a place of prayer and is sometimes used for exhibitions. Throughout the year special festivals are celebrated at St. Peter's and it is a quiet, sacred space for all to use.
1
ChurchatCastle - an Ecumenical Group
Together with the United Reformed Church at St Luke's, Castle Street Methodist Church and the Romanian Orthodox congregation of St John the Evangelist, who worship in St Giles' Church, the churches offer an ecumenical witness in this northern area of the City of Cambridge. The umbrella name of 'ChurchatCastle' is used to describe the ecumenical character and activities of the churches and is reflected in the website, www.churchatcastle.org
Social profile
The social profile of the parish's population is as diverse as the city of which it forms a part. The Centre for Cities report 'Cities Outlook 2018' reported Cambridge as being the least equal city in England and Wales. The evolving new housing developments in the parish will see many international students, scholars and their families coming to live in the University of Cambridge's Eddington development with an equally diverse population moving into Darwin Green with its 40% affordable housing. A 2022 report states that one in seven households is defined as a ‘benefit household’ (‘Mapping Poverty 2022’, Cambridge City Council).
Representation
Parochial Church Council Terms of Reference
The PCC is the legally constituted body for the area with ultimate responsibility for all the activities of the churches in the parish. It may delegate some of its responsibilities to the Ecumenical Church Council (ECC) for St Luke's and District Church Councils (DCCs) for St Giles' and St Augustine's as it sees fit.
The Parish of the Ascension is committed to safeguarding in all its churches those who attend the worship and other activities that we offer. Safeguarding promotes the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and includes all actions to protect them from harm. Our Safeguarding Officer is Angela Gibbs.
-
The Parish of the Ascension follows recommended safeguarding practice in recruiting, training and supporting our ordained and lay ministers, our employees and our volunteers.
-
We follow the House of Bishops’ Policy statement, ‘Promoting a safer church‘ (2017) and guidelines from the Diocese of Ely.
The PCC assumes particular responsibility for the Parish's contractual obligations in respect of the Parish Room and the Burial Ground, and in respect of the Parish Administrator and any other person that may be employed by or contracted to it. It will as a result draw up and agree a budget annually reflecting these responsibilities. It will also determine the level of financial support provided to the different churches in respect of their responsibilities for meeting some of the central administrative costs and parish share. The PCC will act as the final authority in respect of any dispute between the churches in the Parish, whether these are of a financial or other nature and in so far as it is within their jurisdiction.
Members of the PCC will be elected annually by members listed on the Electoral Roll.
2
St Luke's Ecumenical Church Council (ECC)
St Luke's Ecumenical Church Council (ECC) is a partnership between the United Reformed Church and the Church of England. Authority is delegated to this body within a sharing agreement between the PCC of the Parish of the Ascension and the congregational meeting of the United Reformed Church in all matters pertaining to the management of St Luke's Church. The ECC meets bi-monthly, normally on the first Tuesdays of the month, except in August. Anyone in the congregation may ask for an item to be put on the agenda. Membership of the ECC consists of twelve lay members who are each elected for a period of three years, the URC minister and the Rector.
Congregational Meetings take place every other month after the morning service; they are the forum for debate and open to everyone in the congregation (although only those on the Common Roll may vote).
The Annual General Meeting takes place in March/April, when reports from the various organisations and activities are presented and elections are held.
Electoral Roll
In accordance with the Church Representation Rules ('CRR'), an updated roll has been prepared in advance of the annual parochial church meeting. In May 2022 the new electoral roll had 124 members. Since then, sadly we have lost six members who have died, and a further six former members have moved away or worship elsewhere. We have gained two new members, so the new roll has 114 members. I am grateful to Helen Cunnington, Ken Smith and Richard Catchpole for their assistance with updating the roll.
Sheila Rozeik, Electoral Roll Officer May 2023
Elected members of the Parochial Church Council (post APCM 2022)
Churchwardens ex-officio on PCC (elected annually)
St Augustine’s Philip Mead, Mark Wills St Giles’ Richard Catchpole St Luke’s Doreen Ullinger
Deanery Synod representatives 2020-2023 ex officio on PCC
St Augustine’s vacant St Giles’ vacant St Luke’s Jane Holmes
3
Parochial Church Council
St Augustine’s
2020-2023 Antony Rix 2021-2024 Patricia McGuire *, Secretary 2022-2025 vacancy
St Giles’
2020-2023 vacancy 2021-2024 vacancy 2022-2025 vacancy
St Luke’s
2020-2023 Gill Ambrose 2021-2024 Judith Crowe 2019-2022 Paul Gibbs
* not eligible for re-election when current term ends
District Church Councils
St Augustine’s
2020-2023 vacancy 2021-2024 vacancy 2022-2025 Lisa Evans
St Giles’
2020-2023 Valerie Anderson 2020-2023 Arthur Hibble 2021-2024 Margaret Waring 2022-2025 Helen Kinsey
Ecumenical Church Council
St Luke’s Ecumenical Church Council as from Annual Congregational Meeting 27[th] March 2022:
May Block, Margaret Cooper, Isobel Fox, Angela Gibbs, Paul Gibbs, Lib Hallam, Joan Jeans, Frances Klein, Sue Mudie (resigned June 2022), Clare Redfern (resigned end of 2022), Ken Smith, and Doreen Ullinger
St Luke’s Joint Council as from Annual Congregational Meeting 27[th] March 2022:
May Block, Margaret Cooper, Judith Crowe, Paul Custerson (until November 2022), Isobel Fox, Paul Gibbs, Frances Klein and Alison Taylor.
4
Ministry team (ex officio on the PCC)
Team Rector Philipa King Team Vicar Janet Bunker URC Minister Charles Mather (retired April 2022) Deborah McVey (interim) Assistant Priest Tom Ambrose Retired Priest Owen Spencer Thomas Licensed Lay Minister Margaret Cooper Authorised Lay Minister for children Gill Ambrose Authorised Lay Pastoral Minister Sue Mudie (until June 2022) LLM Emerita Sylvia Pick
Administrative information
Parish of the Ascension , St. Giles’ Church, Castle Street, Cambridge, CB3 0AQ (until end of March 2023). Since then: The Old School, Harvey Goodwin Avenue, Cambridge, CB4 3EU
Official correspondence to the Parish Administrator’s Office at the above address.
Bankers:
Co-operative Bank plc
Legal advisers :
Diocesan Registrar; Barr Ellison, 39 Parkside, Cambridge, CB1 1PN
Independent Examiner:
Scott Reynolds ACCA , Day Accountants Ltd., Quern House, Mill Court, Great Shelford, Cambridgeshire CB22 5LD
Architect:
Nigel Walter, Archangel Architects, 3 Doctor’s Close, Impington, Cambridge CB24 9ND
Bookkeeper: Laetitia Smith (until the end of November 2022). Since then: Day Accountants Ltd.
Parish Administrator: Sheila Rozeik
5
REPORTS
North Cambridge Deanery Report 2022-23
Since the last APCM, North Cambridge Deanery Synod has met 3 times; 5[th] July 2022 (Joint meeting with South Cambridge Deanery, Holy Trinity); 10[th] November 2022 (St Mary’s Fen Ditton); 13[th] March 2023 (Old Schoolhouse, St Luke’s).
Nick Moir (Vicar of Fen Ditton, Rector of Horningsea and Rector of Teversham) was commissioned as Rural Dean for the Cambridge North Deanery in November 2022 for a period of 5 years. Lindsay Davies (Churchwarden, Horningsea) became Lay Chair of the Deanery also in November.
Joint meeting July 2022: Karin Voth Harman (St Andrews, Cherry Hinton) talked about major housing development and growth in the area, with 50,000 new homes planned over the next 20 years affecting both Cambridge deaneries. Christopher Townsend and Nick Moir discussed the agenda for the July General Synod meeting in York. St Mark’s Newnham and St John’s Hills Road have both achieved their Eco Church Bronze Award. Sophie Young, Chaplain to the Homeless and Streetlife Community, sent a written report outlining the partnership with It Takes a City and other organisations to provide a pop-up hostel, offering 24-hour safe emergency accommodation, was a successful venture over the winter of 202-22. Crossways on Chesterton Road is planned to continue in the winter of 2022-23 with additional activities. Parishes outlined how they were supporting Ukrainian refugees.
November 2022: Nick Moir spoke about Deanery planning and the setting up of a Deanery Planning Group. Every deanery is being asked to develop a plan for how the deanery might work together to grow in confidence as Christians, develop healthy churches and leaders, serve communities, re-imagine the use of buildings and focus limited resources efficiently. The Planning Group will share their findings every term with the Synod. Nick sent out the planning questionnaire in January 2023 and the Planning Group are Nick Moir, Lindsay Davies, Dave Maher (Good Shepherd, Arbury), Andrew Day (St Clement’s) and Chris Lowe (St John’s, Orchard Park).
March 2023: Synod was welcomed to the newly refurbished Old Schoolhouse at St Luke’s. Prayers and a minute’s silence were held for Anna Matthews.
Danny Driver (Christ the Redeemer, Barnwell) talked about his context. There is a growing congregation (about 30-50) with the possibility of a constructing a new church building as part of an area redevelopment. The parish is one of the poorest in the country, with a high proportion of social housing. There are good historic relations with Barnwell Baptists. Jimmy’s at present runs modular housing on the church site.
Andy Atkins talked about St George’s Chesterton. About 9000 people live in the parish where there are three primary schools, the Science Park, 1000 travellers and 8000 new homes are due to be built on the sewage works site. St George’s was built in 1938 and it became a part time post in 2012. He was appointed a pioneer to develop Hope Church in 2018 and became the incumbent last September. There are three non-stipendiary clergy and an outreach worker.
6
Dorothy Peyton-Jones then talked about St John’s Orchard Park. It is a mostly young congregation, of about 30+ adults with children. They often eat together after church. The young people (teenagers) go to Christchurch. Chris Lowe is involved at the primary school, taking assemblies. Outreach takes place in the community centre. Outreach to men is needed. Also mental health training.
Nick Moir fed back about the last General Synod. The debate on prayers for same sex couples lasted 8 hours with many amendments, all but one failed. The proposals came from the bishops (GS2289). There was no consensus among the bishops to change the doctrine of marriage but the bishops’ proposals came without a theological rationale. Chris Townsend said all were united about extending a welcome to all people. Nick Moir asked members to email him with thoughts about a debate at the next Deanery Synod in June. He called a vote about postponing discussion of Deanery planning: 22 were in favour, 2 against, 3 abstentions. Janet Bunker
Report from the PCC
The PCC met three times between the 26 May 2022 Annual Parochial Church Meeting and the May 2023 APCM: 28 June 2022, 10 November 2022, and 6 February 2023. Janet chaired. In addition some business was conducted by email in October 2022 (to appoint Day Accountants as the Parish accountants and bookkeepers) and February 2023 (the annual review of the safeguarding policy).
A £500 contribution was voted to the Friends of the Parish of the Ascension Burial Ground to enable them to develop some work to increase their membership and income streams. A 'draft faculty' was produced to balance the interests of the City Council, the Friends, the parish, and people who use the burial ground as an amenity or for visiting graves of relations.
The PCC was kept up to date as Day Accountants took over as bookkeepers for the Parish. The outgoing bookkeeper and the long-serving treasurers in each church were thanked for their invaluable service, and new financial representatives were put forward by the churches to operate the new accounting software.
A DCC representative for St Augustine's and one for St Giles' were elected. A new Safeguarding Officer was appointed upon Ank's retirement. The PCC decided that only the Safeguarding policy will be reviewed yearly, the other policies would be reviewed every 3 years. The parish safeguarding procedures have been made more robust by reason of new legislation. The PCC considered its responsibilities as Charity Trustees, including its strengths and weaknesses. All members of the PCC (and the Safeguarding Officer) are now listed on the Charity Commission website.
By Easter, all three churches were holding all services in-person, sometimes with the option to join by Zoom. Illnesses put some strain on the Ministry Team early in the year and it was decided to hold only one, joint parish service on the third Sunday of each month, rotating through the three churches.
7
The PCC's vote of a donation to the Cambridge Mosque was directed towards the urgent need for a boiler and kitchen facilities.
The PCC discussed various ways to respond to the 'Warm Spaces' initiative (to combat the cost of living/pay gap) and the churches took actions appropriate to their circumstances.
The St Luke's School Fair was held on 2 July 2022, and a parish Coronation bring-and-share lunch on 8 May 2023. The parish continued to support CamCRAG by hosting two of its now annual fund-raising events at St Giles': a fair and sleepover and a ceilidh enabling CamCrag to raise over £3,000.
Janet kept the PCC informed of progress on Darwin Green [the community rooms were to open March 2023]
The parish office moved to the Whibley room in The Old School on St Luke’s site.
Patricia McGuire, PCC Secretary
Churchwardens' Reports
St Augustine's
As with the other churches in the parish, the use of our buildings by the community has not only returned to pre-Covid levels but has shown increased activity as people want to meet socially outside their homes. St Augustine’s remains a popular venue for parties for children and adults and for groups looking for a small, affordable rentable space, so we have new groups learning about the Japanese Tea Ceremony, Tai Chi and new parent and children’s groups.
Cafe@99, run by the Richmond Road Residents’ Association (RRRA) on Monday and Friday mornings, continues to be popular with hall users and local residents looking for good company and cake. Friday Night talks and Saturday evening musical events also remain popular and free to attend. This Spring Term’s programme has included talks on retrofitting existing buildings to make them more energy efficient, the history of the Museum of Cambridge, Calais Migrants and the writer W.H Hudson. A concert by local children gave great pleasure to its audience and many of the children had a chance to play in public for the first time.
St Augustine’s remains a collection point for the Cambridge Foodbank and contributes to the work of Akeman [Street] Community Centre in supporting those struggling with the cost of living. The monthly Community Lunch, now in its 48th year, continues to nourish and entertain 40 -50 members of the parish and beyond. Children from Mayfield School visit St Augustine’s annually to understand more about their local church and its activities. In February, Dragos Herescu (Principal of IOCS) brought a group of Romanian theology students to visit St Augustine’s and hear about parish ministry in the Church of England. Also in February, RRRA held an open event in the church with archive material on the history of the area and of the church which was well attended.
8
At the diocese’s request, Mike Good is undertaking diocesan training to move from being an occasional preacher to an Authorised Lay Minister (ALM) in Preaching. The Team Vicar continues to attend the Darwin Green Steering Group and North West Cambridge Forum, both local authority led.
Sadly, we lost two long standing members of St Augustine’s, Don and June Anderson who are much missed. Don’s family gave a painting of his to the church which is now hung in the Café area.
Our services remain hybrid (in person and online/phone) which allows as many people as possible to join our worship. We are always grateful to the St Augustine’s Singers for the beauty they add to our worship on special occasions such as the meditation on Good Friday and Easter Day celebrations.
Philip Mead, Mark Wills, Churchwardens
St Giles' Church
Services, events, hire, volunteering and finance at St Giles' have recovered to pre-pandemic levels, despite the congregation declining gently like the CofE at large. Our Anglican services continued as hybrid, with regular participation online by those unable to attend in person. Romanian orthodox services continued to fill St Giles' on Sundays and during the week for occasional services. Neighbouring Magdalene College used our church whenever numbers were too large for their own chapel.
Our regular social events for the community included St Giles' Fair, the Christmas Tree Festival, regular church tours, crafts, Tea@3 with the addition of Welcome Wednesdays during the cold weather, and coronation celebrations. We enabled local charities to raise funds through stalls at events and by using the church facilities for their own events.
Our large and beautiful indoor space near the city centre is open daily and was hired most weekday evenings, especially by student music groups. Locals strolled, met and relaxed in our beautifully kept churchyard. Visitors from the UK and abroad visited to admire the historic beauty of the church, or for a moment of quiet reflection.
The generosity of our modest band of volunteers in giving their time to enable all of this is hugely appreciated. Many hours were spent preparing and serving food, sitting with visitors and rearranging the vestry to be safer and more efficient.
In 2022 we experienced significant repair and maintenance costs for the building, albeit offset by grants. We had another break-in and a theft that were largely covered by insurance.
So, finances finished the year similarly to previous years, however, for the listed Victorian building to be sustainable we must budget for escalating costs of the fabric for evolving use, and build corresponding reserves. We are grateful to the Friends of St Giles' Church for their continuing support and designated donations.
Richard Catchpole, Churchwarden
9
St Luke's Church (United Reformed and Anglican Local Ecumenical Partnership, LEP) From the report presented to the Annual Congregational Meeting 30[th] April 2023
We were very pleased when Doreen Ullinger agreed to accept the role as churchwarden as Paul Gibbs stood down after 7 years in that post.
St Luke's were delighted to see Philipa back leading our worship after her absence due to ill health. St Luke’s are grateful to all the ministers who supported the church during Philipa’s absence. In-person worship returned on a regular basis, with over 20 people attending each week.
The church is an older building and requires regular maintenance and upkeep. The pandemic and associated restrictions delayed many activities, but these are now being addressed. During the year the lift required extensive renovation and refurbishment. The maintenance cost approximately £75,000 and the lift now has a further life expectancy of 25 years. The amount was split three ways equally between the Church Centre, the Anglican and the URC accounts. The church heating system presented its usual problems and was closely monitored to control the temperature more economically and accurately. The diocese had given £600 to help offset energy costs. The gas supply to the cooker was also a problem, probably due to lack of use during lockdown. The defective solenoid was replaced, and the cooker was successfully used to cook the food for the fund-raising travel evenings. Also during the year an inventory of the kitchen equipment took place.
Covid delayed the installation of curtains in the Parham room necessary to improve the acoustics within The Old School (TOS). The thermally lined curtains have now been installed, paid for out of the building budget. There have been several lettings of TOS, especially to church-curated art exhibitions, and it is hoped there will be more over the forthcoming year. The parish office has now moved into the Whibley Room in TOS on the ground floor.
First Aid courses were attended during the year and safeguarding courses have are also being completed.
Unfortunately, the church fabric suffered some damage and losses. Heavy rain led to water ingress in the Wray Hall on several occasions over the year during torrential downpours. This occurs despite regular gutter and gulley cleaning. A watching brief is being kept on the condition. St Luke’s suffered another break-in which resulted in a small amount of cash being taken but a large amount of damage being caused. The safe was damaged beyond repair and discussions are ongoing with insurers regarding its replacement,
St Luke's mourned the sad loss of its music director Paul Custerson who died in October. The funeral was held in November and the celebration of his life was very well attended. He will be sadly missed. We have since been blessed with Philip Mead taking over music direction for our church though unfortunately for two Sundays only each month. The organ was tuned during the year and it was lovely to hear it being played in services and it is also used for practice.
10
It is with grateful thanks to a very kind donor, Stephen Lawrence, for providing a substantial amount of money for the renovation of the Steinway piano. Thanks are also due to Philip Mead for organising the renovation and for his donation of a piano stool and quilted cover. Its arrival was celebrated with several piano recitals and it is planned to build on this and utilise it in our fund-raising events. There was a particularly successful and enjoyable recital with cake and coffee celebrating the New Year.
The travel evenings recommenced in the early part of the year with talks by Bill Block and Margaret Cooper. They followed the usual format with a meal before the talk. We are pleased they remain successful fundraising events.
The churchyard is managed by the City Council and overseen by Alison Taylor on behalf of the church and thanks are due for their endeavours with volunteers to maintain a safe, interesting and environmentally friendly area around the building. We also thank our centre Manager Heather who oversees and manages all the administration for the hiring of rooms etc; the dayto-day maintenance of the building including Centre security and overseeing outside contractors; good relations with and between Centre users; fire safety; cleanliness and control of inappropriate use of the car park and graveyard. External bookings have recovered well and remain near capacity
Paul Gibbs. Previous Church Warden
St Luke's (VA) Church of England Primary School
The Headteacher, Beccy Ireland-Curtis, and her staff continue to work hard on raising standards at the school as well as providing a caring and nurturing environment for all the children.
The school is part of DEMAT, (Diocese of Ely Multi-Academy Trust) and also receives support from the Church Schools of Cambridge Trust (CSoC). Gill Ambrose and Janet Bunker are school governors, trustees of CSoC and continue to take a weekly school assembly in term time. The school received an Ofsted visit in March 2023.
Parish of the Ascension Burial Ground
The closed burial ground continues to be a place for quiet walks and contemplation by its’ surrounding community. The Friends of the Burial Ground hold regular working parties in conjunction with the City Council's team who now have legal responsibility for the maintenance and upkeep of this precious community and wildlife asset. The burial ground gained a Bronze Cambridgeshire Churchyard Conservation Award from The Wildlife Trust in recognition of the steady progress that is being made.
11
Our challenges
Like most church communities we are still recovering from the effects of the Covid pandemic and counting its cost to us in financial and social terms. We have held together as three worshipping communities but also enjoyed more worship across the three churches with online and combined services. The combined parish service now happens regularly on the third Sunday of the month. This serves as a welcome reminder that we are one parish within the wider ChurchatCastle grouping.
The other main challenge is the stepping back from active ministry and reduced capacity of some members of the ministry team and as we await the appointment of a URC minister. With a complex and ever growing parish with increasing needs, this spreads the remaining ministry very thin at times. We are grateful for the help and support we have received from others during this time.
But mainly our faith and hope rests in the Lord, the rock of our salvation.
Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest.’
Matthew 9: 35-38
Copies of this report are available online at https://www.churchatcastle.org/about/
12
Advent Carol Service
13
THE PARISH OF THE ASCENSION CAMBRIDGE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022
Registered Charity number 1172822
PARISH OF THE ASCENSION, CAMBRIDGE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022
| Contents | Pages |
|---|---|
| Annual Report | 1 |
| Independent Examiner's Report | 4 |
| Statement of Financial Activities | 5 |
| Balance Sheet | 6 |
| Statement of Cashflows | 7 |
| Notes to the Financial Statements | 8 |
PARISH OF THE ASCENSION, CAMBRIDGE ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022
This is the annual report of the Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Benefice of the Ascension, Cambridge (St Giles with St Peter, St Luke and St Augustine), known as the Parish of the Ascension, Cambridge for the year ended 31 December 2022.
Background
The Parish of the Ascension, Cambridge is the largest in the Diocese of Ely, covering an area in Cambridge bounded by Queens Road, Madingley Road, Huntingdon Road and Gilbert Road. The Parochial Church Council ("PCC") of the parish has the responsibility of co-operating with the Ministry Team in promoting in the Parish the whole mission of the church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. (The Ministry Team includes Church of England, United Reformed Church and Methodist ministers and licensed and authorized lay ministers). It also has maintenance responsibilities for St Luke's Church, The Old School, St Giles' Church, St Augustine's Church and the Parish Room (St Hall). In addition we work with the Romanian Orthodox Church who shares the building at St. Giles'. It is a registered charity, no. 1172822, address Ascension Parish Office, St. Giles' Church, Cambridge, CB3 0AQ.
Structure, governance and management
The governing document is the Parochial Church Council Powers Measure (1956) as amended and Church Representation Rules that came into force on 2 January 1957; the latest edition of these rules, 2020, is available online https://www.churchofengland.org/about/leadership-and-governance/ecclesiastical-law/churchrepresentation-rules
The PCC oversees the working of the parish through its regular meetings and through District Church Councils at
Members of the PCC are those outlined as eligible under the Church Representation Rules 2020 (Section B: M15). During the year and to the time at which these accounts are approved, the following served as members of the PCC.
| Rector | The Revd Canon Philipa King |
|---|---|
| Team Vicar | The Revd Dr Janet Bunker |
| Asst. Priest | The Revd Dr Tom Ambrose |
| URC Minister | The Revd Charles Mather (retired April 2022) |
| Retired Priest | The Revd Canon Dr Owen Spencer Thomas |
| Licensed Lay Minister | Margaret Cooper |
| Authorised Lay Pastoral Minister | Sue Mudie (until June 2022) |
| Authorised Lay Minister for Children | Gill Ambrose |
| Churchwardens | Philip Mead |
| Mark Wills | |
| Richard Catchpole | |
| Doreen Ullinger | |
| Deanery Synod representatives | Jane Holmes |
| Treasurer | Richard Footitt |
| Elected Members, also secretary | Patricia McGuire, also Secretary |
| Antony Rix | |
| Judith Crowe | |
| Paul Gibbs |
1
PARISH OF THE ASCENSION, CAMBRIDGE ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022
Objectives and activities
The key function of the charity is through its activities to promote in the Parish the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelical, social and ecumenical. In setting and reviewing the objectives and activities the Trustees have had due regard to the public benefit guidance issued by the Charity Commission.
Achievements and Performance
The Parish also looks to respond creatively to the Diocesan Vision prayer that we should be generous and visible people of Jesus Christ.
2022 has been a challenging year for all parishes as they recover and adapt to a post-Covid environment. Our main sources of income remain those received from the hire of our buildings to community groups and organisations, especially the rental of the Parish Room, planned giving from our congregations and events where offer this space for rental to local organisations as a community asset.
There seems to have been pent up demand for meeting space as not only have most of our long term users returned, but also many new groups and users have sought to hire space in our churches. This is welcome but also puts extra pressure on the buildings and their management, the latter mostly undertaken by volunteers.
We continue to collaborate with those working for the common good and human flourishing within the parish and wider city especially looking to meet the needs of those experiencing the cost of living crisis. Each church has responded appropriately considering its resources, human and financial. So for example St Tea@Three to include a simple soup lunch which complements the morning offering of hospitality from our neighbours Castle St Methodists.
The year ahead looks no less challenging with the continued after-effects of the pandemic, on both finances and the number of active volunteers available to manage the increased activity and community engagement to which we are committed.
With continuing financial pressures on local authority services and community facilities and in such a diverse, busy and ever-growing place such as Cambridge where inequalities of opportunity can be very stark, we look to continue to use all our resources, physical, human and spiritual, to offer generous hospitality and an open welcome to those seeking rest, recreation, reflection, friendship and Christian fellowship.
We continue to hold firm to God's promise in our Saviour Jesus Christ that he will be with us until the end of the age and to use all we are and have for the benefit and building up of our communities.
2
PARISH OF THE ASCENSION, CAMBRIDGE ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022
Financial Review of the year
The principal funding sources are through regular giving, collections at services, donations, and income from investments and rents.
Hall hire and rental incomes picked up in 2022 owing to a year with fewer COVID restrictions, almost returning to pre-COVID levels. The regular income and expenditure in 2022 was fairly similar to the prior year when the expenditure from the redevelopment of St Luke's old school is omitted from the figures. A large proportion of the grants, donations and funding for this redevelopment was received in the two years prior - leading to a defecit in this year's figures when the remaining works were completed.
We're immensely grateful for all of the planned giving and generous donations received throughout the year - these have increased by £20,379 compared to the prior year and have more than covered the day to day running costs for the Parish leading to a surplus in unrestricted income funds.
The Parish was able to maintain the commitment to increase its Parish Share year-on-year, despite incurring additional expenditure when an unexpected change of tenants took place at the Parish Hall.
including major repairs and development costs of £104,382 incurred throughout the course of the year, upgrading the lifts, restoring the piano and curtains.
Additional costs were also incurred for a variety of smaller maintenance projects as required during the year at each church to ensure the upkeep of the church buildings and grounds.
Non-property investments generated a loss of of nearly £26,034 in 2022. Investments other than property are held in CBF Church of England Funds, either in the Deposit Fund or in the Investment Fund, but with interest rates remaining very low, the income during the year was negligible
Policy on Reserves
Unrestricted funds are used by the PCC to pay for everyday expenses and at their discretion for furthering the mission and ministry of the Church. These amounted to £966,963 at the end of the year as against £958,971 at the end of 2021.
Restricted funds are principally available for the upkeep and maintenance of the churches, and amounted to £189,378 as against £272,961 in 2021, with the difference largely accounted for by the development of the old school house at St Luke to which some of these restricted funds had been allocated.
Much of the income from Endowment funds is available only for the upkeep of the burial ground, often for specific graves, but with a small sum available for more general purposes at the discretion of the PCC. These funds at the end of 2022 stood at £57,261 as against £60,990 at the start of the year.
On behalf of the PCC
Date
3
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE PARISH OF THE ASCENSION, CAMBRIDGE
I report on the accounts of Parochial Church Council of the Parish of the Ascension, Cambridge ("the PCC") for the year ended 31 December 2022, which are set out on pages 5 to 11.
Respective responsibilities of the PCC and the examiner
The members of the Parochial Church Council are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. They consider than an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the Act) and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to:
-
examine the accounts under section 145 of the Act;
-
to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under Section 145(5)(b) of the Act; and
-
to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of independent examiner's opinion
My examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the PCC and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a 'true and fair view' and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statements below.
Independent examiner's statement
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:
-
(a) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements:
-
to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Act; and
-
to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and to comply with the accounting requirements of the Act.
-
(b) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Scott Reynolds ACCA Date Chartered Accountants (ICAEW) Day Accountants Ltd Quern House Mill Court Great Shelford Cambridgeshire CB22 5LD
4
PARISH OF THE ASCENSION, CAMBRIDGE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022
| **Unrestricted ** | Restricted | Endowment | Total | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Note | Funds | Funds | Funds | 2022 | 2021 | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | ||
| Income | ||||||
| Donations & legacies | 2(a) | 68,879 | 12,730 | - | 81,608 | 155,323 |
| Charitable activities | 2(b) | 35,924 | 67,256 | - | 103,180 | 81,989 |
| Investments | 2(c) | 73,382 | 1,024 | - | 74,406 | 67,738 |
| Total Income | 178,185 | 81,010 | - | 259,194 | 305,050 | |
| Expenditure | ||||||
| Raising funds | 3(a) | 56 | - | - | 56 | 56 |
| Charitable Activities: | ||||||
| Parish Share | 3(b) | 53,390 | 15,000 | - | 68,390 | 64,416 |
| Ministerial costs | 3(c) | 4,990 | - | - | 4,990 | 5,379 |
| Costs of church activities | 3(d) | 81,968 | 142,502 | - | 224,471 | 237,738 |
| Governance Costs | 3(e) | 14,575 | - | - | 14,575 | 11,117 |
| Total Expenditure | 154,978 | 157,502 | - | 312,480 | 318,706 | |
| Net Income/(Expenditure) Before Transfers | 23,207 | (76,492) | - | (53,286) | (13,656) | |
| Transfer Between Funds: | ||||||
| Transfer (to)/from Restricted Funds | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Net Income/(Expenditure) for the year | 23,207 | (76,492) | - | (53,286) | (13,656) | |
| Other recognised gains and (losses) | ||||||
| Unrealised gains/(losses) on investment assets | 6 | (15,215) | (7,090) | (3,729) | (26,034) | 37,737 |
| Net Movement in Funds | 7,992 | (83,583) | (3,729) | (79,320) | 24,081 | |
| Reconciliation of Funds: | ||||||
| Fund balances b/fwd at 1 January 2021 | 958,971 | 272,961 | 60,990 | 1,292,922 | 1,268,841 | |
| Fund Balances c/fwd at 31 December 2022 | 966,963 | 189,378 | 57,261 | 1,213,602 | 1,292,922 |
Income and expenditure is derived solely from continuing operations
The notes on pages 8 - 11 form part of these financial statements
5
PARISH OF THE ASCENSION, CAMBRIDGE BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2022
| Note FIXED ASSETS Investments 6 CURRENT ASSETS Debtors 7 Cash at Bank and In Hand CURRENT LIABILITIES Creditors - Amounts Falling Due Within One Year 8 NET CURRENT ASSETS TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES Creditors - Amounts Falling Due After More Than One Year NET ASSETS FUNDS Unrestricted Funds 9 Restricted Funds 10 Endowment Funds 11 Total Funds |
£ £ 1,023,690 2,218 194,926 197,144 7,232 189,912 1,213,602 - 1,213,602 966,963 189,378 57,261 1,213,602 2022 |
2021 £ £ 1,076,243 12,205 208,768 220,973 4,294 216,679 1,292,922 - 1,292,922 958,971 272,961 60,990 1,292,922 |
|---|---|---|
Approved by Church Meeting held on and signed on its behalf by:
The notes on pages 8 - 11 form part of these financial statements
6
PARISH OF THE ASCENSION, CAMBRIDGE STATEMENT OF CASHFLOWS AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2022
| Note (below) Cash flow from operating activities: Net cash provided by operating activities A Cash flow from investing activities B Change in cash and cash equivalents in the reporting period Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the reporting period C Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the reporting period C Notes to the statement of cash flow A) Reconciliation of net income to net cashflow from operating activities Net income/(expenditure) for the reporting period as the statement of financial activites Gain/(Loss) on investments Investment income (Increase)/Decrease in debtors (Decrease)/Increase in creditors Net cash provided by operating activities B) Cashflow from investing activites Investment income Investment additions Investment disposals C) Analysis of cash and cash equivalents Cash at bank and in hand |
2022 £ (114,767) 100,926 (13,842) 208,768 194,926 (79,320) 26,034 (74,406) 9,987 2,938 (114,767) 74,406 (85) 26,605 100,926 194,926 |
2021 £ (63,411) 71,586 |
|---|---|---|
| 8,175 200,593 |
||
| 208,768 24,081 (37,737) (67,738) 22,656 (4,673) |
||
| (63,411) 67,738 (34,426) 38,274 |
||
| 71,586 208,768 |
7
PARISH OF THE ASCENSION, CAMBRIDGE NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022
1 STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Basis of preparation
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable to the UK and the Republic of Ireland (SORP FRS102) and the Charities Act 2011. The charity is a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102. The financial statements are prepared on a going concern basis under the historical cost convention modified to include certain items at fair value. Significant accounting policies are set out below. These policies have been applied consistently to all years unless otherwise stated.
Fund accounting
Unrestricted funds are available to use at the discretion of the church in furtherance of its charitable objectives. They are not subject to any restrictions regarding their use.
Designated funds are funds which have been set aside for specific purposes, but which can be returned to general funds at any time, with the approval of the Church Meeting; there are no funds falling into this category in the year or prior year.
Restricted funds are subject to restrictions on their expenditure imposed by the donor, or contained in the terms of the grant.
Endowment funds are funds where the capital given is not available to be spent or is only available to be spent under certain circumstances.
Fixed assets and capital expenditure
Consecrated and beneficed property is excluded from the accounts in accordance with the Charities Act 2011. Nor is any value included for moveable church furnishings held by the church wardens on special trust for the PCC since the PCC considers this to be inalienable property. All expenditure on consecrated or beneficed buildings and moveable church furnishings, whether maintenance or improvement, is written off as repairs and improvement expenditure in the Statement of Financial Activities.
Where deemed material expenditure on other fixtures, fittings and equipment is capitalised and depreciated over its estimated useful life; no such assets are included in these financial statements. Expenditure on such items not deemed material is written off as incurred.
Investments and Investment Properties
Investments are included at their fair value on the balance sheet date. With the exception of property the PCC only has investments in the Central Board of Finance of the Church of England Deposit and Investment Funds for which quoted market value is available which is taken as fair value. Deposit investments are not for fixed terms and deposit value is taken as fair value. Property investments are included at their estimated market value. No formal valuation has been carried out and value given for the property is, in the opinion of the PCC, a reasonable representation of market value. Changes in valuation of investment and investment properties over the year are recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities.
Income
All voluntary giving is included in the financial statements for the period in which it is received.
Donations under Gift Aid plus the associated tax recovery are recognised as income when the donation is received.
Legacies are accounted for when their receipt is certain and can be properly quantified. All other income is generally recognised when it is receivable.
Expenditure
Expenditure is recognised in the period in which it is incurred and includes attributable VAT which cannot be recovered. It is allocated to the particular activity to which it relates on an actual attributable basis.
Governance costs represent direct expenditure on the governance of the church, including the production and independent scrutiny of these financial statements.
As most of the management and activity of the church is carried out by volunteers, this intangible cost is not included in the financial statements as this voluntary contribution to the life of the church is incalculable.
8
PARISH OF THE ASCENSION, CAMBRIDGE NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022
2 INCOME
| **2 ** | INCOME | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Endowment | Total Funds | Total Funds | ||
| Funds | Funds | Funds | 2022 | 2021 | ||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | ||
| **(a) ** | Donations & legacies: | |||||
| Planned giving - under gift aid | 27,424 | - | - | 27,424 | 28,703 | |
| Tax Recoverable | 11,714 | - | - | 11,714 | 7,699 | |
| Other planned giving | 6,313 | - | - | 6,313 | 6,585 | |
| Collections in service | 2,984 | - | - | 2,984 | 2,097 | |
| Grants | 3,621 | - | - | 3,621 | 341 | |
| Major Grants and Fundraising | - | - | - | - | 13,000 | |
| Contributions from URC | - | - | - | - | 34,094 | |
| St Luke's ECC Castle End Mission Bequest | - | - | - | - | 60,000 | |
| Sundry donations | 8,824 | 12,730 | - | 21,553 | 2,804 | |
| Legacies | 8,000 | - | - | 8,000 | - | |
| **(b) ** | Charitable activities | 68,879 | 12,730 | - | 81,608 | 155,323 |
| Fundraising / events | 1,023 | - | - | 1,023 | 247 | |
| Missions | - | - | - | - | 1,996 | |
| Fees | 137 | - | - | 137 | 1,428 | |
| Hall and related rents | 33,753 | 67,256 | - | 101,009 | 77,142 | |
| Children, Social | ||||||
| events,Publications,Retreat | 1,010 | - | - | 1,010 | 1,176 | |
| **(c) ** | Investments: | 35,924 | 67,256 | - | 103,180 | 81,989 |
| Bank interest & dividends | 221 | 1,024 | - | 1,245 | 1,382 | |
| Rents and similar income | 73,161 | - | - | 73,161 | 66,356 | |
| 73,382 | 1,024 | - | 74,406 | 67,738 | ||
| Total Income | 178,185 | 81,010 | - | 259,194 | 305,050 | |
| **3 ** | EXPENDITURE | |||||
| **(a) ** | Raising Funds | Unrestricted Funds £ |
Restricted Funds £ |
Endowment Funds £ |
Total Funds 2022 £ |
Total Funds 2021 £ |
| Cost of fund raising events | 56 | - | - | 56 | 56 | |
| **(b) ** | Parish share | 56 53,390 |
- 15,000 |
- - |
56 68,390 |
56 64,416 |
| The church contributes to the central Diocese | costs of training and providing ministers (including | the centralised payment of | ||||
| stipends, pension contributions and other benefits for ministers), running the denomination, and the wider mission of | ||||||
| the national church. | ||||||
| **(c) ** | Ministerial Costs | |||||
| Ministers expenses | 50 | - | - | 50 | - | |
| Worship resources | 410 | - | - | 410 | 818 | |
| Musical life of the church | 4,529 | - | - | 4,529 | 4,561 | |
| **(d) ** | Costs of Church Activities | 4,990 | - | - | 4,990 | 5,379 |
| Premises running costs: | ||||||
| Rates and utilities | 6,511 | 16,657 | - | 23,168 | 17,906 | |
| Insurance | 7,833 | 5,739 | - | 13,572 | 10,014 | |
| Repairs and maintenance | 33,119 | - | - | 33,119 | 25,722 | |
| Major building expenditure | - | 104,382 | - | 104,382 | 126,926 | |
| Caretaker and cleaning | 10,851 | 5,005 | - | 15,856 | 13,414 | |
| Legal and professional | - | - | - | - | 5,550 | |
| Administration costs | 58,314 | 131,783 | - | 190,097 | 199,532 | |
| Office costs | 5,097 | 2,457 | - | 7,555 | 9,982 | |
| Staff costs | 17,163 | 8,262 | - | 25,425 | 24,794 | |
| 22,261 | 10,719 | - | 32,980 | 34,776 |
9
PARISH OF THE ASCENSION, CAMBRIDGE NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022
3 RESOURCES EXPENDED (Continued)
| Mission Outreach: Other outreach costs Donations (e) Governance Costs Independent Examiner Accountancy and Book-keeping Total Resources Expended 4 STAFF COSTS Wages and Salaries |
Unrestricted Funds £ 1,394 - 1,394 81,968 - 14,575 14,575 154,978 |
Restricted Funds £ - - - 142,502 - - - 157,502 |
Endowment Total Funds Funds 2022 £ £ - 1,394 - - - 1,394 - 224,471 - - - 14,575 - 14,575 - 312,480 2022 2021 £ £ 25,425 24,795 25,425 24,099 |
Total Funds 2021 £ 1,779 1,651 3,430 307,589 775 10,342 11,117 318,706 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
No Trustee received remuneration or other benefit in the year.
Covid19 Furlough grants received are recorded in grant income.
5 FIXED ASSETS
For the reasons stated in Accounting Policy note 1, the church buildings are not tangible fixed assets of the church. The principal operational asset apart from consecrated and beneficed property is the building known as the Old School House.
No value is included in these accounts as no details are available as to original cost and it is not practicable to assign a meaningful value in use yet.
6 INVESTMENTS
| Fair value brought forward Additions Disposals Net unrealised gains/(losses) Fair value at 31 December 2021 Made up as follows: Central Board of Finance of the Church of England: Deposit Fund Investment Fund Investment Property - Parish Room 7 DEBTORS Tax recoverable Other debtors 8 CREDITORS:amounts falling due within one year. Other Creditors |
2022 2021 £ £ 1,076,243 1,042,354 85 34,426 (26,605) (38,274) (26,034) 37,737 1,023,690 1,076,243 66,913 71,042 318,939 367,363 637,838 637,838 1,023,690 1,076,243 2022 2021 £ £ - 6,575 2,218 5,630 2,218 12,205 2022 2021 £ £ 7,232 4,294 7,232 4,294 |
|---|---|
10
PARISH OF THE ASCENSION, CAMBRIDGE NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022
9 UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
| St Augustine's Income Account St Augustine's Capital Account St Giles Income Account St Luke's Income Account St Luke's Capital Account PCC Income Account Parish Room Parish Room Repairs Mason Fund (residual legacy) Old Junior School Income Fund 10 RESTRICTED FUNDS St Augustine's Mason Legacy St Giles Fabric Fund St Giles Legacies Fund St Giles Organ Fund Lewis Bequest Grave Trust Fitzpatrick Grave Trust St Luke's Church Centre Fabric Fund St Luke's Legacies St Luke's Belinda Parham legacy St Luke's Church Centre Income Account St Luke's Elton Legacy St Luke's Castle End Mission Sale PCC Capital Fund PCC Graves Maintenance Crisp Legacy 11 ENDOWMENT FUNDS Stretten Ave Sale Proceeds FC Shove Grave Trust Braybrooke Grave Trust Blackman Grave Trust Mss FM Kent Bequest Old Jnr School 12 ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS BETWEEN FUNDS Investments Current Assets Liabilities falling due within one year Fund Balance |
Unrestricted funds £ 804,034 170,161 (7,232) 966,963 |
2022 2021 £ £ 12,605 9,687 5 5 3,838 (1,570) 49,789 8,607 1,159 1,159 96,697 122,998 637,838 637,838 8,143 8,143 151,742 166,957 5,147 5,147 966,963 958,971 2022 2021 £ £ 2,247 2,247 24,370 26,241 2,129 2,129 3,704 3,633 1,880 2,031 2,624 2,874 906 906 33,887 58,692 6,321 6,235 23,067 71,776 327 327 1,263 81,003 87,693 3,917 3,917 2,997 2,997 189,378 272,961 2022 2021 £ £ 2,521 2,773 9,132 10,130 13,592 14,106 18,347 20,095 4,608 4,825 9,061 9,061 57,261 60,990 Restricted Endowment funds funds £ £ 162,395 57,262 26,984 - - - 189,378 57,262 |
Total £ 1,023,690 197,145 (7,232) 1,213,603 |
|---|---|---|---|
13 RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
There are no related party transactions requiring disclosure.
11
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE PARISH OF THE ASCENSION, CAMBRIDGE I report on the accounts of Parochial Church Council of the Parish of the Ascension, Cambridge I'lhe PCC'I for the year ended 31 December 2022, which are sel out on pages 5 10 11. Rospgcllvg rgsponslblllllgs of tho PCC and thg gxamlngr The members of the Parochial Church Council are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. They consider than an audit is not required for this year under section 144121 of the Charities Act 2011 Ilhe Acll and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility lo.. examine the accounts under section 145 of the Act., to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under Section 14515llbl of the Act., and to slate whether particular matters have come lo my attention. Basis of independent examinerfs opinion My examination was carried out in accordan with the general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the aoUntIng records kept by the PCC and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The pr(xedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a 'true and fair view, and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statements below. Independent examinerfs statement In connection with my examination, no matter has come lo my attention.. lal which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements". - lo keep accounting records in accordance wth section 130 of the Act", and - lo prepare accounts which aOrd wrth the aOUntIng records and to comply with the accounting requirements of the Act. Ibl lo which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order lo enable a proper understanding of the accounts lo be reached. Scott Reynolds ACCA Chartered Accountants IICAEWI Day Accountants Ltd Quern House Mill Court Great Shelford Cambridgeshire CB22 5LD Date