## **The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St Mary’s Goudhurst c/o The Church Office, Back Lane, Goudhurst, Kent TN17 1AN Registered Charity No 1175082 Trustees’ Annual Report**
**St Mary’s Goudhurst Book of Reports : May 2023 - May 2024**
## **Introduction**
Our last annual report was from April 2022-May 2023. This report covers May 2023-May 2024 and includes:
1. The life of the parish generally and the activities of the PCC - prepared by Revd Rachel Robertson
2. Financial statements of the PCC for the year ending 31 December 2023 prepared by Dave Lodge, approved by the PCC on 29 April 2024, and independently examined by Graham Langlay-Smith.
3. Fabric, goods and ornaments of the church prepared by Churchwardens Jo Alsop and Sam Davis
4. Changes in the electoral roll since the last APCM - prepared by Becky Addis
5. Deanery Synod proceedings prepared by Revd Rachel Robertson and Martin Loy.
_Thank you to Becky, Rachel, Dave, Graham, Jo, Sam and Martin for their contributions to these reports, and for anyone who in any way has served the Lord and encouraged others to do likewise._
________________________________________________________________________
## **1.**
## **The life of the parish generally and the activities of the PCC - Revd Rachel Robertson**
(a) The life of the parish in worship, prayer, understanding the bible, discipleship, pastoral care and mission
We are first called to love God with heart, mind, soul and strength, and then love our neighbours as ourselves (Matthew 22: 37-40). The Church of England expresses its vocation as ‘To proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ afresh in each generation to the people of England.’
Worship is about giving God honour, praise and glory for who He is. It can be offered in the day to day of our individual lives, but we are also called to build up the Body of Christ and so corporate worship is part of our calling and privilege. In it we adore God, are built up, and then sent out into the world equipped and renewed to love each other as God loves us. We worship in hard times and in times of plenty, through the ordinary and seasonal times of the year. It is _wonderful_ to gather in worship together.
Our three main weekly services continued strongly in 2023/24 - the Thursday Morning 10am service, and Sunday services of said Holy Communion at 8 o’clock and the 10:45.
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Complementing these is our 9.15 Sunday morning service of Holy Communion at Christ Church. We hold services of Holy Communion at St Mary’s two or three times a week. Each service is served by a multitude of church family - with different and complementary gifts, and spanning the generations.
Prayer is to be the heart of church life. We have organised prayer in place including prayer ministry, liturgy and intercessions as part of church services, a monthly GK prayer meeting, calls to prayer including 24/7 prayer before Easter Day and the GK emergency prayer chain. We encourage one another to pray in our exchanges, and it is becoming more natural to start any gathering in prayer.
God reveals Himself to us through the bible, which is living and active (Hebrews 4:12) and so time in our services is spent reading the bible aloud, and preaching about how God may be understood through it. We encourage one another to read the bible for ourselves from an early age, and to learn from it in our small groups so that we deepen our understanding of God and how, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we use that understanding to live out our faith.
We are called not to merely believe in Jesus, but to follow Him as Lord. Supporting people to follow Jesus as His disciples includes the provision of Karen Gillett as our Youth & Children’s Pastor from February 2024, Sunday groups for 0-18s where each can feel a sense of belonging on Sundays and during the week, sermons (preaching, recording and follow up notes for small groups), small groups (meeting regularly to prayer together, read the word and share fellowship) and the Marriage Course.
Pastoral care covers services such as baptisms, weddings and funerals, and the related care around them. Demand for these from the Church as provider (as opposed to a secular alternative) continues to be stable. Pastoral care also covers the very many ways in which we love as He first loved us, including practical service to the community. Expressions include caring for one another in small groups, consideration shown in fellowship over coffee, Sonja Drew’s ministry as an Anna Chaplain (focusing on pastoral support to those of older age), the Meal Train (meals provided to those under particular pressure), Home Communion visits, Community Cupboard (a food bank serving the local community), Community Care Fund (providing temporary financial assistance to those in crisis or emergency need), Community Lunch (which celebrated its first birthday), Christians Against Poverty (CAP) Life Skills courses run in Staplehurst Free Church and East Sutton Women’s Prison, Café Toddlers (weekly parent/carer and toddlers group) and Blend (weekly after-school pop-up café for children of years 7 to 10).
Many of these expressions of pastoral care would also be viewed as _mission_ . The Anglican communion recognises Five Marks of Mission: to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom; to teach, baptise and nurture new believers; to respond to human need by loving service; to transform unjust structures of society, to challenge violence of every kind and pursue peace and reconciliation; and to strive to safeguard the integrity of creation, and sustain and renew the life of the earth.
Areas of our mission includes the everyday sharing of who God is into the myriad of opportunities each of us has daily. Organised missional areas that we are excited by includes: fairwear, Lend With Care, Alpha, Café Toddlers, the Weald Family Hub, Collective Worship at Goudhurst and Kilndown Primary School, Crafty Mondays, the Goudhurst Fête and Dog Show.
We are blessed to have the opportunity to work with several partners and value these relationships highly including: Lunch Club, Weald Deanery churches and their Vicars, Sacred Heart church and Father Ethelbert, Goudhurst Parish Council, Goudhurst Preschool, Goudhurst, Kilndown & Lamberhurst bellringers, the Goudhurst branch of the Royal British Legion, Goudhurst Scouts, the Old Parsonage Surgery, Friends of St Mary’s
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(FOSM) and many others. Goodwill extended by Lindsay Roberts & staff at the school, the Quarry Centre, Ladysden, the Star & Eagle, Weeks Bakery, Burgess Stores and many other businesses and individuals is most humbling.
## **Reflecting and giving thanks**
We notice that reporting ‘activity’ does not adequately capture all the ways in which God is moving and calling us to follow Him. Neither do our actions fit neatly into categories of ‘pastoral’ or ‘missional.’ We spend time reflecting alone and together asking: What went well, what improvements do we need to capture, and crucially _where can we see God at work?_ Often we try and reflect using the five pictures God has given us to stir our holy imaginations: Who is our God? / Going deeper with God / Campfire / Beacons of Christ’s light (one of many) / one by one saying, ‘I am the Lord’s.’
## (b) The activities of the PCC
To follow God and seek His heart, the PCC carries out some of this reflection and planning work and between May 2023 and May 2024 has met formally in June, September, October, November, January, February, March and April. The Standing Committee has delegated authority to help further PCC priorities between meetings and met regularly.
The PCC is, more or less, the governing body of the church. It contains the Vicar, the church wardens, the representative(s) to the Deanery Synod, and about 12 others who are elected by the church family. We meet, we pray, and we discuss and decide on anything major that needs a decision.
The idea is to seek God’s will, and to try to translate that into what the church does. That covers a wide range of topics, starting with the church’s vision, and how to encourage and enable every aspect of its mission and ministry from services, to young people’s groups, to the Community Cupboard, to the CAP life skills work and dozens of other initiatives. It also includes the church's income and spending, buildings, safeguarding, training, relationship with the wider church, community events, and future plans.
During the past year, the PCC has included the following members. My thanks to them for their service and commitment:
Rachel Robertson (Vicar)
Joanne Alsop (Church Warden)
Simon (Sam) Davis (Church Warden)
Martin Loy (Deanery Synod representative)
Claire Cooke
Emma-Louise (Huthrie) Copplestone
Karen Gillett Wes Hinsley Catherine Lloyd Dave Lodge
James (Barney) Mayhew Richard Vinton
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Gill Wallis-Hosken
James Wickham Ali Williams Phil Wright
Thank you to Becky Addis who stepped down from being our Church Administrator after serving the church and wider community in this role for over nine years.
**Safeguarding** : The PCC has complied with the duty under section 5 of the Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure 2016 (duty to have due regard to House of Bishops' guidance on safeguarding children and vulnerable adults). In line with Diocesan guidelines the Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults is an agenda item at every PCC meeting, and PCC members are aware of their need to undertake regular training including the minimum of Basic, Foundation and Raising Awareness of Domestic Abuse. Thank you to Andrea Kirkby our Safeguarding Officer for keeping the PCC and Church aware of our safeguarding responsibilities, keeping up to date with her professional development in this area, and providing training opportunities for those who find in person training preferable to on line training.
**______________________________________________________________________**
Our calling is to love God and love our neighbour as we love ourselves. Thank you for your contributions to our common goal. As we give thanks, reflect, and commit ourselves afresh to His Kingdom work, let us be encouraged, taking hold of Hebrews 12: 28 :
'since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.’
## **2.**
## **Financial statements of the PCC for the year ending 31 December 2023 prepared by Dave Lodge, approved by the PCC on 29 May 2024, independently examined by Graham Langlay-Smith**
## - see attached report.
## **3.**
## **Fabric, goods and ornaments of the church prepared by Churchwardens Jo Alsop and Sam Davis**
One of the various responsibilities of being a Church Warden is the care and maintenance of the church buildings, goods and ornaments. This report will focus mainly on the fabric of our buildings where there has been the majority of activity. As many of you will be aware, we are required to appoint an architect authorised by the Diocese to carry out a review every five years (Quinquennial) to establish what repairs and maintenance are needed, typically split into urgent (within 1-2 years), less urgent (2-5 years) and nice-to-have (further out). We
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appointed Clague LLP as architects in 2023 and they conducted the Quinquennial Review in August 2023. Ancient buildings like St Mary’s will always need some maintenance work so it is unsurprising that the review produced a list of “to-dos”. However, with the exception of works needed to remedy damp affecting the North wall of the kitchen and the sacristy/loo walls, there is little in the urgent category and the architect commented that St Mary’s is one of the best maintained churches he has seen. Much thanks must therefore go to Ali Williams for her work on overseeing the significant works arising from the 2018 Quinquennial and all others involved in that, not least The Friends of St Mary’s who provided significant funding, as those works have put the fabric of the church in a generally robust position. We are awaiting further input from the architect on the kitchen and sacristy wall works which will proceed in due course.
Other highlights from a fabric perspective include the following:
1. Hopefully, by the time of the APCM, five of the existing under-powered fan convectors will have been replaced by larger, more powerful units and two more reconditioned using parts from the four removed. We are expecting this to have a material effect on church warmth, especially in the lobby area, when external temperatures drop again. These convectors will circulate the heat generated from the existing piped hot water system which is fired by an ancient oil-fired boiler. We continue to consider options to convert our principal energy source to a “greener” option whether that is Air Source Heat Pumps, Green Kerosene or replacement with a more efficient conventional boiler.
2. The Churchyard Wall – as you will hopefully all know, we have received permission from the relevant authorities to repair the much-damaged churchyard wall on the S- bend towards the Star & Eagle with a new design from Clague incorporating a lowered wall section. This should, we believe, prevent further damage from HGVs catching the wall as they turn and takes into account the longer lorry lengths now permitted. Contractors have been appointed and repair work will begin later in the summer.
3. The Culpepper Effigies – fundraising for and organisation of preservation work to these important artefacts and replacement of the glazing above them with protective glass incorporating a new stained-glass design has been led by the Friends of St Mary’s with much involvement from Ali so we can claim no credit for this but it is worth noting here and extending thanks again.
As regards the Churchyard, this is maintained by the Goudhurst Parish Council (GPC), who, over recent years have been making efforts to encourage biodiversity through rewilding areas under their control and reduction of pesticides. Jo, Richard Vinton, James Wickham and Gill Wallis-Hosken have been working with Geoff Mason of GPC (with input from Caring For God’s Acre) to come up with a mutually agreed plan on how to reflect this across our churchyards in a way that achieves a balance between respect for those wanting lovedones’ graves to be well tended and the pressing needs of the environment. Many thanks to all those involved in this important initiative.
Special mention must also be made of the Church Office refit led by Dave and Val Lodge. Many thanks to them for making such huge improvements to this important space, transforming a rather tired, cramped workspace into an administrative hub that is bright and inviting and to Becky, Karen and Rachel for all the related sorting-out required.
There are a variety of other fabric-related activities that have taken place during the period under review but these are, we believe, the highlights. It only remains for us to extend special thanks to James Wickham who works tirelessly behind the scenes to deal with many of the
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day-to-day issues that arise both with the St Mary’s church building but also the Church Rooms and also to Don Sargeant who takes an active role in a variety of maintenance activities.
## **4.**
## **Changes in the electoral roll since the last APCM**
The Electoral Roll should be revised annually. Since the APCM in May 2023 the Electoral Roll has changed from 225 to 208 members. Every sixth year the preparation of new Church Electoral Rolls takes place, which means that everyone must re-apply to included on the Electoral Roll of their church. The next occasion for the preparation of new rolls is 2025.
The number of people in the community served by the church is much greater than the number on the electoral roll, for example through ministries such as the Community Cupboard, Community Lunch, Crafty Mondays, the CAP Life Skills course, Café Toddlers, Blend, the Community Care Fund, and activities with Goudhurst and Kilndown Primary School, among others.
We have a vacancy for an Electoral Roll officer. Thank you to Becky Addis for her work in this area and for preparing this year’s Electoral Roll.
## **5.**
## **Deanery Synod proceedings prepared by Revd Rachel Robertson and Martin Loy**
St Mary’s is part of the Canterbury Diocese in the Church of England. The Church of England has 42 Dioceses. Our Bishops are The Most Revd and Rt Hon Justin Welby who became the Archbishop of Canterbury in 2013, and the Rt Revd Rose Hudson-Wilkin who is the Bishop of Dover and the Bishop in Canterbury and was consecrated in 2019.
Canterbury Diocese stretches from Maidstone southwards and includes the Weald, Romney Marsh, Ashford, Dover, Thanet, Faversham, Sittingbourne and the Isle of Sheppey.
We are part of the Weald Deanery, and meet as Deanery Synod (clergy and lay representatives) throughout the year. Martin Loy is our representative and we have one vacancy. Revd Rachel also attends.
Meetings between May 2023 and April 2024 rotated between different churches, and were held on 17 May, 7 September, 12 October, 22 November 2023 and 13 March 2024. Highlights from the year include:
- an open synod meeting to hear from two General Synod representatives on the General Synod Living in Love and Faith discussions
- presentations from the central Diocesan teams including Bishop Rose at a Deanery Roadshow
- Understanding Vocations - with Jon Marlow
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- an excellent presentation from Louise Vickerman on the Weald Family Hub
- hospitality from host churches and a chance to hear from them how other church families are, increasing our ability to work well together for God’s Kingdom in this area.
## **Administrative information**
Bankers:
CAF Bank 15 Kings Hill Avenue Kings Hill West Malling Kent ME19 4JQ
Nat West Bank 58 High St Tenterden Kent TN30 6AX
Independent examiner: Graham Langlay-Smith
Architects:
Clague Architects 62 Burgate Canterbury Kent, CT1 2BH
Signed: Rev Rachel Robertson
On behalf of the Parochial Church Council
Dated: 10[th] May 2024
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St Mary's Parochial Church Council, Goudhurst
Accounts for the 12 Months Ended 31st December 2023
St Mary's Church PCC Goudhurst Accounts for the 12 Months Ended 31st December 2023
|**Index**|Page|
|---|---|
|General Fund|1|
|Community Cupboard|2|
|Beacon Fund|3|
|Weald Family Hub|4|
|Projects Fund|5|
|Church Room Fund|6|
|Care Fund|7|
|Local Community Fund|8|
|Summary and Balance Sheet|9|
|Notes to the Accounts|10 &11|
|Examiners Report|12|
St Mary's Church PCC Goudhurst Accounts for the 12 Months Ended 31st December 2023
|GENERAL FUND Receipts and Payments Account
RECEIPTS
Incoming Resources From Donors
Planned Giving
Collections and other giving
Card Machine - General Donations
Card Machine - Building Donations
Donation transferred from Projects Account
Income Tax recovered
Other Voluntary Income
Restricted Donations & Legacies
Unrestricted Donations & Legacies
Income From Investments
Income from CBF Deposits and Investment Funds
Income from Operating Activities
Sales of Parish Magazine
Magazine Advertisement Fees
Café Toddlers - donations / Wreath Making workshop etc.
Fees from Weddings and Funerals etc.
Fairware Clothing
Fund Raising
TOTAL RECEIPTS
PAYMENTS
Grants & Donations
Contribution to Weald Family Hub
Local, UK and Overseas Mission Giving
Activities relating to the Work of the Church
Diocesan and Deanery Parish Share
Music including Organ and Organist
Service Consumables - printing, coffee, communion
Weddings & Funerals (including Diocesan share)
Clergy Expenses
Alpha, CAP, Marriage Course etc
Sunday Groups and Childrens/Youth work
Magazine Printing
Church Running and Fabric Expenses
Heating & Utilities
Insurance
Church Cleaning & Supplies
Repairs and Maintenance
QI Works to Tower and Stonework
Enhancements
Church Management and Administration
Church Office - Salaries, Printing Stationery, Telephone etc.
Safety Deposit Box at bank
IT and Social Media costs
Costs of Operating Voluntary Income
Fund Raising Events
TOTAL PAYMENTS
**EXCESS OF RECEIPTS OVER PAYMENTS**
General Fund Balance at 1st January
**General Fund Balance at 31st December**|Notes
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
5||99,150
11,483
446
583
5,000
37,137
153,800
210
9,899
10,109
2,173
2,173
1,112
4,146
690
10,575
279
4,398
21,201
**187,283**
6,000
8,458
14,458
76,300
2,209
3,470
6,284
609
1,236
1,615
3,200
94,923
7,412
8,779
4,862
3,824
456
-
25,332
27,144
637
1,874
29,656
935
935
**165,302**
**21,981**
18,963
**40,943**
2023|2022|2022|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||99,150
11,483
446
583
5,000
37,137|101,338
10,264
329
527
-
26,737|
139,194
18,785
954
22,404|
||||210
9,899|1,747
17,039||
||||2,173|954||
||||1,112
4,146
690
10,575
279
4,398|1,890
3,871
493
8,524
661
6,964||
||||6,000
8,458|6,000
8,816||
||||||**181,338**|
||||||14,816
91,617
26,037
24,956
336|
||||76,300
2,209
3,470
6,284
609
1,236
1,615
3,200|74,875
1,954
2,527
5,776
1,064
1,125
957
3,338||
||||7,412
8,779
4,862
3,824
456
-|4,123
8,530
6,187
2,971
3,213
1,013||
||||27,144
637
1,874|23,825
45
1,087||
||||935|336||
|||||||
||||||**157,763**|
||||||**23,575**
(4,612)|
||||||**18,963**|
Page 1
St Mary's Church PCC Goudhurst Accounts for the 12 Months Ended 31st December 2023
2023
2022
## COMMUNITY CUPBOARD
## Notes
|RECEIPTS
Donations received
TOTAL RECEIPTS
PAYMENTS
Cost of produce purchased
Purchase of storage cupboards
Support payments to Community
TOTAL PAYMENTS
**(SHORTFALL) / EXCESS OF RECEIPTS OVER PAYMENTS**
Community Cupboard Fund Balance at 1st January
**Community Cupboard Fund Balance at 31st December**|9,259
-
-|6,103
**6,103**
9,259
**9,259**
**(3,156)**
4,584
**1,428**|6,275
-
40|9,342|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||**9,342**|
|||||
6,315|
||||||
|||||**6,315**|
|||||**3,027**
1,556|
|||||**4,584**|
This fund is being ring-fenced for the Community Cupboard - there are a number of regular and one-off donors. The number of clients supported in 2023 increased over previous years, reflecting the general national trend
This fund continues to support a number of local families with provision of basic food and household items. A loyal group of helpers collect, purchase and deliver on a weekly basis, together with some additional support for a number of these clients.
Page 2
St Mary's Church PCC Goudhurst Accounts for the 12 Months Ended 31st December 2023
2023
2022
BEACON FUND (Restricted Fund)
## Notes
## RECEIPTS
|RECEIPTS|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|Lay Family Worker Donations
TOTAL RECEIPTS
PAYMENTS
Lay Minister Costs (including expenses)
Other Costs
TOTAL PAYMENTS
**EXCESS / (SHORTFALL) OF RECEIPTS OVER PAYMENTS**
Beacon Fund Balance at 1st January
**Beacon Fund Balance at 31st December**|7,952|7,952
**7,952**
200
**200**
**7,752**
26,292
**34,044**|12,952|12,952|
||-
200||14,973
-||
|||||**12,952**|
|||||
14,973|
||||||
|||||**14,973**|
|||||**(2,021)**
28,313|
|||||**26,292**|
The Beacon Fund is a Restricted Fund. It was set up in 2017 to fund and support the appointment of a Lay Minister to develop work with local children and young people.
We employed Kat Ogden as Youth and Childrens Pastor in 2022 before she started Ordinand training. The PCC agreed to seek a replacement and an advert was published in late 2023. An appointment was made in early 2024. Part funding has been granted by the Diocese to support this role for 5 years
Page 3
St Mary's Church PCC Goudhurst Accounts for the 12 Months Ended 31st December 2023
|St Mary's Church PCC Goudhurst
Accounts for the 12 Months Ended 31st December 2023|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|WEALD FAMILY HUB
RECEIPTS
Donations received
Fund Raising - 50% St Mary's Charity Ball
Fete stall takings
St Mary's Goudhurst Contribution
TOTAL RECEIPTS
PAYMENTS
Spurgeons / Fegans Costs
Coordinator Salary and Expenses
Other Expenses
TOTAL PAYMENTS
**(SHORTFALL) / EXCESS OF RECEIPTS OVER PAYMENTS**
Weald Family Hub Fund Balance at 1st January
**Weald Family Hub Fund Balance at 31st December**|Notes
5
10|23,570
-
496
6,000
30,066
**30,066**
27,887
10,658
60
38,604
**38,604**
**(8,538)**
66,265
**57,727**
2023|2022||
|||23,570
-
496
6,000|62,985
4,235
-
6,000|
73,220|
|||27,887
10,658
60|24,963
10,646
24||
|||||**73,220**|
|||||35,634|
||||||
|||||**35,634**|
|||||**37,586**
28,679|
|||||**66,265**|
The Weald Family Hub was set up in 2018 to provide funding for Mental Health counselling in local schools and parent support, working through the Fegans charitable organisation (now part of Spurgeons). St Mary's employs the coordinator on a 2 days per week basis and acts as a centre for support in partnership with other churches in the Deanery and a number of local schools
Page 4
St Mary's Church PCC Goudhurst Accounts for the 12 Months Ended 31st December 2023
|St Mary's Church PCC Goudhurst
Accounts for the 12 Months Ended 31st December 2023|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|PROJECTS FUND
RECEIPTS
Community Care Fund - donations received
TOTAL RECEIPTS
PAYMENTS
Transfer to Care Fund
Donation released to General Funds
Released to Canterbury for Ordinand training
Costs re Wall Repairs Project
Paid to Christians Against Poverty (CAP)
TOTAL PAYMENTS
**(SHORTFALL) / EXCESS OF RECEIPTS OVER PAYMENTS**
Projects Fund Balance at 1st January
**Projects Fund Balance at 31st December**|Notes|-
**-**
30,000
5,000
-
2,093
-
37,093
**37,093**
**(37,093)**
61,980
**24,887**
2023|2022||
|||30,000
5,000
-
2,093
-|-
8,000
656
4,608|30,000|
|||||**30,000**|
|||||
13,264|
||||-||
|||||**13,264**|
|||||**16,736**
45,244|
|||||**61,980**|
In 2020 a settlement claim of £30,000 was reached regarding the repeated damage to the church wall. Work is ongoing to establish the most appropriate action to avoid further damage, for which this fund will be used. Architect costs have been paid in both 2023 and 2022 in respect of this project.
In 2022 we received two significant donations totalling £60,000 for use within the local community. Working with the donors, we agreed to use half of this for Weald Family Hub support and the remaining £30,000 to set up a Care Fund for the local community, providing crisis and emergency support. This was launched in early 2023
|Balance of funds at 31st December
Wall Repairs Project
Community Care Fund
One-Off Donation (not Restricted)|2023
24,887
-
-
**24,887**|2,022|
|---|---|---|
|||26,980
30,000
5,000|
|||**61,980**|
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St Mary's Church PCC Goudhurst Accounts for the 12 Months Ended 31st December 2023
2023
2022
Notes
CHURCH ROOM FUND (Designated Fund)
## RECEIPTS
|Contributions to the use of Church Room
TOTAL RECEIPTS
PAYMENTS
Repairs and Maintenance
Insurance
Utilities
Cleaning
TOTAL PAYMENTS
**(SHORTFALL) OF RECEIPTS OVER PAYMENTS**
Church Room Fund Balance at 1st January
**Church Room Fund Balance at 31st December**|4,456
956
2,723
1,319|9,141
**9,141**
9,453
**9,453**
**(312)**
38,206
**37,894**|8,103
903
3,101
686|9,152|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||**9,152**|
|||||12,794|
||||||
|||||**12,794**|
|||||**(3,642)**
41,848|
|||||**38,206**|
The Church Room Fund is a Designated Fund, held to ensure the ongoing maintainance and repair of the Church Rooms. Drainage works in 2023 amounted to £3,480 to rectify a previously unknown issue
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St Mary's Church PCC Goudhurst Accounts for the 12 Months Ended 31st December 2023
2023
2022
|CARE FUND Receipts and Payments Account
RECEIPTS
Transferred from Projects Fund
Restricted Donations
TOTAL RECEIPTS
PAYMENTS
Donations paid
TOTAL PAYMENTS
**EXCESS OF RECEIPTS OVER PAYMENTS**
Bank Balances at 1st January
**Bank Balances at 31st December**|Notes|30,000
-|
30,000
**30,000**
3,234
**3,234**
**26,766**
-
**26,766**|-
-|
-|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||||
||||||**-**|
|||||||
||||||**-**|
||||||**-**
-|
||||||**-**|
The Care Fund was launched in 2023 to support local families with emergency support. This was funded by 2 significant donations received in late 2022. During 2023 we paid out 12 donations ranging from new kitchen appliances and oil supplies to home secutity systems
Page 7
St Mary's Church PCC Goudhurst Accounts for the 12 Months Ended 31st December 2023
2023
2022
LOCAL COMMUNITY FUND (Restricted Fund)
|RECEIPTS
Restricted Donations
TOTAL RECEIPTS
PAYMENTS
Support Payments made
TOTAL PAYMENTS
**SHORTFALL OF RECEIPTS OVER PAYMENTS**
Local Community Fund Balance at 1st January
**Local Community Fund Balance at 31st December**|13,750
**13,750**
11,350
**11,350**
**2,400**
-
**2,400**|7,330|
|---|---|---|
|||**7,330**|
|||7,330|
|||**7,330**|
|||**-**
-|
|||**-**|
The transactions included in this account are where donations are receved through the church account to support specific needs and love gifts. They are not part of our normal church outreach.
One donation for £2,400 was received in the final week of December 2023 and was paid out in early January 2024
Page 8
St Mary's Church PCC Goudhurst Accounts for the 12 Months Ended 31st December 2023
|St Mary's Church PCC Goudhurst
Accounts for the 12 Months Ended 31st December 2023||||
|---|---|---|---|
|SUMMARY OF RECEIPTS OVER PAYMENTS
General Fund
Community Cupboard
Beacon Fund
Weald Family Hub
Projects Fund
Church Room Fund
Care Fund
Local Community Fund
Sri Lanka Fund
Mustard Seed Project Fund
BALANCE SHEET - SUMMARY OF BALANCES
General Fund
Church Room Fund (Designated)
Projects Fund (Designated)
Community Cupboard (Restricted)
Beacon Fund (Restricted)
Weald Family Hub (Restricted)
Care Fund (Restricted)
Local Community Fund (Restricted)
REPRESENTED BY:
Bank Balances - NatWest
Bank Balances - CAF Bank
Bank Balances - CAF Bank Deposit Account
Bank Balances - MetroBank
CCLA Deposit Account
CCLA Investment Account - cost|Notes
10
10
11|2023
21,981
(3,156)
7,752
(8,538)
(37,093)
(312)
26,766
2,400
-
-
9,799
40,943
37,894
24,887
1,428
34,044
57,727
26,766
2,400
226,089
55,263
89,620
10,344
6,863
62,401
1,597
226,089|2022|
||||23,575
3,027
(2,021)
37,586
16,736
(3,642)
-
-
(7,933)
(2,437)|
||||64,890|
||||18,963
38,206
61,980
4,584
26,292
66,265
-
-|
||||216,289|
||||50,721
93,292
10,294
-
60,464
1,518|
||||216,289|
Page 9
St Mary's Church PCC Goudhurst Accounts for the 12 Months Ended 31st December 2023 Notes to the Accounts
The accounts are prepared on a Receipts and Payments basis - no provision is made for items that do not fall within the year. There are no significant items that were outstanding at 31st December 2023 nor 2022
## Note
- 1 Income Tax recovered
Income Tax is recovered on a monthly basis, through the Diocese. This has changed in 2023 when the Diocese collection scheme ended. We are now making claims direct to HMRC - this has reduced the time limit for receiving Gift Aid significantly
- 2 Restricted Donations & Legacies
- These were mainly specific donations to be paid onto third party charities
- 3 Unrestricted Donations & Three donations of over £1,000 were received during the year; none of these contained any Legacies restrictions on use
- 4 Income from CBF Deposits and Income represents deposit account interest and dividend income received during the year, It is Investment Funds allocated between the funds on the basis of the balances at 1st January
- 5 Fund Raising
The Goudhurst Fete is run by 4 local groups: St Mary's Church, Scouts, Parish Hall and Primary School who take it in turn to lead - in 2023 it was St Mary's turn. This means that we deal with all of the finances, pay the costs, and then divide the profit between the other parties. The General Fund only shows our share of income and costs.
|General Fund only shows our share of income and costs.||||
|---|---|---|---|
|The full details are as follows:
Shared fete takings and Advert revenue
Paid to the other groups
Balance: quarter share for St Mary's
St Mary's stalls (including BBQ)
Fairware stall
Weald Family Hub Stall
Total St Mary's stalls
_General Fund Reconciliation:_
St Mary's stalls (including BBQ)
St Mary's Quarter Share
Less: Advert revenue not received until 2024
Other fund raising
Per General Fund|Income
6,136
4,302
301
496
5,099
4,302
1,134
(1,075)
37
4,398|Costs
1,598
935
935
935
935|Net|
||||4,538
(3,403)|
||||1,134|
|||||
||||3,463|
- 6 Local, UK and Overseas The list of charities supported during the year is as follows: Mission Giving
|of charities supported during the year is as follows:|||
|---|---|---|
|Lisell Mukola Community School - Rose's Project
Porchlight
Goudhurst Scouts
Lend With Care
Maidstone Samaritans
TearFund
Kent Kindness
Bibles for GK Primary School & Preschool leavers
Lunch Club - Hire of Parish Hall
Earthquake Appeals
Other
Total Payments|2023
100
1,200
1,200
1,200
1,200
1,200
500
482
512
859
5
8,458|2022|
|||1,400
1,200
1,200
1,200
1,200
1,200
-
516
895
-
5|
|||8,816|
Page 10
St Mary's Church PCC Goudhurst Accounts for the 12 Months Ended 31st December 2023 Notes to the Accounts (continued)
||||2023|2022|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|7|Repairs and Maintenance|Heating System Repairs & Servicing|529|557|
|||Electrical Maintenance and Repairs|1,732|775|
|||Fire Safety Maintenance|446|546|
|||Lightning Conductor Maintenance|114|-|
|||Roof Repairs|-|300|
|||Audio Visual System|518|-|
|||Other|485|793|
||||3,824|2,971|
|8|Quinquennial Report|The previous inspection was carried out in November 2017 with the report issued in January|||
The previous inspection was carried out in November 2017 with the report issued in January 2018. The subsequent work on the tower stones was completed in 2022. The next inspection was carried out in mid-2022 and highlighted works to be carried out within the next 5 years - these have not yet been started
|these have not yet been started|||
|---|---|---|
|Architects Fees
Traditional Stone - Tower and other stone work
Less: VAT reclaims under Government Scheme
9
Enhancements
CCTV installation
TV Monitors|991
-
(535)
456
-
-
-|-
3,213
-|
|||3,213|
|||90
923|
|||1,013|
- 10 Weald Family Hub Fund
The Weald Family Hub (WFH) was set up in 2018 to provide support for young people and their families who are struggling with issues of mental health across the Wealden villages, working with the Fegans charitable organisation. St Mary's employs the coordinator on a 2 days per week basis and acts as a centre for support in partnership with other churches in the Deanery and local Primary schools. There are a number of regular donors to the Fund, together with donations from local fund raising events and charitable trusts. St Mary's has committed to continue financial support for this project
|11|CCLA Investment Account|The market value of the CBF Investment Fund was as follows:|31-Dec|31-Dec|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||||2023|2022|
|||Number of shares held|129.76|126.12|
|||Value per share (pence)|2,260.53|2,106.60|
|||Market Value|£2,933.21|£2,656.84|
|||Original Cost of Shares plus dividend reinvestments|£1,596.74|£1,518.04|
12 Physical Assets The PCC is responsible for certain physical assets in St Mary's Church both fixed and movable which are not detailed in the financial statements, but are covered by insurance
Page 11
St Mary's Church PCC Goudhurst Accounts for the 12 Months Ended 31st December 2023
## **Independent Examiner's Report to the PCC of St Mary's Goudhurst**
This report on the financial statements of the PCC for the year ended 31st December 2023, which are set out on pages 1 to 11
## **Respective responsibilities of the PCC and the Independent Examiner**
The members of the PCC consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed
It is my responsibility to:
- a. Examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act
- b. Follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners section 145 (5)(b) of the 2011 Act
- c. State whether particular matters have come to my attention
## **Basis of this report**
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 financial statements and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in a full audit, and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the accounts
## **Independent Examiner's Statement**
In connection with my examination, no matters have come to my attention:
- a. which give me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements i) to keep accounting records in accordance with s.130 of the 2011 Act; and
- ii) to prepare accounts which accord with these accounting records have not been met; or
- b. to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached
Mr Graham Langlay-Smith Chartered Accountant Waller Hill Farmhouse Grandshore Lane Frittenden Kent TN17 2DB
18 April 2024
Page 12
St Mary's Church PCC Goudhurst Accounts for the 12 Months Ended 31st December 2023
## **Independent Examiner's Report to the PCC of St Mary's Goudhurst**
This report on the financial statements of the PCC for the year ended 31st December 2023, which are set out on pages 1 to 11
## **Respective responsibilities of the PCC and the Independent Examiner**
The members of the PCC consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed
It is my responsibility to:
- a. Examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act
- b. Follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners section 145 (5)(b) of the 2011 Act
- c. State whether particular matters have come to my attention
## **Basis of this report**
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 financial statements and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in a full audit, and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the accounts
## **Independent Examiner's Statement**
In connection with my examination, no matters have come to my attention:
- a. which give me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements i) to keep accounting records in accordance with s.130 of the 2011 Act; and
- ii) to prepare accounts which accord with these accounting records have not been met; or
- b. to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached
Mr Graham Langlay-Smith Chartered Accountant Waller Hill Farmhouse Grandshore Lane Frittenden Kent TN17 2DB
18 April 2024
Page 12