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2022-12-31-accounts

St Saviour Wendell Park, W12 Registered Charity Number: 1177239

ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23

APCM on 21 May 2023

ST SAVIOUR WENDELL PARK COBBOLD ROAD, LONDON W12 9LN

ANNUAL REPORT APRIL 2022 – MARCH 2023

AND ACCOUNTS OF THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022

Administrative information

Vicar: The Rev’d Chris Lee

The Parochial Church Council (PCC) is a charity and has now been registered with the Charity Commission (Registered Charity number1177239).

PCC members who have served from April 2022 until the date this report was submitted are:

Revd Chris Lee * Vicar Revd David Hill Curate Simon Jenkins * Churchwarden Andy Brierley * Churchwarden James Mullaly Children and Families Worker Eva Jeffrey * Secretary Elea Huston (Apr 22 – Mar 23) * Treasurer Gregory Pennington (from Apr 23) * Treasurer Astrid Wilson Deanery Synod Representative Carlene Fantuzzi Roey Jenkins Katie Sayles

Our other church officers are:

Katie Sayles and Eva Leung Safeguarding Officers Deborah Down Electoral Roll Officer Lauren Mckenna Acting Children’s Champion

Contents

Introduction

  1. Vicar’s report

  2. Kids’ church report

  3. Churchwardens’ report

  4. Electoral Roll report

  5. Treasurer’s report

  6. Deanery Synod report

  7. The Upper Room report

INTRODUCTION

In this document the Parochial Church Council presents its annual report for the 12 months since the last APCM report. It feels like this last year the church has been able to stretch its legs again after recovering from the pandemic. It finally feels that it is well behind us and the church continues to make good steps forward.

Chris Lee has now been leading the parish for eight years and has been joined this year by David Hill as our Curate. David, with his wife Verity and son Joshua, have been a great new addition to our church family. Through preaching, leading, and in partnership with Verity starting up the very popular Stay & Play group, David has blessed the church.

We have continued to grow in numbers, going against the trend within the wider Anglican communion. Chris and Jenny have welcomed a son Jack and we are excited to see him grow up at our church.

We want to thank all our church members and those who have given time and service, to help support not just our church but our whole parish in these last 12 months. Looking back at the year we can smile at what God has been doing and forming within us. We look forward with expectancy and are especially excited about the formation of a Church Way of life, under the titles Service, Sacrament, Silence, Song and Scripture.

1. VICAR’S REPORT

1. Worship

The church has found its rhythm and style and we have invested in our worship team. Buying new tech, such as iPads and microphones, the music at the church continues to be a great source of nourishment for the church. Special thanks go to Grace Park for her amazing leadership of this team. Also, David has helped to develop the worship team and supported Grace. The core team of Grace, Elle and Jack have really seen this important aspect of church flourish. Chris organised a church worship writing retreat which was well attended by the team. The group of 11 went away, worshipped and wrote together. It built unity and helped the team be creative.

2. Style and charism

Our style and charism have found a much more solid base. We are a worshipping, devotional church with a keen sacramental appreciation. We have communion every week now unless we have a baptism, and we receive in both kinds. We have one service at 10am and integrate liturgy with an open, charismatic style. Chris has always encouraged new preachers in the church, and it has been good to see some of our members invited to preach. Thanks to all those willing to serve in this way.

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3. Kids’ church

Kids’ church has its own report (page 6), but special thanks go to James Mullaly who stepped in when the gap of leadership opened. He has been very creative and energetic with the children, and has resulted in a great new season for this ministry.

4. Compline

Tuesday evening Compline has been running now for a year as our midweek prayer service, and continues to be great source of comfort and devotion. It offers us an opportunity for silence and stillness in a busy week and a noisy city.

5. Home groups

We currently have five home groups, each with their own pattern, and their own ways of doing community and growing in faith. We have seen growth in attendance as we have grown as a church. Thanks go to Simon and Roey, Lauren M, James M, Bruce M, and David and Verity, who lead these groups. We encourage members to join and further their study and worship of God.

6. Stay & Play

Stay & Play, set up by David and Verity, has been a roaring success, and is our primary source of outreach and mission. The group meets on Monday mornings and has consistently drawn over 100 participants. David, Verity, Alyssa, Becca and Roey have done a fantastic job with this. Sessions include singing, games, coffee and more. It has also become a source of income as we have encouraged people to give a donation.

7. Helping Hand Fund

St Saviour’s is at the heart of Wendell Park and looks to be a source of blessing to the wider community. There are 12,000 people in the parish, and with the increased cost of living many have fallen on hard times. The Helping Hand Fund has raised thousands of pounds for people in need, and we want to thank the many generous donors who have contributed to this. See our accounts (pages 15 and 18) for more information.

8. Chris’s wider ministry

Chris has had continued success in his public profile and is currently working with Jenny on two books. We support his global role while understanding his rootedness at our church. St Saviour’s has grown due to this, and we seek to understand the best way to welcome people who come to us. Chris also has a podcast called ‘Come read with me, Rev Chris’, which has seen thousands of downloads.

9. Young adults’ lunches

While not a formal thing, it worth noting that the younger adults of the church have a great tradition of hanging out and having lunch together following the service on a Sunday. This is wonderful source of community and breeds deeper friendships. It is complemented by the community lunches shared by the whole church this year.

Revd Chris Lee Vicar, St Saviour’s, Wendell Park

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2. KIDS’ CHURCH REPORT

Since September 2022, the kids’ church at St Saviours has been overseen by James Mullaly. There is a group of primary school aged children who attend regularly and have enjoyed the activities at kids’ church.

The group has grown to an average of around six or seven children, with one adult leader and one adult assistant. The group meets in the church hall adjacent to the main space and sessions last for between 60 to 90 minutes while the adult service takes place. There are over 10 assistant leaders. Finding willing adult leaders has proved challenging, and remains so, although recently Lauren McKenna and Kat Cooley have offered to lead the kids’ church group once a month, which is welcome.

In September the group began looking at the seven signs of the Gospel of John, before spending a month covering the book of Acts, which led us to December, when we focused on the Christmas story. We began 2023 by looking at themes such as prayer, forgiveness, sin, fear, and money, and then spent time looking at some of Jesus' parables, before exploring the life of Moses.

Sessions always begin with a fun ice-breaker and group introductions, a short prayer and then looking at the story/theme for that morning. Given the younger ages of the children, and some short attention spans, we have lots of engaging activities and games to ensure sessions are fun and memorable, and that children retain important messages and grow in their understanding of faith. Once the adult service has finished, the children’s group feeds back to the main church.

Since March 2023, we have been using pre-planned sessions from Energize.uk.net (produced by Urban Saints), because there is often very limited time available in the week to prepare sessions. This has proved very helpful as session plans have already been created.

We sent out a feedback questionnaire to parents in December, and the feedback we received has been very positive.

There was an all age family service before Christmas which the children enjoyed. This was planned and led by our Curate David. From memory, it was a well attended event.

James Mullaly Children and Families Worker

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3. CHURCHWARDENS’ REPORT

1. The church fabric

Over the past year, we have worked to ensure that the church property and our operating systems are in good order, and that repairs (e.g. water leaks and breakages) are carried out quickly and to a good standard. All our mandatory inspections and servicing, including heating, fire alarm, and portable electrical appliances, have been completed.

2. Triennial inspection

In October, we had our triennial inspection. This is a CofE check that the administration of the church is being run properly, and includes an inspection of church registers and records, insurance policies, and other admin documents. We were very pleased when St Saviour’s passed the inspection without any issues of substance requiring follow up.

3. Communications

Over the past year, our communications have included:

St Saviour’s website – which continues to be an important channel of communication for us, with an average of 3,500 pages viewed every month, and 15,000 unique visitors over the past year. We plan to upgrade the website over the coming year.

Weekly email – which includes details of weekly services and events, plus news and community content. The mailing list currently numbers 230 subscribers.

WhatsApp group – which is used for chat, news and prayer. The group currently has 80 participants.

Posters and banners – which were produced by David Hill for Stay & Play, and for our Christmas services. The Stay & Play publicity was especially successful, with the poster image shared on local neighbourhood WhatsApp groups. We also produced a poster for use inside the church featuring our QR code for giving.

4. Thank you

Many people contribute to the running of St Saviour’s, but we would like to say thanks to the following in particular:

Oliver Hinton, our former Churchwarden, has been incredibly helpful over the winter, with advice about our heating system, onsite help with maintenance, and helping source a new supplier for our annual service. Thanks, Oliver, for the significant time and resources you’ve given to helping us stay warm over the coldest months of the year.

Yew Ming, our Parish Secretary and Church Administrator, has given us excellent support throughout the year. We’re very grateful for all she has done for us: looking after our hirers, coordinating the building maintenance, producing the weekly pew sheet, preparing us for the triennial, and many other areas of responsibility. Thanks, Ming, we’re so grateful to you.

Simon Jenkins and Andy Brierley Churchwardens, St Saviour’s, Wendell Park

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4. ELECTORAL ROLL REPORT

The electoral roll is like a membership list for St Saviour’s and carries with it the entitlement to vote at the APCM. After this annual meeting, we have to tell the Church of England the number on the roll.

Although we do publicise about joining the roll in the lead-up to the annual meeting, members can join at any time – anyone who lives in the parish, or who has been worshipping with St Saviour’s for six months, is welcome to contact me on Deborah.down@btinternet.com to be added to the roll. I can also help people to know whether or not they live in the parish – although it makes no difference to St Saviour’s whether you do or not. It is just something that we have to include on our return to the Church of England!

Last year there were 79 members on the roll and this year we have grown to 83. While this sounds modest, we do in fact have eight new members, while three people moved away, and one sadly died. Of the 83, 35 live in the parish and 48 outside the parish. A big welcome to the new members.

A lot of members have moved home in the last year or two. If this applies to you, it would be appreciated if you could let me know your current address so that I can update the electoral roll.

Deborah Down Electoral Roll Officer

5. TREASURER’S REPORT FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR END 31 DECEMBER 2022

Over the course of the year the church spent £7,149 more than it took in from regular giving, rental, and other activities (2021: net loss of £2,745). As a result, the 31 December 2022 balances for Unrestricted (Undesignated) Funds, Restricted Funds, and Designated Funds were £80,049, £4,545, and £10,550, respectively. The net loss resulted primarily from the following:

A decrease in giving: compared with 2021, giving towards the stewardship scheme and plate collections declined by £6,379 and £28, respectively.

Increase in expenses: the largest contributors to higher running costs include: (1) cost of curate living expenses (£15,145)

(2) £5,241 increase in energy bills

(3) £1,257 increase in children ministry expenses

The decrease in net profit was partly offset by an increase in donations of £598 and £8,271 of grants. Grants for curate living expenses (2022: £5,630) will continue for the next c. 2 years. The energy grant is not recurring (2022: £2,641).

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Going forward the PPC is exploring a number of ways to improve church finances including:

All in all, these initiatives should save £1,500 to 2,000 a year, eliminating a portion of the funding gap. In addition, the PPC would ask for your continued support by doing the following:

The PCC offers special thanks to a number of volunteers who give of their time to support St Saviour’s in managing its finances:

The PCC and I would like to express our gratitude to everyone who has generously given of their time, money and support throughout the year, without which the church could not have the impact it does.

Gregory Pennington Treasurer

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St Saviour Wendell Park

Cobbold Road London W12 9LN

Financial accounts held:

  1. CBF Church of England Deposit Fund deposit rate at December 2022: 3.20% AER

  2. Current Account HSBC, 281 Chiswick High Road, W4 4HJ

  3. PayPal Account

Treasurer:

Gregory Pennington

Independent Examiner:

Anthony Simkin FCA

2022 Accounts

Page no. Contents 11 Balance Sheet 12 Profit and Loss 13-14 Accounting Policies 15 Restricted and Designated Funds 16 Fixed Assets 16 Insurance 17 Income 18-19 Expenses 20 Independent Examiner’s Report

10

Balance Sheet at 31st December 2022

Notes
Fixed Assets
Church halls, 57% of insured value
4
Computer Equipment
3
Fixtures & Fittings
3
Music Instruments
3
Total Fixed Assets
Current Assets
Cash
Debtors
Prepayments
Total Current Assets
Current Liabilities
Creditors
Accruals
Total Current Liabilities
Net Current Assets
Net Assets
Funds
Unrestricted Funds
2
Designated Funds
2
Restricted Funds
2
Church Halls
4
Total Funds		 31 Dec
2022
£
7,244,700
529
433
667
7,246,330
73,026
25,131
-
98,157
3,604
1,039
4,643
93,514
7,339,844
80,049
10,550
4,545
7,244,700
7,339,844		 31 Dec
2021
£
6,372,600
944
948
759
6,375,251
99,017
3,428
450
102,895
2,819
434
3,253
99,642
6,474,893
83,998
10,000
8,296
6,372,600
6,474,893

Approved by the Parochial Church Council on:

and signed on its behalf by:

Mr Andrew Brierley (Churchwarden) Mr Simon Jenkins (Churchwarden)

The notes on pages 13-19 form part of these accounts

11

Statement of Financial Activities For the Year ended 31st December 2022

Income
Not
e
Voluntary income
5a
Activities for
generating funds
5b
Other income
5c
Income from
investments
5d
Total Income
Expenses
Running costs
6a
Donations and
gifts
6b
Total Expenses
Net Income (Loss)
Before Transfers
Transfers
2a
Net Income (Loss)
After Transfers
Total funds
brought forward
Total Funds
Carried Forward		 Unrestricte
d
Funds
£
Restricted
Funds
£
Designate
d
Funds
£
Total
Funds
2022
£
Total
Funds
2021
£
58,14
6
2,27
9
-
60,42
5
52,73
5
69,84
3
- -
69,84
3
67,38
5
1,84
7
- -
1,84
7
27
5
20
6
- -
20
6
7
130,04
3
2,27
9
-
132,32
2
120,40
2
70,54
3
- -
70,54
3
54,62
8
63,44
9
5,48
0
-
68,92
9
68,51
9
133,99
1
5,48
0
-
139,47
1
123,14
7
(3,94
9)
(3,20
1)
-
(7,14
9)
(2,74
5)
- - - - -
(3,94
9)
(3,20
1)
-
(7,14
9)
(2,74
5)
83,99
8
7,74
6
10,55
0
102,29
3
105,03
8
80,04
9
4,54
5
10,55
0
95,14
4
102,2
93

12

Notes to the Financial Statements For the Year ended 31st December 2022

Note 1: Accounting Policies

The financial statements have been prepared under the Charities Act 2011 and in accordance with the Church Accounting Regulations 2006 governing the individual accounts of PCCs, and with the Regulations’ ‘true and fair view’ provisions, together with FRS 102 (2016) as the applicable accounting standards and the 2016 version of the Statement of Recommended Practice, Accounting and Reporting by Charities (SORP (FRS 102)).

1. Incoming resources

1.1. Recognition of incoming resources

1.4. Rental income

Rental income from the letting of the church facilities is recognized when the rent is due.

1.5. Investment income

Income from investments is included in the accounts when receivable.

2. Expenditures and liabilities

2.1. Liability recognition

Liabilities are recognized as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation and settlement is probable and quantifiable.

3. Assets

3.1. Consecrated and benefice property

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

13

Notes to the Financial Statements For the Year ended 31st December 2022

Note 1: Accounting Policies (continued)

3.2. Moveable church furnishings

These are capitalised at cost and depreciated over their useful economic life other than where insufficient cost information is available. In this case the item is not capitalised.

3.3. Tangible fixed assets

These are capitalised if they can be used for more than one year, and cost at least £500. Depreciation is calculated to write off the capitalised cost of fixed assets less their currently anticipated residual fair value over their estimated useful lives as follows:

urrently anticipated residual fair
s:		 value over the
●Computers Equipment 3 years
●Fixtures & fittings 5 years
●Music Instruments 10 years

Church Halls are disclosed based on 57% of their insured value consistent with the accounting treatment adopted in 2010.

3.4. Short-term deposits

Include cash held on deposit either with the CCLA Church of England Fund or at the bank.

4. Funds

4.1. Unrestricted funds

These represent the remaining income funds of the PCC that are available for spending on the general purposes of the PCC.

4.2. Restricted funds

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

4.3. Designated funds

These represent ‘free reserves’ designated by the PCC for fixed assets for its own use or for spending on a future project and that are therefore not included in its ‘free reserves’ as disclosed in the trustees’ report.

14

Notes to the Financial Statements For the Year ended 31st December 2022

Note 2: Summary of fund movements

Designated Funds
2a
Balance as at 1st January
Donations/Income
Less: Expenditure
Transfers
Balance as at 31st December		 Capital
Contingency
£
Vestments
£
Total
Designated Funds
£
10,000
550
10,550
- -
-
- -
-
- -
**- **
10,000
550
10,550

‘Designated Funds’ are those whose use is designated by the PCC.

Restricted Funds
2b
Balance as at 1st January
Donations/Income
Less: Expenditure
Balance as at 31st December		 Helping Hand
Fund
£
Vicar’s
Discretionary
£
Total
Restricted Funds
£
7,482
264
7,776
2,279
- 2,279
5,480
-5,480
4,282
264
4,545

‘Restricted Funds’ are those whose use is restricted by the donor. ‘Helping Hand Fund’ income and expenses are recognised in the year which the money is spent.

15

Notes to the Financial Statements For the Year ended 31st December 2022

Note 3: Fixed Assets

Note 3: Fixed Assets
Fixed Asset Schedule
Gross book value
Balance at 1 January
Additions
Disposals
Balance at 31
December
Depreciation
Balance at 1 January
Charge for the year
Disposals
Balance at 31
December
Net book value
Balance at 31 December 2022
Balance at 31 December 2021		 Computer
Equipment
£
Fixtures
&
Fittings
£
Music
Instruments
£
Total
Fixed
Assets
£
3,107
11,978
920
16,005
305
501
-
806
-
-
-
-
3,41
2
12,479
920
16,811
2,163
11,030
161
13,354
720
1,015
92
1,827
-
-
-
-
2,883
12,046
253
15,181
529
433
667
1,630
944
948
759
2,651

Note 4: Insurance for St Saviour Wendell Park, Cobbold Road

This consecrated property, i.e., the worship area, is excluded from these financial statements by virtue of Section 10(2)(a) of the Charities Act.

The church buildings, including the three halls, and contents are 100% insured for £12,710,000. The value, for insurance purposes, of the three halls is included on page 11, the Balance Sheet.

16

Notes to the Financial Statements For the Year ended 31st December 2022

Note 5: Income

Note 5: Income
Note 5: Income
Voluntary income
5
a
Stewardship
Collections
Gift aid
Donations
Grants
Activities for generating
funds
5
b
Lettings
Fundraising
Other income
5c
Offertory, Baptisms &
Weddings
Church activity fees
Income from
investments
5
d
Dividends & Interest
Total income		 Unrestricte
d
Restricted
Designate
d
Total Funds
Funds
Funds
Funds
2022
2021
£
£
£
£
£
29,001
-
-
29,001
35,380
2,379
-
-
2,379
2,407
8,494
-
-
8,494
3,267
10,000
2,279
-
12,279
11,681
8,271
-
-
8,271
-
58,146
2,279
-
60,425
52,735
69,843
-
-
69,843
67,099
-
-
-
-
285
69,843
-
-
69,843
67,385
912
-
-
912
275
935
-
-
935
-
1,847
-
-
1,847
275
206
-
-
206
7
206
-
-
206
7
130,043
2,279
-
132,322
**120,402 **

The PCC received grants for church energy of £2,641 and £0 and grants for curate housing of £5,630 and £0 for 2022 and 2021, respectively.

As of 31 December 2022, £13,500 of rental income for 2022 was still outstanding. The rent was collected on March 31, 2023 and is no longer outstanding.

17

Notes to the Financial Statements For the Year ended 31st December 2022

Note 6: Expenses

Running Costs:
6a
Staff cost
Curate expenses
Utility expenses
Cleaning & gardening
Maintenance & repairs
Church supplies
Building insurance
Depreciation
Church activities
Music ministry
Children ministry
Accounting expenses
Hospitality expenses
Finance fees
Miscellaneous costs
Donations:
6b
Diocesan fund
Helping hand
Other		 Unrestricted
Restricted Designated
Total Funds
Funds
Funds
Funds
2022
2021
£
£
£
£
£
16,233 -
-
16,23
3
19,06
6
15,145 -
-
15,14
5 -
11,043 -
-
11,04
3
5,80
2
6,459 -
-
6,45
9
4,53
4
5,968 -
-
5,96
8
9,19
5
3,967 -
-
3,96
7
95
8
3,360 -
-
3,36
0
4,31
5
1,827 -
-
1,82
7
2,77
0
1,626 -
-
1,62
6
47
3
1,512 -
-
1,51
2
49
9
1,356 -
-
1,35
6
9
9
454 -
-
45
4
25
6
442 -
-
44
2
4
7
24 -
-
2
4
3
2
1,126-
-
1,12
6
6,58
4
70,543
- -
70,54
3
54,62
8
59,700
- -
59,70
0
59,70
0
-
5,48
0
-
5,48
0
1,74
9
3,749
- -
3,74
9
7,07
0
63,449
5,48
0
-
68,92
9
68,51
9

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5,48 139,47
 123,14
Total Expenses 133,991 0
 - 1 7

During the year the PCC employed an administrative assistant on a part-time basis. Staff cost includes the resulting wage, tax, and pension costs.

From time-to-time, members were compensated for their time spent conducting children ministries and gardening for a total of £1,632 and £120 for years 2022 and 2021.

The PCC directly pays for curate lodging and utility expenses. The Diocese has provided a grant of £5,630 for 2022 which is separately reported on page 17.

The Independent Examiner was not compensated for efforts for both years presented.

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Independent Examiner’s Report to the PCC of St Saviour Wendell Park

LDF 08/20

I report on the Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2022 as set out on pages A to H

Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner

The PCC, as charity trustees, consider that 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:

Basis of independent examiner’s report

My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners.

An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity 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 the trustees concerning any such matters.

The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and so consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the accounts.

Independent examiner’s statement

In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:

Signed: …………………………………… Date: …………………………….………

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Name: Anthony Simkin FCA Address: 10 Riverview Grove, Chiswick, W4 3QJ

6. DEANERY SYNOD REPORT

Last year was another year in which the various issues addressed by Synod proved to be as heartening and innovative as usual.

In September the meeting was held here at St Saviour’s. It was the first time we had met ‘in the flesh’ since the beginning of the pandemic. As is usual in September, this was partly a meeting in which the aim was to socialize and it was a very successful meeting. The mood of the evening was enhanced by background piano music performed by one of our talented musicians.

The meeting in December was held at St Peter’s, Black Lion Lane. The main subject for the evening was the question of the practical help that the parishes were giving to the community at large. It was entitled ‘Warm Spaces etc. – spreading warmth and energy in our parishes’, and the parishes gave accounts of the different ways in which they were approaching this important issue.

The most recent meeting was held in March at St Stephen’s, Uxbridge Road. The main theme was discipleship and how to deepen one’s relationship with God. This was developed to give examples of devotional practices in differing churches and communities, for example as practised at St Martin-in-the-Fields, London. St Martin hosts The Nazareth Community whose motto is ‘The City is My Monastery’. The Nazareth Community sees itself as being ‘an experiment in being with God, with one’s neighbour and with oneself in the centre of London.’

There are examples of other such communities, both local and international. The diocese is preparing to publish a book on the subject to be called ‘Way of Life’.

As usual, we had regular updates on the state of the Common Fund.

Astrid Wilson Deanery Synod Representative

7. THE UPPER ROOM REPORT

As the pandemic receded, it was a great relief to find life returning to something approaching normality.

With the economic challenges facing society, however, our ability once more to offer our full range of services was timely indeed. The struggles that people – especially the most vulnerable – are experiencing have been well documented, and at The Upper Room we

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are in the forefront of providing much needed support.

To give just one example, in early 2023 we have regularly found ourselves serving more than 150 meals a day, which is an unprecedented number.

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The very sad news that Father John Wheeler had passed away was felt deeply by The Upper Room, as it will have been by the St Saviour’s community. John and his wife Brenda were the key players in founding The Upper Room more than 30 years ago, when he was Vicar of St Saviour’s. From small beginnings handing out sandwiches in their kitchen, via installing a trestle table in their garage, the charity has grown to the significant operation it is today.

It was very good to see so many old friends from The Upper Room and St Saviour’s gathering at John’s funeral to show their enormous respect and affection for a remarkable man.

This year we said farewell to our Chief Executive Chris Francis. Chris stepped up to the role of Chief Executive with great aplomb, and was both liked and respected by staff, volunteers, trustees and the wider community.

He and his wife Claire and baby daughter Pearl are making a new life for themselves on an idyllic island off the west coast of Ireland. Much though we’d have loved to persuade him to stay, it’s hard to compete with the Atlantic beaches.

Iain Cooper stepped in initially as Interim Chief Executive, but his energy and enthusiasm so impressed both the staff and trustees that we offered him the job on a permanent basis, and were delighted that he accepted.

As always, we are enormously grateful for the support we receive from St Saviour’s. In particular, we very much appreciate you hosting our Carol Service, as well as the very well attended Winter Lecture on William Morris.

Volunteers have always been vital to the work of The Upper Room, and it’s a uniquely rewarding thing to do. With the increased demand for our services, we need volunteers more than ever. So if you are interested, please do get in touch via our website at https://theupperroom.org.uk/get-involved/volunteer/

Simon Tuke, Chair of Trustees, The Upper Room

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