# **Annual Report and Financial Statements of the Parochial Church Council of St Helen's Witton** (also known as Northwich PCC) 

for the year ended 31 December 2021 

**Incumbent:** Rev Andrew Ridley 

**Lay Reader:** Mr David Drinkwater 

**Pastoral Worker:** Mrs Berenice Kirwan 

**Bank:** HSBC Bank plc, Northwich 

**Independent Examiner:** Frank Strange 

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## **Contents** 

1.  Reference and administration details...............................................................................3 2.   Structure, governance and management........................................................................4 3.  Aims and Objectives.........................................................................................................4 4.  Performance & Achievements..........................................................................................5 4.1 Vicar's Report  ........................................................................................................5 4.2 Secretary’s Report..................................................................................................6 4.3 Churchwardens' Report..........................................................................................7 4.4 Place of welcome....................................................................................................7 4.5 Praise & Play...........................................................................................................7 4.6 Parish Recorder's Report........................................................................................8 4.7 Safeguarding Report...............................................................................................9 4.8 Health & Safety Report...........................................................................................9 4.9 Deanery Synod Report  .......................................................................................10 5.Financial Review..............................................................................................................11 6. Declaration......................................................................................................................12 

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## **1.** Reference and administration details 

## **Charity name: Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St Helen's Witton** 

**Also known as:** St Helen's, Northwich 

## **Registered charity number: 1179543** 

**Principal address:** The Vicarage, 61 Church Road, Northwich, CW9 5PB 

## **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity** 

|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not**<br>**for whole year**|**Name of person (or**<br>**body) entitled to**<br>**appoint trustee (if**<br>**any)**|
|---|---|---|---|
|Andrew Ridley|Chairman||Chester Diocese|
|Mr Gordon Atkinson|Church warden|From 18thApril 2021|APCM|
|Mr Kenneth Moth|Church warden|From 18thApril 2021|APCM|
|Mrs Sue Williams|Church warden|Until 18thApril 2021|APCM|
|Mr George Miller|Church warden, Deanery<br>Synod Rep & Treasurer|Until 18thApril 2021|APCM|
|Mrs Berenice Kirwan|Deanery Synod Rep||APCM|
|Mr David Hodkinson|Deanery Synod Rep||APCM|
|Mr David Drinkwater|Lay-reader||APCM|
|Mrs Louise Begent-Piers|||APCM|
|Mrs Sallie Birtwisle||Until 18thApril 2021|APCM|
|Mrs Joy Montgomery|||APCM|
|Mrs Amelia Visscher|||APCM|
|Mr Andrew Cannon|||APCM|
|Mr Andrew Jeapes|Secretary & Treasurer||APCM|
|Mr Paul Tott|||APCM|
|Mr Eric Walker||Until 18thApril 2021|APCM|
|Mr Julian Williams||From 18thApril 2021|APCM|
|Mrs Jennifer Thomas||Co-opted on 19thMay|PCC|
|Miss Molly McCall||Co-opted on 19thMay|PCC|
|||||



_APCM = Annual Parochial Church Meeting_ 

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## **2. Structure, governance and management** 

Act of Parliament **Type of governing** Parochial Church Councils (Powers) Measure 1956 as amended **document:** and Church Representation Rules (contained in Schedule 3 to the Synodical Government Measure 1969 as amended) Parish Church Council **How the charity is constituted:** Members of the PCC are either ex-officio due to an office or **Trustee selection methods:** appointment they hold from Chester Diocese or are elected by the Annual Parochial Church Meeting in accordance with the Church Representation Rules. 

The parish consists of one church: St Helen's. The vicar also has responsibility for St John's, Lostock Gralam. 

## **3. Aims and Objectives** 

## **Aims and purposes** 

The PCC of St Helen's, Witton (also known as St Helen's Northwich) has the responsibility of cooperating with the incumbent in promoting, in the ecclesiastical parish, the whole mission of the church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. It also has maintenance responsibilities for St Helen's Church, the Sexton's House and 4 houses which are rented to produce income. 

## **Objectives and activities** 

When planning our activities for the year, the incumbent and the PCC have considered the Commission’s guidance on public benefit and, in particular, the specific guidance on charities for the advancement of religion. We aim to enable ordinary people to live out their faith as part of our parish community. We have adopted the overall objectives of being: 

## **“ Serving Christ, Serving the Community”** 

The primary object of St Helen’s Parochial Church Council is the promotion of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to the doctrine and practices of the Church of England within the ecclesiastical parish. 

Reference: “The Advancement of Religion for the Public Benefit”, Crown Copyright 2008 

To this end we undertake activities in the following 4 areas: 

- To maintain, develop and renew public acts of worship held regularly within our church building. 

- To provide pastorally-relevant religious ceremonies open to all parishioners for baptisms, weddings and funerals. 

- To extend the knowledge of and education in Christian teaching to both church members and members of the parish, within our acts of worship and through specific teaching opportunities, such as, confirmation groups and Sunday schools 

- To provide pastoral care to members of the church and any parishioners in need of spiritual, social or practical support. 

- The PCC acts to underpin all these activities by provision of well maintained buildings. 

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## **4. Performance & Achievements** 

## _**4.1 Vicar's Report**_ 

Looking back to 2021, COVID-19 was as disruptive of church life last year as the previous year, 2020. At the beginning of 2021, and shortly after celebrating Epiphany, Lockdown 2 began and we were back to services via video call until Palm Sunday. No Holy Week or Maundy Thursday service but Good Friday was observed and there were two services on Easter Day. At the beginning of May we had a Christian Aid Service and the new regional representative. Christel Langdon-Griffiths, came and preached. Later that week we had an outdoor Ascension Day Service so we could sing! On Pentecost Sunday Churches Together in Northwich organised a video call service for 'Thy Kingdom Come'. 

For the rest of the year, variants of the virus and the restrictions required to slow the spread of infection meant that for a time we could not sing, or had to sing through our face coverings, receive holy communion in one kind in our places and remain very socially distanced in church. Conversations before and after church frequently included reference to vaccinations, where, when and with what? We began to offer tea and coffee after the morning service, together with individually wrapped biscuits. The Servery came into its own but we were not able to use it fully due to restrictions, first mandatory and later advisory. There were more weddings than the previous year and far more baptisms: individual family baptisms through the spring and summer at 1pm and 3pm every Sunday afternoon. Sunday Club twice a month was re-started and Praise & Play was re-launched weekly in term time on a Friday morning. Thursday morning became the designated 'Place of Welcome' slot. The enterprise and commitment shown by a few dedicated individuals to reach out and welcome some people back and to welcome others for the first time was remarkable. 

Witton Church Walk School resumed collective worship in church on a Wednesday morning. When it came to harvest, gifts from church members and school parents were collected and sent to the Food Hub/Bank/Shop on Manchester Road. Later the same week there was a fish and chip supper and quiz and a fortnight later a long delayed civic service took place, attended by the Mayor and councillors and other distinguished guests including our member of parliament, Mike Amesbury. The Remembrance Sunday Service took place at the war memorial, following the usual parade. There was a Christingle Service on the evening of Advent Sunday when the collection was donated to the Children's Society. Towards Christmas there was a Christmas Tree Festival including a sing-along concert. Church Walk School, Victoria Road School and Rudheath Senior Academy held their Christmas services/performances in church and on the Sunday evening before Christmas there was the traditional Nine Lessons and Carols Service. On Christmas Eve at the Crib Service we sang 'Away in a manger' by candlelight and much later celebrated the First communion of Christmas. On Christmas morning there were two services and the following day, Boxing Day being a Sunday, a few of us turned out again. 

Thank you, everyone who contributed to the mission and ministry of St Helen's during 2021, in worship and service in church and online. Thank you for keeping in touch with one another and reaching out in small but significant ways to help neighbours and friends. It has been a challenge to know how best to share and live the good news of Jesus in such a topsy-turvy year, but at the end of 2021 St Helen's continued to have a worshipping congregation, in good heart and ready to welcome whatever 2022 had in store. 

During 2021 a small group of us studied Margaret Pritchard Houston's book, 'Beyond the Children's Corner : Creating a Culture of Welcome for All Ages'. She is Children's Mission Enabler Adviser for the Diocese of St Albans: a fancy title but one which means she is well experienced in what it is that attracts adults and children to want to know God better through an association with a Christian community or church. It turns out that we who are already members are the ones who will often make or break this potential connection. The blurb on the back cover of the book says: 'However warm the greeting at the door or the friendliness of the congregation, each individual church has its own culture — its unspoken understanding of how things are done and its established ideas which can be barriers to those unfamiliar with them. This pastoral, practical, 

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realistic and comprehensive guide will equip churches to take a fresh look at every aspect of their life together. It includes helpful reflection on the changing needs of modern families and building sustainable relationships with them. It identifies the signals that indicate it is time to do things differently and provides guidance on introducing and managing change. It considers how children can engage in nourishing worship and develop spiritually.' 

'Beyond the Children's Corner' is not a difficult read but the implications for how we 'do' or  'are' church in 2022 and beyond are challenging. St Helen's is attracting new members and there are adult candidates for confirmation on Sunday 22nd May. There are new children - with their parents - in the Children's Corner. As a church we have weekly contact with adults and children and the opportunity to share the love we know God has for us with others, so that they can experience it, too. How good are we at saying and living these words: 'Yes, I go  to church. You can see that it does me good. I believe it will do you good, too, so why not dip your toe in the water?' All this demands a certain level of confidence on our part and a care and concern for the other, which respects who they are and where they are coming from. It needs to be said: going to church is voluntary and if it does not appear to be doing us any good why should an outsider bother? Ask yourself: what attracts you to worship every week? Has it ever occurred to you that there may be a discrepancy between our aspirations, expressed in worship, and the reality of the way we welcome and encourage others? 

As Bishop Mark told Middlewich Deanery Synod last year: coronavirus has given us pause for thought, to consider what it is that church can offer now, rather than looking back to what used to work in the past. To quote Margaret Houston Pritchard again "Authenticity, community, relationships and acceptance are what count and church needs to be a place where you are not assessed and tested but can simply be. Where your identity comes not from your marks, or your likes on Instagram, but from being a beloved child of God." Of course, we cannot leave the past behind, any more than we can ignore the cost of Good Friday when we celebrate Jesus' resurrection: the marks of the nails and the spear thrust are still there for Thomas to see and feel in Jesus' resurrection body a week after Easter Day. But Jesus is no longer defined by death but by life: 'We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him...So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Jesus Christ.' Romans 6.9 & 11. We are Easter people, living in the light of the good news of Jesus' resurrection, and this must make a difference to how we view the future. Some things we hold dear may have to be closely examined and given a decent burial before moving on in faith and hope and above all, love. What united the followers of Jesus after the resurrection and their initial shock at what had happened, was their joy and hope for the future. I would like us to be the same. We have heard the Good News. We know it in our hearts. With God's help we will find ways to share it, so others know His love, too. 

## _**4.2 Secretary’s Report**_ 

The PCC met throughout the year, initially by video conference (up to April) and thereafter in person, with appropriate social distancing. After the APCM, we decided to broaden our representation by co-opting 2 members who had not served previously. From July onward we decided to meet monthly to ensure that we could address the varied issues before us without requiring excessively long meetings. 

We have sought to define our aims this year by restating our Aims and Ambitions, which we have publicised to the whole church. Under this remit, significant effort was devoted to revitalising work with children and young people, to renewing our efforts at communication and to promoting the vital role that volunteers contribute to our church life. 

Throughout the year we gave attention to measures required to protect our congregations and visitors from the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Discussions were held and decisions made on major expenditure: purchase of a 4[th] rental property, completion of the servery, and repair of the vestry roof. Approval was given to proceed with plans for new disabled toilets and improvements to the South Porch. 

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The relaxation of government requirements on Covid-19, enabled us to agree to running more social events and a sub-committee was established to plan, approve and manage the details of social events. 

In our role as trustees, we routinely scrutinised our finances, our safeguarding practices and our health and safety performance. 

## _**4.3 Churchwardens' Report**_ 

Gordon Atkinson and Ken Moth were elected as churchwardens at the 2021 Annual Parish Meeting.  One of the primary responsibilities set out in a Church Warden’s “job description” is to support the incumbent. We have informally met with Vicar Andrew on a two weekly basis to help move forward various parish and church matters. Where possible we arrange for at least one of us to be in church each Sunday morning. 

During the year repair and maintenance of the building and contents have been ongoing. The vestry roof has been renewed and repairs carried out to external masonry at the west end. A survey of the windows has been completed and repair works are being considered. A report on the condition of the organ has been commissioned. The new kitchen and servery are complete and functioning and the contractor retention payment has been released. At the time of writing, work on the fully accessible washroom and storage facilities is on schedule and should have been completed by the time of the Annual Church Meeting. Preparation work has been carried out with the church architect and contractor regarding refurbishment of the South Porch and this work is expected to be completed by late April or early May. A proposal for the creation of a car park within the church grounds has been developed but this is currently held up by conservation objections. 

All regular checks of gas and electrical installations and fire extinguishers have been completed. The alarm installation has been renewed. Volunteers have undertaken extensive clearing and tidying of the churchyard vegetation. One new noticeboard has been installed close to the east gate and a second noticeboard has been ordered to be sited by the west gate. The diocese has been contacted regarding our intention to sell the Sexton’s House. 

## _**4.4 Place of welcome**_ 

The regular Thursday morning " Places of Welcome " began in September with a few visitors, some have become regular attenders. The words most often spoken by the visitors are peace, welcome and friendliness. Conversations are instigated by the visitors with St Helens " Listeners " joining in as appropriate. Numbers have been increasing but more of both groups would be welcome. Representatives from other organisations have called in, adding to the topics of conversation. We stress that while the sessions are held in a church they are not religious, although once inside some appreciate the calmness of their surroundings. I have attended most weeks for the latter part of the morning and have enjoyed the chats with the visitors. 

Barbara Spencer 

## _**4.5 Praise & Play**_ 

_Praise and Play_ started again, after the pandemic restrictions were eased, in September 2021 and, after some research, it was decided to move Praise and Play to a Friday morning between 9.30am and 11.00am. 

The morning is specially prepared for pre-school children and their parents or carers and starts with a short service lasting about 10 minutes, during which we sing a couple of songs, listen to a story and say a short prayer. After the service there is a craft activity linked to the theme of the worship for the children and a chance to have a drink and a snack and for parents to enjoy a chat whilst the children play. There is no charge for “Praise and Play”. 

Topics explored this year during the worship session included “God made a wonderful world”, “Getting ready and Christmas”, “God gives us…”, and “God makes it grow” 

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## _**4.6 Parish Recorder's Report**_ 

The planned giving in the Parish continued with a weekly Thanksgiving Envelope scheme, individual Standing Orders arranged through the bank, and Annual Gifts. Pledges were made in November 2020 for the calendar year 2021. The table below shows the profile of pledges made and fulfilment of those pledges.  This is compared to the pledges made in May 2019 for the period June 2019 to May 2020. 

|June 2019 to May 2020.||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Pledges|2021||2019|||
|Weekly Donation Value|No of<br>donors|% of<br>total|No of<br>donors|% of total||
|less than £5|6|29%|8|25%||
|£5-£10|10|48%|13|41%||
|£10-£20|2|10%|4|13%||
|£20-£30|1|5%|2|6%||
|£30-£100|2|10%|4|13%||
|over £100|0|0%|1|3%||
|Total|21||32|||
|||||||
|Fulfilment of Pledges|No of<br>donors|% of<br>total|No of<br>donors|% of total||
|Met in full, or exceeded|14|67%|15|47%||
|Fulfilled by 97% or above|14|67%|18|56%||



The following shows the profile of giving for 2021 and 2020 

|The following shows the profile of giving for 2021 and 2020|The following shows the profile of giving for 2021 and 2020|The following shows the profile of giving for 2021 and 2020|The following shows the profile of giving for 2021 and 2020|The following shows the profile of giving for 2021 and 2020|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|Regular Giving|||||
||2021||2020||
|Weekly Donation<br>Value|No of<br>donors|% of total|No of<br>donors|% of total|
|less than £5|25|43%|24|45%|
|£5-£10|16|28%|14|26%|
|£10-£20|8|14%|6|11%|
|£20-£30|3|5%|5|9%|
|£30-£100|5|9%|3|6%|
|over £100|1|2%|1|2%|
|Total|58||53||
|||Total Donations||Total Donations|
|Weekly Envelopes|15|£3,732|25|£5,280|
|Standing Orders|40|£29,690|38|£25,899|
|Annual Gifts|4|£319|1|£60|
|Yellow Envelopes|7|£451|5|£916|
||Total|£34,191|Total|£32,154|
|(Some donors may have used multiple donation methods in the year)|||||
|Other Donations -<br>Yellow Envelopes|5|69.3|1|50|



In the tax year 2020/21, 57 Gift Aid declarations for regular giving were in operation. During that period, this giving together with single Gift Aid envelopes totalled £24,161.40, enabling us to claim £6,040.39 for the parish on this sum.  In tax year 2019/20 we claimed £7,194.34 Gift Aid on £28,777.18 of gifts. 

We also claimed £397.53 through the Small Cash Donations scheme, giving a total Gift Aid repayment for the year of £6,437.91.  In 2019/20 we claimed £1,698.08 through the SCDS scheme, and a total Gift Aid repayment of £8,892.41. 

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## _**4.7 Safeguarding Report**_ 

The PCC continues to abide by the Church of England safeguarding policy which the PCC at that time adopted in 2019 and will be reviewed at a PCC meeting in March 2022. The PCC along with other roles within the church has a duty to be trained in safeguarding. Each current member on the PCC has now undertaken the training online. The face to face training that the Diocese provides has been postponed due to the Coronavirus pandemic. This training is only required to certain roles within the church and is also online. 

It is mandatory that any new members to the PCC are trained in a basic awareness of safe guarding in the church. Due to the Coronavirus pandemic no new DBS checks have been required. The safeguarding officer has a list of people who have DBS checks made and when they expire. There have  been no safeguarding concerns raised in 2021 as the church and services have been restricted due to the Coronavirus pandemic. 

The Church of England from 4 January 2022, states that all new appointments and those whose enhanced DBS is due a recheck from that point onwards should have their DBS recheck carried out and then be put on the new 3 year recheck cycle, the cycle before was 5 years. Therefore by 4 January 2022, Church Bodies must have assessed all other individuals who do not fall into the above, but whose DBS is more than 3 years old and put a plan in place to ensure that all those individuals have a DBS no older than 3 years by 3[rd ] January 2024 and after that, ensure they are also on the new 3 year recheck cycle. 

The safeguarding lead will review documentation held on safe guarding and make suggestions to the PCC in due course. 

Sue Williams - Parish Safeguarding Officer for St Helen's Church Witton 

## _**4.8 Health & Safety Report**_ 

## **Summary** 

During the year 2021-22  the following UNOR reportable incidents have occurred: 

Level 1 2 Level 2 0 Level 3 4 

Level 3) Near miss incident/Observed Hazard: This is an incident or observed hazard/behaviour that could have resulted in an injury or damage to property if nothing was done about it. An example could be a damaged electrical socket or a spill of water that is not cleared up. Level 2) Incident that caused damage to property or a minor injury requiring first aid: This is an incident that would have caused injury had there been a person in the wrong place at the wrong time or a minor injury not requiring professional medical attention. An example of this could be an overloaded electrical socket or a lighting fire. 

Level 1) Incident that led to a more severe injury requiring first aid/emergency services call out/RIDDOR report: Any incident that requires an emergency services call out is the highest level of UNOR. 

## **Incidents** 

The two Level 1 incidents were an illness in the bell tower and a serious injury in the vestry which resulted in a RIDDOR report to the Health & Safety Executive.  Follow up enquiries from the council Regulatory Services Officer were dealt with over the phone by me. 

The four Level 3 incidents were a minor splash of wax in the upper vestry due to overenthusiastic blowing out of the candles; a minor trip over an inappropriately placed radiator, trailing cables left exposed during a service and damage to the disabled parking area to the south east of the church. 

Once again, can I ask that you tell the H&S Officer if you have seen anything that you consider to be a hazard or an unsafe event occur.  A good example is the near-miss of the trailing cables. That wasn’t an incident, but it could have been, hence it was reported. 

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All of the above incidents have resulted in recommendations being made to the PCC or the persons involved.  A full list of recommendations is available if required. 

## **Policies and Risk Assessments** 

A review of all policies and risk assessments will be undertaken within the next 3 months. 

## **Covid-19** 

This was a major upset in the life of not just the church, but the nation as a whole.  On the 23[rd] March 2020, the government announced that all activities that may involve personal interaction were stopped.  This included church services and gatherings. 

As of the 2[nd] April 2022, the situation couldn’t be more different.  There are no legal restrictions on meetings or infections any more and it is down to personal preference whether you mask, isolate etc.  However, out of an abundance of caution, and recognising that the current rates of infection locally are higher than they have been during the pandemic, a number of recommendations remain in place.  These are: 

- Face coverings are encouraged when in church; 

- Hand sanitiser is still available for use on entering and leaving the building, during communion and at the servery area; 

- Communion is celebrated with both kinds, however, the bread will be tinctured in the wine rather than sharing the common cup; 

- The sharing of the peace is to remain at a distance. 

## **Replacement Equipment** 

During the year the first aid kits have been replaced and the defibrillator battery has had to be replaced. 

Andrew Cannon (Health & Safety Officer) 

## _**4.9 Deanery Synod Report**_ 

St Helen’s church has 3 representatives on deanery synod and we ensured that we had representation at all of the meetings that were held in 2021. This is one means of the PCC gaining a wider perspective of church affairs and participating in the Church of England’s governance. The 3 meetings held in 2021 focused on a) the work & life of the cathedral, b) a presentation from the newly appointed bishop and c) a discussion of environmental issues facing the church. Where appropriate we fed back issues that had been discussed to the PCC. 

## _**4.10 Northwich & District Churches Together**_ 

During lockdown in the first part of the year, a very successful Pentecost/Thy Kingdom Come Zoom service was held. Subsequently, people have been very cautious about meeting together so 2022’s Lent Course will be held via Zoom. For the same reason there will be no Walk of Witness on Good Friday. Looking forward, we would like to think that in the summer we may have an open air Songs of Praise possibly in the old outdoor market place, if it is for hire. Once we are able to live more normally with Covid we are considering restarting a regularly monthly Songs of Praise on a Sunday evening. 

Joy Montgomery 

## _**4.11 CAMEO**_ 

Due to restrictions we were unable to meet after Ash Wednesday last year until September when it was very pleasing to see everyone returning and attending the Midday Service and afterwards 

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staying for CAMEO. As usual we went out for our Christmas meal and look forward to going out again in the summer for lunch. Anyone over retirement age would be made very welcome on the third Wednesday in the month. 

Joy Montgomery 

## **5.Financial Review** 

The financial statements of the PCC have been prepared in accordance with the Charity Commission requirements for England and Wales, and are shown in tabular form at the end of this report. 

In finance terms, 2021 has had two parts: 

1. The rebuilding of regular income and donations to support the day to day work of St Helen’s Church. 

2. Continuation of our policy to use the proceeds from the sale of the curate’s house and field. 

In summary, our regular donations, occasional offerings and proceeds from events and income from rental properties have increased during the year. Regular donations are the bedrock of our financial viability, contributing over 50% to our annual income. We have received increased rental income with the purchase and letting of an additional 3 houses. 

Nevertheless, our deficit of routine expenditure over income was £8330 (having discounted expenditure on major works and purchase of a rental property. The picture is less bleak if it is recognised that a tax refund is due on gift-aided donations. As a result, we are more or less breaking even although we already know that 2022 will be more expensive because of increases in inflation, notably energy costs. We can be encouraged by what we have achieved but need to commit ourselves to seeking increased donations and other sources of income. 

Expenditure on major projects has been substantial during 2021 comprising:- 

- Purchase of a 4[th] rental property 

- Final payment on the servery 

- Repair of the vestry and aisle roofs. 

The servery was 75% funded by grants and donations but the remainder of the major projects have been funded from reserves, notably the proceeds from sale the Curate’s house & field in 2019. There are sufficient funds left to enable our plans to install disabled toilets and to refurbish the South Porch. 

The accounts have been restructured to include a restricted fund, which includes receipt of monies that are given/awarded for specific purposes and then shows their spend on such purposes. The restricted fund makes it easier to demonstrate to grant-awarding bodies that we have used their grants as intended. 

## **The trustees' policy on reserves:** 

As a PCC, we are well aware of the forthcoming challenges in terms of repair and maintenance of the church building and of meeting our aspirations to develop the growth and ministry of the church. Equally, we do currently hold significant assets (cash, investments and buildings) which we need to manage effectively for the best outcome for St Helen's Church. Our saleable property portfolio as at Dec 2021 is valued at approximately £660,000. A reserve policy clearly will help with our future funding strategy. 

In the light of the foregoing background, the PCC agreed a revised reserve policy as follows:- 

## **Reserves Policy for St Helen's (Witton) Northwich** 

## **What:** 

The following risks should be addressed 

1. Loss of three months income from three residential properties, say £6,000. 

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2. Decline in planned giving and collections (annual), say £18,000. 

- 3.Unforeseen eventuality (say building or services failure), say £36,000. 

## **TOTAL CASH RESERVE £60,000** 

## **Why:** 

These reserves are held to cover significant unexpected reduction in income or unexpected and unplanned urgent expenditure. However, the PCC will also need to take action to remedy deficits in its funding over the longer term and to rebuild the reserve whenever it is called upon. 

## **When can these reserves be used:** 

Money held in reserve can only be allocated by the Parochial Church Council. If an urgent response is required an emergency PCC will be called. 

## **Review:** 

The PCC will review the reserves policy annually, as recommended by the Charity Commission, in sufficient time to present the revised policy to the Annual Parish Church Meeting. 

## **6. Declaration** 

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above. Signed on behalf of the  charity’s trustees. 

|Signed on behalf of|the  charity’s trustees.||
|---|---|---|
|Signature(s)|||
|Full name(s)|Andrew Jeapes|Andrew Ridley|
|Position|Secretaryof PCC|Chairman|
|Date|8thApril 2022|8thApril 2022|



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|**Receipt and Payments Account from 1st**<br>Unrestricted<br>funds<br>**A1 Receipts**|**Receipt and Payments Account from 1st**<br>Unrestricted<br>funds<br>**A1 Receipts**|**Receipt and Payments Account from 1st**<br>Unrestricted<br>funds<br>**A1 Receipts**|**January 2021 to 31st December 2021**<br>Restricted<br>funds<br>Endowment<br>funds<br>Total funds<br>To the nearest £|**January 2021 to 31st December 2021**<br>Restricted<br>funds<br>Endowment<br>funds<br>Total funds<br>To the nearest £|**January 2021 to 31st December 2021**<br>Restricted<br>funds<br>Endowment<br>funds<br>Total funds<br>To the nearest £|**January 2021 to 31st December 2021**<br>Restricted<br>funds<br>Endowment<br>funds<br>Total funds<br>To the nearest £|**January 2021 to 31st December 2021**<br>Restricted<br>funds<br>Endowment<br>funds<br>Total funds<br>To the nearest £|**January 2021 to 31st December 2021**<br>Restricted<br>funds<br>Endowment<br>funds<br>Total funds<br>To the nearest £|Last year<br>38,175<br>18,517<br>20,957<br>13,809<br>18,175<br>20,509<br>130,136<br>130,136|Last year<br>38,175<br>18,517<br>20,957<br>13,809<br>18,175<br>20,509<br>130,136<br>130,136|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Voluntary income|38,839||2,617||||41,456||38,175||
|Tax Receipt|||||||||18,517||
|Income from events & activities|6,195||||||6,195||20,957||
|Income from investments|1,911||||||1,911||13,809||
|Income from rental properties|22,120||||||22,120||18,175||
|Grants|||20,977||||20,977||20,509||
|**Sub-total(Gross income for A1)**|69,065||23,594||||92,659||||
|**A2 Asset & Investment Sales(see table)**|||||||||||
||||||||||||
|**_Sub total_**|||||||||||
|**Total Receipts**|69,066||23,594||||92,659||||
|**A3 Payments**|||||||||||
|Missionary& charitablegrants|240||||||240||8,010||
|Church-related:|||||||||||
|Ministry& worship|44,513||1,178||||45,691||||
|Buildingrunningcosts|<br>17,565||||||17,565||||
|Minor repairs & maintenance|<br>7,908||||||7,908||||
|Costs of rentalproperties|4,611||||||4,611||||
|Admin & IT|<br>3,317||||||3,317||||
|**Sub total church-related**|<br>77,914||1,178||||79,092||101,986||
|Major works & repairs|96,779||46,939||||143,718||53,657||
|Professional fees|4,080||2,160||||6,240||||
|**Sub-total A3 Payments**|179,012||50,277||||229,289||163,653||
||||||||||||
|**Asset & investment Purchases see table**|||||||||||
|1 Scholars Row|142,555||||||142,555||280,000||
|**sub-total**|142,555||||||142,555||280,000||
|**Total Payments**|321,568||50,277||||371,845||443,653||
|Nett of receipts/(payments)|(252,502)||(26,683)||||(279,185)||(313,517)||
|A5 Transfer between funds|(47,501)||47,501||||||||
|A6 Cash funds 31stDecember 2020|522,697||||||522,697||836,215||
|**Cash funds at 31st December 2021**|222,694||20,817||||243,512||522,697||



Page 13 of 15 



## **Section B Statement of Assets and Liabilities at the Year End** 

||Unrestricted funds|Unrestricted funds|Restricted funds|Restricted funds|Endowment funds|Endowment funds|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**B1 Cash Funds**|||||||
|**Cash at bank**|222,694||20,817||||
|**Total cash funds**|222,694||20,817||||
||||||||
|**B2 Other Monetary**<br>**Assets**|Fund to which asset belongs||Cost (optional)||Current value (optional)||
|CBF Institute|Unrestricted||||42,540||
|CBF Witton Sunday School<br>Fund|Restricted||||23,464||
|**Total**|||||66,004||
||||||||
|**B3 Investment assets**|||||||
|Cornerstones (Sexton’s<br>House)|Unrestricted||125,000||||
|8 St Chads Fields|Unrestricted||115,200||||
|17 Hollybank Close|Unrestricted||150,000||||
|16, St Chads Fields|Unrestricted||130,000||||
|1 Scholars Rise|Unrestricted||140,000||||
||Fund to which asset belongs||Cost (optional)||Current value (optional)||
|**B4 Assets retained for**<br>**charity’s own use**|||||||
||||||||
||Fund to which liability belongs||Amount due<br>(optional)||When due (optional)||
|**B5 Liabilities**|||||||
||||||||



Page 14 of 15 



I rtptsrt to trustee5 on myexarninathn of the accountsof the St+le1￿.% vliiion. P*roth
CtrAYch ltr*Trustl forthe year ended 31 D￿eMber2021.
A5 the charity trustees of theTrust you are responsible forthe pre￿ratIon ofthe accounts in
att0rdon￿ with the requirements of the Chairtie5Art 2011(.tt￿ ky). I repDrt in respect of my
examsnatiofi of thÈTrusVs accounts carried out under settK)n 145 of the 2011 Att and in Car￿n1
out my examination I have followed all athicable ￿"rectior￿Bl¥en bythethèritycommi55ion
uftdersertion 14515Mbl of the P<L
I ha¥ecompkned myetsrnin*￿. I wnffirm that ￿ m*erfal mètters hwe coff*to rny atte*t*Jn in
connertion with examirtati￿ giving cause to ￿lIeve that in any mateiial respert.. i.
attountiriB records were not kept in respettof thE Tnist as required by settirml 130of the Act. or2.
the accounts do not accordwith those records.. or 3. the accounts do not comptywith the applicatAe
requirernents corKeming the forni aTrOconterf of accounts set in the Charities (Accounts and
Reportsl Regulations 2(￿ other than any re4uirement thatthe accounts gNe a'true ènd fairview
which Is not a matter con5idÈred as part ofan 1ndependentexaminat￿sn. I ha* no concerns and
have come across no other matters in connertion with the examinatK)n to whlch artention should be
drawn in this report In order to enable a proper understandin8 of the accountsto be reathed.
&Bned..
F£V.
Name: Frarsk Stran8e
AddressWe5teth. Waste lane Cuddirwon. North*ith Cheshire CW8 2TD
Date.. t Marth 2022
Page 15 of 15