THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF BISHOP AUCKLAND
REGISTERD CHARITY NUMBER 1180703
ANNUAL TRUSTEES’ REPORT FOR 2020
Aims and Purposes
Bishop Auckland Parochial Church Council (PCC) has the responsibility of co-operating with the incumbent, Revd Matthew Keddilty, in promoting in the ecclesiastical parish the whole mission of the church – pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical.
The PCC is also responsible for the maintenance of St Andrew’s Church, South Church and St Anne’s Church, Market Place, Bishop Auckland.
In 2018 St Anne’s Church was declared as a Resource Church and following a successful bid by the Diocese to the C of E Strategic Development Fund (SDF) was allocated additional funds across the programme period (2019-2024). The aim is to help us develop, expand and become more outward looking. The emphasis is very much on becoming a church without walls, dedicated to living out the good news of Jesus in full view of the world, and growing and training new leaders who will eventually go on to plant new churches for the benefit of those who are not yet part of the Christian Church in this region.
Objectives and Activities
The PCC is committed to enabling as many people as possible to worship in our two churches and to become part of our parish community. The PCC maintains an overview of worship throughout the parish and makes suggestions as to how our services and activities can involve and serve the many people who live within our parish. Our services and worship are based around prayer, Bible reading, preaching, music and sacrament.
When planning our activities for the year the incumbent and the PCC attach great importance to public benefit, and we try to enable ordinary people to live out their faith as part of our parish community through
-
worship and prayer, learning about the Gospel and developing their trust in Jesus
-
provision of pastoral care for people living in the parish
-
missionary and outreach work
Achievements and Performance
Worship and Prayer
The PCC are keen to offer a range of services during the week and over the course of the year which our community find both beneficial (especially for those who are socially isolated) and spiritually fulfilling. We try to provide a range of services: from a traditional Holy Communion service (liturgically led and with traditional hymns) in St Andrew’s each Sunday morning; a quiet spoken Holy Communion service in St Anne’s each Thursday; and our contemporary Sunday Gathering service (of an inter-generational and interactive style, with modern music) from St Anne’s. Since establishing this service in 2018 we have welcomed a growing
number of families, as well as people coming along on their own.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic our church buildings were closed for a large part of 2020, but the creativity, technical skills and resilience of our staff team and volunteers enabled us to continue to offer worship and pastoral support to our congregation and local community during this difficult time. Soon after the first lockdown was announced we began streaming services via Facebook, YouTube and Zoom. We also referred members of our congregation to online services from Durham Cathedral and to telephone services provided by the Church of England. Sunday service liturgy and parish news updates were e-mailed and posted to church members.
When COVID restrictions allowed us to hold services in church we ensured that COVID guidance was closely followed to keep everyone safe. When services were not permitted, we were sometimes able to open our churches for private prayer. On 1[st ] – 2[nd] November we welcomed into St Anne’s Church the relatives of those whose funerals had been conducted in the parish during the past year so that they could light a candle, listen to a short reflection and remember their loved ones.
All are welcome to attend our regular services. In 2020 our parish worshipping community consisted of 104 people (18 children aged 0-10, 6 young people aged 11-17, 49 adults aged 18-69 and 31 adults aged 70+). The average weekly attendance at St Anne’s counted during the month of October was 12 people in person (+ 100 participating in our online services) and at St Andrew’s: 25.
After the last revision of the Electoral Roll in October 2020 there were 81 people on the Church Electoral Roll.
As well as our regular services, we enable our local community to celebrate and thank God at the milestones of the journey through life and offer appropriate pastoral support. In 2020, 2 baptisms, 6 weddings and 54 funerals (of which 49 were conducted at a crematorium or cemetery) took place in our parish.
Work with Children, Youth & Families
During 2020 our work with children, young people and families has been significantly impacted by the Covid pandemic and resulting restrictions, but we have continued to reach out and serve each of these in creative and new ways. Our Blessed Beginnings toddler group became an online support/activity group on Zoom, with an offer of 1-2-1 support which was taken up by many families. Our young children benefitted from a weekly video and activity club which was distributed to their homes over the summer, transitioning into a virtual ‘Kingdom Kid Epic Show’ from November. Our young peoples ‘Yoof’ group, continued to meet weekly, although virtually and have enjoyed Pizza Parties and other activities. We have continued to work with local schools and have undertaken specific support around various issues, created Easter and Christmas material, hosted virtual church tours and Q&A sessions, and provided weekly virtual Collective Worship (which has been distributed to homes during lockdowns and used in the schools/classrooms at others). We also partnered with the Auckland Project to distribute food to families in need and with ‘Faith in Our Community’ to distribute over 70 sets of new school uniform.
Ministry to the Elderly
During 2020 the vicar and curate have visited housebound members of our parish to let them know they are not forgotten and to enable them to receive Holy Communion. We have been particularly concerned that our elderly parishioners and other people living on their own should not feel socially isolated and have kept in regular contact with them by e-mail, post and telephone.
Town Events
Most of the town’s usual annual events could not take place this year due to COVID, but on the Saturday before Christmas we distributed Christingle kits outside St Anne’s Church and held a short socially distanced carol service in the Market Place. Festive lighting was provided by the town council, and the people who came along seemed to really enjoy being able to participate safely in a joyful open-air event.
Helping people in need
We continue to allocate ten per cent of the unrestricted income of the parish to support global mission. We support our local food bank as well as charities in this country and overseas including Christians against Poverty, Prison Fellowship and Compassion UK (through whom we sponsor a little boy in Kenya. When deciding which charities to support and for how long, the parish Global Mission Committee will bear in mind some of the stated priorities of the Diocese, namely poverty, children and the environment. We also continue to provide practical assistance to individuals who approach the church directly for help and where necessary we signpost them to the appropriate agencies when longer term support is required. This year we have supported local families in need by helping to distribute laptops and other equipment required for home schooling, as well as occasional meals. In our care for the wider world, we seek where possible to use Fairtrade and environmentally friendly products.
Ecumenical Involvement
Bishop Auckland Parish is a member of the Bishop Auckland Fellowship of Christian Churches. Our ecumenical activities have been restricted due to COVID, but during the summer we worked together to provide a series of drive-in church services in a car park in the town centre.
Parish Website and Facebook Page
Information about services and activities taking place in the parish is available on our website ( www.baparish.church), and our Facebook page (Bishop Auckland Parish) is regularly updated.
Buildings
To facilitate our work, it is important that we maintain the fabric of the churches of St Andrew (Grade I listed) and St Anne (Grade 2) and ensure that all equipment is serviced and inspected as necessary. A programme of building works is still in place to provide St Anne’s Church with more appropriate facilities needed to serve the local community. New audio-visual equipment has been installed in St Anne’s which has enabled us to function as a hybrid church, streaming services and meetings online when we have not been able to hold worship and other activities in church. We have continued to improve the lighting in both churches to make it more effective and energy efficient.
Hire of Church Premises
St Anne’s Church has a number of spaces available for hire at reasonable rates, subject to the completion of a hire agreement which includes compliance with health and safety and safeguarding regulations. Since the introduction of COVID restrictions in March, outside groups have not been permitted to meet on our premises.
Financial Review
The composition of receipts and payments was substantially different from prior years as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and its impact on services and church activities.
Total receipts into unrestricted funds were £71,524: unrestricted voluntary donations amounted to £58,193, of which grants, including COVID-19-related support funding from Durham County Council and HMRC, totalled £17,551; a further £8,075 was claimed as Gift Aid. Receipts from church activities, principally fees for funerals, contributed £5,092.
Of receipts into restricted funds of £50,191, grants accounted for £49,170, of which in turn £33,878 of Strategic Development Funding under the Church of England Resource Church initiative was supplemented by £7,942 from HMRC under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, with a further £7,000 received from The Frank & Phillis Scotto Trust Fund to fund the Toddler Group.
An increase of 47% in receipts from tax-efficient planned giving drove planned giving in total up by 39% compared with the previous year; the value of planned giving through banker’s orders increased by 140%, although envelope giving fell by 29%.
At £121,715, total Parish receipts were 21% higher than the £100,964 received in 2019, as the steep falls in receipts from church activities, collections at services and donations were more than outweighed by the increases in grant funding and planned giving.
A total of £111,174 was spent from unrestricted funds to provide the Christian ministry from Bishop Auckland Parish, including the contribution of a Diocesan Parish Share of £52,500, an increase of 5% from 2019.
Payments from restricted funds amounted to £63,628, including payments in respect of staff retained for ministry to children and families of £57,551. Compared with the considerable investment in the previous year, there was little incremental spend on audio-visual, IT and other equipment. The funding came largely through the Strategic Development Funding under the Resource Church initiative, with a significant additional proportion coming from Parish reserves in the form of the St Anne’s Old School Fund, which is available for application for educational purposes.
Total payments in the year were £174,802, a 17% increase on the £149,044 spent in 2019.
The net result for the year was a shortfall between receipts and payments of £39,649 on unrestricted funds and £53,086 in total. Adding bank and deposit balances brought forward at the beginning of the year, the balances carried forward at 31 December 2020 amounted to £34,435 of unrestricted funds and £220,712 of restricted funds, that is, £255,147 in total.
The PCC wishes to thank John L Griffiths BA (Hons) Econ F.C.M.A. for once again carrying out the role of Independent Examiner of the accounts, and for requesting that his normal fee be waived in favour of a charitable donation being made; accordingly, a donation of £100 has been made to the Woodhouse Close Community Centre, Bishop Auckland.
Reserves Policy
It is PCC policy to maintain a sufficient balance from unrestricted funds in its current account to cover day to day running expenses and to cover emergency situations that may arise from time to time.
It is our policy to invest our funds with the CBF Church of England Deposit Fund.
Staff Team in post in 2020:
Vicar - Revd Matthew Keddilty
Training Curate – Revd Steph Price (from June; ordained September)
Children & Families’ Mission Leader for 0-5s – Mrs Alison Keddilty (with additional responsibility for 5-11s from October onwards)
Children & Families’ Mission Leader 5-11s - Miss Claire Mead (January until October)
Young Peoples’ Missioner – Mr Graham Cleland (from October)
Parish Administrator – Mrs Angela MacDonald
Ministry Experience Volunteer (becoming Intergenerational Mission Support from 18 August) – Miss Emily Callaghan
Volunteers
The parish benefits from having a number of faithful, enthusiastic volunteers, all of whom have been safely recruited and undergone appropriate training.
Safeguarding
The PCC has endorsed and operates a Safeguarding Policy in line with Durham Diocesan and National Church guidance. This policy is reviewed on an annual basis and Safeguarding is a standing agenda item at all full PCC and Standing Committee meetings.
Mrs Marilyn Weerasinghe continues to act as Parish Safeguarding Officer and has worked with staff members to ensure that our parish safeguarding policy is being adhered to.
All our activities are risk assessed, and all paid and voluntary workers are safely recruited.
Structure, Governance and Management
The method of appointment of PCC members is set out in the Church Representation Rules. The membership of Bishop Auckland PCC consists of the incumbent (our vicar), curate, reader and members elected by those members of the congregation who are on the Electoral Roll of the church. All those who attend our services /members of the congregation are encouraged to register on the Electoral Roll and stand for election to the PCC.
The PCC are responsible for making decisions on all matters of general concern and importance to the parish including decisions on how the funds of the PCC are to be spent. During 2020 the PCC and PCC Standing Committee (consisting of the vicar, church wardens, PCC lay-chair and Treasurer) have met regularly – in person or via zoom - to discuss church matters. We also have a Global Mission Committee which meets periodically throughout the year to discuss our support for other charities and organizations at home and abroad. The Global Mission Committee is responsible to the PCC and reports back to it regularly.
Two members of the PCC sit on the deanery synod. This provides the PCC with an important link between the Parish and the wider structures of the Anglican Church.
Administrative Information
Bishop Auckland Parish consists of two churches: St Andrew’s Church, South Church, Bishop Auckland DL14 6FR and St Anne’s Church, Market Place, Bishop Auckland DL14 7NP. Bishop Auckland Parish is part of the Diocese of Durham within the Church of England.
The Parish Office is based in St Anne’s Church and is open Monday to Friday, 9.30 am to 12.30 pm when the Parish Administrator is available to respond to enquiries from members of the public.
The PCC is a body corporate (PCC Powers Measure 1956, Church Representation Rules 2006) and became a registered charity in November 2018.
PCC members who were in office in 2020:
Ex-officio Members
Incumbent: Revd Matthew Keddilty Chairperson
Curate: Revd Frances Cooper (until 5 July) Revd Steph Price (from 5 July)
Other Ministers:
Revd Eileen Harrop
Reader: Mrs Catherine Taylor
Vice Chair & Representative to Deanery Synod
Wardens : Mr Anthony Coulls
Mr James Masters Mrs Patricia White Mr Martin Wood (until 1 August) Representative to Deanery Synod
Elected Members:
Mr John Billington (until 19 October)
Miss Nora Jones (until 19 October)
Mr Michael Simpson (until 29 February) Mr John Waine Mrs Marilyn Weerasinghe Mr Nicholas White
Dr Jane Whittaker (until 19 October)
Mr Martin Wood (from 1 August)
Mrs Margaret Wright
Co-opted Members:
Mrs Jane Armstrong (Woodhouse Close Church)
This report and associated accounts were presented to the APCM of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Bishop Auckland on 9 May 2021.
Signed Revd Matt Keddilty
Vicar of Bishop Auckland (PCC Chairman)
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT REPORT TO THE MEMBERsmiusTEES OF THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCILOF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF BISHOP AUCKLAND Rogislerod Charity Numbor 1180703 I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity {Yhe Trusf) for the year ended 31 December 2020. Respective responsibilities of Trusto08 and Independont Examlnor As the charity trustee$ of the Trust, the members of the Parochial Church Council are r8spon8ibl8 for the preparation of the accounts in a¢cordan¢e wrth the requirements of the Charities Acl 2011 ('the Act.). The members consider that an audti is not requId for the year in questlon under sectlon 144(2) of the Act and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibilty.. . to examine the accounts under section 145 of the Act. to follow all relevant Directions given by the Charity Commls8ion under 8eL#ion 145(5)(b) of the Act; and • to state wthether partlcular matters have come to my attention. Ba818 of IndoporKlont Examlnorfs Statement My examination was carried out in accordance with all relevant Dir8Ction8 given by th& Chanty Commi881¢)n, An examination includes a r8vlew of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparl8on of the accounts presented Vth those records. It a180 includes the consideration of any unusual Items or dls¢108ure8 in th8 accounts and the seeking of explanations from the trustees conceming any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evideneR that would be required in an audit, and consequently do not expres8 an audrt opinion on the accounts. - Ind•pend•nt Examln•rfs Stat•menf I have completed my examination. No matters have wne to my attentlon in COn10n wth the examination that give me Cause lo telieve that in any material respect • accounting records Vre not keiit in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Ad. and • th6 account8 do not accord with those arUntIrj record8. I have no concems and have come acr088 no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should te drawn in this report in order to enable a woper understanding of the accounts to ba reached. Signed: Date . 21103 /2021 Name: JOHN LLOYD GRIFFITHS John L. GrRffiths BA (HiTrrts.) FCMA ALcvuntaney SerYke5 Lidip Huus¢. 22 New Fiild Hf¥lmfiffh, we Yi)rks. 14D7 1 TtllFax". +44 {0:484) 686587 Relevant professional qualifi¢atlonls) or body (rf any): BA (Hons) Econ F.C.M.A Address: Lido House , 22 New Fold HOLMFIRTH , West Yorks., HD9 2DQ