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2025-12-31-accounts

Trustees’ Report for the year ended 31 December 2025

for the Parochial Church Council of St Thomas à Becket Church and St Matthew’s Church, Widcombe, Bath

15 April 2026

Registered Charity No:1182372

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Contents

PCC Membership and Parish Officers .............................................................................................................. 3 Purpose and Responsibilities ............................................................................................................................ 4 Background ........................................................................................................................................................ 4 Incumbent’s Report ............................................................................................................................................ 4 Reader’s Report (includes Widcombe Junior School and Deanery Synod Reports) ....................................... 7 Churchwardens and Chapelwardens ................................................................................................................ 7 St Thomas à Becket – Churchwardens Report ............................................................................................. 7 St Thomas à Becket – Fabric Report ............................................................................................................. 8 St Matthew’s - Chapelwardens Report .......................................................................................................... 8 St Matthew’s - Fabric Report ......................................................................................................................... 9 Electoral Roll ................................................................................................................................................ 10 PCC Secretariat ........................................................................................................................................... 10 Safeguarding Report .................................................................................................................................... 10 Groups for Children and Adults ....................................................................................................................... 10 Matt’s Minis ................................................................................................................................................... 10 Sunday Science Club ................................................................................................................................... 11 Home groups ................................................................................................................................................ 11 Matt’s Men .................................................................................................................................................... 11 Red Tent ....................................................................................................................................................... 11 Financial Review .............................................................................................................................................. 12 Independent Examiners Report ....................................................................................................................... 13 Statement of Financial Activities ...................................................................................................................... 14 Balance Sheet .................................................................................................................................................. 15 Notes to the Accounts ...................................................................................................................................... 16

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PCC Membership and Parish Officers

The following served during the period from 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2025:

Incumbent/PCC Chair Rev Laura Doe From 10 April 2025 PCC Vice-Chair Andrew Udale-Smith Churchwardens Fiona Coverdale Until APCM - Wardening team thereafter (St Thomas a Becket) Tony Coverdale Until APCM – Wardening team thereafter Chapelwardens Miles Andrews (St Matthew’s) Sarena Sherratt Treasurer Tony Coverdale Until APCM Freddie Sherratt From APCM Ex-officio members of PCC Rev Judith Harries PTO Dr Mary Udale-Smith Reader & Deanery Synod representative (approved by APCM) Elected lay members of PCC Carol Tottle Deanery Synod representative Jill Oldham Parish Safeguarding Officer Joel Lloyd-Carter Jamie Duncan Until 24 November 2025 Harry Collin David Mathews Rachel Levenson From APCM Freddie Sherratt From APCM Andrew Udale-Smith Co-Opted until APCM, elected thereafter Secretariat Jane Blackbourn PCC Secretary Angela Frith Parish Electoral Roll Officer

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Purpose and Responsibilities

Widcombe Parochial Church Council (PCC) is the main decision maker of the benefice.

Its members are clergy, churchwardens and others elected by the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) of the parish. Its powers and duties are defined by legislation. Legally, the PCC is responsible for the finances of the parish. It also has ultimate responsibility for the care and maintenance of all church buildings and their contents. Although these responsibilities are executed by the churchwardens, all PCC members must share in the oversight. It has a voice in the forms of Service used by the church and may make representations to the bishop on matters that affect the welfare of the parish.

Background

The ancient parish of Widcombe has existed since Anglo-Saxon times, but the current bounds of the parish of Widcombe, Bath were established in 1972, when St Mark's Lyncombe was closed and part of the neighbouring parish of Lyncombe was absorbed. We are part of the Bath Deanery.

Widcombe, Bath is a benefice, having two churches, St Thomas a Becket (dating from 1502) and the larger church of St Matthew’s (consecrated in 1847), more recently known as St Matt’s. In 2000, the status of the parish was reduced to 'house for duty', with services only taking place at St Thomas a Becket.

However, in 2013 St Matt's was selected as a location for a 'church plant' to create a new worshiping community. In 2014, a vicar, Tim Buckley, was appointed to serve both the new congregation of St Matt's and the established congregation of St Thomas a Becket.

In addition, the Bristol branch of the German Lutheran Church continued to use St Thomas a Becket church for their monthly services, as it has done for over forty years.

Tim Buckley left the parish in November 2023. After more than a year of vacancy, a new Interim Minister, Laura Doe, was appointed in April 2025 to help the benefice discern, with God, its future direction.

Incumbent ’s Report Rev Laura Doe

I began my role in April 2025 and it has been a real blessing to serve the benefice over this past year. I am most grateful to the two great core teams and the PCC that have supported me to make the day to day “stuff of church life” happen.

At my first PCC meeting in May 2025, I shared three key areas of focus for the year ahead, namely the “three P’s”:

Alongside this, I highlighted a few priorities. During the vacancy, the focus had understandably been on consolidation - keeping things going faithfully. But now felt like the right time to begin looking outward again, with a renewed focus on mission and outreach. I suggested having someone on the PCC take a particular lead in this area.

I also noted some key practical and spiritual considerations:

In July 2025, we held a PCC Vision Day, followed by meetings with both the St Thomas and St Matt’s teams over the summer. These were really helpful conversations, giving space to reflect on hopes and

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areas for growth in each church. PCC members were also invited to feed into developing a set of shared values for the benefice.

On a side note, I have really enjoyed our PCC meetings this year, which have been an encouraging and appropriately challenging space. We have prayerfully considered lots of questions, scenarios and situations, including those around relationships and leadership within the life of the church. I am very grateful for the way we have worked together in all aspects of decision making and church life.

The vision and team days resulted in a new service pattern at St Thomas. The congregation now meets at 9:30am each Sunday (except the second Sunday, when there is an 8am service only), with combined benefice services at 10:30am (soon to be 10.45am!) on fifth Sundays. This has made it much more possible for me to be involved across the life of the benefice.

In September 2025, we welcomed our new Church Coordinator, Ellie Clark. Ellie has been a fantastic addition to the team - from refreshing our social media, to helping with all sorts of practical jobs (including the occasional dump run!), to getting fully stuck in (even wearing an inflatable costume for an all-age service!).

Last September also saw the launch of a couple of really encouraging initiatives:

Towards the end of 2025, we spent some time strengthening some of our structures and processes. This included:

We set up a building committee for St Matt’s in May 2025 to help coordinate a way forward for the building. More details on that can be found in the Buildings Report. In the short term in 2025 we did a large clear out of St Matt’s, painted the interior doors and have done a gardening afternoon.

Christmas was a very special time across the benefice. We introduced a new “Alternative Carols” service and welcomed 525 people across our Advent and Christmas services. We also delivered 1,000 flyers to homes locally.

Our Christmas collections supported:

Together, we raised £1,425.66 — a great expression of the benefice’s generosity. We also had a wonderful wedding at St Thomas on the 22nd December!

In January 2026, the PCC approved a new Vision and Values statement (the full statement is on our website with the other 2026 APCM documents):

“May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me.” – John 17:23

We are two churches, one benefice — distinct in style, united in mission. Together, we aim to:

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Our shared values are:

We also carried out a Benefice survey in January 2026 and received 49 responses. It was really encouraging to hear positive feedback about the health of the churches, and especially that over 80% of people said they would be willing to volunteer in some way in the future. A summary of the results of the survey is on our website with the other 2026 APCM documents.

As a result of the feedback:

We’ve also continued to support Found Youth, who meet in the St Matt’s building, recognising how important this is as our young people grow older.

In March 2026 the PCC also approved the appointment of a Families Worker (10 hours per week, initially as a 12-month contract), which we hope will really strengthen our work with children and families.

In terms of attendance, looking at January and February 2026 services, at St Matt’s we are now averaging 42 people per service (the highest of the 8 Sundays was 54, the lowest 34). Looking at the same 8 Sundays for St Thomas, we are averaging 12 people per service (with the highest 23, lowest 6).

It has been very special to see our student ministry grow at St Matt’s. We now have a WhatsApp group with 13 people on it, including 3 “leaders”. Ellie has also worked on creating student mentoring connections and a student team has been formed.

I have also really enjoyed getting to know the staff and pupils at Widcombe Junior school over the past year. I have taken several assemblies and also spoke at their Christmas service. In March 2026 we interviewed 14 pupils to take on a new role as Pupil Chaplains in the school. We are appointing 8 students to take on this role, with the idea being to invest in them as individuals so that they in-turn can instil and demonstrate the school's Christian values to other pupils. We are looking forward to officially launching this project when the Bishop visits the school on 22 June this year.

Looking ahead, we plan to attend the Focus (Revitalise) festival together as a church family in July 2026. This should be a really valuable time together for teaching, encouragement, and building relationships.

We also have some great events planned at St Thomas à Becket, such as a Community Afternoon to thank people for donating to the St Thomas roof appeal and a series of talks, to help engage the community and invite them into the church building.

Another key aim for the coming year is to try to discern a way forward for the use of the St Matt’s building and potentially look to renovate the kitchen and toilets and make the building more accessible.

Also looking forward, we are excited that we have Simon Winchcombe, a new PTO, joining the Ministry team. We believe he will bring (indeed he is already bringing) so much to the life and work of the Benefice and are very grateful for his commitment to help serve the community of Widcombe.

In summary, it’s been a year of listening, building foundations and beginning to look outward again. I’m really grateful for all that God is doing among us and have a sense of great anticipation for what lies ahead, as we continue to grow together as one benefice, united in Christ and His mission.

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Reader’s Report (includes Widcombe Junior School and Deanery Synod Reports) Dr Mary Udale-Smith

It has been a great joy to support Laura in her first year as minister, in my capacity as Lay Reader and also occasionally in my capacity as once-upon-a-time-administrator, dredging my memory and my Dropbox archive at times. I’ve continued leading services and preaching regularly at both churches and have enjoyed being part of the PCC. I continued to work towards my Masters in Theology, Ministry and Mission at Trinity College, Bristol, which is both challenging and fruitful, feeding into ministry and preaching. Unbelievably, I reached the 5 year mark as a Reader in October which means I have recently had to apply to be relicensed for the next 5 years and I’m pleased to be able to say the diocese has confirmed my licence has been renewed.

I’m also a Foundation governor at Widcombe Junior School, although I will be stepping down at the end of the current academic year. The highlight of 2025 was the school’s Ofsted inspection, which resulted in outstanding grades in all 4 areas. The school continues to use St Matt’s for their Easter, Leavers, Harvest and Christmas services. Laura is also building strong links, taking assemblies regularly.

Finally, I have enjoyed being a Deanery Synod representative, together with Carol Tottle. Of particular note in 2025 was the Synod held at St Matt’s which focussed on youth work around the Deanery. The Synod was really encouraged to hear from many diverse projects, including LUX where our own Libby Piggott is helping grow the youth groups and mentoring programme. Communications from the Deanery have been somewhat intermittent over recent years but a new Lay Dean, Dr Christine Absalon, was appointed towards the end of 2025. A new deanery administrator has also been appointed recently and an overhaul of the computerised records is in hand.

Deanery Synod representatives are elected every three years across the synod and are due in 2026. We will therefore need to elect two representatives at this year’s APCM.

Churchwardens and Chapelwardens

St Thomas à Becket – Churchwardens Report Rachel Levenson

The St Thomas congregation were delighted to welcome Laura Doe in April 2025. Tony and Fiona Coverdale had decided to step down after their wonderful work for several years as Churchwardens and, sadly, no one else came forward to take their place. Mary Udale-Smith and Laura, with the help of church volunteers, put together a list of all the tasks the Churchwardens are responsible for throughout the year. A small group of congregation members then agreed to form a team to look after these duties. We have been meeting regularly since the Summer to plan for future services, discuss pastoral care, building maintenance and events, and to explore different ways to connect with the local community.

In July, we held a consultative event with the wider congregation to get their thoughts, ideas and wishes for the church’s future. We are hoping to keep our regular traditional services going and find better ways to use our beautiful building by opening it up for retreats or small events.

A new service schedule started in September, with an 8am service once a month and 9.30am Holy Communion and Morning Prayer services on the other Sundays, apart from every fifth Sunday when a joint service is held at St Matts. Our services continue to be supported faithfully by the congregation, who volunteer as duty wardens, sidespeople, readers and intercessors, as well as decorating the church with weekly flowers plus our two organists, Chloe Keenan and Richard Allen. We are also very pleased to share our church with the German Lutherans who meet at St Thomas monthly.

In 2025, we also held one wedding, three baptisms, one funeral and one memorial service. Our established ‘Tea with the Word’ meetings continue to be well supported.

The church was open for two hours on several Sundays in June, July and August, welcoming over 200 local people and visitors to Bath to explore the building outside of church times.

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St Thomas à Becket – Fabric Report Charles Oldham

Introduction

The responsibility for the condition of the fabric of St Thomas’ Widcombe, the Churchyard surrounding the church and the nearby graveyard currently lies in the hands of Edward Nash (a retired architect) and Charles Oldham. They took over responsibility in the latter part of 2025 following the departure of the previous Churchwardens.

We are pleased to report that the fabric is generally in good condition, with no significant defects as far as we are aware.

Property terrier and maintenance records

The Property Terrier and Maintenance records are up to date and the fabric, ornaments and furniture are all present, and in the condition described in the register.

Property inspections

The Church is inspected on a monthly basis by either Edward Nash or Charles Oldham, and a report recording each inspection is lodged in the property section of the church shared drive.

All statutory inspections are up to date and annual servicing of boilers and fire appliances were carried out.

In December 2025, an inspection of the roof was carried out, including from the tower. Minor defects with flashings, plant growth in the guttering and a blocked downpipe adjacent to the porch were noted. Quotes have been subsequently sought to remedy the defects, and received, and work will be undertaken in Q2 of 2026.

Maintenance work undertaken

Repairs to the tower roof were satisfactorily completed in February 2025.

Since that time, minor repairs have been undertaken and the churchyard kept tidy by Edward Nash and Charles Oldham.

St Matthew ’ s - Chapelwardens Report Sarena Sherratt

It has been a year of growth and change since Laura joined us in April 2025! St Matt’s morning service has seen attendance increase from an average of 25 people for April - June 2025, to an average of 43 people for January - March 2026 (figures include adults, students and children). Notable services were the joint Easter service with St Thomas that had 65 attendees, and the Christmas services that attracted between 37-67 people including children. Students have also become regular attendees and have joined various ministries which is wonderful to see. There have also been a couple of student socials hosted at St Matt’s this year. This is very encouraging and we continue to have new visitors most Sundays as well.

Our children’s groups, Matt’s Minis and Sunday Science Club, are now running for three Sundays a month, and on average there are 7-8 children each Sunday between the two groups. Both groups appear to be thoroughly enjoyed by the children who attend. Additionally, Roots & Shoots was launched in September 2024 as our new multigenerational mid-week group and now has a steady attendance of 21 people (8 children and 13 adults) on average.

The Papers and Pastries service started in 2024 has now become a short Cafe Church service, with the addition of worship and a short talk or interview, which has been very well received for the first few months.

An Alpha course was run during October and November which was attended by around 23 people each week, some of which have either visited or joined St Matt’s following this.

Attendance throughout the year for Sunday services in red, Roots & Shoots in green, Alpha in orange, and the total in black can be seen in the chart on the next page.

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St Matt’s has continued to be used by various groups in and around Widcombe, as well as city wide. Regular bookings have included BODS, Found Youth, Widcombe Junior School, Pilates/fitness classes, Bell ringing, and Genesis Trust. Occasional bookings have included Just Love Bath’s 10 year anniversary celebration, Panto acrobat rehearsals, Bath CU, birthday parties, Fusion/UCCF prayer night and Engineering Ministries International meetings.

It has been an exciting year of development for St Matt’s both for church activities and as we have started more outreach-focussed events. We look forward to seeing how these changes continue as Laura becomes more established, supported by a church community which is keen to reach out to those around us.

St Matthew ’ s - Fabric Report Miles Andrews

Since the last APCM, we have spent a lot of time caring for our building. The quinquennial review carried out in 2023 had identified several areas of deficiency, the most urgent of which we have focused on as a priority. Whilst we have done our best to address many of these areas, lack of available funding and resources have meant that some of these issues have not yet been resolved. Fortunately, we have a team of people in the congregation who have willingly stepped up to help keep our building running smoothly and we are so thankful for all they do.

Future Plans

There is a desire within the congregation and the team to make better use of the space we have at St Matt’s. To help guide this vision, we have formed a building committee tasked with exploring how the building can better serve both the congregation and the local community.

We have already looked into several options for the space, including the possibility of a climbing wall or soft play area and have sent out invitations to several companies to submit formal proposals. It is our view that, in the short term, we should focus on improving our accessibility and core facilities. This would involve installing a ramp and upgrading the toilets and kitchen. There is also an interest in making the building more accessible to those visiting by cycle. We are currently investigating the installation of bike racks to encourage sustainable travel and to provide a secure space for visitors to leave their bicycles.

While we recognise that some of these changes will require a Faculty, we are hopeful that these steps will ensure the building remains a safe and welcoming environment for years to come.

Roof and Gutters

Following a significant leak in the roof last year, several slipped slates were replaced and cracked lead flashing was repaired. To prevent further leaks in the future, we have now employed Ellis & Co to carry out a regular twice-yearly inspection of the whole of the St Matt’s roof. The north ridge and office wing of the church were re-roofed a year or two before the pandemic. We have been advised that, in the long term and when sufficient funds are available, the remainder of the roof will also need to be re-roofed and insulated.

There is evidence that the majority of gutters around the building are blocked allowing rainwater to overspill. This is most likely being caused by the leafguard being dislodged, allowing vegetation to fill the gutters. The gutters will need to be cleaned and the leafguard replaced. Ellis & Co will be able to do this as part of their ongoing remit. Some gutters are showing signs of structural deterioration and will require repair.

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Redecoration

The internal doors have been repainted and the internal areas rearranged.

Electoral Roll

Angela Frith

The Parish listed 68 on the Roll at the 2025 APCM.

Revision of the Electoral Roll for the 2026 APCM was completed on 11 April 2026 and published on the notice boards of both churches on 12 April 2026. It now lists 73 people.

There are 6 new entries, with one name removed as they have moved away from the area.

PCC Secretariat

The 2025 APCM was held at St Matthew’s Church on 11 May 2025. Since the APCM, the full PCC have met 5 times, with an average level of attendance of 76%.

In 2025, there were:

3 Baptisms St Thomas à Becket 1 Wedding St Thomas à Becket 1 Funeral St Thomas à Becket 1 Memorial service St Thomas à Becket

Safeguarding Report Jill Oldham

There were two safeguarding concerns raised during the year. Both of these were addressed and resolved in line with Diocesan safeguarding procedures.

Throughout the year, the organisation Thirtyone:eight handled DBS applications efficiently. Four people received a clear DBS check for their role working with children during our Sunday services at St. Matthew’s church.

Our benefice continued to use the Diocesan ‘Parish Dashboard’ self-audit tool during the year, retaining its (top) Level 3 status. Policies were reviewed as required and updated. As additional Dashboard requirements were added throughout the year, these were raised at PCC meetings, addressed and compliance confirmed.

As regards safeguarding training, our benefice’s secure safeguarding training database was updated throughout the year as training was completed by those in the parish required to do it, with several people undertaking three-yearly refresher training.

Our parish website meets national church requirements for safeguarding, including providing clear signposting arrangements and links to the Parish Safeguarding Officer and Parish Safeguarding Policy on the home page.

Groups for Children and Adults

Matt’s Minis Andrew Udale-Smith

The number of children in Matt’s Minis (aimed at pre-school children and those in reception year) has continued to grow, with at least 6 regulars. Building on the foundations established in 2024, we now run 3 sessions a month. The children love the mixture of songs, bible story (we have looked at Jesus’ miracles and also some Old Testament stories), craft and play time (usually involving Duplo). A heartfelt thank you to our talented and highly committed team of leaders and helpers, which includes both parents and those who like to spend time tackling craft activities on a Sunday morning!

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Sunday Science Club Mary Udale-Smith

Issy Andrews, Stef Federle and I continued to run SSC throughout 2025, although we had variable numbers of children. Issy and Stef continue to amaze me with their creative ideas and passion for teaching children science in enjoyable ways, which also bring glory to God. Thank you so much! Congratulations, too, to Issy for getting her PhD recently. A big thank you is also owed to Joel, Miles, Barney, Janek and Tom for helping deliver sessions with such enthusiasm. We particularly enjoyed running an All-Age service at the end of March which the children helped plan and deliver. Some of the adults became quite competitive in the experiment measuring lung-capacity! In the autumn, we introduced a large collection of colour-coded Lego bricks which were originally donated for Big BriX. This has enabled us to offer an additional session each month – the fourth Sunday is now Lego Sunday. Please let us know if you would like to join in the fun.

Home groups Harry Collin

Home groups are an essential part of our community at St Matt's, where we are able to go deeper, share our lives and connect with others. Meeting midweek, we encourage each other and grow in spiritual maturity. At the moment, we have three home groups running across the city - one in Southdown (15 members), one in Batheaston (10 members) and one in Weston (16 members). They currently all meet on a Wednesday evening. Homegroups are exceedingly popular, and we are currently trying to expand our capacity. We hope to start one that isn't on a Wednesday evening soon.

Most of the homegroups are self-governing, often organising worship, prayer and Bible study nights. We have also taken advantage of the incredible resources provided by Practicing The Way, by John Mark Comer.

Matt’s Men Andrew Udale-Smith

A new monthly gathering of St Matt’s men kicked off in the summer of 2025. The model is simple – we meet at one of our homes for a walk typically up a hill (like Kelston Round Hill or Solsbury Hill), have a short thought or story at the top, and talk and pray together about this on the way back down. We then eat together (and if Harry is cooking, we eat very well!). Numbers are obviously not important, but it’s been encouraging to see so many men prioritising these “walk and talk and eat together” sessions.

Red Tent Izzy Piper

The St Matt’s women's group has been meeting regularly over the last year at our Red Tent evenings. The purpose of the sessions is to create a safe space where we can connect as women, go deeper with each other and God, and encourage one another in faith. We come together over a simple meal, then take time to explore a topic or theme through scripture, prompting questions, crafts, and other creative activities. It's been wonderful to share what's on our hearts and both learn from and support each other, while rooting ourselves in God, his word, and community.

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Financial Review

The PCC’s financial position at the end of 2025 remains stable, with total income of £132,082 and expenditure of £118,833, resulting in a surplus of £13,249. The year-end balance sheet shows total funds of £214,637, including £154,950 (2024: £102,333) in unrestricted funds and £59,687 (2024: £99,055) in restricted funds.

The headline position is influenced by several one-off factors. These include a £25,000 legacy, the final stages of expenditure relating to the St Thomas roof project, and the transfer of £45,000 from restricted to unrestricted funds in line with its restriction. These factors mean that underlying income and expenditure trends require careful attention.

Income was significantly lower than in 2024 (£270,313); 2024 was an exceptional year due to major fundraising for the St Thomas roof repairs. Excluding this, underlying income has declined, most notably in planned giving, which fell to £61,373 (2024: £68,606). Other income streams, including lettings, also down on the previous year.

Historically gift aid has been claimed once, at the end of the year, but in 2024 to support the works on St Thomas church roof it was claimed throughout the year. The gift aid for 2025-2026 financial year has not yet been claimed.

The St Thomas Restoration Fund at £54,500 was bolstered by a £25,000 legacy from the late Thomas Keane. This, along with the extensive recent works at St Thomas, provides a strong position for ongoing upkeep of the building.

Expenditure was broadly in line with expectations. The largest single cost continues to be the Parish Share, with £55,000 paid during the year. Other notable costs included parish administration, supported by a generous donation of £45,000 made in 2024, and building-related expenses across both churches.

The Parish Share request for 2025 was £75,745, of which £55,000 was paid (including a one-off £10,000 contribution funded from 2024 surplus). For 2026, the request is £71,629, and the PCC has currently committed to paying £51,400.

There was significant fundraising that occurred during the year. BODS (Bath Operatic and Dramatic Society) put on a concert of musical numbers which raised £1045.74 to go towards St Matt’s building restricted fund. At Laura’s licensing service a collection of £352.22 was taken and donated to Genesis. Similarly, offerings were collected at the Christmas services across the parish to a sum of £1425.66 which was split equally between LUX and The Ovens.

In summary, while the Church holds strong reserves and remains financially stable, there is a clear need to increase regular income. This will be essential to sustain ministry, meet the Parish Share in full, continue staffing provision, and support the growth of mission and church activities in the coming years.

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Independent Examiners Report

Independent Examiners Report to the trustees/members of Widcombe PCC - Year Ended 31 December 2025

I report on the accounts of the PCC for the year ended 31st December 2025 as set out on pages 14 to 16.

Respective responsibilities of PCC and examiner

The PCC 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 statement

My examination was carried out in accordance with General Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the PCC and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the PCC concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the accounts.

Independent examiner's statement

During my examination, no matter has come to my attention:

…………………………………

Peter Barton FCCA

ART Accountants Ltd

11 Manvers Street

Bath BA1 1JQ

Date ........................................... 14 April 2026

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Statement of Financial Activities

WIDCOMBE PCC - STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES– Year Ended 31 Dec’ 2025

Unrestricted Restricted Total Funds Total Funds
Funds Funds 2025
2024
£ £ £
£
INCOMING RESOURCES
Voluntary receipts:
Planned giving 61,373 180 61,553 68,606
Other giving & donations 15,444 3,000 18,444 77,403
Grants - 3,082 3,082 11,753
Gift aid tax recovered 7,183 - 7,183 29,743
Legacies
-		 25,000 25,000 -
Activities for generating funds:
Fundraising - 243 243 52,873
Lettings 4,455 1,046 5,501
5,108
Parochial fees 1,318 - 1,318 2,921
Investment income 5,041 - 5,041
3,334
Other income 4,717 - 4,717 18,572
───── ───── ───── ─────
Total incoming resources 99,531 32,551 132,082 270,313
───── ───── ───── ─────
RESOURCES EXPENDED
Church activities:
Parish expenses:
Parish Share for year 55,000 - 55,000 42,500
Parish administration 9,056 - 9,056
5,160
Church services 3,677 - 3,677
3,705
Clergy expenses - - -
29
Mission & charitable giving 3,009 - 3,009 43,779
Parish sundries 158 89 247
1,424
Parochial fees 231 - 231
1,266
Bank fees 78 6 84
375
St Thomas Church expenses:
Heat & light 2,022 - 2,022
1,484
Insurance 1,846 - 1,846
1,372
Church repairs & maintenance 194 21,444 21,638 61,668
Fundraising - - -
360
St Matthew's Church expenses:
Heat, light & water 4,702 - 4,702 11,685
Insurance 3,141 - 3,141
2,962
Church repairs & maintenance 11,773 2,407 14,180
3,604
───── ───── ───── ─────
Total resources expended 94,887 23,946 118,833 181,373
───── ───── ───── ─────
SURPLUS/(DEFICIT) FOR THE YEAR 4,644 8,605 13,249 88,940
Balances brought forward 102,333 99,055 201,388 112,448
Transfers 47,973 (47,973) -
-
───── ──── ───── ─────
BALANCES CARRIED FORWARD 154,950 59,687 214,637 201,388
═════ ═════ ═════ ═════

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Balance Sheet

WIDCOMBE PCC - BALANCE SHEET – Year Ended 31 December 2025

Unrestricted Restricted Total Funds Total Funds
Funds Funds 2025 2024
£ £ £ £
CURRENT ASSETS
Debtors 1,500 - 1,500 676
Bank Current Account 155,574 36,766 192,340 180,010
Deposit Funds 487 22,921 23,408 22,400
───── ───── ───── ─────
157,561 59,687 217,248 203,086
───── ───── ───── ─────
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Creditors 2,611 - 2,611 1,698
───── ───── ───── ─────
2,611 - 2,611 1,698
───── ───── ───── ─────
───── ───── ───── ─────
NET CURRENT ASSETS 154,950 59,687 214,637 201,388
═════ ═════ ═════ ═════
FUNDS
Unrestricted funds 154,950 102,333
Restricted funds Note 1 59,687 99,055
TOTAL FUNDS ───── ─────
214,637 201,388
═════ ═════

Approved by the PCC and signed on their behalf:

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Frederick Sherratt (Treasurer of Widcombe PCC)
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Laura Doe (Chair of Widcombe PCC)

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14/04/2026
Date………………………………………
14/04/2026
Date………………………………………
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Notes to the Accounts

WIDCOMBE PCC - NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS - Year Ended 31 December 2025

1 RESTRICTED FUNDS

The movements in restricted funds during the year were:

Balance Receipts Payments Transfers Balance
brought carried
forward forward
St Thomas’ Restoration Fund 50,214 28,505 (19,508) (4,710) 54,501
Organ Fund 2,107 (205) 1,902
St Matthew’s Regeneration Fund 1,700 4,046 (2,496) 3,250
Missionary Fund 34 34
Churchwarden’s Contingency Fund 45,000 (1,737) (43,263) -
───── ───── ───── ───── ─────
99,055 32,551 (23,946) (47,973) 59,687
═════ ═════ ═════ ═════ ═════

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