St George’s Church Preshute – Annual Report 2020
Registered Charity Number 1184256
St. George’s Church is situated on the Western edge of Marlborough on the South bank of the River Kennet. The Parish of Preshute serves the villages of Manton and Clatford, the Barton Park estate, part of the Western end of Marlborough and a rural area stretching both North and South. The church is in the Diocese of Salisbury and is part of the Marlborough Anglican Team, whose office is in Silverless Street, Marlborough. St. George’s and the associated churchyard is open every day and anyone is welcome to visit the church for prayer, quiet contemplation or simply to enjoy the wonderful location next to the river.
– Aims and Objectives Making Jesus Known
The Church is the family of Christians meeting together to worship God and to find fellowship together through prayer and learning. Our work is to spread the Good News of our faith by ‘Making Jesus Known’.
St George’s is well placed to serve the town of Marlborough and most of our mission has a two-fold strategy: to deepen and enrich our own worshipping life and also to find creative ways of making connections with the local community to both introduce the Christian story and deepen engagement with all in the local area.
St George Parochial Church Council (PCC)
The PCC has the responsibility of co-operating with the Team Vicar in promoting, in the ecclesiastical Parish of Preshute, the whole mission of the Church: pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. The life of St George’s is within the Marlborough Anglican Team, Marlborough Churches Together and the Diocese of Salisbury in the Church of England.
Membership:
Members of the Parochial Church Council are either elected at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting or co-opted by the PCC due to the functions they perform in the Church (provided the person is willing to be co-opted). The PCC is a charity, and the PCC members are its Trustees and are responsible for ensuring the Church is serving its community. This report shows how St George’s engages with the local community.
Incumbent: Rev. Pete Sainsbury Churchwardens: Charles Graham, Sally Cripps Deanery Synod: Sarah Musgrave, Jeremy York, Simon Bonham
Members: Anne Notton (Secretary), Richard Denning (Treasurer), Judith Denning (Safeguarding Officer), David Beacom (Fabric and Churchyard). The other members are Lydia Bauer, Paul Lefever, Marcia Johnson, Robin Notton and Amanda Brown who take on responsibilities as needed. The Team Rector, Rev Christopher Smith is an ex officio member.
The PCC has met 5 times during the year either on Zoom or Live The most recent approved PCC Minutes can be found on tin a folder at the back of the church.. Past Minutes can be obtained from the Secretary on request.
The main items of business at each meeting is a consideration of our core task of ‘Making Jesus Known’. Against this background, we have reviewed our worship, considered matters of finance and fabric, explored how we might best ”grow” St George’s, the way we welcome people, and discussed the social events that are offered. However, during the last year some of the options above have been limited
At the Annual Meeting in 2020, there were 120 names on the Electoral Roll of church membership, approximately 70 of whom are regular worshippers. The average number of worshippers each week has been approximately 40. However, since March numbers
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Introduction from Rev, Chris Smith Team Rector
I want others to reflect on last year in this report. Suffice to say that the last time services were stopped like this was in 1215 in the reign of King John.
The highlight of last year was the arrival of Rev Pete Sainsbury as Team Rector in September. Recruitment was start/stop in the pandemic but eventually we got our man. It’s been heartening to see people warming to Pete’s easy Irish charm and to see Pete getting his feet under the table.
I would like to add my thanks to Pete, Sally, Charles, Sarah, the PCC and everyone who has helped steer St George’s through a tumultuous year.
I hope and pray God’s blessing on St George’s as we emerge from lockdown. May our love for God, our love for each other and our fruitfulness only increase in the year ahead
Team Rector’s Report
I have thoroughly enjoyed my visits to St George’s this year. The congregation continues to be warm and welcoming and whether it’s a Sunday service or Teddy Prayers I’ve always enjoyed being with you. The pandemic has been a challenge for us all and continues to take its toll. Numbers attending church are down across the board and we need to pray for a bounce back in 2021.
Having said this there have been blessings. For example, I have found our 5pm prayers a great source of solace and spiritual help – and who would have known a prayer meeting could be so much fun! I thank the churchwardens, PCC and Sarah Musgrave for their cheerful support and service through the year. In February I remember the moment when the Archdeacon told me no one had applied for the post of Team Vicar. I had a wobble and remember some serious prayers asking for God’s help.
Quite quicky though it seemed as if a more exciting door might open to us with the possibility of a full time priest joining the team. And we all know the happy ending to the story with Pete Sainsbury arriving in September.
After a long interregnum it will take time for everyone to adjust, but even in a few months I think Pete is doing really well. I really appreciate having him as a colleague and friend. Let us pray he and the family continue to settle in well and that fruitful times lie ahead .
Rev Chris Smith, Team Rector
Team Vicar’s Report
Firstly, I wish to thank the people of St George’s and the Anglican Team for such a warm welcome in September. At my licensing service, we couldn’t gather in the way and strength of numbers we would have preferred, the mark indeed of so much corporate worship in 2020. But the sense of celebration back in September and again at Christmas was wonderful, in spite of the various restrictions.
The arrival of a new vicar inevitably follows an interregnum, a time which reflects a pause in leadership but no pause in the life of the worshipping family! This requires a great deal of work, and I wish on your behalf and mine too to thank Sarah Musgrave, our licensed lay minister for her very able leadership during the gap between the departure of Miri Keen in 2018 and my arrival. She together with the churchwardens, assistant warden, treasurer and PCC have kept things in very good order indeed. I would also like to record my thanks to David Beacom for leading so well on vicarage matters, and making sure that the house was well prepared for our arrival.
The autumn was marked by a second national almost complete lockdown of public activity, but the benefits of being part of a team are so evident here: the Anglican team’s Zoom service was a lifeline for so many of you in 2020, and remains so at the time of writing in January 2021. With the suspension of lockdown over Christmas 2020, we were able to deliver the usual Christmas offer of services at St George’s, with the exception of a Teddy Prayers Christmas Gathering. Some commented on the sense of quiet joy and holiness that scaled-down attendance created.
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As a church family, we loved and lost in 2020 as we do every year, and I wish to hearten those who are suffering deep loss with the knowledge that the Lord is with you, and is for you. May you be literally encouraged.
I am so pleased to be here and we as a family, and I am very grateful for a significantly supportive colleague in our team rector Chris Smith. With those things in mind, and prayerful for the ‘prevailing wind’ of God’s favour to be upon us, what is not possible?! We are reminded then, that God is good, all the time! All the time, God is good. With every blessing -
Rev Pete Sainsbury Team Vicar
– Ministry Report : Jan September 2020
We ended 2019 looking forward with hope. Chris Smith, our Team Rector, had joined the team in October 2019 and we were feeling positive and hopeful that 2020 would be the year when we would be joined by a new Team Vicar. We had a Team Vicar profile ready and the advert had been agreed for a March interview panel. Sadly, the closing date for applicants came and went and no one had applied.
Our disappointment was short lived and soon there were conversations about making the post into a full time Team Vicar/Worship Leader post. Chris had already met Pete on retreat, with both sets of gifts, and so he was shortlisted and an interview was planned. However, a tiny virus was spreading across the world and the interviews on March 23[rd] and 24[th] were cancelled; as Bishop Andrew was self-isolating and our first lockdown had arrived. The interview was rescheduled for 13[th] July.
Nobody knew the impact that the coronavirus would have on every aspect of our lives. Some people thought that it would never come to Marlborough, while others were naturally very concerned. On 17[th] March ’20 our Archbishops suspended public worship, although we were free to leave St George’s open for private prayer. Our contact with Preshute Primary School and Teddy Prayers was curtailed, our church clean-up was cancelled and our Lent groups studying Pilgrim’s Progress struggled to continue. On 24[th] March ’20, we received the sad news that our churches were to be closed even for private prayer. Andrew and Amanda Brown and I recorded an Evening Prayer for Palm Sunday but Easter had to be celebrated from the confines of our homes. Only funerals carried on and they were small but poignant. Many of us were deeply saddened by the loss of well-loved members of our congregation
However, we came out to support each other in creative ways. There were offers to collect prescriptions, buy food, make phone calls and generally a spirit of generosity and warm commitment to support each other. Worship went ‘on-line’ and we encouraged each other to hear the audio services, while learning to use Zoom for our PCC meetings and for mid-week Evening Prayer.
Much to our joy, St George’s was opened again for private prayer on 15[th] June and for worship from 5[th] July. Risk assessments were done, singing was cancelled, hand sanitiser was introduced, one baptism and one wedding went ahead and we all sat at a safe distance from each other in our masks – but it was wonderful to be back in our church amongst familiar faces.
In July, there was further good news, when Pete Sainsbury was appointed. We have always been a prayerful church and our faith has been even more important to many of us this year, as we’ve struggled with difficult times. However, numerous acts of kindness and Pete’s appointment were both answers to many hours of prayer. From this moment onwards, we started to plan for Pete’s licensing on 23[rd] September and while only a few people were able to attend, it was a special moment for St George’s. After two and three quarter years without a priest, we were delighted that we could look forward to the next part of our journey.
May I thank all of you who have contributed to the smooth running of our wonderful church and I offer a particular warm welcome to Pete, Nance and their family, as they join us in Marlborough.
Sarah Musgrave – Licensed Lay Minister
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Electoral Roll Report
At the Annual Parochial Church Meeting, postponed from April and finally held in September, I reported that there were 119 names in the Electoral Roll, one fewer than in 2018. Four new names were added in 2019, but sadly we had to mourn the loss of Jesse Pomfret, Gillian Watson, Maurice Cooper and Tom Cridland. Debi Evans, formerly Deputy Churchwarden, has left Marlborough. Since that meeting one more person has been welcomed onto the Roll, so the total now stands at 120 again. Once the Covid threat has eased, Linda Sims has kindly agreed to take over as Electoral Roll Officer.
A reminder that regular worshippers at St George’s who are not yet on the Roll are encouraged to get an application form from one of the Churchwardens. The main benefit is the entitlement to vote at the Annual Meeting, but it is also useful for the Church Officers to have names and contact details, so that we can keep you informed of services and other church events.
Charles Graham
Church Attendance
Church attendance at St. George’s remained good until March when the Church was closed due to coronavirus. Unfortunatly Teddy Prayers and Picnic has been suspended due to the virus though a small number of Teddy Prayers members have attended the few All age Services there have been, Teatime and Evening Prayer on a Wednesday is now on line. ns popular. At Easter we were in lockdown and the Church was closed for public worship though the Church was opened for private prayer and there were on line Services. At Christmas the major services were ticket only and well attended. We can only look forward to things improving and the Church being fully open again
Baptisms, Weddings and Funerals
During the last year one wedding has been celebrated at St. George’s. There has also been one baptism and sadly 6 funerals, and one burial of ashes.
St. George’s in the Community
Until the first lockdown in March, once a month a dedicated team conducted Songs of Praise Services at Merlin Court and Savernake View Care Homes, and at Christmas we also took Carols to Highfield Residential Home and the Oddfellows Inn in Manton. Holy Communion was taken regularly to care homes and to housebound individuals. St George’s members are involved in the life of Manton village, the Jubilee Centre, St. Peter’s Trust etc. Our links with Preshute School are continuing . The St. George’s monthly Newsletter is available on line and in the Church porch to collect. We hope and pray that in the near future that all the activities will be able to resume
Despite its fairly isolated setting, St. George’s receives a regular trickle of visitors, and there is a history of the church on sale at the back, as well as a free Walk-Round Guide.
Anne Notton
Safeguarding
St George’s Preshute policy and practice for Safeguarding children young people and vulnerable adults is based upon the Guidelines from the Church of England House of Bishops and is updated annually. A summary of our policy is posted on our website and on the notice board in the porch. A full hard copy is kept in the church, and vicarage.
The safeguarding and protection of children, and adults at risk is everyone’s responsibility, not just parents, guardians and carers. St George’s Preshute is committed to:
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The safeguarding and protection of all children and young people.
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Safeguarding adults who may be at risk of abuse or neglect
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The care, nurture of, and respectful pastoral ministry with all adults and children.
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The establishing of safe, caring communities which provide a loving environment where there is a culture of ‘informed vigilance’ as to the dangers of abuse
The Parish Safeguarding Officer is Judith Denning, she is the first line of contact if there are any concerns. The Parish DBS Verifier is Marcia Johnson.
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There are no safeguarding issues to report. Currently due to COVID 19 all Safeguarding Training is being carried out remotely, the Basic Awareness course (C0) and Foundation course(C1) can be accessed via the Diocese of Salisbury website. Ideally all church members who come into contact with children, young people and adults who may be at risk need to undertake the basis awareness course.
Judith Denning- Parish Safeguarding Officer
Lay Pastoral Assistants
St. George’s is fortunate in that it has a rich support network which during the interregnum has risen to the challenge. We have as a congregation continued to support and be a good neighbour to one another. Recognition and thanks should go to all those who help with Baptism support and visiting, home visiting, and Teddy Prayers and Picnic.
Judith Denning
Website
We continue to operate a website in conjunction with both St Mary’s and Mildenhall churches. This is used to provide information on the church, services and provide contact details for ministers, the office and key posts such as churchwardens. Rev Chris Smith spent much of the first lockdown updating the site and it now looks much more modern with links to the new Love Marlborough site and YouTube channel.
Richard Denning
2020 ACTIVITY REPORT2020
Open the Book
Early in the year our two teams of amateur thespians were able to go in to Preshute School to “open the book” and act out Bible stories. There were a few gasps when Solomon, judging between two mothers in dispute over a baby, declared “Cut the baby in half”, but as usual the children proved to be an appreciative audience. After March 23 the Book remained closed, and we are hoping for a resumption of activity sometime in the not too distant future.
Charles Graham and Sarah Musgrave
Home Group
Home group has 11 members (9 from St George’s and 2 from St Mary’s) and meets on Monday evenings, fortnightly. We moved into the virtual arena just before lockdown 1 and after a slightly shaky start trialling conference calling, we changed to zoom meetings. The zoom meetings have been very successful and most members of the group have been able to join us regularly. We also send out, via email, a summary of the session and prayer requests for anyone unable to attend the meeting. Over the course of the year our home group sessions have been led by Michael Dain, Charles Graham and Keith Fryer (St. Mary’s). We have studied John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress and stand-alone sessions including Acts Ch4 v8-14, Psalm 37 v1-11, and Exodus. We have also spent time thinking about social issues and linking them into passages from scripture, the meaning of advent and our final session of the year was a ‘bring and share’ evening with music, poetry, quizzes and a lot of laughter.
Julie Conlen
Teddy Prayers and Picnic
Sadly, due to the COVID restrictions, we have been unable to hold any TPP gatherings since March. Thankfully, our families have been able to attend a small number of the Sunday All-Age Services which have been very special. Fingers crossed TPP will be able to recommence in the latter part of 2021.
Lydia Bauer
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Messy Church
It was with much regret that, due to the pandemic, it wasn't possible to hold any Messy Church meetings in 2020. However, Messy Church is not forgotten, nor the opportunity that it offers to welcome families to St George's, particularly those who perhaps have not considered coming to church before. If circumstances allow, it is very much hoped that Messy Church can be back in action in 2021.
Amanda Brown
The Flower Group
During this difficult year we have managed to keep fresh flowers in St George's every week during periods when the church was open for private prayer and later, for services. My thanks are due to all our team but particularly those who helped decorate for the significant services, some sad, some joyful. As always, we would welcome more volunteers to contribute towards making our church as welcoming and beautiful as usual.
Prue Groffman
Music
Firstly a warm welcome to Pete! As I write soon after Christmas, we have already benefited from his singing and playing “Love shone down” in the Crib Service video, and from his organ playing on Christmas Day. We look forward to his gifts enriching St George’s music in the years ahead.
With restrictions on acts of worship imposed in March, we had to rethink the place of music in our worship – quickly realising that we wanted both singing and instrumental music to continue live and humancentred wherever possible, while maintaining our balance of contemporary and traditional music. Between March and June we contributed to the Team audio services: several morning services were streamed on the Team website, and even two Choral Evensongs! In the second lockdown in November, the video services included music from St George’s together with contributions from St Mary’s and St John the Baptist’s musicians.
With services resuming in July, hymns and reflective Taizé chants were included. A soloist has sung each Sunday, and we have introduced new hymns and contemporary settings alongside well-known pieces and traditional hymns. My thanks to our soloists who maintained our music through the second half of the year.
A priority was maintaining the enthusiasm of the Junior Georgians. Although Mothering Sunday preparations had to be halted, we held a Zoom workshop during the summer holidays to continue the children’s musical training. In December we recorded the Crib Service, which was streamed on Christmas Eve. Fifteen singers performed carols and the special choir piece “Torches” by John Joubert. The first verse of “Once in royal David’s city” was sung by Kate and Olivia Hawthorn: other members of the choir recorded readings.
At the Christmas Carols by Candlelight services, two quartets of sopranos from the Georgians sang: as well as the carols, the choir pieces were “Jesus Christ the apple tree” and “Tomorrow shall be my dancing day”. Members of the Georgians also sang in small groups for the Christmas Day services. My thanks go to all who have helped in this way: I was only sorry that social distancing rules prevented the full choir from singing at any point in 2020.
With our annual musical outreach at the Oddfellows not possible, we took carol singing outdoors. A choir of 24 spent an enjoyable evening shortly before Christmas singing carols in Barton Park, raising over £960 for Crisis – a truly splendid achievement. My grateful thanks to all involved.
We were deeply saddened by the deaths of Jesse Pomfret, a former organist whose support of St George’s music and care for our beautiful organ over many years have been hugely appreciated, Gillian Watson, a long-standing member of the Georgians, and Michael Cripps, an irrepressible supporter of St George’s choral and organ music. A fitting tribute to him was the call of “Encore!” at the end of the organ voluntary as his coffin was carried from the church. We were sorry to say farewell to Debi Evans, a muchvalued alto in the Georgians, as she moved away in the summer. Finally, we congratulate Annabelle Moody, who started as a Junior Georgian in 2014 and now sings in the Georgians, on her choral scholarship in October to Trinity Hall, Cambridge.
Andrew Brown
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Social Committee
The year started very well with a successful Night at the Raj, followed by ‘Rugby and Beer’ which saw us cheering on our teams in the Six Nations Cup, and then a very successful Quiz Night squeezed in before lockdown. In total these events raised £1249. Unfortunately, COVID 19 meant the last couple of Rugby and Beer parties had to be cancelled, as did all the other planned events for this year. However, we look forward in eager anticipation of being able to meet up again to enjoy good food, wine, conversation and companionship.
David Beacom and Judith Denning
Bellringing
Un fortunately there has been no serious bellringing at St. George’s since March due to Covid.. There have been no problems with maintain ace as the bells have not for been used very much, they are inspected once a month to check for problems.
I am as ever trying to recruit new members for the bellringing team.
I am investigating the history of our bells and have found that the “back five” bells were originally cast at Aldbourne in 1710. This project continues !
Richard Metters
MARLBOROUGH, the DEANERY and the DIOCESE
The Deanery Synod
In February, pre-Covid-19, we revisited the Deanery Strategic Plan and had two presentations. Kay Short, of Ecclesiastical Insurance, spoke about the training that she offers, alongside numerous grants that are available to our parishes. These include heritage grants, roof protection grants, foundation grants for maintenance and Cornerstone grants for urgent and essential structural repairs. She shared a wealth of knowledge and can be contacted at https://www.ecclesiastical.com/church. Stephen Inglis, the Diocesan Resource Officer for Mission and Ministry inspired us to see and recognise the wonder of God in our everyday lives. He encouraged us to work in collaboration, pooling resources and giving each other mutual support. He can be contacted at steve.inglis@salisbury.anglican.org.In October ’20, our meeting had moved onto Zoom and we discussed the diocesan budget and the financial concerns, aggravated by Covid-19. The budget deficit had been projected at around £900k but due to Covid and the associated loss of Share (down 6.5% on 2019) and Parochial Fees (weddings, funerals) the repercussions were far more significant, while the operating deficit was around £1.8m. Action had already been taken, including the sale of bonds early in the year, borrowing to ensure liquidity, cutting all non-essential expenditure, the reorganisation of Church House, use of the furlough scheme, investment and property review, scenario planning, increased IT expenditure to adapt to new ways of working and finally, reviewing property sizes of vicarages, their gardens and paddocks.
There was a follow-up meeting with Bishop Andrew, in November, when we considered ‘Beyond the Present’, listening and looking together at how we can move beyond the present and approach an uncertain future with confidence. This is the link. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJyk9L05FEc&feature=youtu.be
Sarah Musgrave LLM
Diocesan Synod
This has been a challenging year for all of us and this was certainly reflected in Diocesan and Deanery Synod discussions. In February, Synod members voted to refresh our commitment to ‘Renewing Hope’ and discussed ‘Developing Discipleship and Evangelism’, ‘Encouraging dynamic and collaborative leadership’ and how we might ‘Transform Lives and Communities’.
We also considered a ‘5 Year Financial Framework’ as a way to eliminate the diocesan financial deficit. Some synod members thought that the proposed increases in Share were unachievable, while others felt that church members could increase their giving levels if they saw that it resulted in visible local resources. There was concern over the proposed reduction of 10 clergy posts, both from the point of view of the effect on parishes and the additional strain placed on remaining clergy.
In September, the meeting was moved on to Zoom, and Revd. Jonathan Triffitt was licensed as the new Diocesan Director of Mission and Ministry. We revisited the Diocesan Budget, and found that the
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deficit had grown dramatically over the previous 6 months, as a result of the covid-19 virus. The options we discussed included a far greater reduction in priests and a significant increase in Parish Share. The details of this meeting were presented to the Deanery Synod in a meeting in October’20 (see below).
We met again in October, to continue the discussion. The Chairman of the Diocesan Board of Finance (DBF) introduced the budget which he described as a transitional, holding-steady budget and which included proposals to start by reducing clergy posts by 4 and central staff costs by 10%. We also considered the need to develop new ways of raising income from congregations, in the new, online Church situation; the need for more work on a diocesan Vision that people would want to support, including a strategy for mission and ministry and a corresponding pastoral plan; and the importance of maintaining morale.
If you would like to be a voice on the Diocesan Synod, do contact me and please put yourself forward before 20[th] May 2021. New members on the Diocesan Synod will be elected from Deanery Synod members, in June 2021.
Sarah Musgrave - Licensed Lay Minister
THE FABRIC
Fabric Report
Boiler – The new boiler that was installed in early 2018 had warranty work carried out in October and is now working well.
New Car Park Entrance gates – These were replaced in March just before we went into full lockdown. It has been agreed to leave one gate open at all times unless we need to lock the second gate for security reasons. Necessary hedge and tree trimming to Churchyard was carried by out Conservation Contractors at end of February.
Church and Churchyard tidy up – This happens usually in April and October and many thanks to all the helpers that come to help keep our Church and Churchyard looking pristine. We are very lucky to have Wiltshire Council cutting the grass for us during the summer and the additional help we get from volunteers is essential.
Also many thanks to the Musgrave, Bonham and Metters team for keeping the weeds under control. Thank you again to Robin Notton and his tool box for carrying out various maintenance jobs.
Due to lockdown we had to cancel our April tidy up but we were able to carry out a lot of jobs at our October tidy up including tackling some tree works ourselves.
Other Projects like the new path down to the Church, the new glass south porch doors and the proposed new Meeting Room are on hold until a certain form of normality returns to our lives.
David Beacom
Churchyard Records
The electronic version of the ‘New Area’ was updated in August 2020. Copies are held by the Church Wardens, the Team Office, the Team Vicar and me. This is updated when required. There continues to be a fewer burials each year; usually the interment of ashes. In 2020 there were two interments; all of ashes. Only one new grave was allocated; the other burial was in an existing plot.
The electronic format of the lists from the 1930s and 40s, handwritten, and 1953 in a typed format were completed and now held with the records. The details cover a lot of the main churchyard and will be useful to anyone seeking information about their ancestors buried in the churchyard.
Again it has been possible to help people making enquiries as to the location of relatives buried in the Churchyard which makes all the work rewarding. One such enquiry related to the older lists which makes this work worthwhile.
There is a file copy of the records kept in the vestry.
The process for notification and recording of burials is running more smoothly and with the appointment of a vicar should be more under control going forward.
Laurien Carter
Cleaners
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The volunteer cleaning rota system continued to operate until the first lockdown in March 2020. During July and August a small team undertook cleaning at the end of the day to allow private prayer in line with Government restrictions. This group included other parishioners not involved on the rota.
In September it was agreed to employ Melanie Rolfe as a paid cleaner. The rota cleaners had diligently cleaned the church for many years for which we are all very grateful. Mel has started well in the role and our thanks go to her for taking on this important role
Brass cleaning has been very limited and thanks go to Charles Graham for undertaking most of this work during 2020.
Anyone interested in becoming a brass cleaner is welcome to join the team – please let us know.
Laurien Carter
Archives
Whilst lying largely dormant during the Coronavirus Pandemic the Archives did provide our Chief Bellringer , Richard Metters, with a “Marlborough Times” full 2 page account of the re-casting and rehanging of St. George’s Church bells in March 1925
Jeremy York
FINANCE
Financial Review
The following provides an overview of the accounts for 2020 which have been examined by Mr Froud of Bew and Co and are prepared in accordance with the Church Accounting Regulations 2006 using the Receipts and Payments basis.
Similar to many other organisations, the Covid-19 pandemic has caused us many difficulties in terms of finance. Whilst we are fortunate that most of our parishioners continued with their regular giving we lost income in terms of collections, fees (e.g. from weddings), and income from social events. In total our overall deficit rose from a planned £6567 to £12880 although of this £4849 was money spent on capital project work from the legacy fund so the general fund deficit was £7,647. Unfortunately we also raised substantially less through special collections which give to various charities. We look forward with hope to 2021 although we still expect a substantial deficit of around £7000 – hopefully we can have some socials later in the year to help reduce this figure.
As many know our new vicar has 2 roles, vicar of Preshute and Worship Director in conjunction with the Marlborough team. To this end Preshute committed to fund half of the Worship Director role for 3 years and an appeal was run to raise funds to cover these costs. The response was fantastic. Through one-off donations, money being gifted monthly and expected future reclaimed Gift Aid, we raised the full amount required, some £29,000! This is detailed separately in the accounts as a restricted fund (as we can only spend it to pay salary and expenses) although please note we will not receive the gift aid on donations until later next year so the actual funds received by end 2019 was some £18,000.
Whilst many people will enjoy reading the approved accounts detail presented in the appendix others will appreciate a summary of key information. Hopefully the following covers the key points:
Are we paying our way?
The situation this year is somewhat complicated but even without the pandemic we continue to spend more than our income. If we exclude project work the general fund is around £8,000 in deficit - around £2,000 more than expected. If this continues there are a number of things we can do to manage the deficit rather than fund from reserves. It has been agreed that for 2021 we will reduce our charitable giving by £1,000 and this will be reviewed once we see how 2021 progresses. We also intend to increase our social activities once rules allow and this will again help recue the deficit. In the meantime this situation required careful monitoring and more significant actions may be required when planning for 2021 as we will not have
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sufficient in the general fund and we will otherwise have to redesignate reserves in say the legacy fund to meet our outgoings.
Notes on Income:
Excluding legacies, significant one-off donations, Worship Director donations and special collections over the year income was £54,000 and compared to £62,000 in 2019. This year we were very fortunate to receive a legacy of £4000 with a request to invest so that we use the income to help maintain the churchyard. This money is invested in the Angela and William Whitrow CBF share fund which will provide income with potential long-term capital growth. The income is tracked in the fabric fund to pay for work in the churchyard. Planned giving was broadly the same as 2019 but otherwise general income was down in several areas as can be seen below.
| 2019 (£) | 2020 (£) | |
|---|---|---|
| Planned Giving | £32,197 | £32,136 |
| Collections (excluding special collections) | £3,538 | £1258 |
| Donations (excluding restricted) | £4,962 | £4186 |
| Gift Aid refund | £12,332 | £11,170 |
| Social Events (Net) | £2,901 | £1,249 |
| Church activities (Fees) | 6000 | 4000 |
Despite Covid, the Ride and Stride event provided very welcome additional funds of nearly £600. Full details are at Appendix 1.
Notes on Expenditure: General fund expenditure was some £2,000 less than expected largely due the extended closure of the church during which time we used no heat or power and some utilities waived charges.
As many will have noticed the car park gates have been replaced, funded from the legacy fund. The fund also funded some preparatory work for other projects including a full survey of the site to provide details of ground levels and layout. The actual works have been delayed until Covid restrictions are eased.
Budget 2021
The budget for 2021 in the Appendix was approved by PCC. This should leave us with a significant deficit compared to 2019 but less than 2020. PCC has agreed to drop support for National Charities for 2021 only to attempt to reduce the deficit. PCC has been informed that if necessary we will need to redesignate money in the legacy fund to cover the deficit which can be done with PCC approval.
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Independent Examiner’s Report
The independent examiners report, full accounts and balance sheet are at Appendix 1.
Reserves policy
It is PCC policy to try to maintain a balance on unrestricted funds that equates to at least three months' unrestricted payments (including ¼ or the value of the share payment but excluding charitable giving). This is equivalent to £15,000 but was not met as of 31 December 2020 when the general fund stood at £11,563. This is not critical at the present time as we are now paying our share monthly as the Diocese no longer provides a discount for annual payment. The current level is expected to be sufficient to smooth out fluctuations in cash flow and to meet emergencies although the situation will be watched closely and if necessary the PCC will be asked to redesignate some other funds, e.g. move money from the designated legacy fund to the general fund. This is acceptable as the PCC is able to use these unrestricted but designated funds for use as it wishes. It is the PCC's hope to increase the general fund reserves over time, as and when investment income recovers.
10
We currently maintain a relatively large Gift and Legacy fund. This fund is to be used on major projects some of which are currently entering final consultation and faculty stage whilst others are at early discussion stages but all of which will significantly reduce this designated fund. As noted projects have been delayed by the pandemic but key projects in planning are:
-
New resin coated paths – We are in detailed planning prior to faculty to lay a new resin based path down to the church.
-
New Glass Doors to South Porch – A statement of need and faculty application is in preparation to install glass doors outside of the main door. This is intended to improve heat insulation of the church and provide a more welcoming entrance at service times when the heavy oak door could be left open.
-
Meeting Room – Discussions are at an early stage to investigate the options and likely order of costs to provide a meeting room and small kitchen area to the rear of the church.
Richard Denning, Hon Treasurer
The Dominy and Turner Trust
In 1888 H.B. Turner invested £55 for blankets to be lent to poor parishioners. In 1938 Ethel Dominy gave money for a former Mission House in Manton to be rented by an old person. The house was sold in1973 and the proceeds invested. In 1994 the two charities were amalgamated and its purposes defined as a) the advancement of religion; b) the relief of the poor; c) the advancement of education; and d) general charitable purposes of the inhabitants of the parish of Preshute. The Trustees are the Vicar and Churchwardens of St George’s Church.
After 2019, when the Charity disbursed more than it received in income, 2020 was a quiet year. Just two grants were made, both to Preshute School. All of the Year 6 leavers were presented with a copy of the Good News Bible, and at Christmas booklets presenting the story of the birth of Jesus in a lively and imaginative way were given to all pupils.
The Trustees are always ready to consider applications for grants from anyone in the parish for causes which comply with the purposes stated above.
Charles Graham
Missions and Charities
The PCC decided that, despite the considerable drop in income, we should nevertheless pay out the budgeted £3,500 to the Missions and Charities that we support, all of which will have suffered as a result of Covid-19. The many additional charities that usually benefit from our “Special Collections” during the year are the ones that have lost out most, though we were able to support “Crisis”, thanks in particular to money raised from the roving Carol Singing organised by Andrew and Amanda Brown. Full details of the year’s giving to Missions and Charities can be found in the Accounts Appendix at the end of this Report.
Charles Graham
Churchwarden’s Report
`You may well have had enough of the doom, gloom and Zoom that feature prominently in assessments of the year 2020, not to mention the risk assessing, pew cleaning, mask wearing and other coronavirus-related extras that came the way of churchwardens, so let’s put those aside and focus on ten positives:
-
We have a new Vicar after an interval of two-and-three-quarter years. Welcome to Rev. Pete Sainsbury.
-
We kept the church open, unlike many others in the neighbourhood, every day except during the first lockdown. Grateful thanks to all who helped enable this to happen.
-
We had five well-attended and well-liked Christmas services, and we are most grateful to Marcia Johnson for her help in organising the ticketing for these services, and to Prue Groffman and her team of helpers for decorating the church beautifully.
-
Sarah Musgrave’s commitment to St George’s has been unstinting; she has inspired us to keep going during the interregnum and handled many pastoral issues in a year when we were sad to lose several members of the congregation.
11
-
As ever Team Brown has given us some wonderful music, appreciated all the more in the absence of an opportunity to sing. Big thanks to Andrew and Amanda (and to those who stepped in to avert a crisis at Christmas).
-
Our Treasurer, Richard Denning, has kept a keen eye on the finances and been ready to suggest ways to manage the unfortunate reduction in income.
-
Deputy Warden Jeremy York suffered from a very nasty bout of Covid 19 but, once recovered, he was quick to resume the many tasks which he readily and unassumingly undertakes behind the scenes.
-
Before the arrival of Pete in September we were again fortunate to be able to count on retired clergy to lead our worship, in particular Henry Pearson, Keith Lamdin, Janneke Blokland and Jeremy Creswell. We thank them sincerely.
-
Thanks to a lot of hard work from Laurien Carter we now have a fully digitised catalogue of the graves in the churchyard and their occupants.
-
We now employ Melanie Rolfe, a member of the Teddy Prayers congregation, to clean the church twice a month. We are very pleased with what she is achieving.
There are others we would like to thank, but to quote the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews: “What more shall I say? I do not have time to tell of ….” We are just grateful to all who contribute to making St. George’s what it is.
Charles Graham and Sally Cripps
12
Appendix I Indcpendent Eillniiner's Report to tht PCC of Parish of St. George's Preshute- Rcuistered Charity. Numher 11842f6 This report on the financial statements of the PCC tor the year endcd 31 December 2020, wliich are sel out in Appendix I pagc% 14 to 23, is in rcspcct of examination carried out in accoidance with tlie Church AcLounling ReblatIonS 20061'the Rebwlaiions'l and s. 145 of the Chatilics Act 2011 I'thc Act.). R¢specti¥e responsibilities of the PCC and tlie examiner As membeTS of Ihe PCC you are ie5ponsiblc for the preparation of thc financial slatetnents; you consider thai the audit requirement of the Regulations and s.145 of the Act doe5 not apply. It is my responsibility to issue this report on tho%c financial statements in accordance with the letrns of the Regulations. Basis of thi5 report My examination wa% carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Comtnission under s.14515)Ib) of the Act and to bc found in the Church guidance, 2006 editton. That exarnination includes a revicw of the accounting records kept by the PCC and a comparison of the accounts with those record5. It also includes considering any unusual items or disclosures in the financial statements and seeking explanation5 from you as trustees con¢¢ming any such maltet5. The procedures undeTtaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the view given by the accounts. Indepcndent examiner'5 Statement In co[ectIon with my exatnination, no matter has come to my attention.. 111 TrIch g]ves me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requircmcnt5 (al io kecp accounting record5 in accordance wilh section 130 of the Act,. and (bl to piepare financial stal¢menls which accord with the accounting tecords and to ¢OTnply with the requir¢ments of the Act and Ihc Regulati011s have not been tnct; 01 12) To hich, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enabl¢ a propcr undcrslanding of the accounts to be leached. B. K. Froud FCA Bew & Co Ltd Chllrtered Accountants 130 Iltgh Strcet Marlborough Date.. 13
Receipts and Payments Accounts
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST GEORGE'S PRESHUTE, MARLBOROUGH - Financial Statements for the Year Ending 31[st] December 2020 Accounting policies are detailed at Note 1. Receipts and Payments Accounts
| eceipts and Payments Accounts | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Note | Unrestricted Funds |
Unrestricted Designated Fund |
Restricted Fund |
Endowment Fund |
Total 2020 | Total 2019 | |
| Receipts | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Voluntary Receipts | |||||||
| Planned Giving | 32136 | 545 | 32681 | 32197 | |||
| Collections at Services | 1258 | 550 | 1808 | 7083 | |||
| All othergiving /voluntaryreceipts | 4a | 4186 | 17495 | 4000 | 25681 | 12141 | |
| Gift Aid Recovered | 11170 | 83 | 11252 | 12332 | |||
| Sub Total | 48749 | 0 | 18673 | 4000 | 71422 | 63753 | |
| Activities forgeneratingfunds | 4b | 1444 | 1444 | 4996 | |||
| Investment Income | 4c | 335 | 876 | 30 | 1241 | 1455 | |
| Church Activities | 4d | 2506 | 2506 | 4174 | |||
| Total Receipts | 53034 | 876 | 18703 | 4000 | 76613 | 74378 | |
| Payments | |||||||
| Church Activities | |||||||
| Parish Share | 39560 | 39560 | 39252 | ||||
| Clergyand StaffingCosts | 4e | 330 | 2400 | 2730 | 2073 | ||
| Church RunningExpenses | 4f | 16764 | 6109 | 22873 | 16354 | ||
| Mission Givingand Donations | 5 | 3698 | 550 | 4248 | 8191 | ||
| 60352 | 6109 | 2950 | 69411 | 65871 | |||
| Cost of GeneratingFunds | 4g | 195 | 195 | 2095 | |||
| Total Payments | 60547 | 6109 | 2950 | 69605 | 67966 | ||
| Excess of Receipts overpayments | -7512 | -5233 | 15753 | 4000 | 7008 | 6412 | |
| Transfer Between funds | |||||||
| -7512 | -5233 | 15753 | 4000 | 7008 | 6412 | ||
| Gains/ Losses on Investments | |||||||
| Realised | |||||||
| Unrealised | 1207 | 951 | 2159 | 4587 | |||
| -7512 | -4025 | 15753 | 4951 | 9167 | 10999 | ||
| Net Movement in funds | |||||||
| Balance brought forward at 1 January2020 | 19545 | 115373 | 7100 | 11179 | 153198 | 142199 | |
| Balance carried forward at 31st December 20 | 1 12033 |
111348 | 22853 | 16130 | 162364 | 153198 |
14
Balance Sheet at 31[st] December 2020
----- Start of picture text -----
Balance Sheet Note 31-Dec-20 31-Dec-19
£ £ £ £
Fixed Assets
Investment Shares CCLA General 18766 17559
Investment Shares - Aspen Copse Trust 11948 11179
Investment shares - Angela and William Whitrow 4183 0
Current Assets
Cash on hand at bank 16124 23467
CCLA Deposit Fund 111344 100993
127468 124460
There are no debtors or creditors
Total Assetts 162364 153198
Represented by:
Unrestricted funds 12033 19545
Unrestricted designated funds 111348 115373
Restricted funds - 22853 7100
Angela and William Whitrow Fund 4183 0
Aspen Copse Endowment fund 11948 11179
162364 153198
----- End of picture text -----
15
Notes to the 2020 Accounts and Further Analysis
1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES
The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St George’s Preshute, Marlborough, is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales.
a) Basis of preparation
The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the Church Accounting Regulations 2006 together with applicable accounting standards and the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standards applicable in the UK & Republic of Ireland (FRS102) issued on 16th July 2014.
The accounts are prepared on the Receipts and Payments basis.
The accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention except for the valuation of investment assets, which are shown at market value.
The accounts include all transactions, assets and liabilities for which the PCC is responsible in law. The accounts do not include the accounts relating to any informal gatherings of Church members or small cash balances held by individuals such as the flower arrangers.
Rounding – the Accounts are prepared to the exact penny but for presentation purposes, and for ease of reading and understanding, are shown in rounded pounds. This can mean that some of the totals and/or sub totals do not appear as if they add correctly and appear to be £1 out. c) Incoming resources
-
Voluntary income - Collections are recognised when received by or on behalf of the PCC. Planned giving receivable under Gift Aid is recognised only when received.
-
Tax recoverable on Gift Aid donations is recognised when the income is received.
-
Grants and legacies to the PCC are accounted for as soon as the PCC is notified of its legal entitlement, the amount due is quantifiable and its ultimate receipt by the PCC is reasonably certain.
-
Funds raised by any social events are accounted for gross, where practicable and costs for events included in expenditure, this is broken out later in the notes.
-
Income from investments Dividends and interest are accounted for when receivable.
-
Gains and losses on investments Realised gains or losses are recognised when investments are sold. Unrealised gains or losses are accounted for on revaluation of investments at 31 December.
-
d) Resources used
-
Church ministry and services - The diocesan share/quota is accounted for when payable. Any diocesan share unpaid at 31 December would be provided for in these accounts as an operational (though not a legal) liability and is shown as a creditor in the Balance Sheet.
-
Grants made Grants and donations are accounted for when paid over, or when awarded, if that award creates a binding obligation on the PCC.
-
e) Fixed assets - Consecrated land and buildings and moveable church furnishings
-
Consecrated and beneficed property is excluded from the accounts by S10(2) of the Charities Act 2011. Movable church furnishings held by the rectors and churchwardens on special trust for the PCC and which require a faculty for disposal are accounted for as inalienable property and not valued in the accounts.
-
All expenditure incurred during the year on consecrated or benefice buildings and movable church furnishings, whether maintenance or improvement, is treated as an expense and written off.
-
The fabric fund it maintained to cover the costs of major maintenance whereas minor works are funded through the general fund: the treasurer and PCC work to agree which should fund but broadly works of more than £200 are funded via the fabric fund.
-
f) Investments: Investments are valued at bid price at 31 December.
-
g) Current Assets
16
Cash held in a savings account with a bank is classified as cash at bank. Cash held on deposit with the CBF Church of England Deposit Fund or held in a term deposit account with a bank is classified as a short term deposit.
h) Funds - Funds have been classified as Unrestricted, Unrestricted Designated, Restricted or Endowment.
-
Unrestricted funds represent the funds of the PCC that are not subject to any restrictions regarding their use and are available for application on the general purposes of the PCC.
-
Funds designated by the PCC for a particular purpose are classified as unrestricted designated as the PCC has allocated them for a specific purpose although the PCC can re-designate these funds. This helps budget for the future.
-
Restricted funds are funds received, collected by or given to the PCC for a particular purpose which was specified at or before the time of receipt. These funds have been restricted by the donor for a particular purpose and they cannot be used by the PCC for any other purpose except by agreement with the donor or as determined by the courts or the Charity Commission.
-
Endowment funds are funds or assets given to the PCC with the specific instruction that only the income gained from the funds can be spent. The original endowment funds cannot normally be spent and must remain in the form of equivalent assets or investments.
-
St George’s is the beneficiary of the Aspen Copse endowment fund and receives the income from the fund each year which is added to our general fund and is not restricted in use. The fund itself is managed by the Salisbury Diocesan Board of Finance and the capital is not available to be spent (it is understood that in extremis the board could be approached to allow the funds to be transferred to our general funds but this would be a matter for them to consider not a right). We also now have a new (from 2020) Angela and William Whitrow fund where the interest gained is restricted to use on upkeep of the churchyard.
2. Explanation of Funds
St George's has a number of funds where the PCC has allocated money for specific purposes to aid saving for projects and to manage our finances more effectively, e.g. to budget for organ maintenance. The funds and purposes are as follows:
-
Fabric fund: To build up reserves for maintenance work in the church and churchyard.
-
Legacy and Gift Fund: Used to ring fence money for major capital projects. Current ongoing and proposed work include: Provision of new resin path to church, new church gates, provision of meeting room and kitchen to rear of church.
-
Boiler Fund: Maintenance and where required replacement of the church boiler and related heating system (last replacement was in excess of £9000)
-
Ministry: To provide specific funds for ministry
-
Church Hall: Specific fund with the long term aim to provide a church hall or annex to the church
-
Organ Fund: Fund for maintenance and repair of the organ. The last major service cost some £20,000 and is required every 20-30 years.
-
Worship Director Restricted Fund: a restricted fund to manage donations and payments for the worship director role.
17
Note to the Accounts – Further Analysis Continued
The following pages further break down specific sections of income and expenditure.
3. Movement in Funds
We maintain a number of designated funds to help budget for future finance. At the end of the year these funds contained:
----- Start of picture text -----
3. Movements in designated and restricted funds during the year were:
Balance B/F Receipts Payments Investment GBal/C/f
General Fund 19545 53034 60547 12033
Restricted 6
Fabric Fund 2100 135 2235
Legacy and Gift Fund 5000 5000
Worship Director Fund 0 18018 2400 15618
7100 18153 2400 22853
Designated
Fabric 8555 8555
Legacy & Gift Fund 7 95657 876 6109 1207 91632
Boiler -1535 -1535
Ministry 5264 5264
Church Hall 1141 1141
Organ 6290 6290
-
115373 876 6109 1207 111348
Total (excludes value of Aspen Copse Trust and 142019 146234
Value of Aspen copse trust + Angela and Willia 11179 4000 951 16130
Total 153198 76063 69055 2159 162364
----- End of picture text -----
18
4. Breakdown of Income and Expenditure
Unrestricted General Fund |
Unrestricted Designated Fund |
Restricted Fund |
Total 2020 | Total 2019 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Receipts | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | ||
| a) All othergiving / voluntary receipts | |||||||
| Donations(including yellow envelopes) | 4029 | 105 | 4134 | 9906 | |||
| Legacies | 4000 | 4000 | 2000 | ||||
| Alms | 157 | 157 | 234 | ||||
| WorshipDirector Planned Giving | 545 | ||||||
| WorshipDirector Capital Donations | 16845 | ||||||
| 4186 | 21495 | 25681 | 12140 | ||||
| b) Social Activities Generating funds | |||||||
| 2019 | 4996 | ||||||
| RajNight | 167 | 167 | |||||
| Quiz Night | 692 | 692 | |||||
| RugbyDinners | 585 | 585 | |||||
| 1444 | 0 | 1444 | 4996 | ||||
| c) Investment Income | |||||||
| Interest on CBF Deposit Fund | 350 | 350 | 620 | ||||
| Dividends of shares | 526 | 526 | 510 | ||||
| Dividends of Trust Shares | 335 | 30 | 365 | 325 | |||
| 335 | 876 | 1241 | 1455 | ||||
| d) Church Activities: | |||||||
| Fees for Weddings and funerals | 2051 | 2051 | 2544 | ||||
| Fees refunded bydioscese for service cover | 320 | 320 | 1630 | ||||
| 2371 | 2371 | 4174 | |||||
| Payments | |||||||
| e) Clergy and Staffing Costs | |||||||
| Payment to clergyduringinteregnum | 330 | 330 | 2073 | ||||
| WorshipDirector Pay,NI,Pension etc | 2400 | 2400 | 0 | ||||
| 2730 | 2073 | ||||||
| f)Church RunningExpenses | |||||||
| Workingand Office Expenses | 658 | 658 | 2288 | ||||
| Honoraria and Secretarial | 3634 | 3634 | 2122 | ||||
| Organ Maintenance & tuning | 233 | 233 | 227 | ||||
| Insurance | 1209 | 1209 | 2125 | ||||
| Printingand stationary | 3050 | 3050 | 3084 | ||||
| Heating,Lightingand Water | 1094 | 1094 | 984 | ||||
| Repairs and Maintenance | 3935 | 6109 | 10044 | 4972 | |||
| Bank Charges | 255 | 255 | 387 | ||||
| Miscellaneous | 2696 | 2696 | 167 | ||||
| 16764 | 6109 | 22873 | 16354 | ||||
| Note micellaneous categoryincludes vicarage redecoration so excluded from main accounts | |||||||
| Vicarage Redecoration | 2274 | ||||||
| Accounts examiners fees | 422 | Increased from 2019(£167)due charitycommission registration | |||||
| 2696 | |||||||
| g)Costs of GeneratingFunds | |||||||
| 2019 | - | - | 1926 | ||||
| RajNight | 0 | 0 | |||||
| Quiz Night | 195 | 195 | |||||
| RugbyDiners | 0 | 0 | |||||
| 195 | 0 | 195 | 1926 |
19
5. Giving to Missions and Charities
----- Start of picture text -----
Unrestricted Unrestricted
General Designated Restricted
Fund Fund Fund Total 2020 Total 2019
£ £ £ £ £
5 Mission Giving and Donations
Special Collection Distribution
Sudan Link (Licensing Service) 50 50 447
Christian Aid 0 0 130
Royal Naval Benevolent Trust 0 0 110
RAFBF 65 65 191
RABI 82 82 241
Water Aid 0 0 241
GWH Neonatal Unit - Baptisms 0 0 277
SSAFA 0 0 163
Combat Stress 0 0 163
Crisis 113 113 426
Save the Children 60 60 356
Children's Society 60 60 356
Christian Aid 60 60 356
Age UK Wiltshire 60 60 356
550 550 3811
Due to COVID-19 and lockdown many services with special collections were not held
----- End of picture text -----
20
| Unrestricted General Fund |
Unrestricted Designated Fund |
Restricted Fund |
Total 2020 | Total 2019 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | ||
| Charitable Giving | ||||||
| International | ||||||
| Church Mission Soceity | 250 | 250 | 250 | |||
| SOMA | 250 | 250 | 250 | |||
| USPG | 250 | 250 | 250 | |||
| Sudan Church(via SalisburyDBF) | 250 | 250 | 250 | |||
| Caldwell Trust | Cashed cheque from 2019 | 250 | ||||
| National | ||||||
| Mothers Union | 250 | 250 | 250 | |||
| Bible Soceity | 250 | 250 | 250 | |||
| Church Army | 250 | 250 | 250 | |||
| Church Urban Fund | 250 | 250 | 250 | |||
| 2019 Additional Tearfund | 50 | |||||
| Local Charities | ||||||
| Devizes and Marlborough Foodbank | 250 | 250 | 250 | |||
| Home Start Kennet | 250 | 250 | 250 | |||
| Jubilee Centre | 250 | 250 | 250 | |||
| MAPAG | 250 | 250 | 250 | |||
| Prospect Hospice | 250 | 250 | 250 | |||
| Friends of Salisbury Cathedral | 30 | 30 | 30 | |||
| Emergency Fund | ||||||
| RABI | 59 | 59 | 200 | |||
| Water Aid | 59 | 59 | 300 | |||
| Tearfund South Sudan Appeal | 200 | 200 | 300 | |||
| Total | 3598 | 0 | 3598 | 4380 |
| 6. Note on Restricted Funds | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| We currentlyhave £2,235 of restricted funds in the fabric fund,£2000 restricted to church maintenance and 235 on the churchyard | ||||||||
| We have £5000 in the legacyfund restricted to use on capitalprojects | ||||||||
| 7. Breakdown of Legacy Fund Income and Expenditure | ||||||||
| Income | Expenditure | |||||||
| Interest Received from Investments | 876 | |||||||
| Gain/Loss on investments | 1207 | |||||||
| New Church Gates | 1450 | |||||||
| Benjamin & BeauchampSurveyand Pre FacultyWork | 1838.76 | |||||||
| Lewis Brown Site Survey | 2820 | |||||||
| £2,084 | £6,109 |
21
8. St George’s Church Preshute – Budget 2021
| ST GEORGE'S PRESHUTE BUDGET 2020 | ST GEORGE'S PRESHUTE BUDGET 2020 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan-Dec | Jan-Dec | Budget | Budget 2021 | |||
| 2019 | 2020 | 2020 | ||||
| INCOME | ||||||
| Collections | 3538 | 1258 | 3500 | 2500 | ||
| Planned Giving | 28201 | 29622 | 28900 | 29000 | ||
| Envelopes | 3997 | 2444 | 4000 | 2500 | ||
| 35735 | 36400 | 34000 | ||||
| Tax Refund re Planned Giving | 12332 | 11170 | 10000 | 12000 | ||
| Fees | 4174 | 2371 | 3000 | 3000 | ||
| Interest Received | 1455 | 1211 | 1000 | 1200 | ||
| Donations | 4906 | 3082 | 4500 | 5000 | ||
| Legacies | ||||||
| Alms | 234 | 157 | 200 | 200 | ||
| Grants | - | |||||
| Miscellaneous | ||||||
| Special Collections | ||||||
| Social Events | 4729 | 1249 | 2250 | 1500 | ||
| Total | 63566 | 52564 | 57350 | 56900 | ||
| EXPENDITURE | ||||||
| Parish Share | 39252 | 39560 | 39560 | 40165 | ||
| Transfer to Fabric Fund | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Transfer to Organ Fund | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Transfer to LegacyFund | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Transfer to Boiler Fund | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Church & Churchyard | 5198 | 4168 | 5500 | 5500 | ||
| Heat & Light | 984 | 1094 | 2500 | 1200 | ||
| Insurance | 2125 | 1688 | 2200 | 2400 | ||
| Equipment & Consumables | 291 | 1234 | 300 | 500 | ||
| Social | 2095 | |||||
| Publicity,Printing& Stationery | 2763 | 1816 | 2600 | 2000 | ||
| Working& Office Expenses | 2288 | 658 | 2350 | 2600 | ||
| Honoraria/Secretarial/Fees | 4196 | 3634 | 3000 | 3500 | ||
| Missions & Charities | 4380 | 3698 | 4300 | 3300 | ||
| Christian Council & Deanery | 0 | 100 | 100 | |||
| Education and Youth Work | 30 | 100 | 100 | |||
| Bank Charges | 387 | 300 | 400 | 400 | ||
| Miscellaneous | 167 | 2696 | ||||
| Special Collections | 3811 | |||||
| Total | 67966 | 60546 | 62910 | 61765 | ||
| Surpuls(Deficit) | 6413 | -7982 | -5560 | -4865 |
22
Notes on the budget:
-
Spending from legacy funds and related project work are excluded to allow year on year comparison.
-
Insurance is now paid monthly by direct debit (at no additional cost) which started in mid 2020. This reduced the 2020 insurance cost but it will revert to the full year cost from 2021.
-
Unless income increases, similar to 2020 we will not transfer any money to designated funds such as fabric fund. It should be noted that not designating these funds could lead to future funding challenges for say organ maintenance or work on the fabric necessitating future congregations to fund raise for such work.
-
Office expenses are expected to rise as we now have a new incumbent we would expect to see office expenses increase but this is likely to be offset by additional money from fees.
-
Previously changes in the CCLA investment fund have been shown in the budget tables but as investment values change erratically this can distort the financial view (on paper they were down £169 last year and up £2800 this year although neither loss or gain has been realised by selling the shares). The value is included in the balance sheet.
-
As noted in the annual report, the PCC has agreed to reduce charitable giving by £1000 by excluding National charities. This is intended to reduce the 2021 deficit and will be reviewed when setting the budget for 2022.
23
Appendix 2
St. George’s Church, Preshute Annual Parochial Church Meeting to be held in the Church on Sunday 18[th] April 2021 at 12md in the Church
AGENDA
-
Welcome and Opening Prayers 2. Apologies for Absence 3. Minutes of the Meeting of 13[th] September 2020 (See Appendix 3)
-
Electoral Roll Report
-
Report of the proceedings of the PCC
-
Finance: a) Treasurer’s Report
-
b) Adoption of audited accounts
-
c) Appointment of Independent Examiner
-
Report on the Fabric, Goods and Ornaments of the church
-
Safeguarding
-
Report on the proceedings of the Deanery Synod 10. Any Questions
ELECTIONS
-
a. Churchwardens
-
b. PCC Members
24
Appendix 3
St . George’s Church, Preshute Minutes of the Annual Parochial Church Meeting held in the Church at 11.30 a.m. on Sunday 13[th] September 2020
Present: Rev Chris Smith (Chair), Simon Bonham, Amanda Brown, Andrew Brown, Howard Cripps, Sally Cripps, Charles Graham, Diana Hony, Nicholla Huckle, Christine McColl, Chris Musgrave, Sarah Musgrave, Lyn Whatley, Jeremy York.
Apologies: Lydia Bauer, David Beacom, Laurien Carter, Heather Croucher, Neil Croucher, Brian Crowe, Judith Denning, Richard Denning, Sue Elks, Prue Groffman, David Harding, Kath Harding, Kate Martin, Anne Notton, Robin Notton. Marcia Johnson, Michael Cripps, Kay Cripps, Paul Lefever
-
The Rector welcomed everyone and opened with a prayer.
-
Apologies are listed above.
-
The Minutes of last year’s meeting had been published in the Annual Report and were taken as read. They were approved unanimously and signed. Proposer: S. Musgrave; Seconder S. Bonham.
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Charles Graham, standing in as Electoral Roll Officer, announced that the number on the Roll had decreased by one to 119. He was sad to record that four good friends had died (Jesse Pomfret, Gillian Watson, Maurice Cooper and Tom Cridland). Debi Evans has moved away. 4 new names have been added to the Roll: Rosemary Hawes, Nicky Huckle, Clare Maclean and Chris Watkins.
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In the absence of the Secretary there was nothing to add to the Report of the Proceedings of the PCC in the Annual Report, but the Churchwardens wished to express their sincere thanks to Sarah Musgrave for all she has done to hold things together during the long interregnum.
The Rector asked for any comments/questions on the reports in the Annual Report of the various church activities. It was pointed out that since March most of these activities have not been possible. Other comments included:
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We need to find more LPAs;
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The website has been refreshed;
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The Rector likes our choice of hymns;
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The Night at the Raj and the Quiz Night took place successfully before lockdown;
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The Home Group is meeting on Zoom; and 112 were present at the Diocesan Synod Zoom meeting recently.
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A £100,000 legacy has been left to the Devotion Youth Group to provide for a Youth Worker.
6 . Finance :
a) The Treasurer, unable to be present, had sent an update, showing that the expected shortfall at the end of the year is around £12,500. The meeting expressed its support for the Treasurer and grateful thanks for all his hard work.
b) The Audited Accounts were adopted unanimously. Proposer: S. Cripps; Seconder: J. York.
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c) It was agreed to re-appoint Brian Froud as Independent Examiner. Proposer: C. Graham; Seconder: S. Musgrave.
7. Report on the Fabric, Goods and Ornaments of the church.
Following David Beacom’s detailed report in the Annual Report, it was confirmed that the Fabric is generally in good condition. Regular cleaning has taken place to comply with Covid regulations, and a paid cleaner has recently been engaged. The Churchwardens have carried out the annual inventory check, the main addition being a quantity of NRSV Bibles kindly donated by St. Mary’s.
8 and 9. There was nothing to add to the written reports on Safeguarding and the Deanery Synod .
- A Question was asked about how the legacy to Devotion would be spent. The Devotion Committee is exploring possibilities.
In his Closing Comments the Rector thanked Sarah Musgrave not only for what she has done for St George’s but also for the help she has been to him personally since his arrival. He praised the St George’s PCC and urged it to keep good relationships going. Looking ahead at the new chapter with the arrival of Pete Sainsbury as Team Vicar, he encouraged us to look for new ways to draw people in and “pass on the flame”.
Sarah Musgrave expressed her thanks and support for the Rector as he leads the three churches in the Team.
ELECTIONS
The following were elected with unanimous approval:
Churchwardens: Sally Cripps Proposer: C. Graham; Seconder: L. Whatley
Charles Graham Proposer J. York; Seconder: H. Cripps
Deputy Churchwarden: Jeremy York Proposer: S. Cripps; Seconder: C. Musgrave Deanery Synod Reps: Simon Bonham Proposer: S. Musgrave; Seconder: C. Graham
Sarah Musgrave Proposer: A. Brown; Seconder: H. Cripps
Jeremy York Proposer: A. Brown; Seconder: H. Cripps PCC Members: David Beacom Proposer: H. Cripps; Seconder: A. Brown
Amanda Brown Proposer: S. Musgrave; Seconder: C. Graham Robin Notton Proposer: L. Whatley; Seconder: C. Musgrave Electoral Roll Officer: Linda Sims Proposer: C. Graham; Seconder: S. Cripps Secretary, Treasurer and Sidespersons are appointed by the PCC.
The meeting closed with the Grace at 12.10 p.m.
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