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2024-12-31-accounts

Adroddiad Blynyddol

Annual Report

Including the independently examined financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024

Registered Charity: 1184644

Part of the Church in Wales Diocese of Bangor in the Area Deanery and Archdeaconry of Meirionnydd

Trustees’ Annual Report for the period January 2024 to December 2024

Charity name: Ardal Weinidogaeth Bro Enlli Ministry Area

Charity registration number: 1184644

Objectives and Activities

The Church in Wales is a province within the Anglican Communion and seeks to advance the Christian religion through world-wide mission. The MAC (Ministry Area Council) objectives are to ensure that Church life and work within Ardal Weinidogaeth Bro Enlli Ministry Area (the Parish of Bro Enlli) help to fulfil that mission, both locally and more widely.

The MAC is aware of the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit in “The Advancement of Religion for the Public Benefit” and has regard to it in their administration of the Parish of Bro Enlli. The MAC believes that, by fulfilling its responsibility to work together with the incumbent in the Parish and co-operate in all matters of concern and importance for the promotion of the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical, it provides a benefit to the public by:

The MAC is responsible for the parochial budget and all expenditure thereunder, the care and maintenance of church fabric and of the churchyards it owns, and for any action or other matter to it in accordance with the Constitution and its normal channel of communication between parishioners and the Diocesan Bishop.

Apart from the regular round of weekly services in each of our churches, the Ministry Area (MA), also usually organise or participate in the following round of activities: Bible Study group, weekly coffee morning, Foodbank (twice a week), and hosts an Art Group. It also plans several annual summer fetes, Christmas fairs and a Charity Shop.

Bro Enlli Ministry Area confirms that in fulfilling its objectives it follows guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit.

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Introduction

The Vicar and Ministry Area Leader (MAL) would like to thank everyone in the Ministry Area of Bro Enlli for their dedication over the past year in ensuring that God’s love continues to be made known in this little corner of His Kingdom. In particular, the MAL would like to pay tribute to the Churchwardens in each church who have ensured that life continues as smoothly as possible in the local churches, not least in helping with leading Moring Prayer and ensuring that those who gather together in any of our churches on a Sunday morning are able to worship God. The new Church in Wales Membership App, shows an average weekly attendance of 100 worshippers on a Sunday in Bro Enlli. There are many others who have also been helping with various tasks including lay worship leaders, treasurers and buildings officers, organists and musicians, sidespersons and welcomers, those who help with cleaning or offering and preparing tea and coffee, Sunday readers and intercessors, sacristans and servers, eucharistic ministers of the chalice, volunteers in the Bro Enlli Charity Shop, flower arrangers and church decorators for the different seasons of the liturgical year, bell ringers, the many who are opening and closing our churches for visitors from April to October, all quietly getting on with the work of helping making God’s Kingdom known. Furthermore, the MAL would like to offer a special thanks to the Ministry Area Council for the immense support and encouragement over the last year and for their dedication.

Susan Fogarty, as a Lay Licenced Minister continues in providing alternative and creative acts of worship in and around Aberdaron and Llanfaelrhys, with a focus on pioneering through poetry. Susan is also director of the RS Thomas and ME Eldrige Society which in 2024 has its 11th annual poetry and arts festival. With poetry and art being such a dominant feature of Welsh life and culture and indeed, Christian heritage, we are proud to be able to offer St Hywyn and St Maelrhys not just as a venue, but as a home for this annual festival in Aberdaron. It is always good to be able to welcome visitors, worshippers and pilgrims into our churches and the festival is very successful in attracting people here as well as helping to promote Bro Enlli as a sacred space for people to visit.

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Buildings

Since receiving the Ezra report in March 2023, it was quickly established that Electrical Safety checks were needed on all our churches, which by now have been completed in most places. With the help and support of the Archdeaconry Buildings Officer, Paul Skeet, each church has been visited and major works identified and prioritised. Work was successfully completed by HighLife Ropes on St Pedrog’s church tower roof which was leaking badly. The cost of the work was £42,720 inc. VAT which was less than the budgeted £48,000. The cost was covered by St Pedrog’s own funds.

Other major works identified include the purlin wooden beam ends of the roof structure at the west wall of St Hywyn’s church which have significant rot and will need repairing. The Ministry Area Council (MAC) has appointed Finlason Partnership Conservation Accredited Architects to investigate further as well as provide a feasibility report on reordering St Hywyn’s vestry, installing a kitchen and toilets, and developing a pilgrimage and heritage welcome and hospitality area.

A structural engineer’s report on the condition of St Engan’s church boundary wall, which is showing signs of bowing, and its stability being a cause of significant concern, was obtained by Robin Owen, Principal Engineer of Ymgynghoriaeth Gwynedd Consultancy (YGC), a multidisciplinary public sector consultancy in Gwynedd, North Wales, offering services in civil engineering, environmental studies, and building design for both public and private clients across Wales. The Archdeaconry Property Officer and Robin Owen of YCG have prepared a specification and schedule of work for the wall and are inviting tenders from local contractors to carry out the necessary repairs.

Other important maintenance and repairs competed include painting the exterior of St Cian’s Church Hall, the replacement of a badly corroded radiator in St Hywyn’s, and sourcing new Church Signs for each church.

A phased replacement or installation of new Sound Systems and Induction Loop Systems has commenced for all our churches, with work completed on the replacement of sound systems in St Hywyn’s Church, Aberdaron, and St Pedrog’s Church, Llanbedrog. This has improved the worship experience for all who attend these churches, not least those who are hard of hearing. Bro Enlli churches are often used for the occasional offices of Weddings, Baptisms and Funerals as well as concerts, carol services and school Christmas services. Having a professionally installed modern system is part of providing a service to our communities for significantly important occasions in people’s lives. The experience provided for those who enter Bro Enlli churches will leave a good lasting impression on them, even if they never cross the threshold again. Holy Cross Church, Llannor, are looking at installing an audio visual system which would open up possibilities of offering different styles of worship for different age groups, especially for children and young people.

Pwllheli Foodbank continues to be located in St Peter’s Church Pwllheli and is an

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important part of Bro Enlli’s social outreach to the community, not only in Pwllheli but throughout the Llŷn Peninsula.

Achievements and Performance

It has been particularly good to welcome more and more baptisms and weddings across Bro Enlli, as these are joyous occasions for the Church not only in welcoming new Christians but also in welcoming many visitors into our churches, not forgetting the importance of these occasions as a rite of passage for individuals and families. Equally, funerals are hugely important occasions and to be able to welcome families back into church to mourn their loved ones together at a funeral service has been of great importance. It has been a particularly difficult year for many of the church members following the death of family members and loved ones during 2024.

Regular parish activities have continued including Lenten Lunches with mid-day prayer hosted at St Peter’s church, Pwllheli, with each of Bro Enlli’s churches taking responsibility to provide a light lunch during the six weeks of Lent. All are welcome to the Lenten Lunches, including other denominations, making it an ecumenical activity. Lent being a time of prayer, fasting and almsgiving make these lunches truly Lenten as not only do we come together from all traditions for a time of prayer, to enjoy fellowship with a light lunch, but also to fundraise for Christian Aid.

Other important activities included the Summer Fete at Llanbedrog; the St Engan and St Cian Easter and Christmas Fair at Llangian, the Bro Enlli Charity Shop in Pwllheli; a series of charity concerts at St Hywyn’s, Aberdaron, in aid of the RNLI and St Hywyn’s Church; a ‘Songs of Praise’ service held in St Hywyn’s Aberdaron as an outreach event to the local community and holiday visitors. The annual returning of the prayer-stone cairn to the sea has grown evermore popular, especially following the success of the BBC’s Pilgrimage programme. Remembrance Sunday was commemorated and very well attended across Bro Enlli, with 197 people participating in services. The occasion also included a parade from St Peter’s Church, Pwllheli, to the town memorial for the act of remembrance.

Christmas carol services were held at Llanengan, Aberdaron, Llanbedrog, Llannor and Pwllheli, attracting over 500 in attendance from the local community as well as visitors to the area looking to be able to celebrate Christmas with their families making time to remember the true Christian meaning of the festival. The collection from each Carol Service, totalling £1,000 was donated to Hope House Tŷ Gobaith, a North Wales Children’s Hospice that cares for babies, children and young people who have lifethreatening conditions and are not expected to live beyond 18 years of age. Hope House Tŷ Gobaith also offer counselling and bereavement counselling to families of children who access their services.

It was also a joy to welcome Ysgol Glan y Môr to St Peter’s church Pwllheli for their

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Christmas concerts and the Gwynedd and Môn School Music Service to St Peter’s Church for their annual concert.

Many of our churches continue to be popular locations for filming, be it for television, music-videos for bands, or some other form of promotion and advertising. This brings a small income for the church but more importantly is an excellent mission tool for us in opening our doors to the whole world. It was a delight to welcome S4C’s Dechrau Canu Dechrau Canmol production team to St Hywyn’s to record material for their Easter Special programme, including an interview with the Revd. Rhun ap Robert, on the significance of Easter.

Finance

1. Administration

At a meeting of the Ministry Area Council in March 2024, it was agreed to implement a new system for administrating Bro Enlli finances. Financial administration has become more and more complicated as Bro Enlli has become a single parish and a single charity. Historically Bro Enlli have relied heavily on the good will and dedication of local treasurers for each of its churches, and is enormously grateful for their hard work and hours of commitment which they give of their own free time. However, it is unreasonable to rely and depend on the same people to be treasurers for ever and the work is becoming more demanding. Furthermore, Bro Enlli is blessed with significant reserves held in different funds by different churches. Most of the funds are held in the form of investments, which is an important source of income, and the general trajectory in value of the various funds is upwards. However there are other significant funds held in general accounts which could be performing better.

In light of the administrative burden placed upon Ministry Areas, Bangor diocese are developing a book-keeping service for Ministry Areas. This will do away with the need for individual church treasurers but will require local ‘cashiers’ to count and pay money received into the central bank account. A record will be kept of payments in and out and provided to the diocese for the bookkeeper to enter data into My Fund Accounting. Bro Enlli will sill require one central treasurer to administer payments in and out as well as generate reports.

The book-keeping service provided by Bangor diocese also includes end of year examination of accounts by a chartered accountant. There will be no fee for this service giving an annual saving of at least £6,000 for Bro Enlli in accountants costs. The bookkeeping service began with the examination of accounts in 2024 with the aim of being fully implemented for the 2025 financial year. The diocesan archdeaconry book-keeper has been working closely with most of Bro Enlli’s treasurers during this transition period.

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2. Financial Review for the Year Ended 31 December 2024

The financial statements for Bro Enlli have been prepared on a Receipts and Payments basis in accordance with Charity Commission guidance. The accounts have been independently examined by Williams Denton Cyf, Chartered Certified Accountants and Registered Auditors, who confirmed that no material matters were identified during the examination.

Income Overview

The total receipts for the year amounted to £171,306, an increase from £150,102 in 2023. Income from investments, generous donors and response to financial appeals, and the reopening of Bro Enlli’s Charity shop has significantly supported the total income in 2024. The Charity Shop was particularly successful in generating income in excess of £18K as well as serving the community in offering affordable clothes and other items to people who are genuinely struggling financially. Furthermore, it gave Bro Enlli a sense of togetherness and a strong and important Christian presence in the community.

Other key sources of income included:

Expenditure Overview: Total payments for the year were £196,064, a slight decrease from £199,778 in 2023. Major areas of expenditure included:

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Net Position

The Ministry Area reported net payments of £24,758 for the year, an improvement compared to the net payments of £49,677 in 2023. This reflects a reduction in overall expenditure and an increase in income.

Cash and Investment Balances:

Restricted Funds: Restricted funds increased from £ 266,325 to £ 286,134, mainly due to movements in value of investments.

The greater part of Bro Enlli’s assets are held in investments which in 2024 did not perform as well as in 2023 with the total value of investments increasing by £35,182 compared to an increase of £45,336 in 2023. This shows the volatility and unpredictable nature of investment, which can increase or decrease in value. The value of the investments held by Bro Enlli will be more important than ever in the coming 5-10 years as they will be needed to cover costs for essential building works identified in the Ezra Report as well as any planned missional activity.

At the end of the 2024 financial year the total fixed assets held in investments of £774,656 and the total net current assets of £283,919 amounted to a net asset surplus of £1,058,575 which is represented as follows:

Fund 2024 2023
General & Designated
Funds (Unrestricted)		 £772,441 £781,826
Restricted £286,134 £266,326
TOTAL £1,058,575 £1,048,152

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Based on the provided accounts, the following areas may be considered as potential concerns:

  1. Net Payments for the Year: The Ministry Area reported net payments of £24,758 for 2024, indicating that expenses exceeded income. While this is an improvement from the previous year's net payments of £49,677 , it still reflects a deficit that may need to be addressed to ensure long-term financial sustainability. Bro Enlli’s biggest expenditure is the BMF (Bishop’s Ministry Fund) or Parish Share. At the Bangor Diocesan Conference in October 2024 it was announced that the diocese would give a ‘breathing space’ to all Ministry Areas in 2025 by reducing their BMF contributions in 2025. In doing so, this would enable each MA to forward plan in terms of finance, mission and pastoral work, and property, and have a ‘reset’ of their finances. However, although there is a reduction in the BMF target set for Bro Enlli for 2025, it is only £1,300 or 1.77%. The reduction for the remaining Meirionnydd Ministry Areas varies from between £15,500 to £28,500 which corresponds to a reduction of between 30% to 44% for those Ministry Areas. In the rest of the diocese no Ministry Area has received a reduction of less than 6%. Of course, any reduction is welcome. Nevertheless, the reduction of £1,300 is very small and is not going to make much difference to the cash-strapped churches in Bro Enlli. The churches that have reserve funds already contribute generously and support the other churches. Our poorest churches need that space to re-establish themselves financially as much as other churches in the diocese. Bro Enlli has historically been very generous contributors to the BMF and now feel a sense of unfairness in the target set by the diocese. In order to be able to pay £72,000 in 2025, Bro Enlli will need to use the reserve funds of those churches which already support the poorest churches within the Ministry Area, and in effect the wider archdeaconry. On top of this, it is not sustainable for Bro Enlli to continue on this path as it will empty the coffers very quickly, and as a result, not allow the work that needs to be done on the buildings to take place, while at the same time hindering missional work and planning.

  2. Decline in Planned Giving: Income from planned giving decreased significantly from £31,544 in 2023 to £24,548 in 2024 . This decline could be a concern as planned giving is a key source of income for the Ministry Area.

  3. High Costs of Raising Funds: The costs of raising funds increased from £15,193 in 2023 to £21,101 in 2024 , which represents a notable rise. The trustees may wish to review these costs to ensure they are proportionate to the income generated.

  4. Reduction in Cash at Bank: The cash at bank decreased from £308,677 in 2023 to £283,919 in 2024 , which may indicate a need for careful monitoring of cash flow to avoid further depletion.

  5. Major Building Repairs: A significant amount of £42,720 was spent on major building repairs in 2024, which was not present in the previous year. While this may have

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been necessary, it represents a substantial expense that contributed to the overall deficit.

  1. Maintenance of Other Property: Although this expense decreased from £58,460 in 2023 to £16,384 in 2024 , it remains a notable cost. The trustees may want to ensure that these expenses are sustainable in the long term.

While the accounts show an overall strong financial position with total funds of £1,058,575 , the trustees should carefully monitor income and expenditure trends, particularly the decline in planned giving and the increase in fundraising costs, to ensure the Ministry Area's financial health is maintained.

Based on the accounts, the trustees could consider the following improvements to enhance the financial health of the Ministry Area:

Improvements:

1. Increase Planned Giving:

2. Optimize Fundraising Costs:

3. Enhance Grant Applications:

4. Monitor Major Repairs and Maintenance Costs:

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5. Improve Cash Flow Management:

Investment Strategies:

1. Allocate Funds to Income-Generating Projects:

2. Focus on Restricted Funds:

By implementing these strategies, the trustees can work toward improving financial sustainability, reducing deficits, and ensuring that funds are invested wisely to support the Ministry Area's mission and activities.

Conclusion

The Ministry Area has demonstrated prudent financial management, with an increase in total income and a reduction in overall expenditure compared to the previous year. The restricted funds have been utilized effectively for their designated purposes, and the charity remains in a strong financial position with total funds of £1,058,575 as of 31 December 2024. The trustees will continue to ensure the financial sustainability of the Ministry Area while fulfilling its charitable objectives.

Bro Enlli trustees are very grateful for the continued financial and volunteer support it receives from the treasurer’s team as well as the support to the churches from both very generous donors, weekly giving and, of course, from our visitors and pilgrims.

Bro Enlli MAC has adopted a Finance Policy and commits itself to making every reasonable effort to maintain reserves that will cover basic costs of the expenditure of the charity together with staffing costs, if any, for a period of three months.

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Structure, Governance and Management

The Church in Wales is governed by its Constitution, set up under 13(1) of the Welsh Church Acts 1914, as amended from time to time by its Governing Body. As a result of current changes within the Church in Wales the Ministry Area Council (MAC) has the same powers as a Parochial Church Council (PCC). The MAC is not a body corporate; its composition, procedures and powers are regulated by the constitution, which provides that before assuming office, every member must sign a declaration that he or she will be bound by the Constitution.

It is the responsibility of both the MAC and the Incumbent to work together and cooperate in all matters of concern and importance to the parish for the promotion of the whole mission of the Church, (pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical) in the parish.

The Constitution also provides that the members of the MAC shall be:

Ex officio Members

The Incumbent (MA Leader) Vicars and Assistant Curates

Elected Members:

Two Ministry Area wardens Two sub-wardens for each church

Co-opted Members

Secretary Treasurer Up to seven further co-opted members

The elected Ministry Area Council members are elected at the AGM by members of the congregation who are on the electoral roll of the parish.

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Reference and Administrative details

Charity name: Ardal Weinidogaeth Bro Enlli Ministry Area Other name the charity uses: Plwyf Bro Enlli Parish Registered charity number: 1184644 Charity’s principal address: The Vicarage Ala Road Pwllheli Gwynedd LL53 5BL

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity:

The Reverend Rhun Gwynedd ap Robert Chair, Vicar & Ministry Area Leader Dewi Wyn Roberts Ministry Area Warden Hedd Thomas Ministry Area Warden Martyn James Croydon Annie Elizabeth Owen Brenda May Chidley Williams Hazel Graham Griff Ellis Jones Jenny Elizabeth Asenbryl Valerie Wood Christine Williams Geraint Williams

The Church buildings, their contents and grounds are vested in the Representative Body of the Church in Wales and do not form part of the assets of the Parish. Each Church is insured by the Ecclesiastical Insurance Group under the terms of the Church in Wales block policy.

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