TRUSTEES REPORT PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF ST LAWRENCE, BID80ROUGH AND ST PETER, SOUTHBOROUGH For the period January to December 2023 Charity No. 1184753 Aims and Purposes The Parochial Church Council (PCC) of St Lawrence, BKlborough and St Peter, Southborough has the responsibility of co-operating with the incumbent, the Reverend Stephen Hills, in promoting in the ecclesiastical parish, the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. The PCC is also specffically responsible for the Maintenan of the two church buildings and Ivy Cottage, Franks Hollow Road, Bidborough. In addition, wtth Christ Church, Southborough it is responsible for the house at 54 Holden Park Road. Soukhborough. Objectives and Activities The PCC is committed to enabling as many people as possible to worship at our churches and to become part of our parish community. The PCC maintsins an overview of worship throughout the parish and makes suggestions on how our ServIS can involve the many groups that live within our parish. Our ServIS and worship put farth into practi through prayer and scripture, music and sacrament. When planning our activities for the year, we have considered the Char5ty Commission's guidan on public benefit and, in particular. the supplementary guidance on charities for the advancement of religion. In particular, we try to enable ordinary people to live out their faith as part of our parish communty through: Worship and prayer., leaming about the Gospel; developing their knowledge and trust in Jesus Provision of pastoral care for people living in the parish Mission and outreach work To facilitate this work it is important that we maintsin the fabric of the church buildings. Major Risks Major risks to which the charity is exposed, as identified by the Irustees, are regularly reviewed and systems or procedures have been established to manage these risks. Safeguarding and GDPR The PCC has complied with the duty under section 5 of the Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure 2016 (duty to have regard to House of Bishops, guidance on safeguarding children and vulnerable adults). The PCC is commrtted to implementing the House of Bishops, safeguarding policies and good practi guidan. The PCC has adopted the House of Bishops. °Promoting a Safer Church; safeguarding policy statement..
Regulations on safeguarding and GDPR are followed under the guidan of our Parish Safeguarding OffIr and during the year we joined the Parish Safeguarding Dashboard online tool which enabled us to identify areas where action was required. Safeguarding is a regular item on the Agenda at PCC meetings and there were no Safeguarding incidents during 2023. Achievements and Perfomiance Worship and PYer A range of services are offered in both churches during the week and over the course of the year. Weekly, 8am Communion services altemate between the two churches and morning services take place at 9.30 at St Peterfs and 11.00 at St Lawren. A combined morning service for both congregations is held on the 5th Sunday. The service from St Lawrence is recorded each week and uploaded to the websrte for those unable to attend to view. A Sunday evening service is held at St LavKence at 6.30. Weekday moming prayers are held on Zoom. At Easter a Maundy Thursday supper and communion was held at St Lawren and Good Friday was marked by canying the Cross from St Lawrence to St Peter's for a Servi of worship and reflection. Christmas lebrats'onS included the popular Christingle servi at St Peterfs on Christmas Eve and the traditional Carol servi at St Lawren. The planned carol singing in the churchyard at St Lawrence had to move inside due to adverse weather conditions and the church was so full some unfortunately not stay. The popular Nativity Servi was again held at a local farm the previous Sunday and in the evening Pippa Hillen led a Blue Christrnas SeNice, a new initiative recognizing that it can be a time of sadness for some. A Memorial seNt in September at St LaVen for those who had lost loved ones was attended by around 70 people. It has been encouraging to see more children and families retuming to church following the pandemic. Forest Church, a monthly service for families on Sunday afternoons with outdoor activities, continues to be well supported as is Forest Sunday School at St Peterfs on Sunday mornings, a new inibative last year. 25 young people went to Fellowship Afloat in July. A Youth Club was launched in November with 25 secondary school children attending and now meets monthly. New Wine was held in Maidstone for the first time and around 20 people from the Parish attended. All are welcome to attend our regular servIs. At the end of the 2023 the were 137 names on the Church Electoral Roll {97 St Lawren and 40 St Peter). The usual Sunday attendan numbers have declined slightly in 2023 - from 60 to 57 adults at St Lawren and 30 to 28 adults at St Peterfs. This represents a few more folk no longer attending, due to becoming eldedy and frail, than the number joining us for the first time during the year. The numbers attending festival services, especially the Christmas services, were significantly higher in 2023 than 2022 at both churches. As well as our regular servIs, we enable our communty to celebrate and thank God at the milestones in journeys of life and fatth. There Vre 6 baptisms in church, 6 people were confimed at a service at Christ Church Southborough, there was 1 wedding in the parish, and 15 funerals took pla either in one of our churches or at the crematorium.
Deanery Synod The PCC has one Deanery Synod representative for each church. The Deanery Synod provides the PCC with an important link betsveen the parish and the wider structures of the church. The Bishop of Rochester, Bishop Jonathan, spoke at the July meeting about his objectives of 'Change, Serve, Grow.. The October meeting explored the way local churches were approaching the challenges of mission and ministry in Tunbridge Wells. Buildings At st Lawren the increased worship and fellowship Spa in the south aisle has been well used during the year. The new weekly South Aisle Communty Café on Tuesday mornings has welcomed members of the community for coffee and home made cake and has been muGh appreciated, with a regular attendance of around 15 folk. In November the school choir sang in church with round 50 children and their grandparents attendirlg. The south aisle was also used for the relaunch of the youth group in November and also for a Lent course. At St Peter's the installation of a thermostatic heat pump in the toilet area completed the Project 22 refurbishment of the kitchen and toilet facilities and a service celebrating and 9iving thanks to all the team involved in the Project was held in May. Other Vrk at St Peterfs included the instsllation of a safety rail on the balcony and the repair of broken windows. Repair works to the bell support structure are required and a quotation has been obtained for the installation of a nwJht silencing unrt. Pastoral Care The pastoral care teams work very hard to ensure the holistic care of individuals in need including, when possible, hospital visits, home visits where people are ill, suffering or unable to leave their homes. Six CAMEO °Come and Meet Each Otherf lunches were held during the year attended by around 25 people and were much appreciated. "Tots & Co. meet weekly in the village hall on Friday momings in term time. PALS - St Peter and St Lawren Ladies - meet monthly for walks on Tuesday mornings which offer a time of fellowship together and a PALS book club also meets regularly. Opportunities for exploring the Christian faith and Bible study are offered by House Groups which meet on a regular basis and comprise around 80 people. A new initiative was "The Chosen" Watch Paty. Steve and Karen Bull hosted a series of evening sessions watching an episode from The Chosen, a film version of the lrfe of Jesus. followed by a discussion. Mission and Evangelism The leadership team met during the year to diusS Vision and Mission in the Parish. The Tower and Steeple website and the Tower and Steeple Facebook group allow the church family to keep in touch. Notice sheets are emailed weekly giving details of services. The Rectorfs weekday Rectory Reflections are reiVed by over 100 people. A Lent course "Dust and Glory'_ a journey of faith, failure and forgiveness was run at st Lawrence by Pippa Hillen. Helping those in need is a demonstration of our faith. The Diocese Poverty & Hope Appeal was supported, along with a number of organisations including Christian Aid, CPAS, Tearfund, Youth for Christ, Life and Soul, and Mosaic Resource Centre Tunbridge Wells.
At the Harvest service gifts vRre donated to the Southborough Community Larder run by Christ Church in Southborough. The "Shoebox. Christmas appeal, "Operation Christmas Child", run by Samaritans Purse was supported by a number of volunteers at the South East proSSIng ntre in Tonbridge. The Coronation of King Charles 111 was lebrated in St Lawrence church with floral displays lebrating S¢yne of the interests and activities of the King. Ecumenical Relationships The churches of St Lawren, Bidborough and St Peter, SoLrthborough are part of "The ACTS Group Ministry. (Anglican Churches Together in Southborough) which includes Christ Church, Southborough and St Thomas, Southborough. The churches joined toJether for the Remembrance Service at the Southborough War Memorial and also worked together to support events in Southborough Town Square at Easter and the Dernber Winter Festival. In November a Memorial servi of thanksgiving for any in Southborough who had lost loved ones was held at St Peterfs. It was attended by 50-60 people. Bidborough School We have close links with Bidborough Church of England Primary school. Reverend Stephen Hills, Claire Rorke and Amanda Harris are Foundation Governors at the school, arKI Reverend Stephen Hills leads weekly acts of collective worship throughout the school. Financial Review Relative to budget expectations (set in November 2022), 2023 concluded entirely satisfactorily, cost excesses being absorbed by corresponding income gains. Insuran (£900), maintenan (£2300) accounted for most of the ex5$ costs. On the plus side, increased Donations (£3000) and Collections (£2500) less a reduction in Fee Income (£2500). helped to balance the situation. The opportunty was taken to drawdown some of the (30Yo) Rental Income (net £2600) from 54 Holden Park Road which is currently let extemally. The parishes continue to meet, in full, our agreed share of Diocesan costs (£60,000) which accounts for 70¥0 of our total expenditure. Finally, BLINK a charitable initiative between St Lawren Church and a 1n parish in Kibaigwa, Tanzania- has been inactive for sorne time. In addrtion the principal trustees have moved away from the area. For administrative practicality, with DI0$an written approval, funds of £7200, in a completely separate deposit account, were incorporated into the accounts. These are fully restricted monies. are subject to separate mandate arrangements and will not affect the parishes, Di0san share calculations. Reserves Policy The PCC has detemined that it would be wise. in case of unforeseen expense or temporary reduction of income, to maintain reserves of unrestricted current assets, insofar as these are within the PCC'S control, at a Ve1 of bebNeen three and six months 'normal expenditure, excluding items of large, special or project expenditure. As at 31.12.2023 Net Current Assets were £221,342. The Accounts have been prepared on a going conrn basis.
Volunteers We would like to thank all our volunteers, too numerous to mention individually, who work so hard to make our church the lively and vibrant community tt is. We would like to thank our Churchwardens Ed Dix-Perkin, Bob Gibson, Roy Langman, Lin Huichinson and in particular Richard Stanbury who stepped down during the year after many years service. We are grateful to the team who lead our worship week by week. and those who care both for our churches and our church family members, including our children and young people. ClergylLay Mini8terJ In July we bid farewell to Dave Bubb, Curate licensed to Christ Church and our parish. We are grateful for the contribution he made to the lrfe of the Parish and wish him well as he moves to a new parish near PeterborougtL Pippa Hillen completed her Bishop's Certificate as part of her training for li(*nsed lay ministry. Structure. governance and management The PCC is a corporate body established by the Church of England, constituted under Trust Deed dated 1" June 2019. The PCC operates under the Parochial Church Council Powers Measure and is registered with the Charsty Commission. Charty Number 1184753. Members of the PCC are etther ex officio or elected by the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) in accordance with the Church Representation Rules. All those who attend our servi8 are encouraged to register on the Electoral Roll and stand for election to the PCC. New PCC members are issued with the Church of England guidance on responsibilities and duties as a charity trustee and all Trustees are kept up to date with any additional guidance from the Charity Commission. PCC members are responsible for making decisions on all matters of general concern and Importan to the parish including deciding on how the funds of the PCC are to be spent. The full PCC met six times during the year (including the APCM) with an average level of attendance of 71 Yo. There was one decision by email. Each Church has a standing committee (consisting of Rector, Treasurer, Churchwardens and one PCC representative) to consider fabric and finan matters and there is also a Ministry Team. Matters from these committees are reported back to the PCC and discussed as necessary. A PCC Standing Committee is required under Church Representation Rules and has the power to transact the business of the PCC behveen its meetings, subject to any directions given by the PCC. The Standing Commtttee consists of the Clergy, one churchwarden from each church, PCC Secretary and Treasurer. The PCC Standing Committee did not meet in 2023. Administratlve Inforniation St Lawrence Church is situated in the High Street Bidborough, TN3 OUJ and St Peter's Church in Church Road, Southborough TN4 ORX. The churches are part of the Diocese of Rochester within the Church of England. The Corresponden address is: The Rectory, Rectory Drive, Bidborough, Tunbridge Wells TN3 OUL. Email: towerandsteeple@gmail.com Website: www.towerandsteeple.org Patronage Board includes Church Pastoral Aid Society and The Mabledon Trust.
Bank: HSBC Bank PIC Lloyds Bank PIC Independent Examiner: Zachary Ramsden St Lawrence Church is supported by a verger, David Hunter. who resides at Ivy Cottage. Curate - Rev Dave Bubb. Curate sinsed to Christ Church Southborough and our parish until July. Licensed Lay Minister- Allan Jonnes Bishop's LICen- Sophie Kersey, Lin Hutchinson. Emma Lawrence, Pippa Hillen Clergy PTO - Rev Ray Skinner PCC members Ex Officio members Rector: Reverend Stephen Hills Curate". Rev Dave Bubb Churchwardens". Bob Gibson- St Lawren Ed Dix-Perkin - St Lawren Roy Langman - St Peter Richard Stanbury - St Peter Lin Hutchinson - St Peter Diocesan Synod: Rodney Hutchinson Deanery Synod: Mary Cottle- St Lawren Lin Hutchinson - St Peter {Chair) (until July) (VI Chair) (until APCM 2023) (from APCM 2023) (from APCM 2022) Elected members: Thomas Bird - St Peter Steven Boulton - St Lawrence Peter Dillon (Parish Treasurer) Pippa Hillen- St Lawrence Anne Hinds (Pastoral cOrdInator) Karen Bull- St Peter {from APCM 2023) Alison Lush (Secretary) Alison Mighell (Parish Safeguarding Offir) Marion Short- st Peter (from APCM 2023) Approved by the PCC on 13 March 2024 Signed ..... Reverend Stephen ills (PC Chairman)
The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St Lawrence Bidborough and St Peter Southborough
Charity no.1184753
Annual Report and Financial Statements Year ended 31st December 2023
- Parochial Church Council St Lawrence & St Peter Charity Number 1184753
BALANCE SHEET at 31 December 2023
| Note Fixed Assets 1 Total fixed assets Current Assets Note Debtors & Prepayments 2 Short term deposits Repair funds 3 Cash at bank and in hand 4 Total current assets Creditors/Liabilities: Falling due within one year 2 NET CURRENT ASSETS Total Assets - Net Curr Liabs FUNDS OF THE CHARITY Unrestricted 6 Restricted 6 Endowment |
2023 2022 |
|---|---|
| 91,560 91,560 |
|
| 91,560 91,560 |
|
| 12,766 10,840 98,002 94,952 59,005 51,958 57,332 53,129 |
|
| 227,105 210,879 |
|
| 5,763 7,834 |
|
| 221,342 203,045 |
|
| 312,902 294,605 |
|
| 305,533 294,605 7,369 |
|
| 312,902 294,605 |
Approved by the Parochial Church Council on 13.04 2024 and signed on its behalf by:
SA Hills Signed S A Hills (Rector)
Dated
P Dillon Signed P A Dillon (PCC Treasurer)
14 2029 91560 Flxed A55ets 91560 Totylfts•d •#•ty 9&560 ioxi Slb]rtteTh deposh5 Ropalrfunds Cashatbank oThJ In 94952 591 57332 53J29 I27.5 210 Fallln8 d1*n (Thyear 5,763 NEraiRAEIIT ASSEts 22L342 T0tsIAts. MrtCurrU•bs 311902 I9405 FUND50FTHE CTrL4ArrY 305533 3112 Appro¥ed bythe thurch Counclon 13J)4 2024 on bff by. SA HIIS SIsd S A HINS {RecirA) Dated | Slymd PA {PCCTre•swerJ
Parochial Church Council - St Lawrence & St Peter. Charity Number 1184753 Notes to the BALANCE SHEET For twelve months ended 31 December 2023
| Note 1 2 3 4 5 6 |
Fixed Assets Ivy Cottage 54 Holden Park Road Ivy Cottage was given to St Lawrence Church in 1910 54 Holden Park Road was given to Christ Church and Debtors and Prepayments Income tax recoverable - gift aid Advertising Annual insurance prepaid for Ivy Cottage Prepaid Utilities Amount due from Christ Church re. 54HPR Repairs Funds Diocesan church repair fund St L - Diocesan Ivy Cottage repair fund Cash at bank and in hand St L - HSBC - current a/c St L - Lloyds bank - current a/c St L - HSBC Deposit a/c St L - HSBC Deposit a/c St P - Lloyds TSB Current Account St P - Tithe Account St P - Vicar's discretionary fund Petty Cash Creditors and accruals Rectory repairs Accruals Ivy Cottage repairs Accruals DBF Fees Accrual Tithing accrual for Prior Years Youth Fund Utility and Sundry accruals Tots Adventurers Fellowship Afloat Deposits WLTDO fund Ray Skinner Generation Trust Grant Prepaid Fees due to Provider Movement in funds General fund Designated funds Organ Fund Sundry Designated Items Blink funds Restricted funds Project 2022 Blink Funds Ray Skinner Generation Trust Grant Total funds |
St Lawrence St Lawrence St Peter St Peter 2023 2022 2023 2022 £ £ £ £ 75,960 75,960 - - - - 15,600 15,600 75,960 75,960 15,600 15,600 by Emily Maynard "for the benefit of the Rector and use by the church members" St Peters Southborough. The property value, income and expenses are shared on a 70:30 ba 2,335 2,116 1,610 1,809 600 580 - - 8,221 6,335 2,935 2,696 9,831 8,144 31,775 29,500 18,418 14,682 8,812 7,776 - 40,587 37,276 18,418 14,682 3,315 3,973 - - 966 3,096 - - 32,518 33,988 - - 7,287 - 13,042 11,868 - - 204 204 - 44,086 41,057 13,246 12,072 1,299 1,719 1,016 1,016 - 780 438 438 438 - 1,000 - 500 - 70 2,572 2,180 - 49 - 82 5,325 7,834 438 - B/f Income Expenses Transfers C/f 288,278 97,376 -94,613 14,492 305,533 5,012 -5,012 0 1,315 -1,315 0 0 0 6,327 0 0 -6,327 0 0 11,069 -2,904 -8,165 0 0 7,287 7,287 0 82 82 0 18,438 -2,904 -8,165 7,369 294,605 115,814 -97,517 0 312,902 |
Parish Total Parish Total 2023 2022 £ £ 75,960 75,960 15,600 15,600 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 91,560 91,560 |
|||
| sis. 3,945 3,925 - - 600 580 - - 8,221 6,335 |
|||
| 12,766 10,840 |
|||
| 50,193 44,182 8,812 7,776 |
|||
| 59,005 51,958 |
|||
| 3,315 3,973 966 3,096 32,518 33,988 7,287 - 13,042 11,868 - - 204 204 - - |
|||
| 57,332 53,129 |
|||
| 1,299 1,719 1,016 1,016 438 780 438 438 - 1,000 - - - 500 - 70 2,572 2,180 - 49 - 82 - - |
|||
| 5,763 7,834 |
|||
Project 2022
In 2023 amounts received related to delayed grants and VAT refunds.
In 2022 the general fund paid for £16,449 of expenses relating to Project 2022. Therefore the 2023 net income was transferred back to general funds in 2023.
Parochial Church Council - St Lawrence & St Peter. Charity Number 1184753
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES
| For twelve months ended 31 December 2023 INCOMING RESOURCES Note Voluntary income 1(a) Activities for generating income 1(b) Income from investments 1(c) Income from church activitites 1(d) Total RESOURCES EXPENDED Parish share 2(a) Salaries, wages and honoraria 2(b) Clergy & staff expenses 2(c) Church running expenses 2(d) Church activity expenses 2(e) Mission giving and donations 2(f) Rectory, Ivy Cottage & 54HPR 2(g) Major repairs to church 2(h) Major repairs to hall 2(i) Major repairs to parsonage 2(j) New building work 2(k) Other 2(l) Total NET Incoming resources before other recognised gains Gains on investment assets on disposal on revaluation NET MOVEMET IN FUNDS TRANSFERS BETWEEN FUNDS 3 BALANCES BROUGHT FORWARD AT 1 JANUARY BALANCES CARRIED FORWARD AT 31 DECEMBER |
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment TOTAL Funds Funds Funds £ £ £ £ 83,902 18,438 0 102,340 0 0 0 0 5,172 0 0 5,172 7,302 0 0 7,302 ~~96,376~~ ~~18,438~~ ~~0~~ ~~114,814~~ 60,000 0 0 60,000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 18,266 2,904 0 21,170 2,628 0 0 2,628 6,065 0 0 6,065 6,654 0 0 6,654 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 93,613 2,904 0 96,517 2,763 15,534 0 18,297 0 0 0 0 2023 |
Adjusted to account for(£437)Carried forward -St Peters |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | ||
| Unrestricted Restricted Endowment TOTAL Funds Funds Funds £ £ £ £ |
||
| 97,109 0 0 97,109 0 0 0 0 985 0 0 985 8,743 0 0 8,743 |
||
| ~~106,836~~ ~~0~~ ~~0~~ ~~106,836~~ |
||
| 66,223 0 0 66,223 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 50,399 0 0 50,399 2,324 0 0 2,324 6,996 0 0 6,996 4,682 0 0 4,682 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
||
| 130,624 0 0 130,624 |
||
| (23,788) 0 0 (23,788) |
||
| ~~2,763~~ ~~15,534~~ ~~0~~ ~~18,297~~ 0 8,165 (8,165) 0 ~~10,928~~ ~~7,369~~ ~~0~~ ~~18,297~~ 294,605 294,605 305,533 7,369 0 312,902 |
~~(23,788)~~ ~~0~~ ~~0~~ ~~(23,788)~~ 5,198 5,455 |
|
| ~~(18,590)~~ ~~0~~ ~~0~~ ~~(18,333)~~ 313,195 0 0 313,195 |
||
| 294,605 0 0 294,605 |
Parochial Church Council - St Lawrence & St Peter. Charity Number 1184753
INCOME
| 1(a) Voluntary income Gift aided donations Other donations Tax Recoverable Collections at services Grants. Project 2022 Legacies Other donations TOTAL 1(b) Activities for generating income Fundraising Other income TOTAL 1(c) Income from investments Dividends and interest TOTAL 1(d) Income from church activitites Fees 30% share of 54HPR Rental Income TOTAL TOTAL |
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment TOTAL Funds Funds Funds £ £ £ £ 61,942 61,942 1,972 7,369 9,341 15,531 15,531 4,457 4,457 11,069 11,069 - - 83,902 18,438 - 102,340 - - - - - - 5,172 5,172 5,172 - - 5,172 2,991 2,991 4,311 4,311 - - - - - 7,302 - - 7,302 96,376 18,438 - 114,814 2023 |
2022 |
|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted Restricted Endowment TOTAL Funds Funds Funds £ £ £ £ |
||
| 64,956 64,956 6,231 6,231 15,971 15,971 3,174 3,174 6,777 6,777 - - |
||
| 97,109 - - 97,109 |
||
| - | ||
| - - - - |
||
| 985 985 |
||
| 985 - - 985 |
||
| 5,893 5,893 2,850 2,850 - - - - - |
||
| 8,743 - - 8,743 |
||
| 106,836 - - 106,836 |
EXPENSES
| Note Church activities 2(a) Parish share 2(b) Salaries, wages and honoraria Par 2(c) Clergy & staff expenses Rectory Training Mobiles Other Vicar expenses Off 2(d) Church running expenses Operations Fabric Worship/services Insurance Other Church utility bills Church Repair Fund Mission and evangelism "Co2(e) Church activity expenses Children & Youth Pastoral events Choir/Licences/Music Community Lunch/breakfast 2(f) Mission giving and donations 2(g) Rectory, Ivy Cottage & 54HPR 2(h) Major repairs to church 2(i) Major repairs to hall 2(j) Major repairs to parsonage 2(k) New building work 2(l) TOTAL** |
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment TOTAL Funds Funds Funds £ £ £ £ 60,000 60,000 0 0 0 0 0 0 2,568 2,568 3,405 2,904 6,309 0 6,851 6,851 387 387 5,055 5,055 0 0 0 18,266 2,904 21,170 0 2,155 2,155 473 473 0 2,628 2,628 6,065 6,065 6,654 6,654 0 0 0 0 0 93,613 2,904 0 96,517 2023 |
2022 |
|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted Restricted Endowment TOTAL Funds Funds Funds £ £ £ £ |
||
| 66,223 66,223 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2,570 2,570 31,059 31,059 0 6,453 6,453 777 777 4,342 4,342 5,198 5,198 0 50,399 50,399 0 1,882 1,882 442 442 0 2,324 2,324 6,996 6,996 4,682 4,682 0 0 0 0 0 |
||
| 130,624 0 0 130,624 |
- Includes £2904 Proj 2022
Parochial Church Council - St Lawrence & St Peter. Charity Number 1184753 Notes to the STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES For twelve months ended 31 December 2023
- 1 Reserves policy
The PCC has determined that it would be wise, in case of unforseen expense or temporary reduction of income, to maintain reserves of unrestricted current assets, in sofar as these are within the PCC's control, at a level of between three and six months 'normal expenditure' excluding items of large, special or project expenditure. As at 31.12.2023 Net Current Assets were £221,342.
The Accounts have been prepared on a going concern basis
2(b) Staff Costs & Pension
There are no employees paid by the Parish and no National Insurance or pension payments.
The Rector's stipend is paid by the Diocese of Rochester which accounts for all payroll aspects independently of the Parish.
2(d) Church Running Expenses
Governance: includes Independent Examiner's fee of £535 (for 2022 accounts)
- 2(f) Missionary & Charitable Giving
| Grants of £1,000 or more made in the period Poverty and Hope Christian Aid Tearfund Grants of < £1,000 made in the period, for mission Other organisations/charities Other individuals |
£1,000 £1,000 £1,024 |
|---|---|
| £3,024 £4,041 £0 |
|
| £7,065 |
2(d) Refurbishment/Alterations- St Peter
Project 2022 was conceived to provide upgraded toilet facilites and is now complete.
All invoices have been paid.
The remaining balance (£11715) on Project 2022 account(which included a drawdown of £20,000 from Reserves) has been transferred back to the main Lloyds account and the Project has been completed
- 3 PCC Members - Expenses (Trustees and related parties)
Other than an occasional small honorarium paid to the organist or verger at services, no expenses have been paid to any trustee, committee member or related party, other than reimbursement of costs for items purchased on behalf of the parish and approved in writing by the Rector.
- 4 Fixed and Restricted/Designated Assets
Ivy Cottage was given to St Lawrence Church in 1910 by Emily Maynard "for the benefit of the Rector and use by the church members" The Organ Fund is designated as such by the PCC and not specifically restricted by the donor. The Fellowship Afloat monies represent deposits lodged for an external event in Summer 2023
5 Salaries/National Insurance/Pension Scheme There are no employees paid by the Parish and no National Insurance or pension payments. The Rector's stipend is paid by the Diocese of Rochester which accounts for all payroll aspects independently of the Parish.
6 IndependentExamination Fee
The fee for Independent examination of these accounts will be £560, and will be paid in 2024.
7 Going concern
The trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the ability to continue as a going concern.
-
8 Trustees' remuneration and benefits None of the Trustees have been paid any remuneration or received any other benefits from the charity (2022 none).
-
9 Related party transactions
There have been no transactions with persons or entities that are closely connected to the charity or its trustees (2022 none).
Ila)EPEIIDEN7 EV4MINATION REPRESENTAIION LETTER PCC of St Law?nce BidMIOh Bnd St P•ter Southbomugh To Zathary R[n (the Independent Exarriner) The follovAng representauons are rrAd& on Iho ba8ls of enqulrfes of tru81888, Staff and lUnteerS with rel8vant knovAodge and expedenc8 Ch 88 e consider necessary In connedon wth your independ8Tht oxaminHtN>n of the charitys finanrAal stat•rrnnts for th• year endod 31 Decemlxr 20Z&. rnpr•sor#qtKns ar• rn&d8 10 th• bo81 ofwr kno8ge and b8W. 1. AM•ts IlabfjFIII•B Th? ¢h&rfty h$ Satisfaclory th lo al as8et8 and thero are no leq•l dairm or li•tlibes on th• ththrity'¥ •$s•ts. 2. L•yl clAlm have dClosed to you qll claim8 in connection lrfgation Ihat hav• beon. or arn •xp•L•d to t4, r•uived And suth m&tl•r5. as apwopriRt•. ha l)wn prowty acwunted for. and (asdosed in. th• fjnanGl $lqt•m•nts. 3. Lawsand i•gul•llons W• h4v8 dsthsed to you all kno inslancos of [-CoMlan or 8usp•cled non40rnF4i#fic• and regul015 %50se eiferts ¥Ild b• consid•T•d V+hen pr•parin9 th• finanaal slatern¢nl$. 4. Rolat•d parll•• R¢lBted psty reLgtionship and tran8actkM have t4en app¥oprfalety sccouTrtod for and ¢Jsr)8•d M the financ1 4tatemonts. havo discbsod to you al relavant inlomwtron conc•rning such ra18tionhips and tran8acticl and TrQt of ony Othor mNtter5 rwirn dkId¢Xs in order to ith legkslative and a¢counng stid1 rquremgnts. S. Going eofi¢•rn We believe that tho charlf¥'s financtal 8¢at8rn8nts should b8 prep8r•d on a wnp concom basis on Ihe grou1S thwt [rent and fjjture sourcs offundino or SUPPOrtlI b8 mor8 than adawale for the charivs noeds. hRv• crfftsidered a penod of ts¥¥ Month8 from the date of apwo¥al oftho finan81 stal8[ts. th believe Ihal no turtsr<k¥tknurvs relan9 to tha charftys Abllty to contru• oj a going concam rt2•d lo be rrde In the fin•nthl statement$. 6. R•Atrt¢l•d fvnd• Rgstricted fund5 have been appld irs aC)rdn¢•¥aIh lh• dortots. reBtrKbon8. 7. 01ft ald
id d8darfiDns and v art not ¢faftyo¥or or un+J•rd4trn.
- FThud hav• disdosed any Instan of theft, fraud or rrllsappropriab.on of •Jnds in Ihe thaiity that we hav• be•n Df in thtr year. CA4h Is slDr•d ¥•curety, counted in the pr88ence of people, and bank•d profnpty. •. Post y•ar•nd •v•n W8 have dsdo8ad any slgnfficani Frf)St y8•f •nd •¥nts to you, th•t m•y h4¥• • t¢aft'no on the fin•wl s18t•monis at 31 Docomb8r2023.
- Trawcllon the IranSKtiOr undertaken ty Ihe Crfty be Fryerty rnfiectad and rBcthd•d in the Ecunti Ints. IAts beIve all is cvmplett and 1•fited in the acc4¥Jnts. Funds vvlating to ¢hurth •Te hdd In the name ofthe PCC.
- OrntM• and
Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of the
Parochial Church Council of St Lawrence Bidborough and St Peter Southborough
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity for the year ended 31[st] December 2023.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity's trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”). I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of t he 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent examiner’s statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
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the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; or
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the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or
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the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair’ view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Signed: Zachary Ramsden
Name: Zachary Ramsden FCA Chartered Accountant
63 Deakin Leas, Tonbridge, Kent TN9 2JT
Date: 18[th] March 2024
PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL St. Lawrence Bidborough & St. Peter Southborough
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES
The PCC is a public benefit entity within the meaning of FRS102. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Church Accounting Regulations 2006 governing the individual accounts of PCCs together with applicable accounting standards and the Statement of Recommended Practice as the applicable standard for charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (SORP(FRS102)).
ASSETS
Consecrated and benefice property
In so far as consecrated and benefice property of any kind (i.e. the church and vicarage) is excluded from the statutory definition of 'charity' by Section 10(2) (a) and (c) of the Charities Act 2011 such assets are not classified in the financial statements. Moveable church furnishings These are capitalised at cost and depreciated over their useful economic life other than where insufficient cost information is available. In this case the item is not capitalised, but all items are included within the Church inventory.
Tangible fixed assets
Land and buildings No depreciation is provided on buildings as the current estimated residual value of the properties is not less than their carrying value and the remaining useful life of these assets currently exceeds 50 years, so that any depreciation charges would be immaterial. An impairment review is carried out on a regular basis and any resultant loss identified is included within expenditure for the year. (NB an impairment review is a formal check that the current value of a fixed asset such as a house or building is greater than the value shown in the balance sheet. )
Any expenditure on maintenance or improvements on fixed assets is written off as incurred.
Short term deposits These are the cash held on deposit either with HSBC Bank, Lloyds Bank, Diocese, CCLA or at another bank.
FUNDS
Unrestricted Funds These represent the income funds of the PCC that are available for spending on the general purposes of the PCC. These include amounts designated by the PCC for fixed assets for its own use or for spending on a future project and which are not included as 'free reserves' as disclosed in the trustees' report. Restricted Funds These are income funds that must be spent on restricted purposes and details of the funds held and restrictions provided are shown in the notes to the accounts. Endowment Funds These are restricted funds that must be retained as trust capital either permanently or subject to a discretionary power to spend capital as income, and where the use of income or other benefit derived from the capital may be restricted or unrestricted. Full details of all their restrictions are shown in the notes of the accounts. INCOMING RESOURCES The financial statements include all transactions, assets and liabilities for which the PCC is responsible in law. They do not include the accounts of church groups that owe their main affiliation to another body nor those that are informal gatherings of church members. Voluntary income and capital sources Collections are recognised when received by or on behalf of the PCC. Planned giving under covenants or gift aid donations is recognised when received. Income tax recoverable on gift aid donations is recognised when the related income is recognised. Grants and legacies to the PCC are accounted for as soon as the PCC is notified of its entitlement and the likely amount due. Funds raised by church events and activities are accounted for gross, i.e. before any associated expenses.
Other ordinary income Rental from the letting of church premises is recognised when the rental is due. Parochial fees due to the PCC for weddings, funerals etc. are accounted for when the event occurs. Income from investments Dividends and interest are accounted for when receivable. Tax recoverable on such income is recognised in the same accounting year. RESOURCES USED Grants Grants and donations are accounted for when paid, or when awarded, if that award creates a binding obligation on the PCC. Activities directly related to the work of the Church The Diocesan Parish Offer in respect of clergy and diocesan costs are accounted for when paid. Any additional amounts agreed by the PCC but not paid across as at 31st December are shown as creditors in the balance sheet. DEBTORS Amounts owing to the PCC at 31st December in respect of income tax fees, rents or other income are shown as debtors less provision for amounts that may prove uncollectable.
Diocesan Church Repair Fund - Quinquennial Funds The Diocesan Church Repair Fund consists of funds designated by the PCC for future repairs.
A contribution rate into the fund is agreed to pay for these repairs. The repairs specified in the survey report are funded by the Diocesan Church Repair Fund.
POrt Act. 0*•" Marth 2024