Elusen /Charity 1185028
Adroddiad Blynydol a Datganiadau Ariannol Annual Report and Financial Statement
Ar gyfer y flwyddyn yn diweddaru 31 Rhagfyr 2024 For the year ending 31 December 2024
28 Hydref 2025 / 28 October 2025
Contents
| 1. | Structure, governance and management | Structure, governance and management | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2. | Achievements and performance | 5 | |
| 2.1 | Worship and pastoral activity | 5 | |
| 2.2 | Charitable activity | 7 | |
| 2.3 | Music | 8 | |
| 2.4 | Administration | 9 | |
| 2.5 | Communications | 9 | |
| 3. | Buildings and churchyards | 10 | |
| 3.1 | Churches | 10 | |
| 3.2 | St Mary’s Church Hall | 12 | |
| 3.3 | Churchyards | 12 | |
| 4. | Finance | 14 | |
| 4.1 | Finance sub-committee | 14 | |
| 4.2 | Accounts | 14 | |
| 4.3 | Financial administration | 16 |
Annex A – Independent Examiner’s Report and Financial Statements Annex B – Reports from the congregations Annex C – Risk assessment
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1. Structure, governance and management
Structure
The Bro Celynnin Ministry Area is one of nine Ministry Areas of the Bangor Synod and one of 27 that comprise the Diocese of Bangor in the Church in Wales (CiW). Bro Celynnin was formed in 2016 by uniting four parishes in the Conwy County Borough in the area comprising Conwy town and the north-western part of the Conwy Valley, west of Afon Conwy and extending in the south to Tal y Bont and Llanbedr y Cennin.
The name commemorates St. Celynnin, a son of the legendary prince Helig ap Glanawg and brother of Rhychwyn (of Llanrhychwyn) and Peris (of Llanberis). A holy well at Hen Eglwys Llangelynnin, in the Carneddau mountains is believed to be where Celynnin preached and baptised in the 6[th] Century.
The Ministry Area maintains and enjoys the use of five medieval churches (four Grade I listed and the other Grade II*): St Mary’s and All Saints’ Conwy; St Benedict’s, Gyffin; St Mary’s, Caerhun; and St Peter’s, Llanbedr y Cennin, all of which hold weekly services, and the Llangelynnin Old Church, Henryd, where monthly services are held from Easter to October. Other property managed by Bro Celynnin are the Church Hall, Conwy, and the graveyards of two former churches: St Agnes’, Conwy (demolished ca. 1972) and the Llangelynnin New Church, Llangelynnin, Rowen (deconsecrated ca. 1987).
To complement our gathered congregations, Bro Celynnin is committed to Pioneer Ministry; our initiative, Worship in the Wild, contemplative walking in the North Wales landscape, launched in 2020, has continued to flourish and grow.
Leadership
Bro Celynnin remained in a state of vacancy throughout 2024, a condition which began on 13 August 2023. The Trustees and congregations are deeply grateful for the support offered during this period by the Archdeacon, the Ven David Parry, and Area Dean, the Rev. Canon Tracy Jones. On 23 February 2025 the congregations of the Ministry Area were delighted to witness the induction of our new Vicar, The Rev. Dr Kevin Ellis, at St Mary’s Church, Conwy.
The Ministry Area Council
The MAC is a parochial church council governed by the Constitution and Canons of the Church in Wales. The members of the MAC are the Trustees of the Charity. With the incumbent, the MAC is responsible for the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical, in its Ministry Area. The MAC is not a body corporate. Its composition, procedures and powers are regulated by the Constitution of the CiW, which provides that before assuming office, every member must sign a declaration that he or she will be bound by the Constitution. Membership of the MAC is defined in the CiW Constitution and comprises ex-officio members, members appointed by the incumbent, and members elected at the Annual Vestry Meeting (AVM) by those of the congregation on the Electoral Roll of the Parish. All persons over the age of 18 who attend services and are members of the congregation are encouraged to register on the electoral roll and seek
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election to the MAC. At the end of 2024, there were 126 persons on the Electoral Roll (2023: 129).
The details of the Charity, including the list of Trustees, objectives, outline of public benefit, and administrative details, are presented in Annex A.
The activities and expenses of Bro Celynnin, notably the parish share and maintenance of buildings, are financed by donations from members of the congregations and from visitors, investment income, legacies and occasional grants, for all of which we are most grateful.
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2. Achievements and Performance in 2024
2.1 Worship and pastoral activity
Parochial worship
Throughout 2024, weekly services were held on Sunday mornings at St Mary’s and All Saints’, Conwy; St Mary’s, Caerhun; and St Peter’s, Llanbedr-y-Cennin, and on Wednesday mornings at St Benedict’s, Gyffin. Choral Evensong was offered on eight Sundays at St Mary’s and All Saints’, Conwy, featuring the Ministry Area’s choir, Cantorion Celynnin. Numerous other services were held on festival days, Civic Sunday in Conwy, Armistice Day, Remembrance Sunday, for local schools, and many baptisms, marriages and funerals.
Monthly ‘Celtic Praise’ services were held at St Benedict’s until Easter and from November, and at the Llangelynnin Old Church from Easter Day to mid-October.
The Ministry Area Council and congregations are deeply grateful to the many clergy who have willingly given their time to officiate at offices and services.
Average attendances at regular weekly morning services on non-festival days in 2024 were similar to 2023:
St Mary’s and All Saints’, Conwy 43 (2023: 45) St Benedict’s, Gyffin 20 (2023: 21) St Mary’s, Caerhun 19 (2023: 18) St Peter’s, Llanbedr y Cennin 12 (2023: 12)
Celtic Praise attendance averaged 36 (2023: 41) at St Benedict’s and 43 (2023: 38) at Llangelynnin.
Total recorded attendances, at regular services, festival, schools services, other special services, baptisms, marriages and funerals were:
| St Mary’s and All Saints’, Conwy | 5,103 (2023: 6,562) |
|---|---|
| St Benedict’s, Gyffin | 1,273 (2023: 1,426) |
| St Mary’s, Caerhun | 1,642 (2023: 1,277) |
| St Peter’s, Llanbedr y Cennin | 5,85 (2023: 638) |
Choral Evensong, led by Cantorion Celynnin, was offered on eight Sundays in Conwy, attracting an average attendance of 61. In addition, 180 attended the Evensong that opened the Classical Music Festival and 360 came to the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols.
We welcomed the Prayer Book Society (North Wales Branch), for their Easter and Christmas services, at Conwy and Caerhun respectively.
Worship in the Wild continued to grow both in numbers and range. The offer of a monthly contemplative walk began in 2020, responding to the value many were placing on walking with others through times of isolation and restriction. This form of open, bilingual, and
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reflective worship in a Celtic style has been well supported, led by an acoustic group of musicians.
House groups, re-organised into ‘Life Groups’ in 2023, continued to provide regular fora for guided discussion, contemplation and bible study.
Initiatives in varied formats, begun during the pandemic, continued, notably communications and worship online, including weekly zoom meetings for prayer and contemplation, and weekly broadcasts on YouTube.
Annex B presents more detailed reports from each congregation.
Diocesan and external activities
Bro Celynnin plays a full part in the life of the Anglican Diocese of Bangor, including participation in Synod meetings and through pastoral support. We have shared the skills that we have gained in Pioneer Ministry and evangelism with other local churches and continued to work closely with a neighbouring Methodist congregation in provision for children and families.
We have sought to be generous, open-hearted and outward-looking in all our relationships and use of our resources, to maximise their charitable benefit.
Clerical Leadership
To lead services in 2024 we were fortunate in continuing to enjoy the ministry of the Rev. Eryl Parry and the Rev. Susan Blagden, our Lay Reader Heather Thompson, and the great support of many retired clergy, including the Rev. Michael Harrison, the Rev. Canon Berw Hughes, the Rev. Canon Philip Hughes, the Rev. Anna Humphreys, the Very Rev. Professor Gordon McPhate, and the Rev. Lynn Taylor.
Pastoral care and support
Pastoral support is offered to vulnerable adults and in response to other needs through visiting, groups, special events and courses. Weekly and seasonal Services are carefully planned to be accessible and relevant, with care taken over the quality of welcome, worship and teaching. An example of this is funding a professional British Sign Language interpreter so that Deaf people can be fully included.
Chaplaincy is provided to the Town Council and Royal British Legion, and for a full programme of Civic Events. Foundation Governors are appointed to the two Church Schools in the Ministry Area.
Weddings, Funerals and Baptisms are an area of excellence, with pastoral follow-up. We provide chaplaincy and fundraising support to a local children’s hospice.
The MA has continued to support the two church schools, through parochial visits and service through the Open the Book programme. St Mary’s and All Saints’, Conwy was widely used for school services, concerts, and events such as the Christmas Tree Festival in aid of St David’s Hospice.
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Pastoral development – Life Groups and Prayer Groups
There are three life groups, set up in September 2023, each meeting every two weeks, and other groups operating in different formats. Each has developed organically, with its distinct modus operandi, but all are learning from scripture, and praying and caring for each other, with occasional social activities. Wherever people are in their walk towards Jesus, we learn and share scripture through Bible study and prayer, which works best served in small interactive groups. These groups are:
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St Benedict’s led by Tarnya Newell
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St Peter’s led by Helen and Peter Tattersall
St Mary’s, Conwy led by Andy Butler and Ruth Fabby, and previously by Derek Fabby
Deaf-Led Bible Study at Neuadd Ni (St Mary’s, Conwy Church Hall), monthly after a British Sign Language supported church service
The Leaders meet every three months to support and pray for each other. Groups follow their own bible study plans, according to people’s needs within each group. This has worked well to date, but as the church develops new plans, such as Alpha Course, new or different life groups may develop. Some long-term thinking about how new groups may develop to support new believers in each church community would be worthwhile. This will require volunteers to come forward and undertake some basic training, and perhaps shadowing with an existing group.
The Life Group Leaders appreciate the support of the MAC, in acknowledging the Groups as an important element of our ministry area’s service. All who have participated are most grateful to those who have committed to leading the Groups, and to ensuring that people are supported and valued as a part of Bro Celynnin.
An online prayer group meets weekly on Zoom, led by Andy Butler.
2.2 Charitable activity
Frequent charitable fund-raising events were held throughout the Ministry Area during year. Charities supported included Embrace the Middle-East, Christian Aid, Fairtrade, and St David’s Hospice.
Bro Celynnin’s initiative ‘Bags of Love’ remains the main focus of charitable outreach. BoL continued to provide monthly food boxes to 90-100 families in need in 2024, as well as to many elderly single people, and individuals temporarily in difficult circumstances. The project operated with some 40 volunteers, drawn from our congregations and communities. In 2024, BoL operated from temporary accommodation while the Church Hall was renovated.
The project has been generously financed by parishioners and grants from the Conwy Town Council, Conwy County Borough Council, local companies, and the National Lottery Community Fund, and supported by donations of food from many generous individuals,
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and from church and corporate sources. Their generosity is gratefully welcomed and acknowledged.
2.3 Music
Cantorion Celynnin, the Ministry Area Choir, continued to mature, growing in enthusiasm, proficiency and camaraderie. Some 50 singers were involved in 2024, of which about 35 participated in our monthly Choral Evensongs at St Mary’s, Conwy.
In 2024, the choir sung evening services by Herbert Brewer (in D and Eb), Charles Villiers Stanford (in Bb, A and C), Charles Wood, Thomas Tertius Noble and Joanna Forbes L’Estrange. Anthems have included works by S. S. Wesley, Charles Wood, Matthew Owens, Malcolm Archer, William Mathias, Joseph Haydn, Adrian Batten, Frederick Gore Ouseley, Herbert Howells, Henry Balfour Gardiner and Gabriel Faure. We greatly appreciate the support from visiting organists who have played for us this year: Charles Jones, Graham Eccles, and Martin Brown from Bangor Cathedral.
At the beginning of June, the choir presented a well-received concert of works including Vivaldi’s Gloria and items by Brahms and Caradog Roberts.
At Christmas, ‘Carols round the Trees’, part of the St David’s Hospice Christmas Tree Festival proved as popular as ever, as was the Service of Nine Lessons and Carols, led by the Bishop of Bardsey. We were glad to host Ysgol Porth y Felin’s Christmas concert.
St Mary’s regular Sunday morning choir has continued to be smaller than pre- pandemic, averaging about 10 choristers on a typical Sunday. For special services, such as Easter Day, Remembrance and Civic Sunday, members of Cantorion Celynnin also participate.
Canu Conwy, the Junior Choir, continued to meet, and contribute to events, but new members have been slow to come forward, due to family, school and social demands.
Many visiting choirs and organisations were welcomed to perform in St Mary’s in 2024. Events included a fund-raising concert by local Ukrainians in exile, in April 2024; the Town Orchestra’s Summer Concert; and monthly chamber concerts by Ensemble Cymru. PreChristmas performances included concerts by the Monteverdi Singers, Bangor University Chamber Choir, and Conwy Town Orchestra,
The Conwy Classical Music Festival again proved to be highly popular, with attendances over the week exceeding 3000. The range of classical music presented, both instrumental and vocal, was broad, and featured performers from across North Wales and leading musicians from further afield. The contributions of all these performers, and the help of the numerous volunteers who assisted with stewarding and organisation, are very warmly appreciated.
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2.4 Administration
The Ministry Area Council (MAC) met seven times in 2024, under the supervision and with the kind support of the Area Dean during the period of vacancy.
MAC business in 2024 was largely dominated by the management and financing of the project to renovate the Church Hall of St Mary’s, Conwy (‘Neuadd Ni’), and by trying to advance other major building works required on our churches, notably repairs to the tower of St. Mary’s, Conwy and the re-ordering of St. Benedict’s Gyffin. The MAC also dealt with some pressing and expensive graveyard maintenance, notably concerning trees.
The MAC continued to facilitate the parish life and worship of the Ministry Area, supported individual churches and participated in the search for a new incumbent.
The diligent work of the Ministry Area Wardens, the Local Wardens and Treasurers, and those who contributed to the groups and projects within our administration and mission was hugely appreciated, thus allowing the MAC to focus on core essentials.
The contribution of our part-time Parish Administrator, Mrs Nicola Davies-Nolan was significant; Nic continued to provide valuable help in parish organisation, liaison with community groups, publicity and event management, and management of the Church Hall.
2.5 Communications
The Ministry Area website caruconwy.com continued to develop and widen in scope during 2024. The site carries extensive details about current activities in the ministry area and diocese, reflections and short weekly devotional talks.
Mrs Ros Hughes continued to circulate the monthly ‘Keeping Church Connected’ newsletter, which was very welcome, particularly for the less mobile. Weekly email circulars have proved invaluable in keeping everyone informed of services and events, and broadcasts on YouTube have continued to attract growing numbers.
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3. Buildings and churchyards
3.1 Churches of the Ministry Area
Bro Celynnin cares for the following buildings:
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St Mary’s and All Saints, Conwy:
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➢ Grade 1 listed church and churchyard in the centre of Conwy
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➢ Church Hall on Rose Hill Street, Conwy
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➢ St Agnes’ Road graveyard.
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St Benedict’s, Gyffin, Conwy:
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➢ Grade 1 listed church and churchyard on the outskirts of Conwy.
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St Celynnin, Llangelynnin:
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➢ Grade 1 listed church and churchyard (the Llangelynnin Old Church)
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➢ Graveyard of the deconsecrated Llangelynnin New Church, Rowen.
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St Mary’s, Caerhun:
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➢ Grade 1 listed church and churchyard south of Ty’n-y-groes.
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St Peter’s, Llanbedr y Cennin:
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➢ Grade 2* listed church and churchyard.
The MAC’s policy remains that these churches, which are all in good general order, will all continue to contribute to their communities for the foreseeable future and have the potential to widen their appeal and to grow their congregations. All the churches are buildings of national importance.
Ezra reports
All the work identified as ‘Category A - Urgent’ of the 2019 quinquennial inspection (‘Ezra’) report have been completed and many tasks identified in the ‘Category B – within 5 years’. Tasks in ‘Category C - 5 to 15 years) have been undertaken where it was convenient to do so with Category A and B tasks.
The 2024 Ezra Report was completed by Mrs Bethan Jones, the Diocesan Property Officer and received in May 2024. The estimated costs (ex VAT and professional fees) for the work required are shown in the table below.
The classification of priorities is:
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A: Urgent Works: H&S issues, structural defects, immediate works to arrest damage to highly significant fabric.
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B: Work to be prioritised over the next 5 years.
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C: Significant work to be programmed in/budgeted for over the next 5-15 Years.
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D: Ongoing maintenance work
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E: Aesthetic/decluttering work
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F: Desirable but with no time frame; e.g., works to improve accessibility, WCs, comfort.
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----- Start of picture text -----
A B C D E F Totals
St Mary & All Saints, Conwy £61,600 £183,430 £47,150 £20,375 - £10,000 £322,555
St Benedict, Gyffin £1,000 £25,560 £36,900 £5,640 - £22,200 £91,300
St Mary, Caerhun - £12,000 £37,610 £1,950 - £11,050 £62,610
St Pedr, Llanbedr-y-Cennin £1,400 £21,380 £26,000 £1,300 - £6,000 £56,080
St Celynnin, Henryd, £500 £21,670 - £25 - £1,000 £23,195
Church Hall, Conwy £5,500 £26,950 £45,075 £9,850 £1,260 £5,000 £93,635
Totals £70,000 £290,990 £192,735 £39,140 £1,260 £55,250 £649,375
----- End of picture text -----
Table of estimated repair costs, Ezra report, 2024
St Mary’s and All Saints’, Conwy
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A demolished section of the north wall of the churchyard remained unrepaired, a matter that engaged the Representative Board and a Party Wall surveyor. It was finally resolved that the wall should be re-built in its original form in early 2025.
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Planning for the long-recommended repairs to the tower continued, including improving access to the clock, renewal of the flat roof, repairs to major cracks and full external repointing. A faculty was awarded for this work and a generous grant towards the cost offered by the Diocese. An application for a National Church Trust grant succeeded in 2025.
St Benedict’s, Gyffin
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Re-ordering plans, to include introduction of a toilet, kitchenette, mains drainage, selected Ezra repairs, and moderate re-ordering were subject to further consultation and modification during the year.
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Urgent repairs to the leaking heating system were carried out, and further work on the heating is anticipated.
St Mary’s, Caerhun
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Re-ordering plans for St Mary’s Caerhun, which were to include moderate reordering of the chancel, north transept and west entrance, and improvement to drainage around the west door, were abandoned.
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The congregation is preparing a faculty application for exterior re-pointing of the gable wall of the south transept and the west wall, as recommended by the 2024 Ezra Report, following which redecorating the interior is more likely to be successful
St Peter’s, Llanbedr y Cennin
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Two electric wall heaters were replaced.
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The Natural Building Company undertook repairs to roof slates and selected repointing on the east and west gables.
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The ridge was repointed by the Original Roofing Company in November 2024.
Llangelynnin Old Church
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To address the damp, Faculty 2023-009540 for archaeological excavation to identify the nature of any current drainage, was approved in 2023 and this work began in late 2024.
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Faculty 2020-005990 for external roof repairs and re-pointing to walls, consolidation of existing earth floor, repair of internal lime plaster and redecoration of some windows was approved in 2021, is awaiting the results of the above investigation
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3.2 St Mary’s Church Hall
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In September 2023, the MAC applied for a grant for renovation of the Church Hall from the Conwy Community Regeneration Key Fund, the local administrator of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). The maximum available grant, £249,999 was awarded on 9 February 2024.
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Four architectural practices were invited to tender for the design and supervision of the renovation and Dewis Architecture of Anglesey was appointed.
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Following an extensive consultation process with congregation, neighbours and the wider public, plans for renovation were agreed, following which an open tender process was conducted on the Welsh Government online facility ‘Sell2Wales’. Anthony Dever Construction Ltd of Denbigh was the successful bidder.
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Work began on 14 September 2024 and was still in progress at the year-end. (After time and grant extensions awarded by CCBC, the project was completed on time and within budget by 31 January 2025).
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This project has opened up a new chapter in the life of the building, and the Ministry Area. Rebranded as Neuadd Ni, there is a new sense of ownership and access to the facility in a central location in the town, bringing us new community relations, activities and mission opportunities. The completion of this work has resulted in an excellent facility for the town of Conwy and for the church community, and represents a huge achievement that has provided confidence for undertaking other building projects.
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The main components of the work ultimately achieved included renovation of the roof, removal of the old kitchen and construction of a new one within the north extension, improvement of depot facilities for Bags of Love, installation of a new electric heating system and 3-phase supply, replacement of some windows and secondary glazing of others; renewal of the three toilets, improved rear access, external and internal decoration, and re-equipping and re-furnishing. Tasks which were omitted because of budget and time limitations included underpinning of the west entrance and rear extension, insertion of underfloor and ceiling insulation, and acoustic mitigation.
3.3 Churchyards
The historic parish churchyard funds have now run out, reflecting the high costs of recent maintenance and low current income from interments, so maintenance costs are largely financed from unrestricted reserves. A very welcome annual grant from the Conwy Town Council for the three Conwy churchyards, is again gratefully acknowledged.
During 2024 an informal group convened to compile a simple set of guidelines for our churchyard maintenance, focusing particularly on churchyard safety (trip hazards, safety of gravestones, etc); the management of trees, maintenance of walls, and grass cutting. These are based on the general advice provided by the CiW and others. The group strives to ensure that areas of each churchyard will be managed to promote biodiversity, following the guidance set out by the nation-wide ‘Caring for God’s Acre’ organisation.
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Routine maintenance has continued at all seven churchyards, mostly limited to keeping the grass cut, either by volunteers or a contractor. The Trustees are especially grateful to the Friends of St Agnes, a local community group that diligently maintains the large northern section of St Agnes cemetery.
The stability of all gravestones was checked by teams in the autumn, and a digital database set up, which will provide the framework for subsequent annual checks.
A survey of all the churchyard trees was undertaken by chartered arboriculturist Steve Cutmore in June 2024 and reports for each churchyard produced. Possible internal fungal decay of one tree at Gyffin, four at Rowen, and two at Llanbedr were identified, and these were subsequently checked by sonic testing, and found to be sound. His recommendations for mild pruning were carried out.
Two major tree incidents occurred in 2024. At Gyffin, in February, a mature Lawson Cypress shed a large branch, which was removed by Underhill and Son. S Cutmore later advised that the tree would not recover, and it was removed in 2025. At the Llangelynnin New Church, in December, a large beech on the western boundary of the graveyard fell in a severe storm. It was removed by Adam Davies in January 2025.
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4 Finance
4.1 Finance sub-committee
The Finance Sub-committee met five times in 2024. Prominent issues considered and/or actioned during 2024 included:
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Monitoring of investments in the Common Investment Fund of the Church in Wales and investment of accumulated cash.
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Fundraising for church and charitable purposes.
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Management of the Church Hall renovation project.
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Routine and emergency maintenance of churches and churchyards.
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Transition to the MyFundAccounting system.
4.2 Accounts
Since 2017 our accounts have been independently inspected by Breeze and Co., of Llandudno, for whose care and valuable advice over the years we are most grateful. To standardise across the Diocese, it was decided that for 2024 the annual accounts should be independently inspected by Williams Denton Cyf of Bangor. The independently inspected Receipts and Payments accounts for 2024 are presented below in Annex A.
For the first time, our annual accounts have been produced from the software package MyFundAccounting, the preferred accounting system of the Church in Wales. The work of Ms Kelly Edwards at the Diocesan Finance Office in entering all our data into the system was immensely helpful.
This year the account includes receipts and payments for the Church Hall renovation project (3.2 above). Although the account shows a deficit of £132,558, this was offset in January 2025 by the receipt of another tranche of the UKSPF grant, for £164,987.
Points of interest shown by the underlying data include the following:
Receipts
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Although Planned Giving, by Gift Direct and standing orders, is 7% up on 2023, total giving (Planned + Plate + Donations + Misson) is down by 6%.
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Other generated income is slightly down but Investment Income is up 5%.
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Loose plate receipts have increased as some churches have resumed circulating the collection plate round during services, rather than leaving it at the entrance.
Expenses
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Bro Celynnin paid its full quota (parish share, BMF) for 2024, £88,500.
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Churchyards maintenance at £10,800 was again high, largely because of work on tree maintenance, with limited corresponding income. The £4,500 grant from the Conwy Town Council for the three Conwy churchyards, and a private donation of £5,000 are warmly acknowledged.
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Almost all Exceptional costs are for the church hall renovation project.
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Costs of maintenance of churches was much the same as 2023.
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Reserves
At the end of 2024, liquid reserves held in bank balances totalled £113,092.79. This was temporarily more than our preferred range because a large payment was due to the building contractor.
Investments
The price of shares in the Common Investment Fund (CIF) of the Church in Wales rose by 5.48% over 2024. One Trust was liquidated during the year, partly to provide matchfunding for the Church Hall project, and the total value of our investments at year-end was £576,970.
Grants received
The list of grants is shown in Annex A. This includes a grant from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, administered by Conwy County Borough Council, through the Conwy Community Regeneration Key Fund, for Project Ref: CRKF003 – ‘A Hall for All’, for the renovation of St Mary’s Church Hall (3.2 above). The total award was £249,999 and the remainder was fully paid in 2025 on completion of the project.
Several of the other grants listed were given to support the Bags of Love project and to assist re-furnishing of the Church Hall.
The Ministry Area is most grateful for the generosity of the many grantors.
Planned-giving
The numbers of individuals or couples giving regularly via Gift Direct or by standing order at end-2024 was 52 (2023: 56).
Exceptional expenses
More than half of the total expenses for 2024 are for the renovation of St Mary’s Church Hall. This work was funded largely by the grant from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, administered through the Conwy Community Regeneration Fund, and by generous match funding of £70,000 from funds of the Bangor Diocesan Trust. The grant-funded project ended on 31 January 2025, and the following summarises the project account:
| UKSPF grant | 249,999 |
|---|---|
| Match funding – Diocese | 70,000 |
| Match funding – Bro Celynnin | 77,025 |
| 397,204 |
Bags of Love project
The project continued smoothly in 2024, despite having to operate from a temporary depot while the Church Hall was renovated. Key data are:
| Expenses (food purchased) | £24,156 | (2023: £21,509) |
|---|---|---|
| Donations and grants | £18,210 | (2023: £33,894) |
| Balance of fund at year-end | £16,273 | (2023: £22,477) |
We continue to be grateful to more than 40 volunteers who give so much of their time to run this project, and for many very kind personal donations, and for donations or grants
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from the Conwy Town Council and the Conwy County Borough Council, Cymdeithas Gwledd, and from local supermarkets and many other local firms, notably BOCS Self Storage.
4.3 Financial administration
Reserves and investments policy
The policy of Bro Celynnin is that, taking all bank accounts together, readily available unrestricted resources should be maintained at four to six months of expected annual expenditure. Accumulated resources significantly exceeding this target will be invested in the Church in Wales Common Investment Fund to provide income to support the Ministry Area’s mission and objectives. If approved by the Trustees, investments may be liquidated to maintain services and to support projects relevant to the MA’s mission and objectives.
Risk management
An assessment of the main operational risks is presented in Annex C.
Financial controls
Payments and receipts, received in cash, by cheque or bank transfer are managed according to the Charity Commission Guidance: Internal Finance Control for Charities (CC8).
The Diocese has instructed Ministry Areas to move book-keeping onto the system adopted by the CiW, MyFundAccounting, and the 2024 accounts have been produced for the first time with this system. The system allows all transactions to be allocated to different funds, for example to a specific church, to the Churchyards Fund, Bags of Love, Neuadd Ni, or to one of the special Restricted Funds whose use is limited to a specific church or purpose. Separate accounts can readily be produced on request for each fund or bank account.
The MAC appreciates the help and advice provided by the Diocesan Finance Office under Owain Pritchard and the services provided by the Church in Wales, notably the management of investments and the Gift Direct planned giving service.
The Treasurers, the MAC and all our church community were greatly saddened by the death in April 2024 of John Anderson OBE. John had been a constant, kind and immensely knowledgeable support as local Treasurer at Llanbedr for many years. We are most grateful for the diligent help and support from the other local Treasurers, Gwynn Griffith, Rosemary Titterton and Jenny Young.
Mike Young MA Treasurer
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Annex A REGISTERED CHARITY YUMBER: 11&4028 REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES AND UNAUDITED FJNANCtAL STATEMETrITS FOR THE YEAR Ef4DKD 31 DECEMBER2024 FOR BRO CKLYNNIN MINISTRY ARFA Williarns Dcnlon Cyf ebart¢r C¢rtifrd A¢coun18nts Gla$lyn Fforddy Par¢ Parc Menai Bangor LL57 4FF
BRO CELYNf4Iy Mif41STRY AREA CONTENTS OFTHE FINANCIAL STATEMED4TS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024 P#ge Report of the Truste I to 2 IndependeDt Ex8mlner'i Rtport St•tem¢nt of FInAn¢l A¢dvltt¢i BanCe Sheet Notesto the Fin4D¢ial Statements 6 to 15
BRO CELYNNIN MINISTRY AREA REPORTOF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER2024 The Intte5 present their r¢pon with the financial statements of Ih¢ charity for the year ended 31 D¢¢¢mb¢T 2024. Th¢ trustees h&ve adopted the provisions of A¢¢ountins and Reportllw by Chariiies.. Statetsjent of Recommended Pra¢ii¢e applicable to chariti¢5 preparing th¢ir OUnts ift a¢¢ordaDc¢ wilh th¢ Financial R¢porttng Stsndth applicabl¢ in th¢ UK and Republic fif l¥cland (FRS 102) l¢ffective l January 20191. OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES Obj¢¢tive5 inhS The ileoy and Trustees of Bro CglynniD ar¢ responsible for the whole mission of tbe Church, pastora], evat)g¢lisLi¢. social and ccum¢tll¢al. in its Ministy Ar¢a, and for Ibc opcralion and mainl¢nanc¢ o( Lt5 fLV¢ churchcs and asswiatcd chui¢hyards. two separaie graveyards and the Church Hall, Collvry. Bro Celynnin is re8tlienl and creativ¢ in fjjlfilling ils nDs8ion, maintsills a divcr8c programmc of traditional and contemporary worship. and seeks new community partnerships and innovative 8pproa¢h¢5 to outrea¢h. We seek to offer wor5bip and participatory cYcnt5 tht appcal to all se¢lors of the communiiy. Public benefit FlrD Cclynnin is fo¢uyt41 on providing publie benefLt 88 a Charity. through ¢huT¢hes TQOteil in the¢ommuniliu Ihey have Seed for rnany ¢enwries, by.. wovidinE resources and facilities for public worship. pa5tOTiI care kd Spiriiual. mor81 and iiitelle¢tual developtijeni, both for its members Bnd for anyone who wishcs to benefit from what the Churdt offers,. promoiitig Chrisuall vaLue8, and servLce by members of the Churches in the P4rith of Bro Celynnin ro their communities, to the knefii of individuals artd $titty as a whole., - encourdging wid¢rpgrti¢ipation in its activitk¢sfrom all 8¢Ctors of th¢ CoMnI1• - supporting the Work ofiwo Church in Wales Primary Schoolsand PTovidirtg reli8ious instrudion as re4pe8ted,. - mainlattting its fiyc medicvalchurch building5, 0 churctl hgjl ?Dd s¢v¢n grav¢yords. FINANCIAL REVIEW Flnan¢ial position Durinb Ihe yesr Ihe Restricted aftd Unrestricted funds have decreased while the Endowrnent fidS h&ve incre&sed. The Restricted elem¢nt has decrcascd by £710 from £165.714 in D¢ccmb¢r 2023 down to £165.004 as at Decembcr 2024. The unTestried rescrvcs have d¢cr¢as¢d by £137,177 (kiwn froni £602,676 in DecernbLY 2023 down lo £465,499 at DeccmbcT 2024. Thc r.ndtrwtnent Teserves have increased by £5.329 up from £57.121 it) December 2023 to £62.450 in Decetnber 2024. Ov¢rall the total reserveshave decreased by £1 17,682. Rejerves pollry The Ministry AreastTives to ensure that there are 8ufficieni nd$tO cover four 10 six months of anThual expendibJr& STRUCTURE. GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT Governlng dotument The Millistry Area is Governed by the Con¥iitution olThe CbuT¢h in Walw a Copy ofwhicb can be viewed iheir website. Re¢rwltmeDt 2nd 8ppointrnent ofDew trllstees Tnjstccs arc appointed eith¢r by Ihc Vicar, or by betng nomin4t¢d by & Tnltt, and then being 8ppointed by a voi¢ during & Miniry Area Council m¢¢iin8. REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAll Reg15ttred Charity [ber 185028 Page I
BRO CELYNNIN MINISTRY ARFA REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEARENDED 31 DECEMBER2024 Prkntlpal address Th¢ Vicarag¢ Rose Hill StTe¢t CONWY LL32 8LD S Carradll% {8ppointed 9.4.24) l J Thompson (appointed 9.5.24} DrR Tiiiertort{wpoknied 9.5.24) B E PJ'chmoDdBaldon IBppoint¢d 18.724) M G Holli18nd {apInted 25.4.231 L J D David%on Flood Itppoinied 9.5.24) P M A Fysh {appoillted 25.4.231 L C JotLes(appoint¢d 24.4.221 Rcv. S Blagd¢n{gppoint¢d29.4.19) D J Fsbby {appointed 9.5.24} H FThompson lappoit)Icd 29.4.191 M B Young Msc MBA lappoinkd9.11.171 C J MostyD Robert5 (appointed 25.5.161 S R Baldon (ap)11)Ied 25.6.16) Rev. E H Parry (8ppointfd 25.6.161 Rcv I)T K S F.Ilis {ap)Inted 1.4.25) IDdependent Exaltr WLlliams D¢nlotF Cyr Charteredcenified Acc¢Juntants Gla51yn FfoAldy Par¢ Parc Menai Bangor Gwynedd LL57 4FE AprKoved by order of the btsllrd oftnjstees OL 28 October2025 alldsi8ned OL its behalf by." ME Young MS¢ MBA- Twsiee Page 2
INDEPEf*TbEF4T F.XAMINFR'S RFPORT TO THE TRUSTF.FS OF BRO CELIT4Nifi Mif41STRY AREA Indepemdent ex8mlner's repnrt totht trusteesof Bro CelnIn Ministry Arta I report to the chaTity ttWate¢s on my ¢xamittaiion of thc account8 of Bro C¢lynnin Ministry Area (the Trust} forthg year ended 31 De¢cmb¢r 2024. Re$potssibilitkB And bg#ls of report As the charity trustees of the TTUSt you are responsible for the prcparation of Ihc a¢counts in accordance wilh th¢ requirements of the Chwitie5 Act 201 L Cthe Act). I report in respcct of my cxaminallon of the Trust's accounts ¢aTri¢d out under Section 145 of the Act and in carwng out my examinatson I have followed a]1 applicable Directiim8 given by the Charity Commission under Section 145(51(b) of the Act. Independent tiamlnerfs slatemeDt Since youi chaTity'3 gtV55 inrou]c rxr¢rd¢d £250,000 your ¢¥amin¢T musi b¢ 8 m¢mber ora lisied kndy. I can confirm thlll l quilified to undertake the examitiaiion because I am a mcmbcr of iht Association of chart¢r Certifi¢d Accountatjls, whiLb is ooe ofthe Listed bodits. J have Completd my examiDaiiorL. I coofirn that Jo material mallers have com¢ to my att¢ntion in collnection with th¢ ¢xwnillalion Kiving me ¢ause believe th in #ny M187 rtspecl.. accountJngre¢ords w¢re not kept in r¢specl of th¢ Trust requireii by Se¢iion 130 of IheAci' or the accow)ts do not accord withthose record5', or the llccouttts do not comply with the appLi¢able requtreJJKnis conccrning thc forni 8Ld content of accounts s¢t out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) ReglatiO$ 2008 other than any rquirem¢ni thai th¢ a¢couDts give a tnJ¢ fair vi¢w whirh is not & tnattcT COll5idcTcd p&rt of an indcpendeni examination. I have no contems and have come a¢ross Do other tt¢r$ ill connection with the cxamiTLqtion to vthJ'¢h atl¢ntiotL should b¢ di&wn ITL this report itt order lo enable a proper uttderslsndirtg of ihe accounts to be Tuched. Owain Ap Elfed ACCA WilliaD]s DcDionCyf Charltred C¢rtif)¢d AccDuntant% Glaslyn Ffordd y P8r¥ Part Me]Jai Bsngor Gwynedd LL57 4FE Datc.. 28 O¢lober2025 Pag¢ 3
BRO CELYNF41N MINISTRY ARFA STATEMENT OF FIIYAf4CIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED31 DECEMBER 2024 2024 Totsl fund$ 2023 Totsl UnTestsict¢d fund Restric9 Endowment Note& INCOME AE4D ENDOWMEliTS FROM Donations aud I¢81cs 88J28 7.131 95th59 94.102 Charit¥ble 4divitiES Parish Adivilies 15&617 14710 173J27 38,842 Other tradingaaivities Invcsttnenl ino)ttK 132S8 1063 14,921 12 29,976 Totsl 175 391 EXPENDITURE ON Raisillg fwllds 278 278 6,161 Ch*titAbl¢ •¢dvlll PaTiSb ActiYilie5 1219Jl 314 21381 14S212 127.342 Church Propaty Total Net g8ins on inveBITnents NET COMFJtEXPETra>rnJRE} (138.677) 5J19 (132J581 29.523 Tr•Dsfers between funds Net mov¢m¢Jbt Its fitn 1137.177) (710} 5J29 (132A58) 29,523 RECONCILIATIOli OF FUNDS Totsl funds brtrught forward 602.676 165.714 57.121 825,511 795.988 TOTAL FUNDS CARRtED FORWARD 82 tholes fonnpart of th¢8¢ fiJaJwial stsrcm¢Dts Page 4
Rn CF.i.IiyflN MINISTIII, AIIS, I BAI.4fiCE SHEET 31 DECENIBER 2D24 2D24 2023 Utvrsirkted nds fiJNd fun Tr'IXED ASSETS lfftvtsknents 10 374143 139I77 61451 735.PA6 CiIiREliT L&%h #L 25J27 &9.665 NET CVRRETr4T AliS£TS 25J27 115.983 89.665 TOTAI, &$F.Tm I.FAS CIIIiREh'T LI.4BILITIF 4199 61450 NLT ASSF.TS 46&499 62A 092953 825,511 FIITDS Unrestrletl fimds R¢5tyia¢d funds Endo]wTr¢fii turds 46S499 165.IM 62 01)2.676 165.714 57.121 TOTAL FiINtk4 69 825.511 Th¢ financ 5w¢m¢Jus dpFrovrd b). ts BoaTd ofTntstrcs and authNisel issue on 28 O¢Tobcr2025 and werc hlF. Youn8 M%cMBA- T c,fLkn (' J MDwi Kot¢rts- Tn¥c 'The N)t¢s form Irt ofth¢s¢ fn•N¢ig1 stemcNs PJ8c 3
BRO CELYNNIN MtNIgfRY ARF.A NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED31 DECEMBER2024 ACCOUNTING POLIC B2s180f prtpArlngthe fiDan¢ial 6tatements The fjnancial statemenls of the chaTity, which is a bliC bethefjl cThtity undcr FRS 102, havc b¢¢n prTed in ae¢ordance with th¢ ChoTit1¢5 SORP IFRS 1021 'A¢tOUnlillg and ReporLittg by Chfjri¢ie8-. Sthiement or Re¢on]mended Practice appcable lo charities preparillg Ih¢ir 4c¢ounl$ in a¢oorddnc¢ with th¢ Financial Rcportiog St3DdRTd applicable iyj the UK and Republic of Ireland IFRS 1021 {cffcctivc l January 2019),, Fittlln¢i81 RertIng Sndard 102 'The Financia] R¢portiDg SigndaTd app]icable in the UK #nd Republi¢ of Ireland. alld Ihe Chatities Ati 2011. Th¢ finan¢Lal sl#l¢m¢nL% have beeTh prepRTed uThder the hislorical cost ¢onvention. with thc exception of investments which are included ai mark value, as modified by the revUl1t1rt of certaitt assets. The Injstecs consider that ther¢ 3r¢ no maL¢riaJ uncrrlainties alx)ui ihe charity's ability to continue as a going ¢on¢ern. All income is r¢¢ognis¢d UL thc Stat¢¢ntQrFYjanC]a1 ActiYttic8 QnC¢ Ihe chariiy has tntitlemet)t kn the OJnd8. it 1$ probable that Ihc incom¢ will b¢ re¢eiv¢d and th¢ amounl can be measuied reliably. Exppndithr¢ Libiliti¢s are r¢¢ognIS as ¢xp¢fLditur¢ soon as there 1$ a legal or CODStrncuve oblig*ion committjns the chariiy to Ihal cxpenditur¢, il is probabl¢ that a t]S[er of c¢onomi¢ benefits will be required in settlemeJJt and Ihe amount of ihe obligation can b¢ measured r¢liably. Exp¢nditure i$ accounted for un all a¢ixuaJs busis has" been elas8Lfied urtdu hcadingb that aggre8aLe all cust relaied Lo the category. WheTC C05t$ eannot bc diiectly attributcd io ptsrtitular headings they havc bcctL allocalcd to activiti¢s on a b&5]5 ronsislenl with thr use of T¢soiifc¢5. Taxatlo The¢harity is ¢x¢mpt from t4x on its chatti#blea¢livities. Fwid at¢ounling u[¢StrIctj funds Can be used in ac¢ordarLC¢ with th¢ Gharitabl¢ obi%tiYr8 at thc distrdion ofihe trustee8. ResrTiCted fvnds ¢Jn only be used for pthitulaT restricted purposes within the objects of the chariry. Restrictions grisc Th4J¢n 5p¢cifi¢d by thc donor or whctb fund8 are raised forparti¢ular restTlCted purposes. FurtheT explanation of the nature and purpos¢ o(¢ach fund is included in the TJOte5 to the fJnan¢ial staiemethts. lrtvtstmenis are includcd atmarkct valu Page 6 ¢Olllixu¢d...
BRO CELYNNIN MINISTRY AREA r40TES TO THE FINAD4'CIAL STATEMENTS- ¢onthiued FOR THE YEAR EJ¥DED 31 DKCEMBkR2024 DONATIONS AND LEGACIES 2024 2W23 Plne giving Dollaiions Loose colltIonS L¢g¥ies For mis5lOll Tax rcfunds 40,140 29,286 8,198 2.iIIKI 1,256 37.514 18,129 7,420 5.000 8.837 OTHER TRADING ACTIVITIES 2024 2023 F¢c5 Mijney rnisin8 Otherincome 764 5914 19.061 10,563 97 INVESTMENT U¥COME 2024 Inv¢stmcnt incojnr INCOME FROM CHARITABLE ACMTITIES 2024 2023 Activity P*riJh Aaivsties Includ itt the Grani totsl of£38.842 for 2023 is.. NaiionAI Lottery Community Fund £10,000 Dioccse of Bangoi IDr¢hitccl f¢c4 Gyifin}£3.207 Commonwealth WBrfjrAv¢sCornmis5iQTL ICa¢thuD) £23 Cartr¢fi Conwy £1,000 Cojjwy Town Coun¢il, for Bagsof L&)ve £l.O(X> CoLwy Towi Council for S¢ Mary's tower r¢pairs £6.360 Denbigh5hire CC RIF 8ranL i¥aining for Worshlp i.t.w. £3.041 Listed Buildings Plac¢8 of Worsbip Scheme {Gy1r} £1.174 Cymdeithas Gweldd £1,250 Dcnbighshire CC RJF grnnt. t[]nIng for Worship i.t.w. £324 Dioeese ofB¥ngor {archit¢¢i f¢¢s, Ca¢rhun)} £2,576 Gwynl y Moi energy grant IChuTch Hall) £750 T¢wo Groundwork Comjnurjity Grant £1.125 Blakemor¢ FoundAtion ISpor} £300 ConwyC18ssical Music Festival £800 ConwyCl&8siul Music F¢stival (pi¢luTercstoration) £400 Page 7 ¢otitiJJued...
BRO CELYNNIN MINlS111Y AREA NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS-wntltty¢d FOR THE YEAR EYDED 31 DECEMBER 2024 Ir*COME FROM CIL4RITABLE ACTJVtTIES - t•ntthutd BOCS Self Storage (Guto Lewis) £5.WO St David'$ L¢i$ure{via CyTndeitha5 Gwledd) £500 Commonwealth War fjrave5 Conunission £12 Included in th¥ Grtlli lolal of £173.327 for2024 18.. Archdeacott Grattt £500 ASDA£I,000 Bangor Diocesart Trnst£70,000 Blakemor¢ £IIN) C&C Cat Equipmeni £l.(K)O mmonwealth WAT Grtsves Comrthtssion£22 Conwy Borough Cowity Cvuncil £850 Commonwealth WBr Gr3ves Comrnission £12 Cymdcithas Gwl¢dd Charity Dinn¢r £5.200 Ectlesiasii¢al £260 EMBLTD- LPW£I.136 Groundwo UK £375 UK Shared Prosperity Fund adTninisieTed by Conwy County Borough Council £85.Ol2 Conwy Tnwn Council £4,500 Cotswycounry Borough Council for lh¢ Bags ofLove Fund £3,000 Listed Buildings Platts of Worship fjraTht Schcine £360 RAISING FULYDS Othtrtr&din8 xediltles 2024 2023 161 CllARITABI.E ACTlVtTIES COSTS Dr£I Cost8 Parish Actiwlies 145,212 Church Pmwty Page8 coThtiDued...
TSRO CEI.YNNIN MINISTRY ARFA NOTES TO THE FINANCJAL STATEMENTS-c•ntlnued OR THE YEAR E.NDED 31 DECEMBER 2024 TRUSTEES. REMUNERATiof4 AND BENEF173 There were no lTh5letS' Temullttaiion or oiher benefits for the yeAr ended 31 December 2024 nor for the year ended 31 December 2023. Tru$ttes txpeDStI There were no trustees, expcrjses paid foT the year ended 31 Dtccmbu 2024 tKr for tkc year ended 31 December 2023. COMPAIL4TIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES uTIstil(L fijnd Rtstrided Elv]t fwids rund Totsl f(mds INCOME AND ENDOIITrIENTS FROM Donations and legacies 78,900 15.202 94,102 Charitable 4ctlvltiR5 Parish Actsvities 8.191 30,651 38,842 Oth¢rtT&ding activities ItsveSent ill¢omc 18,626 11,350 29,976 Total 57 EXPENDITURE ON Raising fiuS 6.16] 6,161 Chxritsbk #ctlrftl Parish A¢tiNIt1¢5 104.025 23,317 127242 Tothl Nct gains on inv¢5tnMts NET INCOME 24,019 5.504 29,523 ILECONCILIATION OF FiJNDS Total fim4ts brought forward S78,657 160210 57,121 795,988 TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD Page 9 coniinued...
BRO CELIThNIN MINISTRY AREA NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMEf4TS- FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024 I•. FIXED ASSET INVESTMENTS Udisted MARKET VALUE Ai l January 2024 Disposals Revlllu&tions 1174,612) At 31 December 2024 57 LYETBOOK VALUE AL 31 Decetnber 2024 At31 Ikctmber 2023 Th¢T¢w¢r¢ no inv¢sth}tas5c1sOutsidt th¢ U Page 10 contillued...
BRO CF.I.YNNIN MINISTRY ARL4 NOTES TO THE FINAh'CIAL STATEMENTS-contiNN¢ FOR THE YEAR EF4DED 31 DECEMBER 2024 ii. MOVEMENT IN FiiNDS Transfers bdween fi]nds 0VenlI in fijnds At 31.12.24 Al 1.1.24 UnTe8trlcted ndS Gener1 fulld 692,676 {13&677) 1,500 465,499 Re8trltttd thnd8 Bro C¢lynnin- Bags of Love Futjd Proceeds ofCrhun Chuch Hgjl FUJYJ Conwy ChgDcel Repair FUNJ BToCelynniTh Churchyard Fund Gyrrlll DabTrd HuLhe% Legacy Care & Maint¢Dancc of Ca¢ihun CbutGb St M8ry Maint¢nance Fund Llanbedr Church Maintwte Futtd 23,741 61169 24924 191 4A735 15,968) 3,406 l J65 (191) 1,078 I,ouG {Iwo) 16,273 65.575 26389 47813 1.009 7954 165,714 {iJoo} 16S004 Endowmeni fjJDds Bro Celynnin Cen2tal Endowmtnt 57.121 5J29 62.450 MTAL FUNDS Netmovemertl in lunds. included in the gboY¢ ar¢ follows.. Incoming rtsour¢c$ Resources ¢xpthd¢d Gains and losses Movemeni IM fun¢ts Unrutrltt¢d General fiLTh] 273,371 {438,724) 676 IlJ&677) Rt¥trict¢d funds Bro Celynnitt- Bagsof Love Fund Ptroceeds ofcaerhun Chuch Hall Fund Conwy Chan¢el R¢poiT Fwxi Bro Celyntiiti Cburchyard Fund Gyffjn Dgvid Thon]as Hugh¢s Legacy Fund C8T¢ & Maintenance of Caerhun Church Lianbedr Church M&iTht¢n8D¢e Fund ISJ03 121371) (5968) 3A06 iJ65 {191) 1.078 1,0 J( 3,406 lJ65 7,Ibg1 (7,182) 1,078 io (2&5631 5A49 790 EndowmtDt funds Bro Cel1 G¢n¢rgJ Endowmgllt 5J29 SJ29 TOTAL FUNDS Pagell ontinucd...
BRO CELYNNIN MINJSTRY AREA r40TES TO THE FINANCLIL STATEMENTS- contined FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024 ii. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS- tontlnlled C•mpArAtlves for movement In m0vellnI in fimds Ai 1.1.23 31.12,23 Unrestrl¢ted fuMd$ Oener&l fulld 578,657 24.019 602,676 Restrl¢ttd funds Bro Celynnin- Bags Df Fund Procecds of Cacrhun Chuch Htsll Fund Conwychancel RepaiT Fut BTO Celynnin Churchyard Fund Gyffin David Thoma8 Hughe£ Lega¢y Fur St Mary Maintenance Fun 10,739 62,169 24,924 19J 59.233 13.002 23.741 62,169 24,924 112.4981 46.735 160,210 5,504 165,714 EndOW¢llt fiwdi Bro Cdynnity General EndoMrtneTht 57.121 57,121 TOTAL FUNDS CoTwativ¢ net movement in includcd th¢abov¢are a5 fol]ows'. Incoming rc80urccs GaLLS and 1055CS Mov¢m¢llt in fund8 UDre&trlcted fuDdB Gcncral fund 118,188 1132399) 38230 24.019 RÈitrAtttd fumds Bro Celynnin- Bags of Love Fund Gy1r David Thom*s Hughe5 L¢ggryFund St Mary Maintcnance 45,843 132.841) (12,498} 13,002 {12,498) 57 TOTAL FUhTrS P4g¢ 12 <oniinued...
RRO CF.LYNNIN MINISTRY AREA NOTES TO THE FITrIAl¥4CIAL STATEMENTS- eontiDw¢d FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024 MOVEMENT Ili FUNDS- eontlDued A ¢urreni year 12 months and prioryear 12 rnonths combilled position is os follows.. Ttansfcrk b(4wcen fijnds At 1.1.23 IJ) fvods 31.1224 UnTtJtricted General 578,657 1114,658) 1.500 465,499 Restrlrttd fund8 Bru Celynnin- Ilags of Love Fund Procccds of Ca¢rhun Chuch H11 Fund Conwy Chm¢el R¢pair Fund Bro C¢lyJJnin Churchyard Fd Gyffin DavjdTh0T Hughes Legllcy Fund Care & Mgintenance of CaerhuD Church St Mllry M&inteThance Fund LiaLb¢dr Church maintrrnc¢ Fyr 10,739 62.169 24,924 7.034 3.406 {1.5) 16.273 65.575 26289 59233 111,4201 47.813 1.000 7.954 i(xi 1954 100 160,210 6,294 (1,5110) 165,IX Ettdowm¢ot Ilmdl Bro Celynnin General EndoiTrinent 57.121 5.329 61450 TOTAL FUNDS A CU¢D1 12 TfK)llth$ and pri year J2 lljollths ¢OTnbined nei movement in futtds. included ij) the above tre as follows.. Incoming resour¢ R¢souTces exp¢nd¢d Gains and Ioss¢8 Movement ill funds Unrestrirted funds Gcneiaj finjd 391.559 (571,123) 64,906 1114,6581 Restricted funds Bro cel1- Bags ofLove Fund Proceedsof CaeThun Chuch Hall Fund Conwy Chancel Repair FutMI BnTrC¢LyDDiD Churthyatd Fulld GytTin Davi41 Thnmas 14ughes Legacy Fund Care & Mgint¢nanc¢of Ca¢rhun Church St Mary M2inteTharLce Fund Lianbcdr Church M&int¢nan¢e FutNJ 61,746 (54,lJ2) 7,034 3.406 1.365 3.406 1.365 7.091 {7,282) (12,498} 1.078 111.4201 1.000 5.000 1,000 11,36Q (6,360) 80.707 {80,262> 5.849 6.294 Endowmeht thnd$ Bro Celyntiiti Gcnera] Endowment 5 J29 SJ29 TOTAL FUF4DS 85 Page 13 continued...
BRO CELIT4NIN MIN'ISTRY AREA NOTES TOTHE FINANCIALSTATEMENTS- FOR THE YEAR EINDED 31 DECEMBER 2024 MOVEMENTINFUYDS- tonttnued Pur st of Resttted FDnds Sl Benedict'4 Gyffin- Dllvid Thomas Hght5 L¢ga¢y Fun For charAtable church purrx)ses and io fijnd repairs in coJJne¢tion with Sl Benedi¢i's Chur¢h. St Bentditt'4 GyffiD- Cthureh Hill Vttrtd Forthcprovision of r¢levant parish ¢ducational, resIdlIa1, ormeeting places. or any oiher IntelLjaI moral or social wts ofneAghbouring pU]l10n,. St Mary's Conwy- ChHctl RtpalrFuDd For the maintenance ofthe Chancel of Si Mary's Chur¢h. Si Mary's. CoDwy- Cholr Fund For th¢ Ghoir cxp¢ll5¢5. St l¥lary'J. CoNwy- Main¢eDaDr¢Fund For themaintenance ofst Mary's Church. Sl Mary'¥, C&erbun-Proceeds Of CaeThuThChurch Hall Fund Forchatitable pury)o%&s of the paris Stmary s. Caerhun- Care& Maihtennce•f Caerhurt Churth For the maint¢nan¢e of Ca¢rhun St Mary's. Caerhun- St Mary'j Leea¢les FoTchaTitabl¢ pwpos¢$ of St Mary'schuieh. Bro CelynDin-C&urcbyard Fund For th¢ matntenBnc¢ of the chuT£hygrds. Bro CÈlyknttin-C&ritble Fund Fortharitablealld educational pwes. Bro CelynnlD- Bag5 Of Love FuAd Within The Ch¥xitablc Fund 10 5UPPOrt f#mili¢s. th¢ ¢ld¢TIyJ isolaied and olh¢rpeopl¢ ID nted with a monthly food shop. St Peter's Ll•Nbdr y Cennln- Church MalTh¢en¥nce Fund Forlhc maintenanc¢ of th¢ ¢hurthtt. St Ptter's Llanbedry CtnnlD- Mrs L*llrA Falr Fund For th¢ g¢nerBJ pwp¢)ses of StP¢leVs Church. seof EDdowment Fund General Endowinent Fd For the ekdowmenr received from Ihe Estate of Dthlys Eli2abeih Glynne to supportBro Celyntiin xrtd SL MAry. G)nwy. Pagc 14 ntinued...
BRO CELYNNIN Mif4IsTrY AREA NOTES TOTHE FINANCLIL STATEMEpffs-¢ontiDued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024 12. RELATED PARTY DJSCLOSURES There were no relaied parrytransactions for the year¢nd¢d 31 December 2024. Page 15
Annex B: Reports from the congregations
St. Mary’s Church, Conwy
During the interregnum services weekly Sunday morning services continued, led mostly by Heather Thompson or Rev. Susan Blagden, by the Area Dean, or by several local retired clergy including Rev. Canon Berw Hughes, Rev. Lynn Taylor, Rev. Anna Humphries, Rev. Mike Harrison, and Rev. Prof. Gordon McPhate. Our thanks go to all for sustaining our continued worship during this difficult period.
Many other services and events took place during the year, notably seven baptisms, five weddings and six funerals, including those of two faithful members of the congregation. Commemorative events included the annual Civic Service, Remembrance Sunday and the RNLI’s 200th Anniversary Service, all of which brought welcome new faces bring into our church. We were particularly pleased to host Ysgol Porth y Felin children and staff for their Easter, Harvest, Christmas services.
Our monthly services of Choral Evensong continued, and Cantorion Celynnin continued to grow in enthusiasm, proficiency and camaraderie.
We hosted many concerts throughout the year and another very successful Classical Music Festival in July, when we were delighted to welcome performers and visitors from across North Wales and northwest England,
Once again, the Christmas period was busy, beginning with carols around the tree during the Christmas Tree Festival, when the church was filled with decorated trees from numerous local organisations, schools and churches. Our Nine lessons and Carols Service, this year led by the Bishop of Bardsey, was our best attended service of the year.
The church was kept open from April to October, thanks to our loyal and enthusiastic welcoming team. They welcomed visitors from many different countries, and counted a total of 22,040 visitors during the season.
Joan Flood and Paul Wakely
St. Mary’s Church, Caerhun
Services were held weekly throughout the year at Caerhun, variously led by Rev. Susan Blagden, by our Lay Reader Mrs Heather Thompson, and by several retired clergy, including Rev. Mike Harrison, Rev. Dr. Lynn Taylor and Rev. Anna Humphries. The wardens and congregation are deeply grateful for this support.
Four funerals were held, including that of Barry Jones, a member or our congregation, and John Anderson O.B.E., Deputy Lieutenant of Caernarvonshire and former owner of Caerhun Hull and a Churchwarden at St. Mary’s.
Three weddings took place during the year.
We were delighted to host The Prayer Book Society for their Christmas Carol Service, with the welcome support of Cantamus Choir.
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Several convivial social and fund-raising events included two coffee mornings and the Harvest Supper. We raised £1200 for our nominated charity for 2024, Embrace the Middle East, and over £100 for The Royal British Legion at our Remembrance Sunday Service.
Routine maintenance of church and churchyard continued. A project is in preparation, in line with the 2019 Ezra recommendations, to replace some of the cement-based mortar on the south and west gables of the church with an approved lime-based mortar.
Jenny Young and Simon Baldon
St Benedict’s Church, Gyffin
Wednesday morning services continued during the vacancy, and we were glad to welcome many visiting or retired clergy to officiate at Holy Communion: Rev. Mike Harrison, Rev. Dr Lynn Taylor, Rev. Canon Berw Hughes and Rev. Canon Phil Hughes, and occasionally our Archdeacon the Ven. David Parry. Sometimes, services of Morning Worship were held, led by our Reader, Mrs Heather Thompson.
Attendance at the Wednesday services was generally twenty or more.
Wednesday services were often preceded by a small singing group led and accompanied on the guitar by Terry Mart and others, with songs from Mission Praise and other sources. Hymns were accompanied on the pipe organ.
The church was opened on Wednesdays (from 10am to 1pm), throughout the year, and also between May to October on Mondays (10 am to 12 noon) and Fridays (2 to 4 pm).
Services of Celtic Praise, led by Rev. Eryl Parry (Pioneer Enabler) and accompanied by five or six instrumentalists were held on Sunday evenings, monthly from November to March. These services typically explored a series of themes and often featured a visiting speaker.
We participated in the Conwy Arts Festival in September 2024, with Terry Mart's art group and Liz Clough mounting an exhibition in St Benedict's of about forty works of art as part of the Conwy Art Trail. This resulted in many extra visitors and the sale of four paintings by Liz, who generously donated half the proceeds to St Benedict's.
Planning of the church reordering is being progressed by a group comprising Joan Devereux, Rosemary Titterton and Heather Thompson. The works will focus on the installation of kitchen and toilets in the south transept, some re-ordering, and will include selected Ezra-recommended repairs.
The churchyard has been strimmed regularly by a local contractor. The twelve Irish yew trees along the roadside wall on the south side have been reduced in height, thanks to a generous donation. Volunteers were then able to remove years-old ivy growth from the trees.
The mature Lawson cypress tree next to the churchyard path lost a very large bough in a wind-storm in January 2024. Contractors removed the fallen timber and reduced the height of the remaining stems by for safety.
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Investigation of flooding in the boiler room led to the discovery of an underfloor leak. Lengths of rusted pipe were replaced, and the heating system was serviced.
Other routine maintenance has continued satisfactorily.
Ian Thompson and Sylvia Carradus - Local Wardens
St. Peter’s Church, Llanbedr-y-Cennin
Sunday morning services continued, generally with a congregation of 12, although the number dwindled towards the year-end. Long term reduction in numbers is ascribed to the changing demographics, with a growing number of second homes and Airbnbs locally, an aging population, with few young families, and pressures on time. Consequently, the church is no longer the centre of village or community life, and this needs to be addressed.
The church has been maintained satisfactorily, with repairs to the roof, ceiling and exterior pointing during the year, and replacement of some heaters. The churchyard is maintained well, sometimes by a kind volunteer, sometimes by a contractor.
St Celynnin’s Church, Henryd - the Old Church
This much-loved church remains open throughout the year to welcome pilgrims, visitors and worshippers. Sunday services were held monthly from dawn on Easter Day to September, and attracted congregations of 35-40, including children.
The condition of the church is monitored monthly. The interior needs re-decorating and the beaten earth floor needs repair in places, and we hope to address these once further investigation of damp along the north wall has been investigated.
Worship in the Wild and Celtic Praise
Worship in the Wild and Celtic Praise, both of which are offered monthly, form a kind of ‘nomadic worship community’ and attract people of different denominations and none. All are seeking to be resourced personally by something outside their home church experience, to deepen faith through connection with the outdoors, a return to faith or to belong again to a church community (where that has been lost), or simply to take the first steps of a faith journey. Although there’s a core of regular participants and a growing number of people taking responsibilities, the essential nature of this kind of community is not congregational.
A significant feature of every gathering is that there are people coming for the first time or have made an effort to visit. There is a steady flow of enquiry via caruconwy.com and regular communications via a private Facebook group: ‘Worship in the Wild (Conwy)’ There is growing national interest in the wider theme of ‘pilgrimage’ and we are very happy to be featured in a newly released resource produced by the Arthur Rank Centre for rural churches, and be featured on Radio Cymru (Yr Oedfa, August 2024), and BBC Radio Wales’s ‘Celebration’ (September 2024).
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Worship in the Wild
With the exception of December, we continued to offer a monthly contemplative walk, on every first Sunday, to many different places in the Ministry Area and beyond (see https://caruconwy.com/worship/worship-in-the-wild/ ). We have prided ourselves on not yet repeating a route!. In September, four of us passed our 2-day assessment as ‘Lowland Leaders’, which, with the training seven of us received in 2023 from the Mountain Training Association, significantly improved our knowledge and confidence.
Celtic Praise
The 2024 season in Llangelynnin took the theme of pilgrimage, with an ever-growing number choosing to join the led walk from the Sychnant Pass. A range of outside speakers, including Rev. Neville Naidoo (University Chaplain) and Jill Ireland (Outdoor Chaplain), helped us focus on ‘building community’ in our winter series at St Benedict’s Gyffin.
I am very grateful for the hard work and dedication of a host of people who make all of this happen – the walk leaders, speakers, music group, the home team in St Benedict’s, those who provide welcome and guidance up to Llangelynnin, and provide parking and hospitality nearby.
Rev. Eryl Parry
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Annex C – Risk analysis
Bro Celynnin Ministry Area: outline assessment of core risks
| Bro Celynnin Ministry Area: outline assessment of core risks | Bro Celynnin Ministry Area: outline assessment of core risks | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Factors(after mitigation) | |||||
| Risk | Effect of risk | Mitigation measures | **Likelihood ** | Impact | Combined |
| Mission and organisation | (1= low; 10= high) | ||||
| Gradual reduction of congregational numbers |
Failure to deliver mission and objectives Loss of income |
• Continual outreach and energetic, proactive mission by clergy and congregations | 3 | 5 | 15 |
| Loss of key personnel, notably clergy | Failure to deliver mission and objectives |
• Continual efforts to attract and motivate key congregational leaders • Effective recruitment at times of transition |
2 | 5 | 10 |
| Poor management and ineffective goal setting Safeguarding Property |
Demotivation of clergy and volunteers, leading to decline of congregations, loss of income and failure to deliver objectives Injury to individuals; reputational damage; internal dismay |
• Clear statement of purpose and management process via Mission, Property and Finance Development Plans • Maintenance of clear, frequent and positive communications by various channels • Safeguarding officer appointed, reporting to MAC • Training, and regular monitoring of certification of MAC and other volunteers •Regular consultation with Diocesan Safeguarding Officer |
1 1 |
4 5 |
4 |
| 5 | |||||
| Injury to people and third party property, arising from our buiilt properties or churchyards Damage to our buildings |
Personal injury, damage to third party property Financial cost to restore |
• Regular inspections (Ezra Report) to identify risks and required maintenance • Phased programme of recommended maintenance • Regular routine monitoring of the general state of buildings and churchyards and rapid emergency maintenance when necessary •Appropriate insurance As above |
1 2 |
4 3 |
4 |
| 6 | |||||
| Damage to our churchyards | Financial cost to restore | As above | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Finance | |||||
| Loss of financial resources through fraud Failure to maintain income levels |
Inability to maintain property and to cover expenses, including the Parish Share Drawing down of resources, loss of investment income, ultimately leading to financial failure |
• All investments held independently by CiW • Only dual authorisation of payments possible • Spending limits set • CC_Internal Finance for Charities Guidance_followed • Encouragement of giving by traditional and innovative means • Promotion of legacies • Regular applications for Gift Aid and GASDS, and VAT refund grants • Money raising events • Financing special projects by strategic fundraising |
1 3 |
3 3 |
3 |
| 9 | |||||
| Unexpected significant expenses | As above | • Careful budgeting and monitoring of controllable expenses • Keepingto buildingmaintenance schedules |
2 | 3 | 6 |
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