2023-12-31-accounts - The Parochial Church Council Of The Ecclesiastical Parish Of All Saints,kenley

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All Saints- Making Christ Known in Kenley www.allsaintsandstbarnabas.co.uk

ALL SAINTS KENLEY

ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING SUNDAY 19 MAY 2024 12.00 NOON.

AGENDA.

MEETING OF PARISHIONERS.

1. Opening prayers.

2. Welcomes and Apologies.

3. Minutes of the Meeting of Parishioners held on 21 May 2023.

4. Election of Churchwardens.

ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING.

1. Minutes of the meeting held on 21 May 2023.

2. Election of 3 lay representatives to the PCC to serve for 3 years.

3. Report on the Electoral Roll.

4. Report on the proceedings of the PCC and the activities of the parish generally.

5. Financial statement of the PCC for the year ending on 31 December 2023.

6. Fabric report.

7. Report on the proceedings of the Deanery Synod.

8. Appointment of Independent Examiner.

9. Any other business.

10. Date of the Annual Parochial Church Meeting in 2025.

PCC MEETING.

A meeting of the new PCC is to be held immediately after the APCM for the sole purpose of election of Vice Chair of PCC, Treasurer, Secretary, Standing Committee, Electoral Roll Officer and Sidespersons.

MEETING OF PARISHIONERS 21[ST] MAY 2023.

1. Opening prayers. The meeting followed the manifold prayers of the members in the preceding Eucharist worship.

2. Welcomes and apologies. Rev Justine Middlemiss welcomed approximately 20 members to the meeting. Apologies had been received from Andrea Bessant, Gerald Bodmer, and Clair and Lorraine Kellaway.

3. Minutes of the meeting held on 8[th] May 2022. The minutes were agreed to be correct and signed by the Chair as a true record.

4. Election of Churchwardens. Two nominations had been received prior to the meeting. David Shepherd had been proposed by Bernard Stringer and seconded by Michael Stock, and Chris Preston had been proposed by Nicki Howe and seconded by Andrea Gostick. They were duly declared elected with the approval of the meeting and applause. Michael Stock was standing down after 6 years’ service as Warden. He was presented with a gift and thanked for all he had done. Rev Justine spoke of the vital role of the Wardens providing feedback and suggestions, and complimented the work of the Monday group in caring for the grounds and fabric.

Signed as a true record…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING 21[ST] MAY 2023.

1. Minutes of the meeting held on 8[th] May 2022. These minutes were agreed to be correct and signed as a true record.

2. Election of 3 lay representatives to the Deanery Synod. Nominations had been received of Nicki Howe, Ann Jones, and Charmian Preston. They were duly declared elected with the approval of the meeting. Rev Justine emphasised the important role of the Deanery Synod in enabling connections between the churches in the Deanery, and making representations to the Diocesan and General Synod.

3. Election of 3 lay representatives to the PCC to serve for 3 years, 2 to fill vacancies for 2 years, and 1 to fill a vacancy for 1 year. 3 nominations had been received of Gerald Bodmer, Andrea Gostick, and Michael Stock. They were duly declared elected to serve for 3 years with the approval of the meeting. There were no other nominations, and Rev Justine encouraged members to give this consideration and come forward, as it was important to have a full and representative PCC.

4. Report on the Electoral Roll. This report was noted. 5 names had been removed from the Roll, 4 had died and 1 had moved away. 3 new names had been added. The total number on the Roll now stands at 88.

5. Report on the proceedings of the PCC and the activities of the parish generally. Rev Justine commented on the report that this had been a good year. There had been developments in working with St Barnabas, in returning to church after the pandemic, and a lot of activity in the community. She thanked Rev Elizabeth Goodridge and the volunteers involved in the Hub and Play Café at the Kenley Memorial Hall. She thanked those involved in Coffee Chat and Craft(CCC), which had really taken off. The Lent lunches had been very successful, and led to a substantial donation to the Bishop’s Lent appeal. Following our study of Living in Love and Faith we are in the process of signing up to

Inclusive Church, which is committed to work against all forms of discrimination. She thanked the Lay Eucharistic Administrators who take Communion to the Care Homes and the housebound. Last week this was taken to 40 people, which is the same number of people as attended the main service in Church. Peter Bedwell added that the report had intended to be comprehensive, but he had been asked by Gerald Bodmer to add that the Men’s Group is still alive and kicking.

6. Financial statement of the PCC for the year ending on 31 December 2022. Andrea Gostick gave a detailed explanation of the accounts. Our total funds now stand at £73,946, an increase on the previous year of £8,624. However, it needs to be recognised that this includes special one off income, with £6,500 remaining from a legacy of the estate of Olga Olver which is earmarked for urgent repairs to the Baptistery, £1,400 heating grant received from the Diocese which has not yet been used as we are on a fixed term contract for our energy until June 2024 but has been earmarked towards insulation of the Hall ceiling to reduce future energy costs, and a donation of £1K has been given specifically towards future work on the North roof.

Voluntary giving in 2022 was £60,362 compared with £65,343 in 2021. However, the 2021 figure included a one-off donation of £5K. Andrea again commended the Parish Giving Scheme and asked all members to consider giving through this scheme. The advantages of the scheme are that Gift Aid is claimed immediately on our behalf and is quickly credited to our account, rather than having to wait for a quarterly submission by our Gift Aid Secretary, David Paterson, to submit claims, and it saves considerable work in the parish on this. It also provides an option to increase the donation annually in line with inflation subject to the donor’s permission. This offsets the need for a periodic Stewardship campaign. Andrea will give a form to anyone willing to join this scheme.

We have increased our income through Fundraising activities. These are organised by a joint fundraising team, and the income shared equally with St Barnabas. £1,817 was received by All Saints in 2022, while the costs of these activities appear elsewhere in the accounts as outgoings of £569. It appears that we may not be able to put on such large-scale fundraising events as we did pre-pandemic, but this is useful income.

We have also considerably increased our income from hire of the Hall. We have regular bookings on Monday evenings and Tuesday mornings. Recently there has been an increase in the take up of children’s parties on Saturdays. The total income for lettings in 2022 was £4,043 which includes donations from uniformed organisations. £2,272 was from outside hires which is offset by return of deposits of £500 which appears under outgoings in the accounts.

Spending on Church mission in 2022 increased as Church outreach activities resumed after the pandemic. This spending was on mission activities such as the Hub, the Hub on the Hill, CCC, and Easter and Christmas activities. Where appropriate the Hayes Fund was used, that is where the activities qualified as Fresh Expressions. This fund, originating from a Diocesan grant will be exhausted in 2 years at the current rate.

The cost of utilities was up to £4,920, which reflected increased usage following return to Church following the pandemic. Interest from the C of E deposit fund increased considerably with the increase in interest rates. £1,600 had been donated to the Vicar’s Discretionary Fund which had largely been used by the end of the year. Donations to this fund are welcome. Kenley Memorial Hall “Cakes and Company” is a restricted fund. Legal advice needs to be obtained as to how to use this fund, given that the successor organisation CCC which is now based in the Church Hall is largely self-financing.

Andrea referenced the recent decision taken by the St Barnabas PCC since the reports for the All Saints APCM were written. The decision is to close the St Barnabas Church, sell most of the land, and for the Parish to merge with All Saints to form a new Parish. This means that assets from the sale of the site would come to the new Parish, with a new PCC to be formed.

A question was asked from the floor as to whether the C of E deposit account gave a competitive interest rate. It was thought that interest rates were generally very low in 2021, that a long-term deposit account was not suitable for our needs, and that the C of E account was an ethical investor and provided a reasonable rate. A question was also raised about potential legal costs of the merger with St Barnabas. It was confirmed that all the legal costs relating to the sale of the site and the merging of the parishes would be borne by St Barnabas and the Diocese. The only possible legal costs to All Saints would be if All Saints opted to take independent legal advice.

Andrea was thanked and applauded for all her hard work. Special thanks were also extended to David Paterson as Independent Examiner and Gift Aid Secretary.

7. Wardens’ annual Fabric Report. David Shepherd spoke to the report. He has now obtained specifications for the camera which it is planned to be installed at the back of the Church to relay services, and has applied for a Faculty for this work. It is hoped that this will go to the next Diocesan Advisory Committee meeting. There is dampness in the SW porch and corner of the Church, partly caused by missing flashings which need to be replaced, and a stonemason will be needed to repair the stonework. A Faculty will be required for this work. Meanwhile gutters are being regularly cleared to reduce the soaking. The North roof is mucky with moss, and this would require £4,500 to clean. Flashings need to be replaced and additional hoppers installed. Currently there is damp coming into the organ loft. A Faculty will be required for this work. Rev Justine thanked David for all his work, and the regular Monday morning working party.

8. Report on the proceedings of the Deanery Synod. The meeting noted this report.

9. Appointment of the Independent Examiner. David Paterson was willing to stand again, and his appointment was unanimously approved.

10. A.O.B. Charmian Preston proposed that the meeting recommend to the PCC that the Noticeboard on the bank be moved down towards the bottom of the bank so that it could more easily be read by those passing by. Rev Justine referred to the exploration and discussion of this at a PCC meeting in November 2021. Planning permission would be required, and permission from the Highways Authority in relation to regulations for roadside advertising, which cover issues such as space for pedestrians. This could be expensive and may not be permitted given that there is no pavement there. There was discussion about the role of the notice board, which is suited to posters with an enduring mission slogan rather than details of current events. The notice board by the NW porch is used for detailed notices. There was an alternative proposal that the PCC be asked to look at its advertising and publicity in the round including the website and social media as well as notice boards and advertising posters and local community publications, and that money be spent on mission posters for the notice board on the bank. This was agreed.

Votes of thanks were added for Peter Bedwell for his work as Secretary, and to our clergy, Rev Justine and Rev Elizabeth.

11. Date of the Annual Parochial Meeting in 2024. This was scheduled for 19 May 2024.

ELECTORAL ROLL REPORT – APCM 2024

2024 has only seen an update of the Electoral Roll. The total number of people on the Electoral Roll for 2023 stood at 88. This year we have 83 on the Roll.

5 names have been removed from the Roll:

Alison Bicknell – lives out of parish

James Bicknell – lives out of parish Clair Kellaway – lives out of parish Lorraine Kellaway - lives out of parish

Rosemary Mander – wishes to be removed

Of the 83 people on the Roll, 53 are resident in the parish and 30 are non-resident (compared with 55 and 33 last year).

Jean Gould

REPORT ON THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE PCC AND THE ACTIVITIES OF THE PARISH.

Period covered. This report covers the financial period of 2023, and the proceedings of the PCC from the APCM held on 21[st] May 2023 to April 2024.

Administrative information. All Saints Church, Kenley is in Church Road, Kenley, CR8 5DU. The correspondence address is The Parish Office, St Barnabas Church, 69 Higher Drive, Purley. CR8 2HR. The registered Charity number is 1185283. All PCC members are trustees of the charity.

The membership of the Parochial Church Council (PCC) from the APCM of May 2023 is set out below.

Vicar Rev Justine Middlemiss. Self-supporting Minister Rev Elizabeth Goodridge. Churchwardens: David Shepherd, Christopher Preston. Deanery Synod Representatives: Nicola Howe, Ann Jones, Charmian Preston. Lay Representatives: Alison Bicknell, Felicity Jones, Peter Bedwell (Secretary), Darnelle Constant-Shepherd, Marie Kimberley, Gerald Bodmer, Andrea Gostick (Treasurer), Michael Stock.

Of these the Standing Committee members were Rev Justine Middlemiss, Rev Elizabeth Goodridge, David Shepherd, Christopher Preston, Peter Bedwell, and Andrea Gostick. The Standing Committee has the power to transact business of the PCC between its meetings, subject to any directions given by the Council.

Andrea Bessant, Menai Jones, Clair Kellaway, Ros Shepherd and Julia van der Vord also served on the PCC during 2023 until the APCM of 21st May 2023.

The PCC has held 7 full meetings in the year and 1 extra meeting solely to agree an application for a Faculty. The average attendance has been 71%. All meetings have been held on Zoom to facilitate the attendance of those who live at some distance. The minutes of the meetings have been circulated to all members of All Saints once approved.

The Independent Examiner throughout this period has been David Paterson, for whom the correspondence address is the Parish Office, St Barnabas Church, as above.

Aims and Purposes.

All Saints Kenley is a parish church in the south of the London Borough of Croydon. All Saints is part of the Diocese of Southwark within the Church of England. The primary object is the promotion of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to the doctrine and practices of the Church of England. The PCC has the responsibility for co-operating with the Vicar to promote the whole mission of the church, pastoral, evangelistic, social, and ecumenical. It also has maintenance responsibilities for the church, church hall and grounds.

.All Saints Church has worked closely with St Barnabas Church, Purley, for many years, and on 1[st] July 2023 the union of the benefices was formalised, with the Reverend Justine Middlemiss, formerly Priest in Charge of both parishes, to be the first incumbent as Vicar of the “Benefice of Kenley All Saints and Purley St Barnabas.” A public announcement was also made on 14[th] May 2023 that it was proposed that St Barnabas Church will be closed, and the parishes of All Saints and St Barnabas will be joined together, with All Saints Church as the sole parish church.

Statement of Public Benefit.

The members of the PCC are aware of the Charity Commission guidance on public benefit in “The Advancement of Religion for the Public Benefit” and have had regard to it in their administration of the PCC. The PCC believes that by promoting the work of the Church of England in the parish of All Saints Kenley, it provides a benefit to the public by:

providing facilities for public worship and pastoral care both for its members and for anyone who wishes to benefit from what the church can offer,
by promoting Christian values and service by members of the Church in and to their communities, to the benefit of individuals and society as a whole, and
by offering activities in the community to meet identified needs

Structure, Governance and Management.

The PCC is a corporate body established by the Church of England and operates under the Parochial Church Council Powers Measure. The PCC is a registered charity. The method of appointment of PCC members is set out in the Church Representation Rules 2020. All Church attendees are encouraged to register on the Electoral Roll and stand for election to the PCC. The PCC operates through a few committees and working groups, which meet between full meetings of the PCC.

Standing Committee: This is the only committee required by law and has consisted of the Vicar, the Self-Supporting Minister, the Churchwardens, the Treasurer, and the Secretary. It has the power to transact business of the PCC between its meetings, subject to any directions given by the Council.

The PCC this year has met regularly with a view to full participation in decision making. There have been two additional informal joint meetings of the PCC with the PCC of St Barnabas to facilitate working together and building closer relationships. The Standing Committee has had no meetings in this period, with a preference for decision making in full PCC meetings.

Kenley Memorial Hall. All Saints Church had an historic link with Kenley Memorial Hall (KMH), whereby the Vicar and two Churchwardens were the trustees of the KMH. The constitution was radically revised, and now operates under the Constitution of Kenley Memorial Hall Charitable Incorporated Organisation, registered in 2017, charity number 1173776. This gives the power to the PCC to nominate one trustee of the KMH. Additionally for the first 9 years from the inception of the new Constitution, to nominate up to three trustees if that is necessary to ensure there is a minimum of three trustees. Trustees are nominated to serve for a period of three years. Rev Elizabeth Goodridge was nominated by the PCC for a third term in June 2023, and has continued to act as Chair of the Trustees.

Registration with Charities Commission.

All PCC members are trustees of All Saints Church and are required to register and affirm that they are fit and proper persons to manage the assets of the Church, and to be trustees of a charity which provides activities for children and vulnerable adults. They are also required to complete DBS checks and undertake Safeguarding training.

Safeguarding.

The PCC has always sought to comply with the duty under S5 of the Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure 2016, (duty to have due regard to the House of Bishops' guidance on safeguarding children and vulnerable adults).

A range of activities with children and with vulnerable adults has continued. These are Junior Church, the Play Café (formerly The Hub) at the Kenley Memorial Hall, outreach to Kenley School, and Eucharistic administration in the Care Homes. A range of checks are required to ensure that those working in these activities are suitable, and that the activities are carried out in a safe way. DBS checks now need to be renewed every 3 years instead of every 5 years, and there has been a focus this year on updating DBS checks in accordance with this change. There are also required safeguarding training courses according to the volunteers’ role.

The Church of England is now planning to establish the independence of Safeguarding processes at national and diocesan level, by the creation of two independent charities funded by the C of E. One of these will be involved in scrutiny of safeguarding processes, and this may lead to greater scrutiny at the parish level of our compliance with procedures.

Activities and Achievements.

-Relationship with St Barnabas Purley.

When we returned to Church following the pandemic, it was agreed to worship jointly with St Barnabas Purley on a trial basis. This has made worship more viable and has become the established pattern, with services alternating between All Saints Church and St Barnabas Church. We have also integrated many of our organisations, such as a joint choir and joint band,

a joint Junior Church, a joint Social and Fundraising Committee, and the PCCs have met together informally to agree a joint Mission Action Plan.

For many years it has been the plan to create a United Benefice with St Barnabas, and in the meantime the benefice of All Saints was suspended when an interregnum occurred. Following the necessary consultations, the union of the benefices was made by the Church Commissioners on 5[th] June 2023, and became effective on 1[st] July 2023. At that point Rev Justine Middlemiss, formerly Priest in Charge, automatically became Vicar of All Saints and of St Barnabas. A celebration was held of this achievement at the end of June 2023, which was also the 20[th] anniversary of the priesting of Rev Justine. This achievement represented a genuine growing together of the parishes, and a lot of hard work to achieve this outcome.

On 14[th] May 2023, at a joint service, a public announcement was made of a proposal to close St Barnabas Church, and for the parishes of All Saints and St Barnabas to be joined together with All Saints as the sole parish church. This followed a thorough examination of all options by the PCC of St Barnabas. The PCC of St Barnabas has continued to be involved in the consultation processes. In January 2024 the draft proposals, having been unamended in a consultation process, were forwarded by the Bishop to the Church Commissioners to draw up a full legal text. This will again be subjected to further consultation. The role of All Saints PCC has been to recognise the difficult and painful decisions that have had to be made, to continue to support and encourage closer worship, mission and ministry together, and be supportive.

-Publicity.

Considerable thought and planning have gone into preparations for special occasions, important seasons and major festivals. This has been backed by an explicit decision to spend more time and money on advertising. This has included posters and banners, use of the noticeboards, leaflet delivery, our Facebook open page, our website with a blog, use of social media groups, Kendra magazine, and promotion by Kenley Memorial Hall. A significant increase by the public in use of our Facebook page and our website has been recorded. There have been some new attendees at Church, though not additions to the Electoral Roll.

-Worship .

Creative and innovative forms of worship have been used through the year. In the autumn, we again celebrated a season of Creationtide, with an emphasis on appreciation and also on environmental concerns. We celebrated Harvest Festival, and again held an animal blessing service, which was popular and much appreciated. We also marked Black History month in October, with an emphasis on diversity, with relevant sermons celebrating the contribution of the black community as well as their challenges and introducing a range of music from the Caribbean and black American worshipping communities. The Remembrance Day service drew the largest attendance of the year with the Uniformed organisations on parade. A service of Remembering was held at the beginning of Advent, with names remembered written on a star and placed on a Christmas tree for the duration of Advent.

A Christingle service was held for the Uniformed organisations in mid-December, and two “Crib n Christingle” services were held on Christmas Eve, with a total of approximately 150 attending, which was our biggest outreach of the year, and numbers significantly up on last year. A Candlelit Carol service was very well received, with several people invited to join the choir, and a local Councillor invited to read a lesson. This year a thorough review was made of all the Christmas services and events, with recommendations to help with planning next year.

In January, we used a series of sermons on video from Lay Ministers in the Diocese, giving talks about lay ministry. This has led to more volunteers to support Sunday services and several members have come forward to be trained as Eucharistic Administrators. During Lent, sermons focussed on answering questions people had about why we do certain things, relating to the liturgy, signs and symbols, and vestments etc., and how these related to different traditions. This was backed up with a weekly study group. On Palm Sunday, we reintroduced an evening choral service, using Last Words of Love which focusses on the Seven last words of Christ on the Cross, with Bible readings, reflections, prayers, hymns and anthems, and words of love and farewell texted from passengers on a doomed aeroplane on 9/11. This was a very powerful experience for those who attended, and a prelude to our Easter celebrations.

Camera and digital technology for home worship. On weekdays, Morning and Night Prayer are available to members of our closed Facebook group. Twice a month there is a service available on zoom on a Tuesday morning. Our main Sunday service is relayed on YouTube. This innovation initiated in the pandemic lockdown, will now become a permanent arrangement. To facilitate this a camera has now been purchased and installed at the back of the Church. This use of technology caters for those who are unable to come to the building, for those who are interested in the church and worship, and as a possible alternative to Church attendance. Significant usage is made of these facilities.
Junior church has continued to thrive and grow in number, with children from both churches meeting together each Sunday. The children regularly feed back to the congregation the creative activities which they have been enjoying.
Uniformed organisations were welcomed back after the pandemic in July 2022, and have attended the main service on Sunday on six appropriate occasions in the year, such as Mothering Sunday, the Animal Blessing service and Remembrance Day. They also had their own dedicated Christingle service.

-Lent lunches were reintroduced last year and were again held on a weekly basis. £300 was raised and given to the Bishop’s Lent appeal.

-Mission Action Plan. (MAP). This is a standing item on the PCC agenda at every meeting. The Play Café has continued to provide a lunch and play activity once a week at the Kenley Memorial Hall (KMH) for carers and toddlers during school terms with just £2 donation welcomed. This is well used and appreciated by the community. Advent calendars were given to the children attending. Coffee Chat and Craft (CCC) has continued to run once a week in All Saints Church Hall for adults in the community and has grown in numbers. The Christmas event was hugely successful. This provides important pastoral support where needed. A new venture has been a monthly Games Afternoon in the Church Hall which has attracted a number of residents of Rokewood Residential Care Home, as well as members of the community. In cooperation with KMH we have continued to support Craft sessions with volunteers during the school holidays at KMH, and held our own Family Craft event at the Church Hall during the holidays after Christmas. These have been highly valued by the community, and 57 attended the event at the Church Hall.

A Warm Hub Café was offered at the KMH running at the same time as the Play Café, offering hot soup and bread, but despite the anticipated need and considerable publicity, this was hardly used, and was finally closed. Another new venture from January 2023 was a Community Choir, Sing Out Purley , which ran at St Barnabas once a week, and was designed for involvement by the local community. This was very much enjoyed by those who attended, but was not viable to continue, given the relatively small numbers attending.

-Visits to Care Homes. A team of appointed Lay Eucharistic administrators and assistants, together with the clergy, visit care homes across the two parishes, usually monthly, and administer communion to residents who have become a significant percentage of our congregation, with well over 100 attending each month. These visits are important to the residents and much appreciated. An Advent wreath was given to each Home, and a large group of singers from both Churches visited to sing Christmas Carols, which were enjoyed by the residents. A service of Remembering of those who had died was also held for residents. Home communion is also taken to individual homes for those who currently have difficulty coming to church. As noted above, a group of residents of Rokewood residential care home have attended the monthly Games Afternoons, and thus shared directly in the Church community, with obvious enjoyment.

-Outreach to Schools.

The Church has continued to support Kenley Primary School. Ann Jones is on the Board of Governors, and volunteers read with children, providing support, and helping to develop reading skills. Ann Jones as Governor has special responsibility for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, which involves regular visits and provision of reports. In the run up to Christmas, Kenley Primary School attended the Church for their annual Christmas service, and Year 2 of Harris Academy attended a Christingle event at All Saints at their request. A visit was made to The Hayes School Reception classes, while Beaumont Year 4 attended St Barnabas Church. These events are not religious services, but Christingle is used as an opportunity to speak of the symbols of hope, love, joy, and peace, and how Christians believe Christ is the light of the world, and to tell the Christmas story. Anecdotal evidence suggested this was a powerful experience for the children. Visits were made at Easter to tell the Easter story in an accessible way.

-Eco Church.

An Eco Team has led the work on developing our status as an Eco Church. In 2020, the Church of England made an ambitious pledge to become a Net Zero Carbon organisation by 2030, and in July 2021, All Saints PCC made that pledge on behalf of All Saints Church. A Silver Eco Church award was achieved in November 2021, and we have been pursuing the goal of a Gold award. Eco tips and information have been shared on the weekly notices and on a noticeboard in the Hall. Eco products are being used in the Church. The Church grounds are being made eco-friendly, e.g. with bird feeders, compost bins and insect-friendly plants. A litter pick in Foxley Woods was held in August which was well supported by members of the Churches. The season of Creationtide was held in Church over 4 weeks. This balanced an appreciation of the gift of creation including an animal blessing service, with concern for the environment, for climate justice and the protection of endangered species. A cake sale at Harvest Festival raised money for Foxley Woods. In October a nature trail through Foxley Woods was planned but because of poor weather an indoor quiz was held instead.

In September the PCC committed to support financially the Surrey Wildlife Trust and increased our donation to £15 per month. We also agreed to support through prayer a chosen overseas charity, the Rainforest Alliance in Indonesia which provides education to help farming and existing wildlife to co-exist on the same land. These projects are to be supported for a year, and replaced our previous commitment to Foxley Woods, and Tusk.

The PCC has agreed to pursue three major projects in relation to our net zero target. The insulation of the Church Hall ceiling should significantly reduce heat loss, and quotes are being obtained for this project. A survey has been conducted by a working group, who are to meet with the Wardens with a view to drawing up a list of viable works that would improve the

insulation of the Church buildings. This would be a prelude to the possible installation of solar panels. Another working group has met to explore the option of solar panels, and the next step will be a survey by an architect. It is intended to bring proposals to the newly elected PCC to make decisions. Last year the PCC also agreed to pursue installation of a new LED lighting system, with new fittings and controls by the end of 2024. The current system is in fact obsolete and will need to be replaced. A new energy contract for our utilities has just been agreed with Octopus. Part of the reason for choice of this company was its green credentials, though it is in fact very competitive in price too.

-Social/Fundraising Committee.

The Social and Fundraising Committee run jointly with St Barnabas has worked well together and organised a full programme of events. These have included a Patronal Festival lunch at St Barnabas, a Last Night of the Proms celebration which raised over £1K, a Quiz with a profit of £673, a Breakfast with a local councillor, and a performance of the Mikado by Utopians which produced a profit of £640. Profits are split equally with St Barnabas, and have provided a useful source of income, as well as providing important social opportunities. The Committee also supported other church events requiring refreshments throughout the year.

-Hire of Church Hall.

Two years ago, following guidance from the Local Authority that we could hire out the Church Hall broadly in accordance with regulations applying to Church Halls generally, we created a system for this with our Parish Administrator acting as Hall Bookings Secretary. Over this year, there has been a further increase in the hiring out of the Hall. There are now three regular weekly hires on weekdays, and a steady stream of bookings at weekends. Generally, the arrangements are working smoothly. This has provided a significant additional source of income, as well as making good use of a resource for the local community.

-Parish Support Fund. This is the contribution which the parish makes to the Diocese according to its means, and with a view to its notional share of the costs based on our full-time minister shared with St Barnabas. For 2023, we felt able to increase our pledge for 2024 significantly from £37K to £41K. This has narrowed the gap between our giving and our notional costs of £43,500.

-Deanery Synod Lay Chair. A report on the proceedings of the Deanery Synod appears elsewhere, but it should be mentioned that our member Nicola Howe has been appointed and acted as Lay Chair of Croydon South Deanery Synod.

Financial review and Reserves policy. There was a surplus of income over expenditure during 2023 of £4,520. Overall, our income was up on last year from £81,754 to £85,650. This was largely because of a big increase in our income from hire of the Hall, and because the increase in interest rates had led to significant income from investments. These increases more than offset a decline in voluntary income owing to loss of membership. Our expenditure was also up, from £73,130 to £81,130, owing to the variability of maintenance costs, inflationary costs, and a planned increase in mission and marketing.

We planned to increase our income in 2023 by further marketing the hiring out of the Church Hall, and through a programme of social/fundraising events. These objectives have been achieved. The finances do remain under some pressure owing to the loss of members through death or moving away, and we are facing substantial costs for maintenance of the buildings and meeting our target of becoming a net zero carbon Church. Three members of the PCC have been on a Fundraising course for major projects as we face these challenges. The PCC seeks to maintain an adequate reserve to meet unexpected emergencies.

All Saints Fabric report for APCM MAY 2024

We are so fortunate & grateful to have a regular volunteer force meeting weekly, which do ongoing minor maintenance on the church building and gardens.

During the year, a huge amount has been achieved when meeting most weeks: sweeping, drain & gutter clearing, shredding, weeding, mulching, pruning, watering, composting, cleaning painting etc. The results can be clearly seen. The memorial garden is being maintained as a ‘meadow lawn’ & flower garden; there is a fox hole at the rear of the garden, holes previously dug in the turf have fortunately disappeared now the bird feeder has moved. The two new roses that replaced the earlier ones have a wonderful perfume and the cultivated border and other small gardens are beginning to look well looked after.

A faculty was obtained for a new PTZ camera: a bracket has been made up and that is now fixed on the ledge of the west window; the work is on-going, cables still need to be fixed in place so that all the South Aisle wire tangles (trip hazard) will be removed.

The urgent Fabric concern is the cleaning of the North Roof and the replacing of the rainwater system on that side also the replacement of the missing flashings on the Sth Roof, the Hall toilets and Baptistry. The roof leaks in a number of places; the dampness caused by this means that we need to have the Church heating on for three 1-2hour periods every day – mould was appearing in various places. The electrics trip in the toilet area and Baptistry, both most certainly caused by water ingression; the premature deterioration of the organ stops which needed recent attention is also caused by the dampness.

The Roof Cleaning will need the erection of extensive scaffolding, so a faculty for the proper replacement of the rainwater disposal (problems caused by present system), the removal of the foliage growth & re-pointing of the stonework will ensure that any cost of the scaffolding will be used sensibly. This will be a major works and will need the appointment of an architect.

Projected Energy Saving:

a) Reduction of Church heating: extra heating will not be needed when Church building is watertight & mould free.

b) Insulation of the Church Hall, the vestibule, the toilets & choir vestry; replacement of stage curtains or boarding the area

c) Eventual installation of solar heating with either battery storage or directly to Nat grid.

d) Possible installation of ground source heat pump to incorporate installation of correct car park soakaways.

A separate full maintenance requirement list will be posted on the notice board.

David Shepherd & Chris Preston

CROYDON SOUTH DEANERY SYNOD 2023-24

As is my usual practice, for completeness this report covers the first Synod meeting in 2024, as well as all the meetings in 2023.

It has been a stimulating year, including the start of the 2023-26 triennium.

The first meeting of 2023, and the last of the 2020-23 triennium, was held at All Saints’, Kenley on 9th February. Jack Swan, Community Organizer for Croydon Citizens, and Alex Enaharo (St Luke’s, Woodside) gave us a very challenging and thought-provoking presentation on moving on from the “charity of mercy” (ie dealing with the symptoms of problems) to the “charity of justice” (tackling their root causes). This is the distinctive theme of Citizens UK, of which Croydon Citizens is the local association. Examples were given of work in Croydon North Deanery and in mental health.

Also, in February we marked Rev Paul Roberts’ last Synod as Area Dean, with a reception kindly organized by Rev Justine Middlemiss and the All Saints’ team. Paul stood down as Area Dean at Easter, prior to retirement from full-time ministry in September. Our Lay Chair, Indrani Balachandran, also stood down at the end of the triennium. We are very grateful to Paul and Indrani for their leadership, particularly in the last few, very difficult, years.

At the first meeting of the 2023-26 triennium on 7th June at All Saints’ Sanderstead, we welcomed our newly appointed Area Dean, Rev Sue Thomas (St John’s, Old Coulsdon), and members of the House of Laity for the new triennium, particularly those joining Synod for the first time.

The first meeting of the triennium is inevitably taken up to some extent by administrative and financial matters. We elected our new Lay Chair, Nicola Howe (All Saints’, Kenley) and the other members of the Deanery Leadership Team (DLT). The DLT now comprises, besides Sue & Nicola, Rev Fiona Weaver (St Mark’s & St Swithun’s), Linda Etheridge, Kevin Wright, Treasurer (both All Saints’, Sanderstead, & St Antony’s) and Chris Babbs, Secretary (St Mary’s).

We then spent a profitable time reflecting on the previous triennium and identifying the themes on which Synod wished to concentrate over the next three years. Four themes were identified:

Justice Issues: whilst we did not think the specific “Citizens” approach really fitted our circumstances, the basic point about adding the “charity of justice” to the “charity of mercy” was valid and needed to be pursued.
Evangelism: how to talk to those we meet at an individual level.
Children & Family Work (different timing/format given the pressure on family time on Sundays).
Welcoming Church – for dementia sufferers and all other types of diversity.

We shall be following these up over the next three years.

At an open meeting on 10th October at St Mary’s we continued with the Justice theme, specifically freedom of religion & belief. We welcomed Mervyn Thomas CMG who gave an inspiring talk about his work with Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), which he and two MPs had founded in 1979, and the UK Freedom of Religion or belief Forum. In many parts of the world the freedom of conscience which we took for granted did not exist and Christians were subject to discrimination or persecution. There were four things we could do in this country to support our fellow Christians:

Pray.
Protest.
Provide support (by, for example, connecting with and encouraging those under persecution).
Proclaim – telling other people about the issue,

Within the theme of Welcoming Church on 20th February 2024 at Christ Church, we tackled the issue of Unconscious Bias. We welcomed Rt Rev Dr Rosemarie Mallett, Bishop of Croydon, who gave a very thought-provoking presentation, based on the diocesan training course. Unconscious Bias was something we all suffered from, so no judgement was involved. The issue was how to recognize it in ourselves and tackle it. Bishop Rosemarie shared practical strategies for doing this.

The remaining meetings in 2024 will be devoted to Children& Family Work & Evangelism.

Chris Babbs

Secretary, Croydon South Deanery Synod

28/2/24

PCC All Saints Kenley Financial Statements yeat ending 31 December 2023 Page I FiJ)4ncil RLVOrt RECEIvfs & PAIThIENT5 2022TIXAI FiiThJs RECEJP15 42%f, 67,208 5.1.L7 ?JJ2 I,Ip)s I11c(Mi f¢LJm Itti-¢tJTLctrS 8JJfjl 6?>0?O 81.751 PAYMENTS 9,J88 43,814 2l,i80 6,07¥ Bl,W4 71130 14,86il J6,iOb 646 3,810 73.946 57,441 fA61 65.5L45 alArK¢5 ¢1fJl Dr(rmtr 77,79Z 73.916 BALAN'CF. SHF.F.'r 3l.12.23 20LI 2022 75,916 ¢pnweJ>EedbJ' General Fynd-uhIr%trIed - 4uOl Dc&tea Funds I_T6 10.575 ft¢AlriCd Furtds 1.7iJl ,791 7J.94 Ic. Signed A. E. Gostick Treasurer J.MiddlemtS5 Priest in Charge

PCC All Saints Kenley Financial Statements halfyear ending 31.12.23 Paxe 2 Noie8 io the Fin4ncil 5¢atemenis Desi#tbaiid / 2023 Total Fund Re8lrictcd Fund$ Funds 2022 Totjl Fund Notc l. Roccipt 42.724 11.979 1,7 2,8?1 7,954 1.7 ?,984 6.34? 62.922 4,286 67208 71?55 t,4Q 2,812 1520 5J32 5,332 9,900 4.(H3 9,WV 9,900 4.043 IK_.J OrherOnliK#jJ"li£wMe 1.09) 1.09> 1095 598 2,115 2,Ili 81.364 4286 85,650 81.754 4.'1'hi% m'thiiili m()nL'y dr>1¢. iw IIIL CimXfLxariixi% f()r th¢. Kell11 5 ILVIll51pr¢&<¢.l)t

PCC All Saints Kenley Financlal Statements year ending 31.12.23 PAge 3 De%kgttaied 1 2021 Ti>tal Geneial Furtd Rcstriaed FuJ]d4 Fiinds 2022 Total Fundg 346 6.739 7,OB 2.103 9.188 4.806 2,449 6,739 6.381 -'l&l Dire6711 RtlaiA¢ro Il"w* rfClJNrr &. ShllrLd (Iffir¢ In()ti 51 4.1138 4,838 J.968 078 6.078 To¢81 72.653 9,151 82.10> 73,150 N()t¢$:

PCC All Saints Kenley Financial Statements year endAng 31.12.23 Income and Expcndiivre by Re8tiiettd De$i%naiLd Funds DESIGNATED FLNDS Chiirlh Buildi Fabric Fund (Designagcdl 8.61? l.uiid l.atnLJ I'VI1d 9,61Z Choif IDc%ignaiedl l.und 1.063 Vicwr'8 Djscfeilonry Fund IDesign*tedl 67 17SO ttan5fLr frnm liiiid 216 ?.0.3.3 Or Fund (Desinated i.wo 688 F.XPLiiJinirt'

PCC All Saints Kenley Financial Statements year ending 31.12.23 P**e 5 Incom< Exp¢nditurt by RcBttictcd and Des]4¢td Ful6 RESTRICTED FIINDS Ha)e6 Church IRcstricicd) 538 ¢Jt71¢ tnisNI{>n 4.706 L613 KeJ]Icy Memoriil Hall'cakes and Company" Qie6tiictedl 1.758 1.500 Summary

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