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2025-12-31-accounts

Parish Church of St. John the Evangelist, Farsley

Annual Parochial Church Meeting May 17th 2026

PARISH CHURCH OF ST JOHN THE EVANGELIST, FARSLEY ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING – May 17[th] 2026

Agenda Election of Churchwardens

Agenda Annual Parochial Church Meeting

  1. Opening prayer

  2. Appointment of Clerk

  3. Minutes (circulated)

  4. Electoral Roll

  5. Annual Report 2025-2026

  6. Minutes (circulated)

  7. Fabric, Goods and Ornaments Report

  8. Election of Churchwardens

Church Council Attendance Meetings 2025-26

11 Monthly meetings were held

Revd. N. Poole 11 Mrs. V. Bergin D 9 (2024) Mr. H. Bradley R 1 (2024) Ms L. Gibbens S 10 (2023) Mrs. C. Glover D 10 (2024) Mrs. J. Mason 9 (2024) Mrs E. Sheller C 9 Ex-off Mrs B. Tuke 9 (2024) Mr. J. Webster C 9 Ex-off Mrs J. Whitaker 10 (2023) Mr. J. Walker V 9

*First 3-year term.

**Second 3-year term

C = Churchwarden

D = Deanery Representative

S = PCC Secretary

R = Resigned

  1. Audited Accounts for 2025-2026 Election of Auditor

  2. Reports from Church Committees and Groups: ABC Church Baby and Toddler Group The Church Choir Churches Together in Farsley and Rodley Deanery Synod Farsley Bereavement Support Group Online Worship Parish Office Parish Safeguarding / DBS Prayer Group Small Groups Sunday School Sunflower Memory Café

Appendix – Associated Reports: Friends of St. John’s

  1. Elections

  2. i Representatives of Laity (PCC)

  3. ii. Deanery Synod

  4. Chairman’s remarks

V = Volunteer

  1. Questions and matters of parochial and general church interest.

  2. Closing Prayer

2

PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL

Church of St John The Evangelist, Farsley.

Minutes of the meeting of parishioners held on Sunday 27[th] April 2025 at 12 noon Meeting to elect churchwardens.

  1. Nathanael opened the meeting with a prayer.

  2. The minutes from the last meeting were approved. Alan Saxton proposed that Lesley Gibbens would take the notes for the meeting and Eileen Sheller seconded. All in favour.

  3. Nominations for churchwarden:

  4. Eileen Sheller and James Webster, both being duly proposed and seconded: were elected unopposed.

Nathanael prayed for them, their work alongside him and the PCC and the future life of St. John’s.

Minutes of the APCM held on Sunday 27th April 2025 at 12.10 p.m.

1. The minutes of last year’s APCM were approved as an accurate record of events.

2. Electoral roll: The number on roll has risen by one from last year. Alan explained that this is more complicated than simply the addition of one person. The Electoral Roll has been completely revised this year, so there have been multiple names removed and added with a final figure of 62.

3. Annual Report: Q: Why is there no report from Toddlers and Children?

A: As explained in the churchwardens’ report, the group was inactive for a while but is now flourishing again under new leadership. A report will be provided for next year’s APCM.

Nathanael thanked Alan for taking on Treasurer’s responsibilities and both churchwardens for their leadership and hard work during challenging times. He also thanked the PCC for their persistence in ensuring the accounts were signed off in time for the APCM. Thanks to Malcolm Rushworth for helping us out.

4. Fabric, Goods and Ornaments Report: Many thanks to Friends for their generous contribution towards mending the clock. It seems to be working at the moment but also needs refurbishing, so a decision will need to be made soon on how best to proceed.

There are problems with the safety of the churchyard wall and the council has given us notice to address this. A tree, the roots of which are doing the damage, is scheduled to be removed. We hope the Liberal Club will contribute toward the costs.

Everything else is ongoing.

Baby and Toddler group did stop temporarily but has restarted, thanks to the efforts of the new group or leaders.

Youth Group also stopped when Gareth left but we hope some new youth provision will be launched soon. There will be more to learn from Nathanael’s ‘100-day vision’.

5. Finance : For a fifth consecutive year the full share has not been paid. A total of £38,000 out of the £55,000 due has been submitted. We intend to address this in the coming year, as a priority. The share pays for the incumbent, the vicarage and everything we need from the Diocese to keep going forward. Prior to COVID, we did pay our share, in full, annually. We need to get back to this.

We have recently had the Quinqennial inspection but we are waiting for the report, so some money has been kept in reserve for any repairs or other issues, which this might highlight.

The donation received last year from the Woodhall Trust is in restricted funds because the money is given specifically for work with children and young people.

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Thanks were expressed to Alan and his daughter-in-law for preparing the accounts and to Malcolm Rushworth for kindly agreeing to examine and sign them off.

The independent examiner and the finances were approved, proposed by Lesley and seconded by Jenny, all in favour.

The election of an independent examiner for next year was deferred until we can find someone willing to undertake this.

6. Groups: All the usual groups are included in the report, apart from Toddlers and Children, as previously mentioned and we are pleased to include the report from the Deanery Synod representatives, this year. Many thanks to all those, who are responsible for and have submitted reports.

7. Elections: There were no nominations for election to the PCC. There are three vacant seats, which might be filled as the year progresses.

Val Bergin and Christine Glover will continue as Deanery Synod representatives.

Huge thanks to Alan, who, after a challenging time as both churchwarden and member of the PCC, will step down, after the Archdeacon’s visitation.

8. Chairman’s remarks : Nathanael talked about the great first three months he has experienced. He has felt welcomed and supported and has made a good start in getting to know the church and the village, due in no small part to the poster of the new vicar on the banner outside! He will have a lot of ideas for the future to share after his first hundred days. He specified priorities around children’s work - we have quite a few children, who attend regularly and we need to do our best to meet their needs; developing the musical aspect of worship and addressing financial issues, particularly how we can work towards paying the full share, so that it is a fair reflection of what we could pay as a Parish and will put us on a firm footing with the Diocese.

9. Matters of general parochial interest arising:

10. Thanks to Lesley for taking the minutes.

The meeting ended with the Grace at 12.53 p.m.

The next PCC meeting is on Monday 12[th] May at 7.30 p.m in the Lounge.

Signed_______ Date: 17.05.26

.

4

FABRIC, GOODS AND ORNAMENTS

2025 has been a busy year for repairs with several major projects, both in terms of size and cost, which needed to be completed. We also received our latest Quinquennial Inspection report, which highlighted some urgent matters requiring immediate attention, along with other items to be addressed within the five year period of the inspection cycle. It has also highlighted the need to review our regular programme of building inspections and maintenance.

Churchyard and Grounds

One of our largest projects during 2025 was the removal of a dead tree close to the graveyard wall on Old Road and the demolition and rebuilding of part of the perimeter wall. The tree was not subject to a preservation order and was also not a native species and it was decided that the tree would not be replaced. Other minor maintenance work included filling in a hole in the church car park and repainting parking spaces.

Leeds City Council’s parks and cemeteries team continues to cut the grass when necessary. A gardener cares for the memorial garden and we are indebted to the Friends of St John’s for their time making the church grounds look tidy, colourful and welcoming.

It has become apparent that despite our belief that the church graveyard was officially ‘closed’, with maintenance requirements passed to the city council several decades ago, no records of this exist, either at church or at the council offices. We are therefore working on the necessary paperwork to declare the graveyard closed.

Church

Maintenance

The largest maintenance project for the church was repairing the clock mechanism, which had been faulty for some time. The clock was frequently stopping and for several months it was not possible to get it restarted. Not only is this an important feature of the church, it is also a high profile and beloved landmark for the wider village of Farsley and we are pleased that the installation of a new auto-wind mechanism has made sure the clock now operates more consistently.

The floor in the Changing Places toilet has been deteriorating for some time with the surface becoming more uneven. During 2025, we began investigation work alongside the church architect and the contractor who installed the toilet around 10 years ago, with dates expected in the new year to begin repairs.

Other maintenance during 2025 included:

We are also aware that the church boiler is reaching the end of its life and options for replacement will need to be considered at some point.

We would like to place on record our significant thanks to Ray Sheller for his support, advice and expertise on several major maintenance projects during the year. He gives up a significant amount of time to help and we are very grateful to him for that. We are also extremely grateful for the support of

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Terry Whitaker and other volunteers from the Friends of St John’s, who are always keen to help with maintenance tasks within church.

During the year we also had two cleaning days and appreciate the efforts of everyone who gave up their time to keep the church fixtures and fittings in good order. We are in the process of reviewing our regular church cleaning contract.

Service Inspections

The fire extinguishers, gas installation certificates and electrical testing are all kept up to date. We have also set up new regular contracts for the testing of the Changing Places hoist, solar panels and lightning conductor.

Church Hall and Offices

Maintenance

For several years, there has been a leak from above the church hall roof and several attempted repairs have failed to fix it. At the end of 2025, a new contractor believed he had found the source of the leak and was arranging a date to carry out repairs early in the new year, which we hope will finally fix this problem.

Other maintenance during 2025 has included:

We are also aware that the church hall boiler is reaching the end of its life and may need replacing before the church boiler.

We have started work tidying out the Parish Office to make it a nicer and more welcoming space for people visiting the church and for those who regularly use it. Both the office and meeting room are looking particularly tired and would benefit from more maintenance when time and funds allow. The meeting room and the church hall remain well used by MHA and community groups and we are keen to continue improving the facilities for those who regularly use them.

Service Inspections

The fire extinguishers, gas installation certificates and electrical testing are all kept up to date.

Old Vicarage Flat

Maintenance

There has been no need to carry out any major maintenance on the Old Vicarage flat during 2025 but minor work has included:

The flat continues to be let and we consider ourselves fortunate to have had the same tenant, for several years, who enjoys living there.

Service Inspections

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The fire extinguishers, gas installation certificates and electrical testing are all kept up to date.

As church wardens, our priorities for maintenance through 2026 are to address the issues with the Changing Places toilet floor and the leak to the church hall roof, before moving on to other urgent items listed in the Quinquennial Inspection Report, including addressing concerns over the floor in the entrance porch and flaking plaster in the main nave of the church.

We have started work on planning improvements to the church garden to provide better recreation space in the area around the side of the church hall. We are also considering redecoration to the church porch to provide a warmer welcome as people arrive in church.

We are grateful for the support we have received throughout the year, especially from Nathanael in his first year as vicar with us, as well as from our former church warden Alan Saxton, who continues to be an invaluable help, and the members of the PCC, who offer ideas and support.

Eileen Sheller and James Webster - Church Wardens

April 2026

THE PARISH CHURCH OF ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST, FARSLEY

Annual Report of the Parochial Church Council for the year 2025-2026

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Administrative information

St. John’s is situated at the junction of Town Street and New Street. The correspondence address is: The Parish Office, The Old Vicarage, New Street, Farsley, Pudsey. LS28 5DJ.

The Parochial Church Council (PCC) is a charity excepted from registration with the Charity Commission. (1185811)

PCC members who have served from April 2025 until the date this report was approved are:

Incumbent: The Revd. Nathanael Poole

Churchwardens: Mrs. E. Sheller (2024); Mr. J. Webster (2025)

Elected members:

Miss L. Gibbens - Secretary (2023) Mr. A. Aedy (2023) Resigned 2025 Mrs V. Bergin (2024) Mr. H. Bradley (2024) Resigned 2026 Mrs. C. Glover (2024) Mrs. J. Mason (2024) Mrs. B. Tuke (2024) Mrs J. Whitaker (2023)*

= first 3-year term *= second 3-year term

Volunteers:

Mr. J.Walker – Treasurer (volunteer from April 2025)

Bankers: HSBC, Internet Banking

Legal Adviser: Peter Foskett, Lupton Fawcett Denison Till, Yorkshire House, East Parade, Leeds, West Yorkshire. LS1 5BD.

Independent Examiner: Malcolm Rushworth, 75 Coal Hill Lane, LS13 1DD

Structure, governance and management

The method of appointment of PCC members is set out in the Church Representation Rules. All Church attendees are encouraged to register on the Electoral Roll and to stand for election to the PCC. Elected members may serve up to two consecutive terms of 3 years, prior to standing down for at least 1 year, before they may stand for re-election. The intention is to provide both continuity and a range of experience to create a fully active committee. In order to carry out its aims and objectives, the PCC operates through a number of smaller groups, which meet, when required, between full PCC meetings.

Objectives and activities

The Revd. Nathanael Poole has been Priest-in-Charge of St. John's since February, 2025. The PCC

8

has the responsibility of co-operating with the incumbent in promoting the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelical, social and ecumenical. (The PCC Powers Measure 1956). Together we are working to develop our objectives in proclaiming the Gospel and serving God, within the Church and the community.

During the past year, the PCC has continued to work to develop and refine the strategies by which our objectives may be achieved. Areas identified as priorities, including safeguarding, church growth, outreach, pastoral care, care, maintenance and development of the church building, ecological issues, community links, and generosity in serving the local and wider community, have been further explored in PCC meetings, each month.

Achievements and performance

During April 2025, a full revision of the church electoral roll was completed, realising a total of 62 members. This year, the number of parishioners on the roll is 65, which is an increase of three on last year’s total. The average attendance at the main Sunday morning service is 46 adults and 8 children, a number which increases at festivals and baptisms.

Alan Saxton – Electoral Roll Officer

Review of the Year

There have been eleven full PCC meetings since the last APCM, with The Revd. Nathanael Poole

9

chairing all of them. The churchwardens have met regularly with Nathanael, throughout this time, to deal with a variety of church-related issues and keep things running smoothly on a day-to-day basis, with invaluable support from Helen Whitaker, our Parish Office Administrator,

We continue to care for, maintain and develop the church, church hall and flat, as detailed in the Fabric Report. The support of volunteers and the Friends of St. John’s, both practical and financial, remains vital in enabling this work to take place. Without their time, efforts and generosity, we would struggle to undertake substantial projects, such as renovating the clock. We are very grateful and we thank them all for everything they do to help us.

It has been a great pleasure to welcome Nathanael and his family to St. John’s and to work with him, as he establishes his ministry in Farsley. He has been extremely active in getting to know church members and the wider community, building and strengthening links between the church and the village. Public ashing was one of his first local outreaches on Ash Wednesday 2025, which certainly engaged those whom he encountered! These flourishing links were evident at the Carols by Candlelight Service, where many of the lessons were read by community members and new visitors welcomed to a very well-attended and successful evening.

Congregation numbers are consistent, week-by-week, and particularly strong at ‘special’ events and services. Under Nathanael’s guidance, we have celebrated the full season of Lent and Easter, complete with Sunrise Service; Pentecost, Harvest festival, Remembrance service, the Advent season and the richness of Christmas worship, including Christingles, Carols by Candlelight, carol singing in the village and beyond, as well as all the significant Christmas services. Engagement with local primary schools, in the run up to Christmas, resulted in the gift of several hundred handdecorated, wooden baubles from them. They brightened up the church and enabled us to include the children’s wishes and prayers, which were written on them, into our worship. We have delivered an Alpha course, celebrated confirmations and offered baptism to infants and to adults, including full immersion! Small study and fellowship groups recommenced in September, as did ABC church

We also continue Friday coffee mornings with a regular prayer opportunity, the Bereavement group, Sunflower Memory Café, the Farmers’ Market café, the quiz evenings and other social events, to which we welcome everyone. Many thanks to all the volunteers who ensure that these events can run effectively and invitingly.

We have a strong PCC team and willing volunteers and we want to build on the progress we have made to support Nathanael in achieving his vision and plans for the future of our church. Can you offer time or gifts that will help St. John’s and its work to thrive? Whether it is attending an extra service, joining or offering some help with groups and activities or taking on a PCC role, please ask yourself, prayerfully, if there is anything you could do.

Thanks to Nathanael, to Eileen and James, our churchwardens, and to all our PCC members, for their work. Thank-you once again, on behalf of the PCC, to all those who work for the good of St. John’s. We appreciate the contribution of everyone who helps to ensure that our worship and fellowship is well-maintained, thriving and offers a strong and welcoming spiritual centre to the community. It’s exciting to belong to a church which feels so lively and full of opportunity!

Lesley Gibbens – PCC Secretary

Financial Review 2025

The financial statements reflect a return to growth in collections at services and in regular and one-off

10

giving, from £26,400 to £34,600, 30% increase. It is widely known that church finances tend to decline during inter-regna, but an additional reason for the increase in 2025 has been a sustained growth in use of card machines and the Parish Giving Scheme, both following efforts made in 2024, and ongoing.

Receipts from church activities also increased in 2025, from £38,500 to £44,000, 14 per cent. This income includes receipts from coffee mornings and efforts, hall, office and flat letting and from wedding and funeral fees.

Despite these results, we were unable to pay our full share; we paid £44,000 of the requested £61,000. The share request is largely to cover the cost of parish clergy salaries, pension, housing and training throughout the diocese. The PCC is mindful that we have a full-time priest and it endeavours to pay the request in full. Note: the financial statements show an additional £18,000 share was paid, but this was money designated in 2024 for the 2024 share request, and was carried forward for payment in 2025. The share request for 2026 is £58,000 and the PCC intends to pay it in full.

Two major repairs to fabric were made during the year, the turret clock and the north west corner of the boundary wall. Costs incurred were £7,200 and £10,000 respectively. We were greatly assisted by a £5,500 contribution from The Friends of St John’s towards the clock repairs and by a £3,000 donation towards the wall. Other unforeseen, significant repairs were needed on the lightning protection system and the church heating radiators.

Money is important. In 2025, almost £108,000 was spent to provide Christian Ministry from St John’s and Rodley. Our expenditure continues to rise but, thankfully, our income is growing at a faster rate and we have confidence that it will continue to do so.

Thanks to all who are making this happen through generosity of time and money. Thanks also to those who count the collections and refreshments receipts every week, and to others who bank it, analyse the money given by card, read the energy meters, obtain solar panels feed-in tariff refunds and obtain tax refunds on the gift aided donations received.

Reserves policy

For some years, the PCC’s policy on reserves has been to have at least £1,500 of unrestricted money at every month end, held in the current account. All too often, it proves difficult to comply with. We do not have other unrestricted reserves and we do not have an agreed overdraft facility. The PCC has resolved to increase the month-end unrestricted reserve to at least £4,000 from January 2026.

John Walker – PCC Treasurer

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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR YEAR ENDED 31[ST] DECEMBER 2025

Notes

  1. The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the Church Accounting regulations 2006 using the Receipts

and Payments basis

  1. All cash funds are with the HSBC bank in either the Charitable account (current account) or one of three Bank

Money Manager The BMM accounts are for restricted funds, one each for Children (BMM) accounts. and Youth, Fabric, and Other restricted funds

They earn interest.

  1. All investments are in CCLA Church of England investment fund shares.

  2. The Zoning fund is a grant from the Co-Op for spending to enable different zones within the church to be used by different groups at the same time.

STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES: 31[ST] DECEMBER 2025

Cash Funds(all with
HSBC)
Current Account
Cash in Hand
Children and Youth:
deposit account
Fabric: deposit account
Other Restricted funds:
deposit account
Investment Assets
187.27 CIF Shares
(Split)		 Unrestric
ted
Funds
Designat
ed
Funds
Total
unrestricted
funds
Restricte
d
Funds
TOTAL
2025
TOTAL
2024
1,624
-
1,624
-
1,
624
49,
298
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
26,144
26,
144
3,
434
-
-
-
50
50
3,
244
-
-
-
5,
708
5,
708
4,
976
1,
624
- 1,624
31,
902
33,
526
60,
952
-
-
-
4,
157
4,
157
4,
233

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202.00 CIF Shares
(Common Fabric Fund)
Farsley IP (CCLA)
Farsely Stevenson
(CCLA - 604093003D)
Farsley Sunday School
(CCLA - 604093004D)
Farsley Youth Account
(CCLA - 604093005D)
Debtors
Liabilities
Creditors
Other Assets
Church Hall Insurance
Value
Church Insurance
Value		 -
-
-
4,
480
4,
480
4,
566
665
- 665
-
665
665
-
-
-
520
520
520
-
-
-
1,
317
1,
317
1,
317
-
-
-
2,
009
2,
009
2,
009
665
- 665
12,
483
13,
149
13,
310
-
-
-
-
-
2,
988
-
-
-
-
-
18,
313
4,000,
000
3,330,
000
14,000,
000
13,300,
000
18,000,
000
16,630,
000

RECEIPTS & PAYMENTS ACCOUNT; CHARITABLE ACCOUNT (CURRENT)

Unrestricte
d
Funds		 Designated
Funds		 Restricted
Funds		 TOTAL
2025		 TOTAL
2024
RECEIPTS
Voluntary Receipts
Planned Giving 21,553 -
-		 21,553 20,984
Collections at Services and one-of 11,945 -
-		 11,945 5,432
Paid by card 1,113 -
-		 1,113
All other voluntary giving/donations - 29,790
Friends of St John's for Church fabric 5,500 5,500
Donation towards wall repairs 3,000 3,000
Rodley church, towards Share 3,860 3,860
Gift Aid Recovered 6,097 -
-		 6,097 6,631
Grants, LPWGS 1,196 - 1,196 -
Legacies - - - -
Total voluntary giving 41,904 - 12,360 54,264 62,837
Activities for Generating Funds 6623
Fundraising (events and tea/cofee) 3,317 -
-		 3,317

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Paid by card
Interest and Income from Investments
Investments
Bank interest
Church Activities
Occasional Ofce Fees retained
Trading (hall and fat rent)
Feed-in tarif and refunds
Total Receipts
PAYMENTS
Church Activities
Mission and Evangelism
Giving for Charity Work
Diocesan Parish Contribution 2025
Diocesan Parish Contribution 2024
Clergy & Stafng Costs
Church Expenses
Church Running Expenses
Church Ulitity Costs
Cost of Trading
Major Capital Expenditure
Major repairs to church and hall
Cost of generating funds
Total Payments
Surplus/(defcit)		 2,132
-
-
2,132
201
-
131
332
-
-
599
599
745
-
1,866
-
-
1,866
2,351
31,342
-
-
31,342
26,947
4,363
-
-
4,363
2,147
85,125
-
13,090
98,215
101,650
541
-
1,804
2,345
-
-
839
839
40,140
-
3,860
44,000
-
18,000
-
18,000
20,000
6,340
-
-
6,340
12,209
13,113
-
-
13,113
19,098
4,335
-
-
4,335
16,117
-
-
16,117
10,612
9,805
-
8,500
18,305
2,364
-
-
2,364
92,755
18,000
15,003
125,758
61,919
- 7,630
- 18,000
- 1,913
- 27,543
**39,731 **
Cash at Bank 1st January 2025
Cash at Bank 31st Decmber 2025		 Current
Account
Deposit
Acs
All
Investm'nt
s
31,298
18,000
11,654
60,952
13,310
1,624
-
31,902
33,526
13,149

RECEIPTS & PAYMENTS: BMM RESTRICTED ACCOUNTS 2025

CHILDREN & YOUTH: RESTRICTED

Receipts

Bank Interest
306
Interest on Investments
0
Transferred into Children and Youth Account from Current Account
26254
Total Receipts
Payments
Toddlers group storage
108
26560

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ABC Church: setting up and ongoing
689
Easter and Christmas events, donkeys/ drama/ books
552
ABC materials
551
Year support for uniformed groups use of hall
1950
Total Payments
Surplus
Opening balance 01/01/2025
Closing balance 31/12/2025
Movement in funds restricted for Children and Youth: 2025
FABRIC: RESTRICTED
Receipts
Bank Interest
51
Interest on Investments
131
Transferred into Fabric Account from Current Account
5500
Total Receipts
Payments
Removal of small tree in graveyard
504
Repairs to the Turret Clock
6753
Lightning conductor repair
820
Maintenance items church, hall and fat
798
Total Payments
Surplus
Opening balance 01/01/2025
Closing balance 31/12/2025
Movement in funds restricted for Fabric: 2025
OTHER RESTRICTED: Church heating fund and Zoning fund
Receipts
Bank Interest
242
Interest on Investments
0
Transferred in from Current Account
21202
Total Receipts
Payments
Maintenance and repair church heating system
958
Transfer to Fabric
4500
Transfer to Children and Youth
15254
Total Payments
Surplus (Defcit)
Opening balance 01/01/2025
Church heating
Zoning
Closing balance 31/12/2025
Church heating
Zoning
Movement in funds restricted for Other Restricted Use: 2025
All Restricted Accounts: Opening balance 01/01/2025
All Restricted Accounts: Closing balance 31/12/2025		 3850
22710
3434
26144
22710
.
5682
.
504
6753
820
798
8875
-3193
3244
50
-3194
21444
20713
732
4976
3346
1630
5708
3998
1710
732
11654
31902

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Independent examiner's report I report lo the tr￿lee$ on my ex4mNiath)n of the KO￿nts of The Parothkgl Churth Councll of the Ecclesiastrcal Parish of St John the Evangelrt Fars Ichanty no 1185811) rthe Trusfi tr the year erthd 31 2024. RMpoMlbll#l•• and b••l• of Y•port A5 tho ¢harity's trustees. you rnSP)nsib￿ for the weparatK)n of the Kmints in accorda￿ wth the requiromnts ofthè ch¥ft￿ Act 2011 I report in rW of my examinalion ofthe Trust's ar￿Unts carrigd uNJ8r $￿tIOn 145 of Ihe 2011 Act and in carrying ￿t examination, I have followed all the applleable DirectKJns given by the Ch8nty comm￿s￿n under Sect¥￿ 1451Sllbl of the Act. Ind•p•nd•nt •xamln•e¥ •t•t•m I have completed my examinakn. I confimi that no matenal matter8 have come to my attentson in connectson wrth the 8xaminalk)n ¥thKh 9i¥es me rauae to bel￿¢ Ih8t. in wy the accountsrwJ re¢￿d8 wèrts ￿t kept in ￿)rdarte wlth 130 of the Chaflt1&8 the xcounts not ￿e0rd wtth the acc¢)unting records.. or the acC￿nts ¢Jkl not (x)mply th• applica￿e rwuirements oJnc•ming the fom and eonknt of xcounts sel oul in the Charit￿ IA(x4wnts and Reports) Regulat￿n5 2008 other than any requirerrnl that the accounts give a'true and faiv wh is not a m8tt8r consthred 0$ part of an KKp8ThJent examinati￿. examinab.on lo whith attenlwjn slthld b8 drawn in th16 rep)rt in Nder to enable a proper urKlerslanding of the aCC￿nts to be ￿￿had. Syned. Addfe88'. 75 Coal Hill Lane. RtsJ*. L6ed8, LS13 1DD. Date.. 0410￿26 17

REPORTS FROM CHURCH COMMITTEES AND GROUPS

ABC Church

ABC Church recommenced in September, offering the opportunity for parents and carers to bring babies and toddlers to church every Sunday morning, between the 8.30 and 10.30 services, for half an hour of Christian stories, craft activities, music and fellowship. Refreshments, with toast, are served at the end of each session. The group is lively and thriving, with weekly attendance frequently in double figures. Children continue to attend after their baptism and some also attend the Toddlers’ group on Tuesday mornings, demonstrating an effective continuity and crossover between church-led groups. There are no plans to change the content or delivery but some integration with Sunday School would be a goal, going forwards. We are extremely grateful to the volunteers, who help us. Particular thanks to the weekly tea teams and Jo Love and all those who contribute to the success of the group.

Bev Tuke – ABC Church Leader

Baby and Toddler Group

The group runs weekly in local term time, from 10.00 – 11.30 a.m. and our aim is to reach out to families and people with young children, building relationships and sharing the Gospel. The sessions are relaxed with freestyle play then song time at the end, with a mixture of nursery rhymes and bible songs. It is an outreach group with a Christian element, concluding with a prayer and a blessing. We ask for a voluntary contribution of £1.00 towards refreshments, which are available throughout the session. There are between twenty-five and thirty adults with their children, and new people come every week. We try to ensure that we speak to everyone, particularly anyone who is new. We are nearly at full capacity for the hall, so we may need to look at options for the future. We are very grateful for the volunteers who set up and serve refreshments every week. The encouraging feedback is that we offer a friendly, welcoming and relaxed group.

Janine Hudson – Baby and Toddler Group Leader

The Church Choir and Music Group

Our small choir continues to number just five members and attendance has fluctuated this year, due to ill-health. However, as I write this report, we are up to full capacity and continue to lead the 10.30am services with enthusiasm. We are always happy hear from anyone who would like to join us. It would be great to have an even stronger choir going into the future.

Our annual service of Carols by Candlelight in December was, once again, a great success, with 22 choir members, including Phil as our organist / bass singer. The service was well attended, as always, and the choir gave an excellent performance. My thanks, as always, go to Phil and all the choir members, including those who joined us to augment the sound. Their attendance is always appreciated. The choir is always ready to sing for funerals and weddings, when their attendance is requested, and we also attend at Claremont nursing home for a monthly, short, afternoon service with hymn-singing.

We have still not managed to host any Evensong services this year, but did join our friends in

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Calverley, once again for an Advent Evensong service, which was thoroughly enjoyed by all who were able to attend. It’s always nice to sing for our supper and the warm mince pies and mulled wine go down a treat on a cold evening. Once again, my thanks go to Jonathan Lacey, organist at St Wilfred’s, for inviting us. We look forward to our next visit.

Our monthly music group services (on the third Sunday of each month) are rather sporadic, due to other commitments, but when we can manage to get together, the music is always much appreciated by the congregation. We have clarinets, trumpet, guitar, piano, accordion and egg shakers but would welcome any input from aspiring musicians and singers. I think we prove that one doesn’t have to be note perfect to make a joyful noise unto the Lord! Sometimes it’s our unintentional mistakes that make the performances more fun, such as when I start playing in the wrong key and no one joins in! My thanks, as always, to Nathanael, for choosing most of the music for the services and being very patient when I change them around.

We now have a more diverse service arrangement in that Rebekah plays the organ for services on the second week of the month and Joel plays the piano on the fourth week, which enables me to enjoy singing in the choir or sitting in the congregation on those days, for which I am truly grateful. We would still love to invite anyone with a musical instrument (voices included) who could give us just an hour a month to help us to continue making exciting music at St John’s.

Eileen Sheller – Organist and Choir Leader

Churches Together in Farsley and Rodley

We have joined together for several services / events during the past year. These included our AGM in January, our joint Lent Course, various services during Holy Week and Easter and the wreathlaying at the Cenotaph. We had a great attendance at our August united event in the car park of St. John’s church. There was a good deal of interest from passers-by, who came and joined us in our singing. The seating was arranged in a semi-circle, which made everyone feel included. We had no presence at the Farsley Festival again, but are hopeful that this will change this year. Mary and Joseph processed with the parade at the Farsley Lights switch-on but we feel more could be made of this next time. All our Christmas services were well-attended, thanks to the handing out of leaflets during the switch-on.

Janet Whitaker – Churches Together in Farsley and Rodley Secretary

Deanery Synod

Two meetings were attended in 2025, at St. George’s Church in March and in September at Christchurch, Armley.

The focus of the first meeting was the conflict in Sudan, outlining its history, geography and background, followed by some passionate accounts of personal experience. There was also a video of Archbishop Ezekiel, from his church in Sudan, appealing for our continued Parish support and aid. The session concluded with a discussion of the relevance of Psalm 46 to the situation in Sudan and with prayer.

At the meeting in September, topics covered included the work of The Mothers’ Union, in tackling poverty and domestic abuse; safe methods of money transfer to Malawi; the process by which a new bishop of Leeds will be chosen in Autumn, 2026; Parish Share and the budget deficit, which will

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ultimately mean the loss of clergy, if not remedied and, finally, Bishop Arun shared his experience of anti-racist protest at the Windmill Hotel in Seacroft, which is being used for migrant housing. He was optimistic that mediation, discussion and other initiatives will result in a fair and just outcome of the issue. As always, the meeting ended in prayer

Christine Glover and Val Bergin - Deanery Synod representatives.

Farsley Bereavement Support Group

The Bereavement Support Group meets every fourth Friday of the month at St. John’s Church Hall, between 11.00 a.m. and 12 noon, in the Lounge. The Farsley Bereavement Support Group is a safe and supportive space to talk for those who have lost a loved one recently or for whom more time has passed but support is still needed.

Lorna Sykes – Bereavement Support Group

Online Worship

We continue to produce weekly services of Online Worship, which are available for people to watch at home. These largely serve two groups of people. Regular worshippers who are unable to attend church are able to watch the service at a time of their own choosing, so they feel less like they have missed out on a weekly service. We also know that watching some recorded services acts as a good introduction to church for some people who are looking for a new church and would like to sample somewhere they later decide to attend in person.

Our weekly services are usually between 15 and 20 minutes in duration and include a welcome, a short prayer, one of that week’s bible readings, a sermon (often very similar to the sermon preached that week in church), a worship song and a blessing.

During 2025 we shared 57 services of Online Worship, which included weekly services as well as a series of extra reflections for Holy Week. The services are shared on the St John’s website, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram and during 2025, we also started to upload an audio version as a podcast, which is available via Spotify, Apple Music and other streaming platforms.

Estimating the number of ‘viewers’ is not an exact science because it is not always possible to know how long each ‘view’ lasted (i.e. how much of an online service was watched). Our biggest two platforms are YouTube and Facebook, where it is better to look at the total amount of content watched during the year.

YouTube

During 2025 our number of subscribers on YouTube increased from 71 to 98. Our content had 3600 views (an increase of 83% on 2024) and was watched for a total of 259 hours in 2025 compared to 147 hours in 2024. (An increase of 74%).

Facebook

We have a total of 1096 followers on our Facebook page. This increased by 98 during 2025. Our videos had a total of 20,200 views and were watched for a total of 3 days (a 552% increase in 2024).

James Webster - Churchwarden

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Parish Office

The office has been busy with bookings for the hall: parties, groups, particularly MHA, and charities make regular and extensive use of the facilities. I have been invoicing and keeping track of getting payments for all the hall bookings. Various repairs have been undertaken in the hall, including the new hot water system in the ladies toilet. The notice sheet is printed each week and is also sent, via email, to those who want to receive it this way. If you would like to be added to the email list please let me know by phoning the office or emailing me:

0113 2566878 or at helen.whitaker@stjohnsfarsley.org.uk

Helen Whitaker – Parish Office Administrator

Parish Safeguarding / DBS

As the Parish Safeguarding Officer and DBS Administrator, I have to undergo all the standard Safeguarding Training, as well as additional courses and a DBS check, carried out by the Diocese Safeguarding Team. Anyone who volunteers to help with groups in church, where there are children or vulnerable adults, needs to have a DBS check and do some Safeguarding training. This includes the PCC members. If you volunteer to help with a group, I will be in touch to pass on the relevant information and to organise a DBS check with you. It is important that the Safeguarding training is done as soon as possible for all those who volunteer, especially the PCC. I am also going to be around in the next few weeks, asking people to fill in a Self-Declaration Form, which has to be completed every year.

Promoting a Safer Church - ‘The care and protection of children, young people and adults involved in Church activities is the responsibility of everyone who participates in the life of the Church.’ Therefore it is really important that all those required to do so, complete the Safeguarding Training, DBS check and Self-Declaration forms.

Helen Whitaker – Parish Safeguarding Officer / DBS Administrator

Prayer Group

Our fortnightly prayer meeting, which was established ten years ago and continued by Zoom during Covid times, continues to pray for the church, the community and all those we feel are in need of prayer in the world. Our nucleus of five or six regulars, led by Shirley and Eileen, meets on the first and third Fridays of the month in the Lounge at 11.00 a.m. We always welcome anyone, who would like to join us for this brief time of reflection and prayer.

Eileen Sheller and Shirley Walker – Prayer Group Leaders

Small Groups

In September, four small groups began meeting, for a couple of hours, on a weekly basis, for study of scripture, reflection, prayer and fellowship. On various days during the week, at various times, during the day and in the evening, Nathanael, Elaine, Janet and Shirley have hosted groups, at home or in church. A total of about twenty people, on average, attend each week. Sometimes, the groups share common material and themes and at other times, the content is tailored to the needs and interests of individual groups. Some groups are limited in terms of the space available, but if you would be

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interested in joining, or running, a ‘house’ group, please speak to Nathanael.

Lesley Gibbens – PCC Secretary

Sunday School

Sunday School has been successful, throughout 2025, with just two regular leaders. One group, spanning ages three to twelve, has been maintained, with good attendance from regular participants and visiting congregation members. Activities have included building a church from giant Jenga blocks and lots of high-energy games, to bring the Bible lessons to life for our younger church members, The barrier to growth is the recruitment of additional leaders and helpers to build resilience and create opportunities to split attendees into groups, so that activities can be better tailored to the age of the audiences.

Jo Phillips – Sunday School Leader

Sunflower Memory Café

We started the Sunflower Memory Café in February, 2016. It is aimed at people suffering from Alzheimer’s or Dementia and their carers, to offer a place to come and make friends with and talk to others in similar circumstances, however, anyone looking for company or fellowship is welcome to come to the café. It is held every third Saturday of each month from 10.00 a.m. until 12.00 pm in the church hall. We have tea, coffee and toasted teacakes and, at some meetings, there may be entertainment, craft activities or singing for everyone to join in. We held a Beetle Drive in summer to raise funds and in December, we held a Christmas party.

I would like to thank the whole team for all their hard work during the past year.

Lorna Sykes – Sunflower Memory Café Leader

APPENDIX – ASSOCIATED REPORTS

Friends of St. John’s (April 2025 – April 2026)

Again, a successful twelve months for the Friends of St. John’s. We continue to have regular tables at the Farmer’s Markets and Table Top sales, selling bric-a-brac and books to help with fundraising.

Once again, we paid for the church organ to be serviced in April 2025, £114.00. Also, in April some of our members had an enjoyable evening meal at The Fat Haddock in Stanningley. On May 5[th] , we celebrated the 80th anniversary of VE Day by holding a China Tea Party, which was very successful and well-attended. The Bandstanders Ukulele band played throughout and the whole event was thoroughly enjoyed by all. Also in attendance were members of the Royal British Legion.

In September we held our well-attended Heritage Open Day in the church hall. It is based on Farsley Village and its people and was held around the time of the National Heritage Open Weekend. A wonderful array of photographs was provided and displayed by Malcolm, Jim and other helpers. Pudsey Civic Society brought along a selection of books. Also in September, we held two Heritage walks, which were organised and run by Eileen Sheller and once again people really enjoyed these. Donations were received for our funds.

We donated a further £1,000 towards the repair of the clock, with flexibility to use towards repairs to

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the boundary wall of the churchyard, if required.

In October, once again, members enjoyed a meal at the Fat Haddock in Stanningley. This was to be our last meal there as the venue has since closed down.

December saw our annual Christmas raffle and, in April 2026, we held a very successful Easter Raffle with a massive basket of chocolate goodies, both at the Farmer’s Market. In March, £735 was paid to develop the wildlife area of the churchyard; the money was paid directly by Friends to the service suppliers. We no longer have monthly sessions gardening in the churchyard, due to lack of volunteers.

Thank you to everyone who helps out at our events.

Linda Allen – Chair of the Friends of St John’s

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