2020 Report and Accounts for the Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St Philip, Norbury. Registered charity number 1185830 Annual report of the Trustees (PCC)
AIMS AND PURPOSES:
St Philip’s Parochial Church Council (PCC) has the responsibility of cooperating with the incumbent Vicar, the Reverend Canon Father Younis Francis, in promoting in the ecclesiastical parish, the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. The PCC is also specifically responsible for the maintenance of St Philip’s Church; Church Hall complex and grounds.
Within our overarching aim we proclaim our mission to be: Worshipping God
Walking together in faith Warmth and width in fellowship
With our aim to reach out to serve and welcome
WORSHIP:
The year 2020 has been an exceptional one due to the impact of restrictions and lockdowns imposed in response to containing and fighting the global coronavirus / covid-19 pandemic. Worship at St Philip’s has flexed and adapted to maintain regular worship. In doing so, online services have expanded the congregation from local and nearby to worldwide.
In non-pandemic times St Philip’s has Servers, robed choir and Chalice assistants at principal services. There is lay involvement in intercessions and readings on Sundays and principal feast days. Within an Anglo-Catholic tradition of worship, St Philip’s caters for the spiritual needs and interest of all ages. Each Sunday there are two Holy Communion services and Choral Evensong (during school term time) and a midweek Holy Communion service on a Wednesday, with a monthly healing service. Weekly Bible study and a lent course supported spiritual development and understanding.
During 2020 Holy Communion services continued regularly, albeit mainly remotely (ie online using ZOOM and Facebook Live), from the upper room of the Vicarage or, when permitted, from inside St Philip’s church. The PCC is grateful to Fr Younis for his care, ingenuity, talent, perseverance, resilience and vision throughout the year keeping worship at St Philip’s accessible and meaningful. During the periods when services resumed with a congregation present in church, the PCC put risk assessed controls and safety measures in place to reduce the transmission of the covid-19 virus and has, at all times, been observant of guidelines issued by the government, Diocese and the Church of England.
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The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St Philip, Norbury is a registered Charity, number 1185830
Ordinarily, a full choir of boys and ATB male lower voices would enhance the worship throughout the year with a repertoire and standard of singing usually associated with Cathedrals. This was greatly reduced in 2020 to services up to Mothering Sunday in March 2020 and subsequently limited to a handful of Sunday morning services in the autumn. Hopes for the nine lessons and carols service and midnight Mass in December 2020 evaporated when restrictions in London were tightened. The choir members, music and singing were greatly missed in 2020.
The electoral roll was not renewed in 2020 (in 2019 it was 80). Average attendance at the Family Holy Communion service on a usual Sunday morning could not be counted as worship was broadcast online, streamed and recorded.
OBJECTIVES and ACTIVITIES:
The PCC is committed to putting its Mission Action Plan (MAP) into practice and keeping it refreshed, alive and relevant, although, focused, as it is, on outreach, activity has been curtailed during 2020. The PCC maintains an overview of worship and, when permitted, welcomes use of the church by a community of Urdu-speaking Pakistani Christians and also the long-established sharing by the Assembly of the First Born. The relationship with the “Pakistani” community is particularly strong in fellowship and the PCC acknowledges with thanks the practical support the group provides to the maintenance and upkeep of St Philip’s grounds and buildings.
In October 2019 the PCC became a registered charity, number 1185830.
The PCC is persevering with plans to upgrade the central heating systems which service the church and the hall complex. Currently priority works are underway in relation to cracks in the church building.
ACHIEVEMENTS and PERFORMANCE:
During 2020 the Ministry team dropped from three to one following the resignation of Fr Samuel in August and the departure of Fr Terry to live in Yorkshire at the end of September. However, the parish is pleased and grateful that Fr Terry has continued his active participation in the life of St Philip’s by preaching and intercessing regularly, remotely. Support is given to the Vicar by the sharing out of administrative and organisational tasks to the Church Officers and PCC members. Production of the monthly printed Parish magazine continued to fall to Fr Younis whenever it was possible to do so. The magazine has a wide circulation way beyond the Parish boundary.
The Vicar and his family have settled into the new purpose built Vicarage adjacent to the church.
Social and outreach activities were suspended during the year and have been sorely missed as have the regular, popular fund-raising and fellowship events.
The PCC appointed a new Architect, Sue Kent, to undertake the Quinquennial Inspection in June 2019 and has worked co-operatively with her since.
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The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St Philip, Norbury is a registered Charity, number 1185830
FINANCIAL REVIEW:
Financial Report, Annual Report to APCM 2021 (Year ended 31.12.2020)
The Coronavirus pandemic has hit St Philip’s very hard with the church and church hall being completely shut down from mid- March 2020 until mid- July when the church partially reopened (subject to restrictions) for the rest of the year. The hall has remained closed with a few minor exceptions.
General Fund receipts for the year were £49, 300 compared with £78,400 in 2019 with the budgeted income being £78,000. Virtually every category of income was down with Christian Stewardship receipts falling by over £5,000 and total income from giving (including tax recovery) totalling £31,500 compared with the budget of £46,000. Hall lettings more than halved to £9,900 compared with an expected £21,000.
Unfortunately, expenses, although lower than budget, did not fall by the same proportion as a large majority of these are fixed costs. There was a saving on gas in both church and hall but electricity costs remained similar to the previous year. (The cost in the accounts includes an overcharge for hall electricity of some £800 which has been recovered in 2021). There is also an apparent saving in insurance, although that is an anomaly as we have changed to monthly payment instead of annually.
Total expenditure of £72,600 was some £20,000 below budget, £5,900 due to insurance (as explained above), £3,000 to hall cleaning and £9,000 due to few repairs being carried out.
Overall this left a deficit of £23,300 on the General Fund for the year compared with a budgeted loss of £14,900.
Mission Grant
We were again successful in obtaining a grant this year for £1,000 to contribute towards the purchase of some rather more sophisticated and reliable audio-visual equipment to sustain, and improve, the quality of, the live-streaming / remote participation in services at St Philip's introduced during the "lockdown" of spring / summer 2020. We have used £729 to buy a laptop and the rest was used towards internet service provider costs.
Parish Support Fund
Despite our drastically reduced income we honoured our pledge of £41,000 in full.
Cedric Collings Memorial Fund
The PCC is managing trustee of this trust set up to provide financial support to members of the parish who undertake theological and related training. As noted last year, Cedric’s widow, Edna, died in 2019 and the fund has received £14,591 on account from a bequest she made in her will. This money was used to buy further shares in the CBF Global Equity Fund. The PCC was pleased that St Philip’s had been remembered with a bequest from Edna.
Page 3 of 7 The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St Philip, Norbury is a registered Charity, number 1185830
Legacies
Thanks to legacies left by former members of St Philip’s we have been able to compensate for the losses incurred over past years on the General Fund. This year we received a bequest of £2,273 from the late Edna Collings.
We have used part of two of the late William Baker’s legacies as follows this year:-
£8,585 in respect of professional fees into the investigation of the cause of a major crack in the west wall of the church.
£2,119 was spent on donations to various charities as suggested in his will.
Summary
We started 2020 with total funds of £681,382 and the total deficit incurred was £11,727; but thanks to substantial gains on our investments of £76,265 we ended the year with total funds of £745,920 of which £105,194 was in the bank or on deposit and £640,726 held in investments with the CBF at market value.
David Bishop Honorary Treasurer
April 2021
Mission Grant: In May 2020, the PCC submitted a £2,000 bid to the Mission Grant 2020 funding round to help towards purchase of audio-visual equipment and broadband to support online broadcasting and streaming of services. As reported by the Treasurer, an award of £1,000 was confirmed in July and received at the end of September 2020 in response to the application.
Parish Support Fund: A task & finish working group compiled the Parish Pledge towards the financing of mission and ministry in the Diocese of Southwark and Parish for 2020 which was endorsed by the PCC. Payment of the £41,000 pledge was honoured in full in 2020.
MEMBERSHIP OF PCC:
Lay members of the PCC are either ex-officio or elected at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) in accordance with Church Representation Rules in force at the time (revised 1[st] January 2020). The Annual Meeting of Parishioners (formerly known as Annual Vestry Meeting) and the APCM due to be held on 26[th] April 2020 were exceptionally delayed to 2021 formalised in Instruments from the Bishop of Southwark.
The following served as members of the PCC 2020 – 2021 having “rolled over” without election during 2020. The start of continuous service was calculated in October 2019 as part of the application for registration as a charity and is shown alongside each name. Members of the PCC are Trustees of the charity. The PCC does not currently restrict the number of
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The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St Philip, Norbury is a registered Charity, number 1185830
consecutive three year terms of office a member may serve, but regards three terms to be a reasonable maximum followed by a break of at least one year. Those who had been due to retire in 2020 are marked ** and those due to retire in 2021 are marked*, but their membership may have been changed by elections held at the deferred AMP / APCM for 2020 – 2021 being held on 18[th] April 2021. Lay parochial representatives to the Deanery Synod will be elected on 18[th] April 2021 to serve until 2023. At the time of writing this report it is not known who those representatives will be.
| Clergy: | ||
|---|---|---|
| Vicar | Revd Canon Younis | Chair |
| Francis | ||
| Hon Assistant Curate (Distinctive | Revd Terry Drummond. | |
| Deacon) | [Resigned 27thSept | |
| 2020] | ||
| Hon Assistant Curate | Revd Samuel Pervez. | |
| [Resigned 10thAug 2020] | ||
| Laity: | ||
| Churchwardens | Winston Worrell * | |
| Desmond Duffus * | (Deputy) Safeguarding | |
| Officer | ||
| Deanery Synod Lay Parochial | Jo Cranfield (1995)** | Electoral Roll Officer |
| Representatives (by default) | ||
| Desmond Duffus | ||
| (2015)** | ||
| Winston Worrell | ||
| (2003)** | ||
| Elected Members (9) (by default) | David Bishop (2001)* | Hon Treasurer |
| Maria Carberry (2017)** | ||
| Diana Claridge (2017)** | ||
| Eleanor Lewis (2001)** | Vice Chair / Hon Secretary | |
| Vanessa Mcleod (2018)* | ||
| David Ogilvie (2012)* | ||
| Anusha Paulraj (2013) | Deputy Hon Treasurer | |
| Angela Spink (2010) | Safeguarding Officer | |
| [resigned 28thFeb 2021] | ||
| Lawrence Will (2014)* | ||
| Co-opted Members | Obaid Alban (2015) | |
| Minute Secretary | Jackie Barlow | |
| Honorary Treasurer | David Bishop, CA | 32 Craignish Avenue |
| London, SW16 4RN | ||
| Independent Examiner | Andrew Winter, MA, | 20 Lime Tree Grove |
| ACIB | Croydon, CR0 8AU |
Meetings:
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The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St Philip, Norbury is a registered Charity, number 1185830
The PCC held five scheduled meetings between the planned APCM in April 2020 and the APCM in May 2021. Each meeting was held remotely, online using a video conferencing platform, ZOOM, and was quorate. Attendance through the year supported effective discussion and decision making. Electronic communication was also used to gather opinion or agreement between meetings.
Committees:
The PCC operates through a number of committees, which meet between the scheduled meetings of the full PCC and provide oral and / or written reports / minutes to the PCC. In addition, two special meetings of the PCC were held during 2020 - 2021 to consider urgent items of business (18[th] June 2020 and 29[th] December 2020).
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Standing Committee: The only mandatory committee constituted in accordance with the Church Representation Rules. It may transact the PCC’s business between meetings of the PCC subject to any directions as to the exercise of its power laid down by the PCC. Membership in 2020 (rolled over from 2019) was the Vicar, an Assistant Curate, the two Churchwardens, the Hon Treasurer, the Hon Secretary and one other PCC member. No meetings were convened in 2020.
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Stewardship Continuation Committee: Works with the incumbent to review Christian Stewardship; Gift Aid and Time & Talents. The Job Co-Ordinator is a coopted member of this committee which meets twice a year, chaired by Eleanor Lewis. David Bishop is the Secretary and Stewardship Scheme Recorder.
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Buildings and Grounds Maintenance: As a working group reporting to the PCC via David Ogilvie and the Churchwardens ensures the fabric of the church, halls and grounds is maintained in good order
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Worship Advisory Group: Works with the incumbent and other Clergy to set the direction of worship in St Philip’s. The committee did not meet in 2020. The Director of Music is co-opted to this committee.
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Church Hall Committee: Usually meets at least annually and works with the Hon Church Hall Manager and Incumbent to review hall rates of hire; terms and conditions and related health & safety and safeguarding policies. The Hon PCC Secretary minutes this committee and processes correspondence. The loss of income from church hall hire has been monitored by PCC. In October 2020 a selection and interview process resulted in the appointment by the PCC of a part time Church Hall Cleaner and Handyperson who was engaged from 1[st] November 2020. The Charity Commission was notified of this appointment as the postholder is a co-opted member of the PCC.
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Parish Support Fund: A “task and finish” sub-committee met virtually in September 2020 to consider and draft the parish pledge for 2021. The pledge (£40k) was proposed and approved at the PCC meeting held on 16[th] September 2020 and subsequently accepted by the Archdeacon.
The PCC received reports from the Social Committee.
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The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St Philip, Norbury is a registered Charity, number 1185830
Safeguarding:
The PCC has complied with the duty under section 5 of the Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure 2016 (duty to have regard to House of Bishops’ guidance on safeguarding children and vulnerable adults). The PCC and Parish of St Philip take the safeguarding, wellbeing, safety and care of children and vulnerable adults very seriously. Policies are reviewed annually and the Safeguarding Officer is a member of the PCC. Information and policies are posted on the parish website. (The PCC is seeking to appoint a Deputy Safeguarding Officer following the elevation of Desmond Duffus to Parish Safeguarding Officer with effect from 10[th] March 2021.)
CHURCH HALL COMPLEX:
The church hall complex is managed by a volunteer supported by the Vicar. It comprises a large hall with stage, small hall, kitchen and committee room. Usually, a local dance academy would be the main hirer and key source of income and other regular users include badminton and karate clubs. Church groups including the choir and the Pakistani community would, ordinarily, make regular use of the facilities for social and rehearsal purposes. There would also be ad hoc bookings for family celebrations. Occupancy through the year is usually high. It is the intention of the PCC to resurrect a project to refurbish and extend toilet facilities as soon as conditions permit. A parent and toddler group started up for a short time in 2020 prior to covid-19 regulations prevented it. It is hoped that this venture will resume as soon as it is permissible. Income from rentals of the church halls is essential to the financial health of St Philip’s.
April 2021
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The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St Philip, Norbury is a registered Charity, number 1185830
Independent Examlner's Report I report on the Accounts of the PCC for the year ended 31 December 2020, which are set out on pages 16-23. Respectlve responsibilities of trustees and examiner The PCC is responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The PCC consider5 that an audit is not required for this year under section 144121 of the Charities Act 2011 Ithe 2011 Actl and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to.. examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the commission under section 1451Sllbl of the 2011 Act to state whether particular matters have come to my attention Basis of independent examlner's report My examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the Charity Commis- sion. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a compari50n of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you a5 trustees concerning any such matters. The proce- dures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a 'true and fair view, and the report is limited to those matters set out in the next statement. Independent examlner's statement In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention: which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements.. to keep accounting records in atcordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act and to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the ac- counting requirements of the 2011 Act have not been met or to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached MrAndrew Winter, 20 Lime Tree Grove Croydon, CRO 8AU MA., ACIB 24 March 2021 14