## _**Diocese of Winchester**_ **Deanery of Bournemouth** ## **BOURNEMOUTH TOWN CENTRE PARISH** ## **REPORTS FOR THE 2026 ANNUAL MEETING** **MONDAY 26[TH] MAY 2026 AT 6:30 PM ST PETER’S CHURCH** ## **A MEETING FOR THE ELECTION OF CHURCHWARDENS** ## **ST PETER’S CHURCH** Tuesday 26[th] day of May at 6.30pm This meeting may be attended by: 1. All persons whose names are entered on the church electoral roll of the parish and 2. All persons resident in the parish whose names are entered on a register of local government electors by reason of such residence ## **Nominees for the year 2026/27** Jane MacDonald **Church (Parish) Wardens** Ronalyn Bichard 2 ## **AGENDA ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING** ## Tuesday 26[th ] May 2026 18:30pm, St Peter’s Church ## **1. Opening Prayers and Welcome from The Rev’d Canon Nicholas Jepson Biddle 2. Present** |**2.**|**Present**|| |---|---|---| |**3.**|**Apologies for Absence**|| |**4.**|**Minutes of the APCM Monday 19th May 2025**|**Page 4**| |**5.**|**Matters Arising**|| ||**Reports Section**|**Page 7**| |**6.**|**Financial Report**|**Page 8**| |**7.**|**Consolidated Accounts 2025**|**Page 11**| |**8.**|**Appointment of Independent Examiner**|**Page 24**| |**9.**|**Electoral Roll Update**|**Page 24**| |**10.**|**Election of Officers and Representatives**|**Page 25**| |**11.**|**PCC Secretary’s Report**|**Page 2 5**| |**12.**|**Church Wardens Report**|**Page 27**| |**13.**|**Deanery Synod Report**|**Page 29**| |**14.**|**Incumbent’s Report**|**Page 29**| |**15.**|**Any Other Business**|| |**16.**|**Close in Prayer**|| 3 ## **4. ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING MINUTES** ## **CHURCHWARDEN ELECTIONS Monday 19[th] May 2025 7.00pm – St Peter’s Church** - Meeting commenced at 7.02pm - Nominations – Jane MacDonald & Ronalyn Bichard - Unanimous vote - JM & RB were duly elected by the meeting ## **ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING Monday 19[th] May 2025** ## **7.05pm – St Peter’s Church** ## **1. Opening Prayers and Welcome** - The Rev’d Canon Nicholas Jepson Biddle at 7.05pm ## **2. Present** - Tiff Neild, Mike Emsley, Paul Coote, Dawn Stark, Duncan Courts, Chris Steed, Don Oakley, Nick Jepson-Biddle, Lisa Babb, Chris Mayne, Jane MacDonald, Darren Paggit, Jackie Uren, Roger Uren, Leigh Hatts, June Deedman, Janet Lawrence, June Webb, Barbara Sparling, Nicola Hutchinson, David Agar, Ros Atkin ## **3. Apologies for Absence** - Marion Trimby, Pippa Gobbett, Ronalyn Bichard, Carolyn Emsley, Margaret Hutchinson, Neil Bichard, Eliza Bichard, Stephen Chappell, Diana Shiner ## **4. Minutes of the APCM Sunday 26th May 2024** - Approved ## **5. Matters Arising** - Electoral Roll deaths were 4 and not 7 as reported ## **Reports Section** ## **6. Financial Report** - No comments ## **7. Consolidated Accounts 2024** - Proposed – PC - Seconded – LB - Unanimous approval - Thanks given to all church treasurers, to Mark Holiday and to James Shutler 4 ## **8. Appointment of Independent Examiner** - James Shutler was unanimously appointed ## **9. Electoral Roll Update** - Only comment was that the table should say 2025 ## **10.Election of Officers and Representatives** ||St. Peter’s|St. Stephen’s|St. Augustin’s| |---|---|---|---| |Parish
Wardens|Jane MacDonald
Ronalyn Bichard|----|----| ||||| |Deanery Synod
Reps|Duncan Courts|Ruth Marshall|David Agar| ||||| |PCC Members|Chris Mayne
Don Gobbett
Dawn Stark
Lisa Babb
Mike Emsley|Stephen Chappell
Paul Coote
Diana Shiner|Janet Lawrence| ||||| |Electoral Roll
Officers|Vacancy|Paul Coote
(Parish)|Barbara
Sparling| ||||| - CM stepping down as Parish Warden as doesn’t feel he can give enough support to Jane in the role. JM refuted as said he had been a great asset. - NJB thanked Chris for his service - All officers duly elected ## **11. PCC Secretary’s Report** - LB thanked the PCC for their time over the past year and welcomed the new members ## **12. Church Wardens Report** - NJB urged the body to read this report and realise why more help is needed ## **13. Deanery Synod Report** - NJB thanked Stephen Chappell and Helen Holmes for their duty of care and dedicated service over many years. ## **14. Rector’s Report** - NJB thanked Michael Smith for his care of the parish ## **15. Any Other Business** - Rev Chris Steed asked what the vision should be for the next year. NJB thanked him and reminded him that this was not the business of this meeting, being to look back over the past year, and that the PCC will meet to discuss the vision for 1,3,5 years in a couple of weeks - NJB thanked the clergy team for their help and support 5 - NJB said that we have been asked to become a training parish and will be meeting a potential candidate in this week as +Rhiannon has a focus on Bournemouth which is great news ## **16. Close in Prayer** - Meeting closed at 7.30pm with the Grace **SIGNED: _____________________________________________________________ The Rev’d Canon Nicholas Jepson-Biddle Priest-in-Charge DATE:** 26 **th MAY 202** 6 **The Rev’d Canon Nicholas Jepson-Biddle Priest-in-Charge** 6 REPORTS FOR THE 2026 ANNUAL MEETING ## **6. FINANCIAL OVERVIEW 2025 CONSOLIDATED ACCOUNTS - P&L** ## Incoming Resources Overall incoming resources showed an increase in 2025 of 3% to £302,226 (2024: £293,229), which is in line with UK inflation over the year. Voluntary income increased by £29,451 year on year. This is attributable to the large VAT reclaims that were made in the year on expenditure incurred on large remedial projects carried out on the church properties which also offset a reduction in legacies received from £18,426 in 2024 to £5,000 in 2025. Grants received in the year reduced from £40,249 in 2024 to £24,000 in the current year. Generally any grants received are for specific purposes and those projects that were eligible for grants had either been completed in 2024 or were ongoing at the start of 2025. Parish events showed a significant increase in income in 2025 with a total of £15,453 compared to £4,440 in the prior year. Much of this is due to the income generated by Parry’s Café & Bar, which continued to run more and more events and also the successful application of the bar license now runs several more profitable events a month. It is expected this income will increase again in 2026. ## **Summary of Income** **----- Start of picture text -----**
Bank orders, weekly envelope
scheme and other regular giving
Income tax and VAT recoverable
Collections at Services
Church boxes
Donations, appeals, etc.
Mission donations
Legacies
Fund raising events
Grants
Parish events
Church buildings lettings and car
park
Wedding and funeral fees
Other incoming resources
**----- End of picture text -----**
8 ## Resources Used Overall expenditure in 2025 was £617,234 compared to a figure of £360,851 in 2024. This was a significant increase of £256,383 or 71%. The majority of this amount relates to extraordinary expenditure. In 2025 £367,826 was spent on one-off costs compared to £124,294 in the prior year – an increase of £243,532. During the year three major remedial projects on the church buildings were either completed or undertaken, those being: - St Peter’s church boiler replacement - £21,000; - St Stephen’s external masonry works - £225,948; and - St Augustin’s roofing works - £120,175 It is understood that there should be no further significant expenses incurred in the coming years on the church buildings following the works that have been completed over the past 2 accounting periods. Charitable giving in 2025 reduced to £6,662 from £28,255 in 2024. This reduction is due to a one-off donation passed to the St Peter’s Choral Foundation in 2024, an associated charity. Overall, other costs in the 2025 year increased by £34,444. The increased costs can be attributed to higher church utility costs, clergy expenses, salaries and the effect of a £10,000 credit included in the prior year accounts relating to the PRS license costs that were deemed to no longer be a liability. ## **Summary of Ordinary Expenses** **----- Start of picture text -----**
4%
3% 19%
17% 4%
13%
27%
8%
**----- End of picture text -----**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Diocesan quota
Clergy expenses
Church building - running expenses
Church buildings - routine
maintenance
Church service costs
Parish Administrator's salary costs
Books, postage, telephone and
advertising
Conferences and meetings
Parish office costs
Accountancy fees
**----- End of picture text -----**
9 When the exceptional costs of £367,123 to maintain the church buildings are excluded along with the £60,566 income from VAT recovery on the same projects the income and expenditure from normal activities are as follows: - Incoming resources (less VAT recovery) - £241,660 - Outgoing resources (less major project costs) - £250,111 - Loss on ordinary activities - £8,451 Whilst the parish made a small loss in the year on ordinary activities, anticipated increases in income in 2026 that should arise on additional events such as the evening concerts should offset any such losses in the current year. It is of course imperative that ordinary costs due not increase over budget and careful monitoring of these costs occurs at regular intervals. ## Net Movement in Funds Overall funds have decreased by £319,106 or -51.5% to £302,027 (2024: £621,133). This is made up of: - Deficit on net incoming resources -£315,008 - • Losses on investments -£4,098 As described above the deficit has been caused by extraordinary expenditure on the church buildings. This expenditure is not expected to continue in the current financial year, therefore funds are not expected to fall due to “one-off” expenses as all churches are now in a ‘sound’ state of repair. ## Balance Sheet The investment assets of the parish decreased in 2025 to £109,172 (2024: £207,686). This reduction is due to the extraordinary expenditure incurred on the church buildings. In addition, cash held on account also reduced by £230,072 from £417,538 in 2024 to £187,466 in 2025. Along with the reduction in investment assets of £98,514 this is an overall decrease of £328,586. These reductions are due to the extraordinary expenditure incurred on the church buildings. It should be noted that included within the net assets of the parish £15,451 (2024: £110,482) relate to restricted funds. Debtors decreased in the year to £24,394 (2024: £43,810) and creditors and accruals also showed a decrease to £19,277 (2024: £48,173). As at 31 December 2025, the parish has bank funds available of £187,466 that provides for 9 months of ordinary expenses based on the expenditure incurred in 2025. ## **Mark Holiday & James Shutler PCC Treasurer & Independent Examiner** 10 7. CONSOLIDATED ACCOUNTS - P&L CONSOLID.4TED nYANCIAL STATElIE￿Is li FOR THE I'EAR E￿DED 315T DECEMBER 2025 Pa8e No. GENERAL INFORMATION STATEMEPU OF FNANCIAL ACT]VmES BALANCE SHEET NOTES TO THE FNANCLAL STATEMENTS TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT 12 12 BOLILNEMoirrH TOWY CENniE PARISH OF TIIE P.4ROCIIIAL CIII'RCH COI")CIL Hjrfon Ro*i BOUrnen￿ BHI 2EE Naiwtti BoWllen￿￿ All Tax Lid 17 morti￿ Koad BH8 9HP Th¢ Ac¢tyJ￿i¥ Bureau L 87 Nortb Ro Poole BH14 OLT 13 BOL'Rf*EMOLfTH TOII'N CEF*TRE PARISH 5T IBER Illdepmthllt Rtpwt t•the FCC T•ww Co•tre Parf I rw ￿ tht PCC 31# Dtsxth2025 3 to 12. UDdtt 144(2) of the Cknities Art 2011 arLify*pc&kn li myrupoNibi]ity **.' . ¢X8miti¢thc 145 2011 s¢(*￿ 145(5Mb) ( 22 207.6¥6 l(VJ.172 109,194 207.708 StLKk 250 24J94 187.466 250 43,810 417.538 211110 461J98 19277 48.173 191833 413,425 N4¢ 30?.0?7 621.133 FwHIs 286376 15.451 510.651 110.4¥2 RLStrirtL¥I 301027 621,133 16 hr St SL StohtLM A￿￿.% 17 .￿T￿s TO THE CO.%SOLIDATLD FINA￿[AL STATLME.*TS R THE YEAR E%DED 1ST DECEMBLR 2• bJndtn¥ PCC. I￿j bu*f*<4lwtyertyM adtyAxl fMnthe￿J￿M%bY 1112K4) UAI131 ofthe Cknjtics Aa 2011. fjxt 18 EMOiTH TOII'li CL%TRE PARL (*) lot(fftt 4J245 77226 13JS1 4JOJ 13.461 4524$ 226 23.151 4JOJ 13,46l 1200 47.g37 33.838 S.126 Iioii 18.426 170486 141.035 3.40J 24.￿j 15.4S3 3.881 40.249 24S ISJ53 1*3Sb 24.(IXI 418S6 48.570 (¢1 Cknb .992 J.745 70.W2 J.745 7Q486 1274 737 737 19 BOUINLMOLIH Towry CENIRE P (*)(b￿a Aai*i 45.146 IOJ58 45.146 41 J74 IOJ58 65,BBO s5￿1 l•J97 JlJ74 41.402 7.530 Ul8 19J97 1S.760 31J74 34J86 41.402 35339 7.530 4316 2218 2.821 18J IOJ42 4.113 10312 18237 148 185 2207 8377 367.126 124294 exP¢fyI*Kt{￿ WAE 3d1 249.410 118,414 491256 118410 609.672 331 Iblcots 20 THE EIDED E.MBER2 2025 2024 4.061 21.tt 11.741 1,70S gh lthtl ￿￿¢ 8J02 201.￿ 822$ 16.47$ 25.ts9 9(416 12Q175 24*410 11 367.826 124 41.•)2 3JJ39 2924 WiitrÈtith￿ l.12S th31.1125 21 OURliLMOUTh Towry CLYfRE PARLSH 2025 2024 87JlO 93.721 97204 1{941 510 $10 94.841 Cambridge &J11th￿ S(￿dY 110.482 C)w 110.482 110.482 18263 4&102 97J73 51838 94.747 65.348 288285 61271 SL stepb<￿ CbLrc 2X6J76 510.651 J01027 621.133 22 {C••Vdl 24394 43JlO 24 19276 48.ln 19 The FrlpNth•lSt. Sl Peterfi Cb•r¢h Deve1v￿ Pw•lert •wd SL c￿￿ra1 w••￿11•* 23 ## **8. ELECTION OF INDEPENDENT EXAMINERS 2026** ## • **Mr James Shutler - All Tax Ltd** ## **9. ELECTORAL ROLL UPDATE (to 7[th] May 2026)** ||**March**
**2025**|**4th May**
**2025**|**7th May**
**2026**|**Diff**| |---|---|---|---|---| |**St Augustin’s**|**37**|**34**|**35**|**+1**| |**St Peter’s**|**126**|**85**|**98**|**+13**| |**St Stephen’s**|**37**|**31**|**29**|**-2**| |**TOTAL**|**200**|**150**|**162**|**+12**| As of 19th March 2025, the Electoral Rolls for BTCP were cleared to facilitate the 5 yearly renewal. As at the clearance the Parish Electoral Roll was: 200 St Augustin’s 37 (down 3) St Peter’s 126 (up 4) St Stephen’s 37 On May 4th 2025, the new Electoral Roll stood at 150: St Augustin’s 34 St Peter’s 85 St Stephen’s 31 On May 7th 2026, the revised Electoral Roll for 2026 stood at 162: St Augustin’s 35 St Peter’s 98 St Stephen’s 29 The changes were driven by: St Augustin’s – 2 new, 1 death St Peter’s – 13 new St Stephen’s – 5 new, 2 deaths, 5 left/moved Thanks as ever to Lisa for her assistance and expertise, and to Barbara Sparling for maintaining the roll at St Augustin. We now need to recruit a new ER Officer for the Parish and a volunteer to assist the new ER Officer in both St Peter’s and St Stephen’s. It is not a difficult role and although a legally important role, is not time consuming. Please step forward and assist if able. **Paul Coote ER Officer** 24 ## **10. ELECTION OF OFFICERS AND REPRESENTATIVES 2026** ||**St. Peter’s**|**St. Stephen’s**|**St. Augustin’s**| |---|---|---|---| |**Parish Wardens**|Jane MacDonald
Ronalyn Bichard|----|----| ||||| |**Deanery Synod**
**Reps **|Vacancy|Vacancy|Vacancy| ||||| |**PCC Members**|Lisa Babb
John Beesley
Duncan Courts
Mike Emsley
Chris Mayne
Dawn Stark|Stephen Chappell
Nigel Groome|David Agar
Janet Lawrence| ||||| |**Electoral Roll**
**Officers**|Vacancy|Vacancy|Barbara Sparling| ||||| ## **11. PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL SECRETARY’S REPORT 2026** The **Annual Parochial Church Meeting for 2025** , was held on Monday 19[th] May 2025, at 19.05pm in St Peter’s Church. Since then, the **full BTCP PCC** has met on **four** occasions: **24[th] June 2025** **14[th] October 2025 19[th] January 2026 11[th] May 2026** And then conducted business and discussed various matters for more urgent approvals via email on **two** occasions: **3[rd] November 2025 12[th] March 2026** During the past year, the PCC has continued to review and improve its governance of the whole parish, increasing its levels of monitoring and scrutiny of finance and all buildings of the parish. The PCC would like to formally thank James Shutler, our Independent Examiner, for his hard work and diligence in assisting the church treasurers in keeping our parish financially in order. 25 Through careful negotiation of our insurance, we managed to secure an insurance policy that despite the overall increase in global insurance premiums, was a minimal increase of just 2% overall compared to 2024. We also saved some money through contract negotiations with our lightning conductor testing, fire extinguisher testing, PAT Testing and Fixed Wire testing. Our CMF payments were again paid in full by all three churches after we negotiated a reduction in our allocation for 2024 of just over 8% although we are now planning on an increase in 2025, given the diocesan financial pressures due to wage and utility increases. The diocesan support we have received from the clerical registry for many years came to an end in the 4[th] qtr of 2025, meaning we have to now pay for all services taken in the parish, except those taken by Nick. We have also incurred additional expenditure through conducting Fire Risk assessments and associated maintenance as these are all necessary parts of running public spaces. The savings the parish has made not incurring the expenses of travel, mobile phone and phone/internet at the rectory, plus no personal expenditure for retreats or course fees also came to an end with the arrival if our new incumbent. Therefore Parish Expense payments will increase accordingly to cover those necessary expenses. Catherine Philip stepped in to replace Brenda Price as treasurer for St Stephen’s. However, after a few months, resigned her post. As there were no volunteers forthcoming, I took over the post in order to streamline the process and bring the St Stephen’s financial records up to date and in line with those at St Peter’s and St Augustin’s. I would like to thank Paul Coote who continues to support and assist in the background, despite no longer being part of the St Stephen’s family and to Jane MacDonald and Ronalyn Bichard, my co-treasury team at St Peter’s for stepping up and taking over the banking and Gift Aid reclaims for St Stephen’s, whilst we continue to look to ways to grow the community there. Key repairs to all three of our church buildings were discussed throughout the year. The roof at St Augustin’s was replaced, the new boiler repayments continued St Peter’s, costing £25,000. Alongside this, multiple small repairs to the roofing and guttering continued to stop the rain from finding its way inside and plans began to come together for other big projects, like Parry’s Café, drainage, toilets, disability accessibility, the east end repointing works, heating and rainwater goods to name a few. Essential stone and windows works were finally completed in 2025 at St Stephen’s, to rectify damage that has been reported on in the last few quinquennial inspections. Our thanks must go to Jane MacDonald, who as church warden, has worked tirelessly across the parish to ensure these huge projects came to fruition, with careful contract negotiations and close working relationships with our partners at both the DAC, the diocesan registrars and our QI architects, as well as our stone restorers and roofing contractors. These relationships have been key to unlocking key discounts and cost-effective repair timelines, saving us thousands of pounds. 26 However, these huge costs that all repairs will incur both in 2024 and through 2025, along with the continuing fall in income due the financial crisis biting household expenditures, the passing of many of our main donators, and the fact that giving per capita has not increased for several years, continues to keep funding streams on the agenda for the PCC. During 2025, St Peter’s alone booked, and ran, in excess of 120 concerts and events, many with free admission to encourage the community to come in and have access to free music and literary events and a warm, welcoming and safe space. Thanks must go to Chris Mayne and the ‘Parry’s Poppets’ daytime volunteers and to my team of ‘Bar Angels’ for the evening and weekend events. We do need more volunteers though so please step forward if you are able. My thanks must also go to Ronalyn Bichard in achieving a successful Bar License application for St Peter’s. Thanks also goes to the PCC for their continued efforts in keeping our parish legal, scrutinised and moving forward. ## **Lisa Babb - PCC Secretary** ## **12. CHURCH WARDENS’ REPORT 2025** 2025 has been another huge year for all three churches in the Parish. Our new Priest in Charge Canon Nick has settled into the Parish with new initiatives including midday prayer and various book groups and weekday services providing much needed time to prayerfully focus and re-group as a Parish St Augustin’s completed a massive roofing project and St Stephen’s extensive masonry, ferramenta and stained-glass windows renovations. My thanks to Janet Lawrence and Ruth Marshall who attended all site meetings at their relevant church with architects and contractors and helped get these projects completed on budget and on time and were able to help operationally with timetabling issues. The standard of workmanship for these repairs is exceptional. Our thanks to Lisa Babb who picked up the St Stephen’s accounts due to the resignation at the end of 2024 of one treasurer and another in the spring of 2025, plus the departure this year of Paul Coote. Thanks to my co-treasurers Ronalyn and Lisa at St Peter’s and to Ruth Beasant and Lisa for running St Augustin’s accounts. Such a huge amount of time and attention to detail goes into these roles and their expertise is exceptional. Also thanks to our PCC treasurer Mark Holiday and our Independent Examiner James Shutler who do an enormous amount of work and ensure our accounts are watertight and squeaky clean. 27 Paul Coote kept things running with Ruth Marshall operationally at St Stephen’s and has been such a huge contributor to its life. We thank them both. Some fun events happened at St Stephen’s during the year which helped to attract new people through the door who maybe do not know of this glorious church and will spread the news. Thanks to Lisa, Ruth and the small team there for organising and hosting. A massive shout out to Chris Mayne and his “Parry’s poppets” who run the café for the free lunchtime weekly recitals and twice monthly jazz at St Peters. It is so great to see the church vibrant and full of happy people, welcomed thoroughly by the team behind the counter. I have lost count of how many concerts and events are hosted at St Peter’s, but I would like to thank Dawn Stark, Lisa Babb, John Barrett and Tiff Nield who regularly help run the refreshments for these events. No mean feat as most have 7pm and 9pm performances in one night with 350-400 people at each event and do not leave the building before midnight. The grounds at St Peter’s are still being maintained by a loyal stalwart so thanks to Mike and Carolyn Emsley, Steve Jone, Ben Rowland and Alex for their continued support. If anyone has plants they could donate we would always welcome them and well as additional volunteers! Ruth Marshall has kept the grounds under control at St Stephen’s with her gardeners providing much needed heft and likewise, Ruth Beasant has continued to make the grounds at St Augustin’s a beautiful space. Thanks also to our talented Directors of Music, Duncan Courts and Nigel Groome, to Danny Campbell and Neil Sissons for holding the fort whilst awaiting Nigel’s arrival, the choir members, lay clerks and choristers for their beautiful music that elevates our worship and attracts new people to come. Janet Lawrence continues to keep the show on the road at St Augustin’s but we hope to be able to let her take a step back in 2026 as it is really too much work for one person. We would like to thank our Q1 architect Louise Salman and Richard Streatfield at the Diocese for their continued professionalism and speed in assisting with the many works permissions that are needed. And it goes without saying that without our servers, sacristans, readers, intercessors, sides people, flower arrangers, prayer group leaders, bakers, Sunday coffee helpers, pastoral visitors, jam makers, card makers, brass & silver polishers, meter readers, cleaners…the list goes on, that we would not have churches for people to come to. So we thank each and every one of you who turns up and serves in whichever way you do. As you know every year we ask the same thing. Might you be able to find a place in any of these small teams and help carry some of the workload? Or do you know someone with a 28 particular talent that would be able to come along and give us their most precious commodity - their time? **Jane MacDonald and Ronalyn Bichard Churchwardens** ## **13. DEANERY SYNOD REPORT 2025** Deanery Synod met three times in 2025. Over the course of the year we’ve had guest speakers as well as group discussions and time of prayer together. Colin Harbidge presented on the diocesan finances and the responsibility of parishes and deaneries. In the last meeting of the year we had a time of sharing our joys and challenges and prayer together. At the end of the year, Tom Hodkinson, Vicar of St Andrew’s, Bennett Road was appointed Assistant Area Dean. As your old representatives step down, it is important that there is representation from each parish on the Deanery Synod. So please do consider if this is something you can volunteer for. The post is for three years, beginning 1[st] July 2026. ## **The Rev’d Canon Michael Smith** **Area Dean** ## **14. THE INCUMBENT’S REPORT TO THE ANNUAL MEETING** I have now completed 18 months in Bournemouth town centre parish and have a very much better grasp both where we have been and where we are. We are all here because we believe that God is at work in this place, in this town, and in the warp and weft of life here. Chalking up 28 years of ordained ministry this summer, as well as 18 years before that as a thinking and praying younger person, I have never come across a parish which is so open and welcoming, or so aware of the needs of those who come through its doors. It is an enormous gift in a place like Bournemouth, that the character of our welcome and hospitality is inclusive, generous and genuine. It is this character which gives us integrity as a community and a firm bedrock on which to build our mission and ministry. It is an exciting place to be at an exciting time. Needless to say, at the beginning of a new incumbency following a significant interregnum, there has been plenty of change. At St Peter’s we are in the throes of implementing a new vision for music within the church which will touch the lives of more and more people at different levels, regardless of their previous experience of church. We are currently seeking to appoint a gifted individual to direct Song Squad, our informal musical offering for primary school aged children, who have little experience of the fun of music making or of the musical life in the church. Our aim is this group meets weekly for music making and fellowship and of course, food, and that day join us on key dates throughout the liturgical year on Sundays. 29 The long-awaited cafe has now been designed and is shortly about to go out to tender. This is a very significant moment in our life, as it is a real challenge for us to up our game a nd to make the warmth of the hospitality we know we offer, transform into income. Whilst we hope to employ a manager for a number of hours per day, we will rely chiefly on willing volunteers to ensure that it flourishes and becomes an outward sign of the welcome of God to all. It will of course, also provide an increased level of security within the building, as well as the warmth of presence. St Stephen’s had a difficult year musically, following the departure of the previous director of music. We were enormously grateful to Danny Campbell for bringing his huge experience and stepping into the breach until Nigel Groome was able to join us at the beginning of 2026. The advent of the ‘new monastic’ community this summer, the Lumen (Light) Community, will be both a challenge and a joy, as we seek to build the congregation at St Stephen’s and share the treasure of its tradition. It was described to me recently by someone as Bournemouth’s ‘best kept secret’. Ouch. As more happens here, both in worship and in the appropriate use of the building, may we see the same growth and flourishing we have experienced at St Peter’s over the past year. The revival of the festival has certainly put us back on the map for many. When I arrived in the parish, it became quickly apparent that the future of St Augustin’s was a concern. Over the course of 2025, there were many conversations, listening exercises and reports to the PCC, which led to the PCC’s decision in January of this year to petition for the closure and alternative use of the church. This has of course been a source of dismay and sadness for the congregation, who whilst aware that there is no one to take on the considerable tasks of running both the building in its everyday mission and outreach, face uncertainty as to the continuance of their own very special fellowship. I have given assurance that as a parish, we will do all we can to enable some sort of continuation of worship in that part of the parish. Whilst we have petitioned the diocese with the PCC’s intention, we await further communication, something I have chased up in recent weeks. The introduction of Midday Prayer on weekdays to pray for the life of our parish has been a really important reminder to us all of why we are here. Although there are occasions when I say this alone (how I look forward to arrival of Andrew, our new curate), there can be anything from 3 to 20 fellow attendees, often including visitors to the church. It is a vital reminder of our core purpose: the worship of almighty God. If this is not something you have plugged into, I would urge you to do so. Theos, our book group, has a vibrancy, warmth and draw as we seek to encourage ourselves and others on the Christian journey, and to deepening the life of God within us. There is an enormous amount that goes on in and around St Peter’s during the week which will be reported elsewhere in the APCM report, but I must mention those who find a willing ear to listen to them; those who find support in their recovery from addiction; who find warmth and peace in this place which they cannot find elsewhere. This is God’s work at the coal face – it doesn’t require a great deal of us to meet the simple needs of those around us. We do well to remember St Benedict’s words to his monks in his Rule: _Let all who arrive be received as Christ, for he himself will say, ‘I came as a guest, and you received me.’_ (Ch. 53) 30 So much of what we do is a response to the Gospel if only we would own it as such. One thing we need to learn as a group of communities i s that we are better together. In the past, much has been made of respecting and encouraging the individual churches without a great deal of thought as to how more common goals and shared visions might enable and encourage them. I am committed to joined up thinking, and as part of that I have been encouraging the blurring of lines between our church communities and to offering certain celebrations and feasts for all: Maundy Thursday at St Peter’s, the Easter Vigil and Ascension at St Stephen’s to name but two. We need to be better at this and to build friendships and trust across the churches if we are to give glory to God and to witness the flourishing of his Kingdom in this place. If I may be allowed to express a further hope for our future, it is that we make the most of exploring partnerships with other organisations for the bringing about of that Kingdom. My final words must be a thank you and a challenge. Enormous thanks are due to Jane and Ronalyn, the church wardens, who volunteer their immense skills unceasingly in the service of God and his Church: to Lisa in her role (Parish Operations and Administration), and to Duncan Courts as Director of Music and Ian Harrison, our most frequent Organist! The challenge is that too much responsibility rests on too few shoulders here. If you have skills which would ease the burdens of others, please speak up. We would be particularly grateful to those with experience in finance, both in bookkeeping and accounting… If it has not been obvious, I have been remiss in showing how very much I am grateful to God for the call to serve in Bournemouth! It can be frustrating and exhausting, but I remain excited at all that God will draw from us this year and in the future. May God bless you all ## **The Rev'd Canon Nicholas Jepson-Biddle Priest-in-Charge** 31