St Mary’s, Hardwick
Annual Report
of the Parochial Church Council for the year ended 31 December 2021
Contents
1. Purpose of the PCC
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Organisation of the PCC (including subcommittees)
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Activities of the PCC (and of the church)
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a. Preface
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b. Worship, prayer and spiritual life
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c. Church community and pastoral care
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d. Mission, outreach and contribution to village life
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e. Safeguarding
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f. Cabin at St Mary’s
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g. Church building and churchyard
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h. Summary financial report
4. Lordsbridge Team and Team Council
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Bourn Deanery Synod
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Information
1. Purpose of the PCC
St Mary’s PCC has the responsibility of co-operating with the incumbent in promoting in the ecclesiastical parish the whole mission of the church: pastoral, evangelistic, socials and ecumenical. It also has maintenance responsibilities for the Church building, Cabin and Churchyard.
2. Organisation of the PCC
Incumbent & chair: Revd. Canon Alison Myers (up to 19 Sept 2021) Treasurer: Clare Bigg (LLM) (chair from 20 Sept 2021) Secretary: Sue Cornwell (to APCM 2021, vacant from APCM 2021) Assistant Minister: Revd. Paul Garnell (Team Curate) Church Wardens: Alison Marcus Janet Hayman Deanery synod rep: Lois Frettsome (until APCM 2023) Team Council rep: Clare Bigg (until APCM 2023) Elected members: Michaela McNeill (until APCM 2023) Tricia Maguire (until APCM 2023) Jane Muncey (until APCM 2023) Safeguarding Officer Jeff Jones (until APCM 2022) Naomi Roy (until APCM 2021) Chris Ford (until APCM 2024) Sue Cornwell (until APCM 2021) Peter Cornwell (from APCM 2021 to APCM 2024)
Thelma Westbury was co-opted as minute taker from Sept 2021
The method of appointing the PCC members is set out in the Church Representation Rules. All church attendees are encouraged to register on the Electoral Roll and stand for election on the PCC. There are 43 people on the Electoral Roll.
The below are subcommittees of the PCC:
The Local Ministry Team
In 2021, the local team consisted of Alison (the incumbent), Janet Hayman and Alison Marcus (churchwardens), Paul Garnell (Team Curate), Howard Bigg (Associate Minister), Clare Bigg (Licensed Lay Minister), Peter Cornwell (Sunday Club). Jeff Jones as site manager was invited to attend as needed. The team meets roughly monthly. Generally its scope is to oversee the week-by-week running of the church: primarily organizing services, pastoral care, and the coordination of other church-run activities; and to pray together for church and community. The local ministry team also acts as the standing committee. This is the only committee of the PCC required by law and consists of the incumbent, the churchwardens and two other representatives of the PCC. It has the power to transact the business of the PCC between its meetings, subject to any directions of the Council. Meetings of the standing committee are called only when required.
The Pastoral Team consisted of Paul Garnell (team curate), Tricia Maguire (ALM), Michaela McNeill (ALM), Thelma Westbury, Clare Bigg (to Sept 2021) and Anne Jones.
The Cabin Management Team
The management team in 2021 was Clare Bigg (treasurer), Jeff Jones, Anne Jones (bookings), Peter Cornwell (chair), Sue Cornwell, Ali Marcus and Nicky Kerr, with Alison Myers in attendance if needed.
The Events Committee
The Events Committee consists of Anne Jones, Caroline Edgley, Thelma Westbury, Sue Cornwell, Joan Segrave, Alison Marcus and Lois Frettsome. As rector, Alison is an ex-officio member. It meets around 8 times a year to plan fundraising and social events.
3. Activities of the PCC (and of the church)
a) Preface
Clare writes …
We thought that 2020 was an exceptional year, but 2021 has also had its challenges. Not least has been the ongoing Covid pandemic. This has been a roller-coaster with anxieties about new variants Delta and Omicron balanced by growing confidence in the vaccine roll-out. Throughout 2021, little has taken place without Covid needing to be factored in.
However, despite Covid, we celebrated the Cabin on the anniversary of its completion and have been thankful again and again for this resource. Read more about this below.
Noticing how difficult online church was for primary aged children, we launched a monthly Wild Church in which we ‘engage playfully, actively and creatively with God’s natural world’. We have been blessed by having children worshipping again on our site.
2021 also saw the departure of our Rector, Alison Myers, after 11 years as our priest, guide and friend. She has left us in good shape, but we miss her. Read an appreciation of her ministry by Peter below.
Furthermore, our curate Paul Garnell had his final service with us on Christmas Eve. He has moved on to become an army chaplain and will also be missed. Howard has written an appreciation of his contribution to our life.
Clare Bigg has stepped up as Interim Lead Minister for the vacancy with a strong supporting cast from the PCC.
b) Worship, prayer and spiritual life
Clare writes:
Sunday worship
At the very start of January, the church was closed for in-person services and we were back to Worship at Home using zoom, video and audio recordings and printed resources. We were well-prepared for this, but it was none-the-less painful not to be able to meet together in church. But we discover, as always, that God meets us where we are.
Ash Wednesday was celebrated very simply outdoors as one by one we came for ashing and a prayer. Every member of the congregation was given a Lent resource bag which included a booklet of reflections, some supportive ideas for things to try and a heart for Mothering Sunday among other things. Mothering Sunday saw the chestnut tree by the road transformed into a ‘happy-sad’ tree as decorated hearts remembered mothers we were missing and celebrated all that we had to be thankful for.
Our first Sunday back in church was Palm Sunday – kept short, with no singing, but very sweet. On Easter Sunday we did sing ‘Thine be the Glory’ – but spaced out outside after the formal end of the service. Again we were thankful for our outdoor space so we could worship outside, weather permitting – remember the debates about how cold was too cold?! Slowly restrictions eased, singing became possible, coffee after the service became possible, but masks have remained. At each stage we have thought carefully about the needs of the medically vulnerable, as well as our need for human contact face to face.
For some, the Lordsbridge zoom service has continued to be a good option and it has developed into a
supportive congregation where those who are disabled and/or housebound can meet on equal terms with their fellow Christians. The printed resources are also appreciated by those who cannot join Sunday services for whatever reason.
In September we had a special outdoor service with Hardwick Evangelical church as part of the eco weekend. The services for All Souls and Remembrance Sunday could take place inside, but our carol service was held outdoors round the campfire as Covid made it undesirable to have large numbers inside.
Wild Church was launched in May. It meets monthly on a Sunday afternoon with an average of 12 adults and 10 children attending each month. We have been active: working with clay and dough, making charcoal, painting, planting, observing and creating. Often we meet around the campfire, always we meet outside. We end with a reflective ‘going deeper’ time when we make connections between what we have done and a Bible passage and we pray (often with our bodies as well as our words). It has been a delight to engage with the children and we finished the year with 8 families coming to the Christingle in church.
Since Alison left we have been blessed by visiting clergy from the Lordsbridge team.
Midweek prayer
Before she left, Alison encouraged us to keep praying, especially for the new priest to be appointed. We pray with members of other churches on Wednesday mornings, usually on zoom but lately once a month in person with coffee afterwards. Weekly night prayer on zoom is appreciated by the 10 or so people who join regularly, and the small meditation group meets fortnightly in the Cabin.
c) Church Community and Pastoral Care
The church community has come together to help ensure that no one is isolated or left without support. Home communions have restarted in a small way. The biggest change has been the departure of our Rector, Alison Myers, and curate Paul Garnell.
An appreciation of the ministry of Alison Myers.
Here Peter reflects on the wonderful eleven years that Alison spent with us.
St. Mary’s was very fortunate in having Alison as vicar, then rector, for eleven years. She was a highly skilled and remarkable priest.
Alison chaired the PCC highly efficiently and formally, ensuring smooth management and that policies were clear and correct and that things like the Safeguarding policy were dealt with thoroughly. Her attention to detail and her ability to delegate and bring out strengths in people, easing them into jobs which suited them, were exemplary.
Her work as chair of the Ministry group was also impressive; this is a no-agenda group, more informal, but equally effective. Alison was brilliant at supporting work with children and young people. She was most invaluable in offering help and advice when asked, but also allowing the right degree of autonomy. She was committed to inclusivity, remember when it came to her installation as Team Rector, she included all the children and young people in the service as much as possible. More recently she led on the planning and implementation of the Wild church group. Here her clarity of thinking has been so valuable in establishing the new venture and being specific in determining what, why, who etc.
Alison’s membership of the Cabin building team was inspirational. She guided the team (and the congregation) to the completion of a project long dreamed of and we have ended up with a superb building in a unique setting, which is not just a church hall or a community centre, but a hall with vision
at its core, bound up in the three words which even appear on the booking forms: hospitality, encounter and wholeness. When asked about this she will almost invariably say that it was a team effort, to which I would say, yes, but it wouldn’t have happened without her encouragement for prayer and reflection, for perseverance in the face of considerable challenges.
These are all teams where I have served with her; they are perfect examples of the successful implementation of the principles of the management of change and the understanding which she has of effective working with people. She knew when to lead, when to chair and when to sit back.
Whilst being very determined, Alison was also willing to compromise on certain things. For example when it came to the removal of pews from the nave, there were some who would have removed them all and she was able to avert bloodshed by pointing out the value of keeping some, but also enlarging the space at the back of the church. It was a wonderful lesson in peaceful church politics.
She was very strong on prayer and spirituality, her sermons and services were always immaculately prepared (and appreciated). Her
influence was seen in others who preached here. The standard was consistently high. She promoted and delegated things like the Lent group and the (now defunct) book group but also encouraged personal growth through her blog and by recommending books and courses. Throughout the pandemic she worked on various successful online services and meetings. It was no accident that when applying for the A Rocha award St Mary’s scored very highly on teaching and ministry. During her time two members of the congregation became ALMs and one went on to become an LLM.
Alison had huge strengths in thinking creatively, seeing possibilities and supporting ventures; her instigation of Wild Church and Pippins, her support for Toddler Church and the ‘Mums and Tums’ group, her encouragement for those working on the ecology and bio diversity in the churchyard and around the Cabin, are all examples. She was also very good at cementing relationships of all kinds, such that the present congregation continue to work together very harmoniously. She set the tone.
Alison was extremely well thought of by students and curates on placement here. All have been very complimentary of her and thankful for their placement. It has been inspiring to see students and curates grow in confidence and strength due, certainly in part, to her diligence. Perhaps even more important, Alison was held in very high regard by the congregation and by members of the wider community.
As a private person Alison was lovely, full of life and love of family. She had a great sense of humour, loved literature, art and gardening.
We think of her a lot and wish her every happiness in her new venture as warden at Launde Abbey.
Oh, and we have missed her wicked laugh.
An appreciation of Paul Garnell
Howard writes …
Our team curate Revd. Paul Garnell was with us for two and a half years from July 2019 until December 2021. My first encounter with Paul was on a balmy July evening, sitting outside the Blue Lion pub in Hardwick with the PCC. He arrived hot and a tad flustered on a bicycle having lost his way between
Coton and Hardwick! Paul was a one-off. He had an inexhaustible fund of funny stories coming as he did from a background which included the army (Blues and Royals), social care and the Prison Service amongst other walks of life. Paul quickly established himself as a character whom people took to their hearts. His sense of fun and the absurd were infectious. He regularly attended the Hardwick Friendship Club and we saw Paul’s great gift of friendship at work there. He helped many in practical ways and his ministry was an outstanding example of how being visible, available, wise and kind builds the church community and the kingdom of God. Paul might sometimes have been unorthodox in his approach to the more formal areas of church life, and occasionally his diary might not have kept up
with him, but nobody doubted his strong commitment to the service of others. In church, he took services well, often peppered with humour but without losing reverence and seriousness. His sermons were always well thought out and delivered. He has moved on appropriately to become an army chaplain. Paul, you were a blessing to us and we will never forget you.
d) Mission, outreach and contribution to village life
Bumps and Babies in the Cabin
Ali writes …
Bumps and Babies in the Cabin was a much-appreciated group in 2021 as evidenced by cards and thank you gifts received and the friendships made. New mothers were identified as a particularly vulnerable group during the pandemic and I was able to provide a COVID secure space for up to 6 mothers with their babies. The under-floor heating kept the babies warm on the floor despite having plenty of fresh air in the room. On average, I had 4 mothers attend each week from January to October from a group of 6 depending what sort of a night they had. Babies ranged in age from 6 weeks to one year and occasionally I was able to accommodate desperate mothers with older babies thanks to donations of playpens to confine the mobile babies.
At the end of October, a combination of mothers going back to work and babies graduating to toddlers meant that only one mother remained in the group and she did not want to come alone. Despite a social media campaign, I could not recruit new members, so I closed up early before Christmas and finished the year on a low note. Hardwick Toddler group restarted in the school in November at the same time and day as Bumps and Babies in the Cabin which raised concern that my group would not compete. However, the Toddler group report they have not had any babies attend since opening and Bumps and Babies in the Cabin has started to grow again at the start of 2022.
Income from donations by the attending mothers in 2022 covered the discounted hall hiring fees. I carried a float of £5 into 2022.
Colour Wheel
Nicky writes …
The Colour Wheel Group started in August of 2019 meeting at the Sports & Social Club initially and moving to The Cabin at St Mary’s in 2020.
The Cabin has been an excellent venue to host this group of mostly elderly people, being secure, safe and very accessible. The surroundings lean itself to tranquillity and mindfulness and many have commented of the beautiful surroundings and functionality of the building.
To address loneliness and isolation in our village is at the heart of the group. It is open to anyone from the local community to meet up and enjoy participating in a wide selection of mindful colouring. No artistic ability or special skills are required and the group is open to absolutely everyone. The group has been attended by a variety of people from the surrounding villages, with 12 people attending on average. Material is provided and refreshments are served half way through the session. A voluntary £3 donation is recommended to cover the hiring of the hall and running cost. I secured a small grant through Care Network in 2020, which has enabled me to cover the costs of hiring the hall and purchasing wheat bags for last winter as windows had to remain open for COVID. Since the PCC have reduced the hiring of the hall costs, the Colour Wheel has been able to cover all cost with the donations given by those attending.
The group has been meeting every two weeks throughout the past lock-down as a support group and has been a life line to many isolated members of our community. It is so rewarding to witness, that many of the members have become friends, now meeting outside of the group and together attend various other activities. Some reach out to help fellow members with odd jobs and all chip in with serving refreshments and cleaning up.
Tuesday Morning Toddlers
Clare writes ….
We were delighted to eventually restart our Tuesday morning toddler church at the beginning of June. We started by meeting outside – no worries about messy activities! It was great to watch the children gaining in confidence as many of them had had little social contact outside the family. The site worked really well thanks to the garden fence, and LOTS made sure that the campfire circle was suitable for our Bible story, singing and prayer time. Paul gave us a portable speaker for the music, and bubble prayers were a hit.
Eventually the weather drove us into the hall, and this has been a good place to be. Set up and pack down has been quick and easy and one of the windows has provided the focus for story time.
The team consisted of Paul Garnell, Helen Harding and Clare Bigg: we have enjoyed working together. Average attendance has been 7 adults and 5 children.
Summer Afternoons
Clare writes ….
Having not been able to run the Summer Afternoon café plus activities in 2020, it was wonderful to be back in action for 2021. A combination of Covid worries and disappointing weather meant that numbers were down a bit, but the site came into its own and serving refreshments using the Cabin kitchen and a one-way system worked well. The people who came enjoyed home-made cake in the safety of the
outdoors and the children enjoyed the craft activities and cooking on the fire. Many thanks to all the stalwart helpers.
Events Committee
Sue writes …
For the first part of the year, we were again limited in our social activities by Covid restrictions.
In May, we re-opened the Plant & Produce stall on a lovely new purpose-built 'bench' built by the team at the Phoenix trust in Milton. This a charity which provides a meaningful work experience and develops the social and life skills of young adults with learning disabilities. (They also built the bird table in the Cabin grounds)
We also continued with the 'Book swap' in the Cabin porch and more jigsaws were added to the shelves.
The collection of items for the Food Bank in the Church porch has continued and the contributions shared between the Cambridge branch and those in need in Hardwick.
This is ongoing and we are still very grateful for the support from many, very generous, residents. In June, we were at last able to put on bigger events, and we began with the Garden Safari on the hottest day of the year. Eleven brave people opened their (very different) gardens to visitors, stalls were set up in some of the gardens and refreshments were served from the Cabin. We hope to repeat this in 2023.
We supported the Pre-School 'Garage sale' and sold much of what was left from the
Bric a Brac stall the remainder being donated to E.A.C.H.0the East Anglian Children's Hospice) shop in Cambridge.
On 24th/25th July we celebrated the opening of the 'Cabin at St Mary's' which is detailed in the Cabin Management Team report - a fantastic weekend.
We were once again able to open the Cabin and grounds on six days in August for the popular Summer afternoons with play and activities for children of all ages, plus tea/coffee/squash and home-made cakes and biscuits. It has been lovely to see that adults without children have come along and enjoyed our hospitality.
We provided the refreshments for the very successful eco event in September, organised by St Mary's, Hardwick Evangelical Church and the Hardwick Climate Action Group. A very successful event which will be repeated in 2022.
Also in September, we said goodbye to Alison, Boyd, Ben and Jacob, wishing them every success in their new life at Launde Abbey where Alison has been appointed Warden.
We held the Harvest Supper in October - the first in the Cabin and grounds. Although it was a cold evening, we kept warm dancing, again to the Cambridge University Ceilidh Band. It was a great evening with the campfire lit and fairy lights all around the two marquees. However, the grass has not recovered from the pounding it took, so it looks as though we shall have to go back to the school next time.
An all-day Giant Book sale was held in the Cabin. This attracted buyers from the surrounding villages and again, refreshments were provided. All the books which were left were donated to the bookshops at Wimpole Hall and Anglesey Abbey and to E.A.C.H. Again, this will be repeated in 2022. The camp fire was lit again on Bonfire Night and we enjoyed hot dogs, cocoa and parkin etc plus sparklers only.
A big thank you to those who supported the Christmas tree festival. There were 18 decorated trees and we were able to send a substantial donation to WinterComfort as well as supporting the Church Fabric
Fund. The weekend finished out by the camp fire with mulled wine, mince pies and a group from the Eversden Brass Band who entertained us and accompanied the singing of carols. A lovely event to conclude another difficult year.
The Events Committee would like to thank all those who have supported us this year in so many ways - baking, serving refreshments, putting up marquees, moving tables and chairs, manning stalls, opening gardens, donating items etc. etc. These events could not happen without your continuing support. Thank you.
Pippin’s
Anne writes …
Unfortunately, during 2021, due to Covid, subsequent lockdown and the worry of mixing with people indoors, Pippin’s did not open its doors until October.
However, at Easter we made up 46 Easter boxes of goodies which we distributed to people around the village on Easter Saturday. These were very much appreciated by those who received them. Many thanks to the Pippin’s team who made the goodies, packed the boxes and delivered the boxes – a real team effort.
After a lot of thought, we opened our doors on October 2[nd] with hand sanitiser, masks, one- way systems and waitress service all set up. We had a good crowd of people and that has continued each month. To enable safe distancing, we set up in the Community Room and the hall.
However, from November we have only set up in the hall as we have more room to space out and most people seemed to prefer it. During the November opening, we had a surprise as the fire alarm went off and we had to evacuate the building and the fire brigade arrived! All because of some dust! There is never a dull moment in Pippin’s!!
“Pippins is a real success story and a welcome addition to the things that go on in the village.”
Kigali link
Clare writes …
We sent £360 to support our partners in Kigali diocese. This sum was in part raised by enthusiastic bidders as Harvest produce was sold off. We had hoped to get a video link or recording from Kigali for our Harvest service, but this proved to be not possible because of illness.
e) Safeguarding
Jane writes …
As we return to more face to face meetings and events, and in the rush to get the wheels of our community life going again it is easy to forget how important safeguarding is. Everyone who participates in the life of the church has a responsibility in promoting safeguarding for children and vulnerable adults. We need to continue to include safeguarding in the early stages of planning for events and activities.
These are the Guidelines for Promoting a safer environment and culture;
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Safely recruiting and supporting all those with any responsibility related to children, young people and vulnerable adults within the Church;
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Responding promptly to every safeguarding concern or allegation;
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Caring pastorally for victims/survivors of abuse and other affected persons;
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Caring pastorally for those who are the subject of concerns or allegations of abuse and other affected persons.
• Responding to those that may pose a present risk to others.
I feel that we do follow these guidelines and our church community is the safer because of it.
Safeguarding requirements do change and all PCC members and those in a role which involves work with children or vulnerable adults need to do both the Basic Awareness and Foundation level of training and update every 3 years. The PCC are in the process of renewing and updating their training, which can now be done on line. On completion they are requested to send a copy of the completion certificate to the Parish Safeguarding office so that a record can be kept of training completed and future needs.
The process of updating risk assessments for church activities and role description for the volunteers’ with roles in the parish is an ongoing process.
The interval between updating DBS checks and training has changed from every 5 years to every 3 years, as of January this year, which has increased the number of checks that are needed this year.
Becca Herrick has become a DBS checker for St Mary’s and has competed a number of checks already.
We use the safeguarding dashboard to show what actions we need to take,
The safer recruitment policy is to ensure that when a new person volunteer to join any of the teams in St Mary’s has the required checks and training and is given an interview and role description for their role. However we have had very few new people come to join the various teams within the parish. Jane Muncey Parish Safeguarding Officer 17/3/22
f. The Cabin at St Mary’s
Ali writes …
Hospitality, wholeness and encounter
The team comprises: Chair Peter Cornwell, Treasurer Clare Bigg, Bookings Secretary Anne Jones, Sue Cornwell, Jeff jones, Nicky Kerr and Ali Marcus
With COVID restrictions lightening since spring of 2021, clubs, groups, meetings, parties and funerals have all been happening in the Cabin. There has been plenty of positive feedback regarding the facilities. Users particularly comment on the peace, tranquillity and beauty of the site, the warmth and comfort of the space and the excellent kitchen and toilet facilities. Apart from designing our thank you and memorial plaques, there has been little to do in the interior of the building. We continue to pay a cleaner for two hours a week to keep the building spick and span. It has been pleasing that with increased use, there were not many teething troubles/snagging that needed sorting inside. We purchased two electric heaters because with the increased ventilation required to mitigate COVID, some users were getting cold. There were initially problems with the dish washer which are now sorted (thank you Jeff for your perseverance and attention to detail). We made plans to install coving for the pipe work in the storage cupboard and install a picture rail all around the main hall although both are yet to happen.
Outside, much has changed during 2021. With a bit more fundraising and some very generous donations we have extended the car park, installed a fence and gates, installed bird and bat boxes, purchased a memorial bench, ordered a shed for storing outdoor furniture (which was erected this year
and is now in use) and commissioned a trio of sculpted standing stones depicting our mission of hospitality, wholeness and encounter to be displayed by the porch. It was wonderful to finally get the surface water drainage pipe linked up and the concrete headwall taken away in October.
LOTS team continue to improve the site with much effort put into clearing the pond which many groups enjoy looking out over. Managing the grassed area has proved to be a muddy problem which we are still working on. Plans are to extend the patio and focus on seeding/turfing in the autumn
The highlight of the year was a weekend of celebrations to mark the opening of the Cabin. On Sat 24[th] July we had a service led by the Bishop of Ely followed by a hog roast and Jazz music and there was a display to highlight the story of the project going back 30 years! We invited as many people as we could who had played a major part in designing, building, fundraising, project managing over the years. On Sunday 25[th] July we showed off the Cabin to users and potential users over afternoon tea.
One of the drivers of the Cabin project was the need to have suitable kitchen and toilet facilities for the church. The old portacabin toilets had become an embarrassment – the doors no longer closed properly and there was only a cold tap which was hard to turn off and could freeze in winter. So once we had our new Cabin, we wanted to help other communities have decent toilets too. People gave generously, and we sent £2040 to fund 7 toilet blocks for churches, schools and refugee camps in Bangladesh, Nigeria, Liberia, Indonesia and Mozambique. In addition we are twinned with taps in Zambia, Ethiopia, Nepal, Guatemala and Kenya. We pray for these communities scattered across the world.
Who is using the Cabin?
At this point, we should pause and say a big thank you to Anne for being our Bookings Secretary. Pretty much daily, she is communicating with hirers and several times a week shows new users the facilities. It is a big job and she does it with efficiency and good grace.
The table below shows a breakdown of who uses the Cabin. We can see that church use is the biggest. Support groups, exercise classes and art/craft groups are roughly equal
On average, the cabin was in use for 25% of opening hours in 2021. Given COVID restrictions, this is not disappointing. However, it would be good if occupancy increases this year to ensure we make sufficient income to build a maintenance fund for the future.
| Name | Percentage of use | Duration (hours) |
|---|---|---|
| Exercise Class | 11.05 | 139 |
| Meeting | 4.95 | 62.25 |
| Church Meeting | 36.46 | 458.5 |
| Children and young people | 16.24 | 204.25 |
| Party | 5.61 | 70.5 |
| Art/craft | 8.01 | 100.75 |
| Support Group | 15.71 | 197.5 |
| Literary, drama or music group | 0.87 | 11 |
| W.I. | 0.20 | 2.5 |
| Internal use | 0.89 | 11.25 |
Cabin Finances
Many thanks go to Clare for keeping the books balanced and steering us through financial rough waters without losing sight of our mission to create a space of hospitality, wholeness and encounter. We
pitched our hiring rates as comparable to other similar facilities in the area. Feedback from users is that the hiring fees are good value for money. It was pleasing that income from hiring covered the running costs in 2021.
g. Church building and churchyard
Jeff and Peter write …
Fortunately, 2021 was uneventful with regard to the church fabric, with no serious problems occurring. In January, a detached roof slate was dealt with by Gary Heslop of Able Construction, with no charge.
The churchyard was again well maintained by the LOTS team, attracting many favourable comments. LOTS was sorry to lose, but very grateful to Roger Worland, an active member of the team for several years, on his move to Cardiff.
By the autumn, very few vacant plots remained in the Memorial Garden. It was decided to extend the current area and a petition was submitted to obtain a Faculty to carry this out.
Once again, the illuminated stars on the lychgate and the tower were well received by the village community.
The year has been notable for the two bronze awards: from A Rocha eco church and the Wildlife trust. Further actions have been taken towards working for the silver awards. Otherwise there has been a continuing progress with the mowing schedule to create managed areas with Spring and Summer flowers. Further work has been done on transplanting
snowdrops and aconites.
St Mary’s has been instrumental in drawing together representatives from the Evangelical Church and the Hardwick Climate Change action group. The team planned and led the first Eco Event in the village. The event was widely supported. And will be repeated.
h. Summary financial report
Clare writes …
The full accounts for 2021 are provided separately.
Fabric Fund.
| Fabric Fund. | |
|---|---|
| Fabric Fund Summary | |
| Balance at 1stJan 2021 | £12,109 |
| Income | £1,028 |
| Expenditure | £75 |
| Balance at 31stDec 2021 | £13,062 |
This Fund covers major expenditure on the church building. Income this year came mainly through donations and the work of the Events Committee raising funds via the Harvest Supper and Christmas Tree Festival. The only expenditure was a donation to Wintercomfort. We hope to build up this fund significantly from 2023 onwards to help cover the expected outlay for Quinquenniel repairs to the roof. In addition, we will be extending the memorial garden and some work on the trees may be necessary.
Community Hall Building Fund
| Community Hall Building Fund | ||
|---|---|---|
| Community Hall Building Fund Summary | ||
| Balance at 1st Jan 2021 | £22,827 | |
| Income | £6,833 | |
| Expenditure – Coulson’s | £14,275 | |
| Expenditure - fees | £3,076 | |
| Expenditure – memorials & sculpture | £3,309 | |
| Expenditure - celebration | £1,969 | |
| Expenditure – external works | £3,627 | |
| Total Expenditure | £26,256 | |
| Balance at 31st Dec 2021 | £3,404 |
We owed a retention sum to our builder, Coulson’s, plus legal fees relating to the easement for the drainage under the track and Parish Council land. We bought a memorial bench and an ‘In Memoriam’ plaque, and commissioned a stone sculpture to express our vision for the Cabin: hospitality, wholeness and encounter. We paid for the cost of the anniversary celebration and completed external works: the carpark extension, fencing and bat and bird boxes.
Our income came mainly from gifts – given in memory of Douglas Skipper and as an amazing response to an appeal to fund the sculpture and completion of the landscaping.
The balance of the fund was transferred to the Cabin Running Fund on 31[st] Dec 2021 so that we only have one Cabin fund moving forwards. It will still be used to cover the final payments on the sculpture, third shed, pond fencing and greening the grass.
Cabin Running Fund
| Cabin Running Fund Summary | ||
|---|---|---|
| Balance at 1st Jan 2021 | £3,292 | |
| Rental Income | £3,503 | |
| Donations | £1,042 | |
| Total income | £4,545 | |
| Expenditure – licences,insurance,fees etc | £807 | |
| Expenditure – cleaner | £1,224 | |
| Expenditure - utilities | £635 | |
| Expenditure – consumables | £136 | |
| Expenditure - fitments | £219 | |
| Expenditure – maintenance and servicing | £459 | |
| Total expenditure | £3,479 | |
| Balance at 31st Dec 2021 | £4,358 |
Even though we were able to use the Cabin very little during the first half of 2021 because of the pandemic, we were pleased that rental income covered our running expenses. This gives us confidence that in due course we will be able to build up a modest maintenance fund for the longer term. We acknowledge with gratitude gifts we have received for the equipping of the kitchen, especially that from the family of Tejinder Bhachu. We are also grateful to the Community Association for covering the first year costs of Hallmaster, our booking system.
Insurance costs will increase next year as the bill covering both church and Cabin will be split 50:50 instead of the initial 75:25. Utility costs will also rise, partly because of the national rise in electricity tariffs. In addition, the Wi-Fi costs have been covered initially by a generous donor which will come to an end, and the water bill will be more significant.
General Fund
It is good to be able to report that this fund has a small surplus this year thanks to generous giving and some reduced costs.
Donations form the bulk of our income, and we are most grateful for this. Fundraising is also significant, especially as the book and plant & produce stalls provided a valued resource for the community. ‘In and Out’ covers collections made for a particular third parties which are then passed straight on. This year it comprised £2035 for toilet and tap twinning, £198 for Kigali, £835 for leaving gifts, £74 for Hardwick Climate Action Group and £40 for The Children’s Society.
As always, the most significant part of our expenditure was the Ministry Share which covers the cost of providing our team incumbents plus the back office support from the Diocese. Admin expenses includes our contribution to the Lordsbridge Team for the wages of Becca Herrick. ‘Charitable giving’ includes our regular gift to Action Aid plus a gift to Kigali in addition to giving via the In/Out heading. The costs of ministry includes a contribution via Lordsbridge to the shared youth work, as well as the party tents. Expenditure on running services includes the ‘new to us’ projector. We spent a bit less on building costs as we were not heating the church during the cold months at the start of the year.
| General Fund Summary | ||
|---|---|---|
| Balance at 1st Jan 2021 | £5,517 | |
| Income – Parish GivingScheme & Gift Aid | £15,151 | |
| Income – othergiving& donations | £9,330 | |
| Income – weddingand funeral fees | £1,745 | |
| Income - fundraising | £2,013 | |
| Income – In and Out | £3,182 | |
| Income - other | £488 | |
| Total income | £31,909 | |
| Expenditure – charitablegiving | £277 | |
| Expenditure – ministryshare | £20,602 | |
| Expenditure – clergy& admin expenses | £1,774 | |
| Expenditure – costs of ministry/outreach | £975 | |
| Expenditure – relatingto church services | £788 | |
| Expenditure – relatingto the building | £2,524 | |
| Expenditure – In and Out | £3,182 | |
| Total Expenditure | £30,123 | |
| Balance at 31st Dec 2021 | £7,302 |
As treasurer, I would like again to express my appreciation of the generosity of the St Mary’s community. Whenever there is a need, people step forward to help meet it. This makes my task a whole lot less stressful!
Huge thanks also to our independent inspector of the accounts, Mark Taylor.
4. Lordsbridge Team and Team Council
Clare writes …
We are grateful that we belong to a team. It has meant that we have been able to have both in-person and zoom services on a Sunday. It also means that while we are in vacancy we have the support of the team clergy both in terms of taking services and in providing encouragement and guidance. Much of the admin is done centrally and in particular we now have the use of iKnow Church as a database and means of emailing groups of people. Robbie Thomson has been key in setting this up for us, and training in its use. Becca Herrick handles the admin for weddings and funerals centrally, as well as acting as a conduit for information within the team. Most youth work happens across the team and is organised and run by the para-church organisation WCCYM (West Cambridge Christian Youth Ministries). The work of WCCYM has continued, with services and groups online, and school’s work continuing online or face to face where possible.
The Team Council to which each parish sends a representative generally meets 3 times a year. In particular this year it has looked at Data Privacy and Whistleblowing policies as well as thinking about team wide services and resources.
5. Bourn Deanery Synod
Thelma writes ….
April and July meetings were held on zoom, with November’s at Cambourne Church
At the April meeting we welcomed the new Rural Dean Priscilla Slusar. Members of the Deanery all reported on how they were coping with the situation, staying focused and connected with their members, by zoom, telephone, and the Lordsbridge on line video and audio services. Many of our churches are part of local initiatives to provide help for those self isolating, supporting local foodbanks, and collecting prescription drugs, and shopping.
The team is preparing for the vacancy when Alison leaves, in the interim David Newton will act as Team Rector.
The use of individual cups at communion was discussed, and referred back to the PCC’s for their views’
The July Meeting discussed the A428 corridor development. Current plans are for the new worshipping community in West Cambourne to be linked with Cambourne church and for the Bourn Airfield community to “grow” more independently. It was agreed that the new Pioneer appointment would begin work in West Cambourne and build links with the Bourne Airfield project. It was hoped that the new post would be filled by the Autumn.
Cambourne church celebrates its 21[st] anniversary in October.
The November Meeting was held in person at Cambourne Church, The Deanery development plan was discussed, with the hope that the laity would lead much of the discussions of where we will be in ten years time with regard to finance, ministry and mission. There was a presentation by Revered Dr Beth Cope, Pioneer minister based in Northstowe, With plans progressing for a new local pioneer minister to support the West Cambourne and Bourn Airfield developments, Beth’s talk about her experiences as a new pioneer minister in Northstowe was very timely.
Priscilla reported that the Bishop has funds to support clergy experiencing financial hardship, and if anyone is concerned about the welfare of their clergy, to contact her.
6. Information
Registered Charity Number 1188527.
Address: Main St, Hardwick CB23 7QS
STMARY'SCHURCHHARDWiCK |
STMARY'SCHURCHHARDWiCK |
STMARY'SCHURCHHARDWiCK |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FinancialStatementfor thevearending31stDec2021 |
||||||
GENERALFUND |
||||||
Balanceat1stJan |
2020 |
2021 |
||||
HeldinNatwesta/c |
7361.03 |
6620.35 |
||||
Heldincash |
73.73 |
130.71 |
||||
Lessunclearedcheques |
-853.32 |
-1234.31 |
||||
Total |
6581.44 |
5516.75 |
||||
Code |
RECEIPTS |
|||||
PlannedGivingviaParishGiving |
Scheme |
10555.60 |
12362.47 |
|||
1+2 |
OtherPlannedGiving |
5240.00 |
4330.00 |
|||
3 |
OpenPlateCollections |
656.13 |
355.75 |
|||
4 |
Donations |
2300.24 |
2679.79 |
|||
6 |
GiftAidRecovered |
4771.62 |
4237.38 |
|||
9 |
GardenSafaritakings |
0.00 |
1192.91 |
|||
^ |
Bookandplantstalls |
(note1) |
920.13 |
936.74 |
||
11 |
WeddingandFuneralfees |
2516.38 |
3555.50 |
|||
13 |
ParishSharerebate |
437.75 |
488.48 |
|||
FamiliesWork |
(note2) |
98.45 |
515.23 |
|||
InandOut |
(note3) |
475.00 |
3182.01 |
|||
TOTALRECEIPTS |
2797130 |
3383636 |
||||
PAYMENTS |
2020 |
2021 |
||||
11 |
WandF feestoElyetc |
1356.70 |
1811.00 |
|||
17 |
Costofevents |
0.00 |
116.73 |
|||
18 |
CharitableGiving |
(note4) |
635.00 |
277.32 |
||
19 |
MinistryShare |
20510.89 |
20602.23 |
|||
21 |
Rector'sExpenses |
(note5) |
390.27 |
278.82 |
||
21 |
Secretary'sExpenses |
1043.49 |
1030.92 |
|||
21 |
Curate'sExpenses |
377.55 |
464.68 |
|||
22 |
AdultOutreachResources |
137.21 |
117.96 |
|||
22 |
Familieswork |
(note2) |
259.58 |
234.16 |
||
22 |
YouthMinistry |
391.07 |
378.18 |
|||
23 |
AdultMinistrycosts |
116.61 |
||||
23 |
Pastoralcosts |
13.13 |
171.05 |
|||
23 |
insurance,fireetc |
1918.05 |
1802.48 |
|||
23 |
ChurchSupplies |
383.84 |
191.68 |
|||
23 |
Churchyardcosts |
47.64 |
87.32 |
|||
23 |
Music&Licences |
159.07 |
165.00 |
|||
23 |
Electricity(church) |
(note6) |
820.89 |
634.61 |
||
Misc |
(note7) |
505.00 |
||||
25 |
InandOut |
(note3) |
475.00 |
3182.01 |
||
TOTAL |
29035.99 |
32051.15 |
||||
Balanceat31stDec |
||||||
HeldinNatwesta/c |
6620.35 |
7838.28 |
||||
Heldincash |
130.71 |
254.56 |
||||
Lessunclearedcheques |
(note9) |
-1234.31 |
-790.98 |
|||
Total |
5516.75 |
7301.86 |
||||
CheckSum |
5516.75 |
7301.86 |
Note3 |
|
|---|---|
'InandOufaregiftsmade |
fora specificrecipient,andsodonotcountas'churchincome'. |
KigaliatHarvest |
£198.25 |
Toiletandtaptwinning |
£2034.43 |
HardwickClimateAction |
£74.17 |
TheChildren'sSociety |
£40 |
Leavinggifts |
£835.16 |
ActionAid |
£120 |
|---|---|
Kigali |
£161.75 |
ToiletTwinning |
£5.57 |
Balanceof |
Fundat1stJan |
2020 |
2021 |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Investedin |
CCLA |
£70,544.24 |
£12,108.67 |
|||
Investedin |
ShawbrookCAPa/c |
£83,796.09 |
£0.00 |
|||
HeldinNatWesta/c |
£271.54 |
£10,718.29 |
||||
Total |
£154.611.87 |
£22.826.96 |
||||
Receipts |
Bankinterest |
£381.09 |
£5.36 |
|||
Donations8iGift |
Aid |
£34,879.50 |
£6,219.78 |
|||
Fundraising |
£7.50 |
£608.76 |
||||
Grants |
£165,396.00 |
|||||
Total |
£200,664.09 |
£6,833.90 |
||||
Payments |
||||||
Fees |
£1,230.00 |
£3,076.40 |
||||
Coulsons |
£313,367.77 |
£14,275.30 |
||||
Electricity |
£856.65 |
|||||
Donorplaques& |
sculpture |
£3,309.00 |
||||
Celebration |
£1,968.51 |
|||||
Insidefittingout |
£6,256.37 |
|||||
Externalworks |
£6,238.21 |
£3,626.87 |
||||
TransfertoCabin |
RunningFund |
£4,500.00 |
£3,404.78 |
|||
Total |
£332,449.00 |
£29,660.86 |
||||
BalanceofFundat31stDec |
||||||
Investedin |
CCLA |
£12,108.67 |
£0.00 |
|||
HeldinNatWesta/c |
£10,718.29 |
£0.00 |
||||
TOTAL |
£22,826.96 |
£0.00 |
||||
Checksum |
£22.826.96 |
£0.00 |
FinancialStatementforthe |
CabinRunningFund2021 |
2020 |
2021 |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Balanceoffundat1stJan |
HeldinNatWesta/c |
£0.00 |
£3,292.16 |
||
HeldinCCLAa/c |
0 |
£0.00 |
|||
Total |
£0.00 |
£3.292.16 |
|||
Receipts |
TferfromComHallFun< |
£4,500.00 |
£3,404.78 |
||
RentalIncome |
£645.00 |
£3,502.50 |
|||
Donations&GiftAid |
£1,042.40 |
||||
Total |
£5.145.00 |
£7.949.68 |
|||
Payments |
Fees&Licences |
£363.38 |
£302.59 |
||
Insurance |
£376.88 |
£503.52 |
|||
Utilities |
£0.00 |
£634.60 |
|||
Cleaner |
£427.00 |
£1,224.00 |
|||
Consumables |
£125.18 |
£136.43 |
|||
Outside |
£182.39 |
£135.65 |
|||
Insidefitments |
£378.01 |
£82.93 |
|||
Maintenance&servicing |
£459.12 |
||||
Total |
£1.852.84 |
£3.478.84 |
|||
BalanceofFundat31stDec |
HeldinNatWesta/c |
£3,292.16 |
£5,648.97 |
||
HeldinCCLAa/c |
£0.00 |
£2,114.03 |
|||
TOTAL |
£3.292.16 |
£7.763.00 |
2020 |
2021 |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BalanceofFundat1stJan |
InvestedinCCLAa/c |
£9,580.83 |
£10,760.19 |
|||
heldinNatWesta/c |
£134.96 |
£1,348.35 |
||||
TOTAL |
£9.715.79 |
£12.108.54 |
||||
Receipts |
||||||
Donations |
£1,515.00 |
£282.40 |
||||
Fundraising(seenote1) |
£2,002.40 |
£702.28 |
||||
Interest |
£44.40 |
£5.61 |
||||
GiftAid |
£1.25 |
£38.10 |
||||
Total |
£3.563.05 |
£1.028.39 |
||||
Payments |
||||||
CeilingRepairWorks |
£1,170.30 |
|||||
DonationtoWintercomfort |
£75.00 |
|||||
Total |
£1.170.30 |
£75.00 |
||||
BalanceofFundat31stDec |
InvestedinCCLAa/c |
£10,760.19 |
£10,765.80 |
|||
HeldinNatWesta/c |
£1,348.35 |
£2,296.13 |
||||
£12.108.54 |
£13.061.93 |
|||||
Notel |
||||||
FundraisingmonevdesignatedtoFabricFund |
||||||
Takings |
Expenses |
Moneyto |
Expspaid |
PROFIT |
||
deducted |
treasurer |
bytreasurer |
||||
Oct |
Harvest |
538.50 |
302.14 |
£236.36 |
£30.00 |
£206.36 |
Dec |
Xmastreefestiv |
379.52 |
25.00 |
£354.52 |
£60.00 |
£294.52 |
EasyFundraising |
£201.40 |
|||||
Total |
£702.28 |
0 |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ANNUALRECONCIUATIONWITHNATWESTBANK(GENERALFUND) |
|||||
2020 |
2021 |
||||
Cashat1stJan |
73.73 |
130.71 |
|||
Bankat1stJan |
7767.53 |
21979.15 |
|||
LessholdingforFFat1stJan |
-134.96 |
-1348.35 |
|||
LessholdingforCommHallFundat1stJan |
-271.54 |
-10718.29 |
|||
LessholdingforCREfund1stJan |
0.00 |
-3292.16 |
|||
ExcessReceiptsoverpayments |
-1064.69 |
1785.11 |
|||
Chequesfromlastyearnowcleared |
-853.32 |
-1234.31 |
|||
Chequesfromthisyearnotcleared |
1234.31 |
790.98 |
|||
HeldforCommunityHallfundDec31st |
10718.29 |
0.00 |
|||
HeldforFabricFund31stDec |
1348.35 |
2296.13 |
|||
HeldforCREfundDec31st |
3292.16 |
5648.97 |
|||
Total |
22109.86 |
16037.94 |
|||
Cashat31stDec |
130.71 |
254.56 |
|||
Bankat31stDec |
21979.15 |
15783.38 |
|||
Total |
22109.86 |
16037.94 |
|||
StatementofAssetsandLiabilitiesasat31stDec |
|||||
2020 |
2021 |
||||
NatWestcurrenta/c |
£21,979.15 |
£15,783.38 |
|||
CCLAFabricFund |
£10,760.19 |
£10,765.80 |
|||
CCLASundaySchoolFund(akaCommunityHallfund) |
£12,108.67 |
£2,114.03 |
|||
Cashinhand |
£130.71 |
£254.56 |
|||
Unclearedcheques |
-£1,234.31 |
-£790.98 |
|||
Total |
£43.744.41 |
£28.126.79 |
|||
FabricFund |
£12,108.54 |
£13,061.93 |
|||
CommunityHallfund |
£22,826.96 |
£0.00 |
|||
CabinRunningFund |
£3,292.16 |
£7,763.00 |
|||
GeneralFund |
£5,516.75 |
£7,301.86 |
|||
TOTAL |
£43,744.41 |
£28,126.79 |
Independent Examlnerfs report to the PCC of SL Marfs, Hardwick
This report on the financial statements of the PCC for the year ended 3151 December 2021.
which are set out on pages 4 - 8 is in respect of an examination carried out in accordan
wtth the Church Accounting Regulations 2006 Cthe Regulations,) and section 43(2) of the
charities Act 1993 fthe Acry
Respective responsibilities of the PCC and the examiner
As members of the PCC you a responsible for the preparation of the fjnancial
statements. You consider that the audit requirements of the Regulations and section 43{2)
of the Act do not apply. It is my responsibilty to issue this report on those financial
statements in ac<x)rdance with the tenns of the Regulation.
Basis of this report.
My examination was carried out in ac(X•rdan