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2023-12-31-accounts

St Mary the Virgin, East Bergholt Annual Report for 2023

Annual Meeting to be held on Sunday 7[th] April 2024 immediately after Morning Service

Annual Parochial Church Meeting of St Mary the Virgin, East Bergholt (Benefice of East Bergholt and Brantham)

St Mary the Virgin, East Bergholt

Incumbent:

Rev Canon Stephne van der Toorn and Guide Dog Canon Coco (Jan - April) The Rectory Brantham

May onwards in interregnum

Bank:

Barclays Bank 4 High Street Manningtree CO11 1AF

Register of Charities with the Registered Charity Number 1190273

Independent Examiner

Mrs B Evans Rookery Cottage Gaston Street East Bergholt Colchester CO7 6SF

Website: Home | Constable Country Churches Or via A Church near You: https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/2067/ Find us on Facebook: facebook.com/stmaryseastbergholt

St Mary’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@stmaryseastbergholt2137

THE DATA PROTECTION LEGISLATION PRIVACY NOTICE

The information we hold about you in our Church records is only disclosed to those who need to see it for Church purposes. We will send you information related to the Benefice, the Church, the ministry and activities. If you wish to unsubscribe from all or any communications, please let the Benefice Administrator know at constablecountrychurches@outlook.com

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Contents

St Mary the Virgin - East Bergholt PCC 2023-2024 .............................................................................. 4 Agenda for APCM ................................................................................................................................. 5 Electoral Roll ....................................................................................................................................... 6 Proceedings of the East Bergholt PCC................................................................................................. 6 Treasurer’s Report for the Year Ended 31 December 2023 ............................................................... 7 Independent Examiner’s ................................................................................................................... 14 Safeguarding ..................................................................................................................................... 15 Samford Deanery Synod & Group Council ........................................................................................ 15 Churchwardens ................................................................................................................................. 16 Mothers’ Union ................................................................................................................................. 18 Bell Ringers ........................................................................................................................................ 18 Flower Arrangers ............................................................................................................................... 19 Foundation Governors ...................................................................................................................... 19 East Bergholt Parish Magazine.......................................................................................................... 21 Open the Book .................................................................................................................................. 21 Toddlers Group ................................................................................................................................. 22 Family@church ................................................................................................................................. 22 Minutes of the Annual Parochial Church Meeting 2023 .................................................................. 23 St. Mary’s Church East Bergholt Preservation Society Review of 2023............................................ 26

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EX-OFFICIO
 St Mary the Virgin - East Bergholt PCC St Mary the Virgin - East Bergholt PCC St Mary the Virgin - East Bergholt PCC St Mary the Virgin - East Bergholt PCC St Mary the Virgin - East Bergholt PCC 2024-2025 2024-2025 2024-2025
Fiona Trott Churchwarden
Sarah Southgate Churchwarden
Sarah Southgate DeanerySynod Rep
Chris Jacob DeanerySynod Rep
KoshyJacob DeanerySynod Rep
ELECTED
TO SEEK RE-ELECTION IN 2024 TO SEEK RE-ELECTION IN 2025 TO SEEK RE-ELECTION IN 2026
BarryBlomfield 298449 Jackie Reeves 07407 538450 LesleyCherry 07543 644318
Howard Holdsworth 07970 416249 Glen Rowson 299109 Reuben Rushen 299303
Vacancy Geoff Potter 07745 536728 Victoria Rothwell 299980
Vacancy Vacancy Vacancy
PCC Chair Fiona Trott(duringinterregnum) 298205
PCC Vice Chair Sarah Southgate(duringinterregnum) 299729
Minutes Secretary Steve Newman 07850 505713
PCC Secretary Michelle Jowers
Hon Treasurer LesleyCherry 07543 644318
Deputy Churchwardens LesleyCherry 07543 644318
Chris Jacob 298552
Reuben Rushen 299303
Geoff Potter 07745 536728
Howard Holdsworth 07970416249
Electoral Roll Officer Fiona Trott 298205
Benefice SafeguardingOfficer Howard Holdsworth(from July) 07970 416249
Standing Committee (Chair) Fiona Trott 298205
Standing Committee Steve Newman (Minutes Secretary) 07850 505713
Standing Committee (Treasurer) Lesley Cherry 07543 644318
Standing Committee (H&S) Sarah Southgate 299729
Standing Committee (Wardens) Fiona Trott 298205
Sarah Southgate 299729
Lettice Dykes Simon Rothwell(duringinterregnum) 299980
Reuben Rushen 299303
Ted Wheatley 298102
Gill Rattray 298380
Preservation Society Fiona Trott 298205
Foundation Governors Simon Rothwell 299980
Magazine Committee John Gamlin
LesleyCherry 07543 644318
Ecumenical Committee Chris Jacob 298552
Captain of Bells TerryEagle 07578 002974
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Agenda for APCM

The PCC will convene at the close of the APCM to elect Officers and deal with any urgent business.

AGENDA FOR PCC MEETING TO FOLLOW THE APCM

Election of PCC Officers

Dates of East Bergholt PCC meetings for 2024: 16[th] May; 18[th] July; 19[th] September; 21[st] November

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Electoral Roll

Precise details of numbers on this year’s Electoral Roll will be shared at the APCM, as at the time of writing this report the figures are not known.

Fiona Trott Electoral Roll Officer

Proceedings of the East Bergholt PCC

2023 has certainly been a year of change in the Benefice: the boundaries of the Benefice have been redefined to now include Tattingstone and Bentley, and renamed the Constable Country Benefice; Rev Canon Stephne van der Toorn has retired which means we have entered an interregnum period; the Parishes of East Bergholt, Brantham, Tattingstone and Bentley have been working together in a friendly and constructive manner to ease the burdens during the interregnum; a new Rector Designate, Reverend Christopher David Willis, has been appointed and will be taking up his position during the first quarter of 2024. We have continued to use the technology, despite some ‘challenges’, in driving forward the Parish business by using the ZOOM social media platform for PCC meetings on dark, cold winter evenings and the WiFi in the church is now much more stable than it has been.

During 2023 the EB PCC held a total of 8 meetings (1 being the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM), 1 joint meeting with Brantham PCC, and 1 held via ZOOM). On average, there were 10 members present at each of these meetings. The items discussed at the meetings covered a wide variety of areas which included: moving the Benefice Office into the church; the form and function of the new Benefice and activities during the interregnum; obtaining funds from the National Lottery for roof repairs; updating various Policies (H&S, Social media, Safeguarding etc.); improving the social media presence of St Mary’s; the family@church Coronation weekend at Fields; keeping the church in a sound financial position; the storing of Parish records electronically rather than on paper; and a wealth of issues covering the upkeep of the fabric of the church.

The PCC meetings/discussions continued to be carried out in a friendly, constructive, diligent and supportive manner, and there was a genuine spirit of cooperation and a wish to do the best for the benefice.

Steve Newman Minutes Secretary

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Treasurer’s Report for the Year Ended 31 December 2023

General Fund

The General Fund income is significantly down from 2022, even when you allow for the 50k donations from the preservation society in 2022. This is clearly a significant worry.

We prepare our accounts on a receipts and payments basis, which means that accruals and adjustments are not required. However, this can result in timing differences and affects areas such as utility bills, oil, printing costs, special collections etc.

New Benefice

This has started well, with agreement easily reached on joint costs such as Secretary, printing and office costs. Parish Share costs were a little more complex, and a new much fairer system has been agreed based on population of each village. This is common practice around the diocese. Initial drop for East Bergholt is from 53k to just over 38K per year. This will continue to reduce as Brantham’s share increases to bring the benefice gradually in line with this new system.

Magazine

The magazine account has turned a profit once again this year. This resulted in a total of £2,000 being transferred to the General Fund during this financial year. The PCC is extremely grateful for all the hard work undertaken by the Magazine committee. There are currently outstanding costs of one month’s printing invoices and two months of commission and after allowing for these costs the balance is just under £5,000. After 5 years the decision has recently been made to increase the charges to customers for advertising. The printing cost will rise as there is a need for more copies to be printed to cover the new houses being currently built around the village. No monies are transferred to the General Fund without consulting the Magazine Committee.

Roof Fund

This fund was started in July 2019 and the first expenses were paid out in December 2019. Charity Fundraising Ltd is the company providing the invaluable expertise and support for us to hopefully submit a successful Lottery application. We are very grateful for the large donations from the Christmas parade this year for this fund. It has been agreed to draw £100,000 from the Malschinger endowment to this fund. This will impact on investment income for the general fund going forward.

Bell Cage

Bell cage donations appear up. Thank you to the ringers for agreeing to pay their own Bell Ringers Guild Subscriptions for this and future years, thus helping the church with its dwindling income. The Bell cage monitor continues to be used regularly by visitors.

Parish Share

This is our largest single annual expense. This year, there continued to be little flexibility in our finance. Although after careful finance management, we were able to pay £30,250 (2022: £37,600) of the full £53,067 due. The Diocese has continued to be kept informed. The PCC also continue to look at reducing outgoings and making savings wherever possible. The new system as detailed above will help East Bergholt pay a larger percentage of its share going forward.

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Preservation Society

Once again, the Preservation Society has been on hand to help with minor repairs, and this support continues to be invaluable. This is a separate charity and is not run by the PCC.

Various

The Jenny Lane fund is for work with children, and this has now been completely spent. Investments are included at cost, but their market value remains in significant excess of cost. They provide a crucial regular income stream throughout the year.

Assets are stated as £138,991 (2022: £151,574) but would be higher if market value of investments was shown. After taking into account all designated and restricted funds, and known liabilities, the monies that are free for use stand at £5,050 (2022: £9,525).

We were able to draw down £5,000 from the East End Mission Hall charity to spend on three acts of worship during the year at Fields Farmshop and Cafe, including the Coronation celebrations. This is a separate charity with 2 trustees from the PCC. Investment income is available to spend on ministry at East End area only.

Close

Once again, this year as treasurer, has not been without its challenges. I would like to offer my sincere and grateful thanks to Fiona Trott and Sarah Southgate, who have been unfailing in their help and support. Also, to the PCC, who have taken difficult decisions and approved my recommendations during another extremely problematic year for church finances.

Lesley Cherry Hon Treasurer East Bergholt Parochial Church Council

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East Bergholt PCC Accounts FOR THE YEAR END 2023
2023 2022
INCOME £ £
Restricted P S Donations 1653.58 50280.73
Planned giving/PGS 24439.04 24246.17
Gift Aid 9896.83 10432.20
Planned Giving Non-Gift Aid 0.00 0.00
Collections 4320.05 4057.69
Donations 5181.38 7588.13
Restricted
Donations		 3064.99 9275.50
Matt/Calendars 1006.27 1501.43
Min of Wel 80.40 0.00
Fundraising Roof 50.00 866.50
Ed/Train 0.00 0.00
Toddlers 167.10 172.18
Choir 0.00 0.00
Shared Benefice exp incl Honoraria 5282.39 2999.02
Bookstall 1558.25 1194.35
Bell Cage 147.46 53.26
Diocesan Fees 869.00 1165.00
PCC fees 2170.00 3406.98
Non-Stat Fees 2166.60 4755.58
Refreshments 196.60 176.00
Heating 665.00 545.00
Investment Income/Dividends 2442.86 2455.00
50/50 572.00 300.00
Roof Donations 2196.33 25188.52
Mission Hall Coronation 5000.00 0.00
Flower Fund 0.00 0.00
Special Collections 765.50 1433.10
Transfers from Magazine 2000.00 5000.00
Misc 14.00 480.00
Misc Restricted 6977.41 5118.27
Easy Fundraising/ Amazon 229.80 304.85
Fundraising other bodies 1802.74 695.00
Jazz concert 1217.13 0.00
INCOME £ 86,132.71 £ 163,690.46
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East Bergholt PCC Accounts
EXPENSES
Parish Share
Deanery Levy
Clergy exp
Church run costs
Cost of services
Admin costs
Administrator Honoraria
Cleaning honoraria
Organ
Director of Music/non stat
Toddlers/Youth work
Fundraising and 50/50
Maintenance/Repairs
Bookstall
Tea/Coffee kitchen
Mission Hall East End acts of Worship
Diocesan fees
Non stat fees
Donations
Special collections sent
Flower fund
Split costs Benefice
Misc
Bell cage
Insurance
New Bells monitor etc
Roof
Loan repayment		 FOR THE YEAR END 2023

2023
2022
£
£
30250.00
37600.00
0.00
0.00
999.89
1895.44
8665.48
5588.48
281.98
1577.49
1494.45
1772.47
7460.91
5835.44
1295.00
1437.50
186.00
586.00
4784.00
5978.00
142.00
115.20
828.40
462.00
5733.56
1065.46
393.76
79.60
172.94
46.86
5026.04
2511.13 (jubilee)
734.00
1163.00
906.60
1847.84
0.00
0.00
630.50
2292.50
281.85
519.29
2527.12
0.00
9256.88
3502.83
428.00
228.00
4148.08
4054.99
0.00
12869.56
7642.95
76064.04
1800.00
3000.00

TOTAL COSTS

£96,070.39 £172,093.12

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EAST BERGHOLT PCC
MAGAZINE ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 2023
2023 2022
INCOME
 £ £
Adverts 16439.00 19,429.00
General fund monies as bank closed 0.00 567.24
TOTAL INCOME £16,439.00 £19,996.24
EXPENSES £
Transfer to General Fund 2000.00 5000.00
Compiler Honoraria 1832.10 1825.20
Advertising Commission 1483.92 1324.56
printing 14154.00 9895.00
General fund monies as bank closed 0.00 567.24
TOTAL COSTS £19,470.02 £18,612.00
Investments Market Value
number of Cost per Total 2023 2022
shares held share cost £ £ £
Paskell Fund
CBF Investment Fund (CCLA) 1010 6.54 6606 22831 20852
Charishares BlackRock 3665 2.09 7660 26698 25303
Malschinger Investments (DBF)
Account 133001323S 2517 13.01 32742 56894 51963
Account 133001002J 3205 18.72 60000 191392 169900
Suffolk Building Society 13964 13580
Total 311779 281598
Mission Hall Trust (DBF) * 508 2.48 1262 2600 7171
* Separate charity for East End, East Bergholt only.
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Statement of Designated and Restricted Funds 2023

Restricted
Unrestricted Funds
Endowment
Name of Fund
Funds
Designated
Undesignated
Suffolk Building Society
£13,964.00
Flower
£1,163.00
Jenny Lane
£-00
Roof
£6,803.00
Paskell
£22,831.00
Malschinger
£248,286.00
Altar
£10,000.00
Toddlers
£30.00
Total*		 Total
2023
2022
£13,964.00
£13,580.00
£1,163.00
£1,445.00
£-00
£153.00
£6,803.00
£9,921.00

£22,831.00
£20,852.00

£248,286.00
£221,863.00
£10,000.00
£10,000.00
£30.00
£-00
£303,077.00 £277,814.00

Roof Account Summary as at 31/12/2023

Account Ongoing

Income from July 2019

Expenditure from Dec 2019

Roof Tiles
Fundraising
Donations
Cake Sales
Parish giving
Garden Tours
Grants
Preservations Society
Matt Sales
Funeral Collections
DCMS Vat reclaims
Gift aid
Total Income		 £492.50
£8,416.86
£11,640.43
£130.50
£70.54
£499.00
£7,250.00
£65,301.16
£4,422.98
£341.81
£14,272.84
£2,481.79
£115,320.41
Charity Fund Ltd £11,488.32
Architect Fees £21,865.18
Lead Repair £1,368.00
Bat Surveys £4,435.80
Quantity Surveyor £600.00
Scaffold Sensors and Insurance £2,423.31
Universal Stone £62,684.17
Matt Costs £2,000.00
Solicitor Fees £264.00
Lottery Bid Architect £1,388.89

Total Expenditure £108,517.67

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Monetary assets 31112123 2023 2012 É 1052B £ 21.465 Sullolk ￿ld￿50[￿¥ t J3,9fA E iJ.s •t C05t E92.742 t91.742 CBFl8lxk Roek•twJt É 15.528 £ 15.528 E 6229 É 7,875 £￿.811 £141*) Is￿ 2¥ sI￿d behaw Trott PCCChatsm•n 13

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Safeguarding

There have been no significant safeguarding issues reported in 2023 outside of the cost-of-living crisis (which has not resulted in any specific reports to church, but the Pantry in the Porch is evidence that hardship exists).

A face-to-face training session finally took place during the year entitling 21 people to pass their Foundation level course. Eleven others have updated their training online. All DBS updates are now completed automatically. The Diocese have reduced the number of years from five to three for people to update their qualifications.

Howard Holdsworth Benefice Safeguarding Officer (from June 2023)

Samford Deanery Synod & Group Council

Jenny Seggar is our Rural Dean. We also welcomed Revd Richard Henderson as new Archdeacon.

The early part of the year was dominated by the pastoral changes and deanery reorganisation that will be required this year. These discussions got underway on Tuesday 10[th] January 2023, at an EGM at which Archdeacon Jeanette Gosney outlined two Options for consideration and maps were circulated showing the effect of the proposals.

At its meeting on 7[th] March the Synod confirmed its preference for Option 2, with a few alternations leading to the planned creation of the new Constable Country Churches benefice. Various updates were provided during the following months as to the benefice profile and interview process.

Julie Podd, Parish Resources Manager also gave a presentation at the meeting on 7[th] March and grateful thanks were expressed to Stephne and Joop for their support for the Deanery and the Diocese and best wishes to Stephne on her retirement, and to Joop, stepping down as lay representative on Diocesan Synod.

The Wedding Preparation Day took place via Zoom and was much appreciated by the 19 couples who participated.

14[th] June - Royal Hospital School, Holbrook at East Bergholt - Revd Laura Mumford, RHS Chaplain Laura told us about the origins of the school, the make-up of its pupils, her background and her role as Chaplain. She emphasised the place of the school in the wider worshipping community and the importance of building that relationship and local connections. Anyone was welcome to attend the services held on Tuesdays and Thursdays and there would be a confirmation service open to the whole Deanery.

28[th] June - The Archdeacon’s Visitation took place at Capel St Mary.

12[th] July - A packed church celebrated Sally Letman’s Licencing service at Capel St Mary.

12[th] October - St Andrew’s, Chelmondiston - Rob Collett – Eco Church (A Rocha UK) Award Scheme Rob, a Deanery Environment Champion, outlined some aspects of the Eco Church Project, including a runthrough of the criteria to be taken into account for Churches wishing to engage with the Project, which will contribute to the Diocesan target of net zero by 2030. www.arocha.org.uk

Rob gave some examples of the different ways in which people could get involved in initiatives led by the Church, including improved biodiversity – bird boxes, moth-friendly areas – repair cafés, use of environmentally-friendly cleaners, grey water and heating systems, making good use of compost bins,

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together with actions and life-style changes we can undertake as individuals. He referred to the outreach aspect of telling people not directly involved with the Church about its engagement with nature and net zero – through conversations with, and by, those working in the Churchyard.

Rob emphasised that although not every Church could tick every box, it was still worth using the spreadsheet to assess what we are already doing and where we could do more, and showing the local community how the Church was working to reduce its carbon footprint was also important. Rob is happy to give further support and contacts can be found on the Diocesan website.

https://www.cofesuffolk.org/for-parishes/your-church-and-the-environment/eco-church/become-an-eco-church

Gill Forsyth and Julie Fermor.

Churchwardens

Being a churchwarden is never dull. There is always something to exercise the mind and another task waiting to be done. 2023 has been no exception.

From a fabric point of view, we had our five-yearly architectural survey – the Quinquennial Inspection Report (QIR) which the Diocese formally require our church architect to undertake. Over 50 pages of detailed assessment about the church inside and out; the internal and external features and what improvements and repairs need doing within a scaled time frame of urgent up to within the next 10 years. This is what we base the maintenance programme on, as apart from the leaking roof, there are plenty of other repairs that need completing on a building as old as ours. The latest problem is in the Lady Chapel, and this will need addressing urgently in 2024. We have already spoken to the Preservation Society (PS) and they have kindly agreed to help fund the work, which will probably need scaffolding again! We are extremely grateful to the PS Trustees for their continued financial support in maintaining the fabric of the church. It was thanks to them that we were able to complete the re-tiling of the Chancel Roof successfully during the year, repair the north parapet and treat the few areas in church where asbestos had been discovered during a specialist survey.

In terms of the Lottery Bid, we submitted our Expressions of Interest, which is the first stage of applying for a grant, and were delighted to be accepted to go to the next stage. However, as the submission deadline loomed in November, the Lottery decided to change their funding criteria and introduced four new investment principles, one of which was saving heritage – a box we can tick with great ease. So, it was agreed, together with our allocated Lottery Engagement Officer, that we should delay until 2024 when the new framework was embedded and hopefully then there will be some progress. We have been busy making contact with other organisations within the village, ensuring that this will be a village project not just a church one, and that internal reordering can support the building becoming a sustainable community asset and thus protect its future. We were also very grateful to Alan Ryan and Marian Godwin for volunteering their support to assist coordinating the project – their expertise and experience will be very much appreciated.

Sadly, due to an increase in break ins across the Deanery, and after several attempts by folk to raid our donations boxes, PCC took the difficult decision to install CCTV cameras at the back of church and in the Rector’s Vestry. Thankfully, since they have been installed, we have had no cause to look at the footage – early exploratory views showed only bats and moths! Long may that be the case. We have continued to livestream or record the majority of our services, which has been of benefit to those unable to attend St Mary’s, either from being housebound or at another place of worship! It has also been a source of comfort for funeral families when loved ones have been unable to attend the service in person. We have experienced problems with the church’s WiFi which has been very frustrating, when trying to stream

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services, but we are always able to record and upload the services as videos. Hopefully next year, these frustrations will be a thing of the past.

On the social media front, we have posted regularly on our church Facebook page www.facebook.com/stmaryseastbergholt and on the village pages as well. Our church website links to our “A Church Near You” page with lots of useful information about the service and events https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/2067/ with links to the electronic version of the parish magazine and details for wedding couples and people researching their family trees.

The bellcage monitor is used regularly by visitors in church to listen to the bells ring, and watch the short documentaries about the history and the unique technique of ringing. These documentaries are also available via our website www.constablecountrychurches.co.uk/bells-and-bell-cage.

In terms of fundraising, it has not been possible to organise many events over the past 12 months. We had a wonderfully vibrant live jazz evening in November and all the proceeds of the village Christmas Parade and Market were very generously given to the building project roof fund. Elsewhere in this Annual report you will have seen that the church is struggling financially. Stewarding a beautiful building like ours comes with lots of responsibilities and the costs of opening our church are mounting – utilities and insurance to name but two. This will continue to be a challenge in 2024 and we need to be mindful of our parish giving in difficult economic circumstances.

With the increasing numbers of people experiencing cost of living problems, our village is sadly not immune. The decision to restart the Pantry in the Porch initiative was taken and has been operating from the church porch again and is in demand. Meetings have been held with the Parish Council about coordinating support, and cooperation with other local organisations.

This year has been somewhat different from most other years, as in April, after 16 years, Steph retired. A wonderful service was held to thank Steph – and Joop – for her years of dedication among us. The large number who attended demonstrated the widespread affection we all had for her and were thankful for the years of mission she gave to our village and far beyond. At the same time, there has been a Deanery reorganisation, and the churches in East Bergholt and at Brantham were joined by those in Bentley and Tattingstone. The lengthy legal process of changing the benefice is still ongoing, but the wardens, treasurers and joint ministry teams have worked extremely well together. Much of the time has of course been spent in planning for, praying about and interviewing our new rector having initially discussed and agreed on our new benefice profile. The future looks bright!

Obviously during the interregnum, after Steph retired, there has been extra responsibilities. We would not have been able to manage without the help of PCC members and in particular our loyal team of Deputy Churchwardens. Sadly, the number of people available to help seems to be dwindling so we are extremely grateful for all their help, together with spouses and other supporters. We have really demonstrated how effective teamwork can be!

2024 sees the beginning of a new chapter in the long life of St Mary’s. With God’s love and guidance, we go forward with positive energy, excitement and anticipation.

Fiona Trott on behalf of the Churchwardens

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Mothers’ Union

This year has been another year where our Mothers’ Union members have reached out to support families, here in our benefice and in our diocese, as well as supporting worldwide projects and campaigns. Whether this was through outreach projects such as giving Bags of Love, knitting “fiddlemuffs” for a local Nursing home, making Christmas cards for prisoners at HMP Highpoint or supporting the “RISE UP” campaign raising awareness of the issue of domestic abuse. In this way we have reached out and touch the lives of over 900 people in 2023.

We have grown in numbers this year but at the same time lost a much loved and valued member when Edith Searle died. She had been a very active member of the branch for some 38 years, serving as a branch leader for many years and always supporting every aspect of branch life. May she rest in peace and rise in glory.

Jeanette Appleton, Janet Ball, Jenny Chapman and Chris Jacob

East Bergholt and Brantham Mothers’ Union

Bell Ringers

This report covers 12 months from January to December 2023. It contains the information as specified in the Ringers’ handbook.

Named ringers

Ringer Attendances Ringer Attendances
TerryEagle(Captain) 77 Martin Digby 50
Julia Smith(Vice Captain) 81 George Harris 18
Thomas Bryant 54 Rachel Lewis 74
Neil Culham 56 Hugh Smith 1

Approved Learners

Ringer Attendances
Steve Feeney 59
Alison Ruffell 7

Ringing has been consistent through the year with Neil Culham being signed off as a full ringer in September. Alison Ruffell (nee Reeves) started practicing with us again after a number of years but had to break again due to an injury (not bells related). Sadly, Hugh Smith made the difficult decision to finally retire from East Bergholt bells in April after more than 20 years of ringing. Hugh has been steadfast in giving his support to all ringers, especially on practice evenings, and is already missed.

As mentioned last year, we have made a number of changes to the handbook for ringers and have amended our teaching process so that now we teach learners to start ringing with the clapper tied so that we can talk to them whilst learning and set the bell earlier, also with the clapper tied. We believe this is much safer and has worked well in practice.

We have a regular band of seven ringers so have managed to complete the majority of rings this year with all five bells, which we are very pleased about. This spring we will be teaching the newer ringers to do “1 round” and hope to progress to a “2 round” before practice finishes in the autumn. We have space for two new learners and will actively try to recruit through the year.

During the current year, we have rung for three weddings; one demonstration; at the start of open gardens, a half-muffled ring for Remembrance and the usual rings at Christmas and New Year. We also had the honour of ringing for the Coronation of King Charles III.

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Issues dealt with in 2023

  1. Pigeons nested twice inside the roof again. Nests were removed on both occasions. This requires ongoing monitoring.

  2. Tiles on the roof were replaced as some broken ones have fallen off

  3. Door lock sometimes stiff in wet weather – this is ongoing

  4. No 2 bell had a new wooden wedge as difficult to lock

Issues outstanding

  1. Tiles on the roof to be replaced – ongoing and replaced as necessary

  2. Door lock sometimes stiff in wet weather – ongoing and eased as necessary

  3. New bulb needed in the spotlight above bell 3

Terry Eagle Captain of Bells

Flower Arrangers

2023 was a busy year for the Flower Arrangers, for in addition to the usual occasions when we decorate the entire church, namely Easter, Patronal Festival, Harvest, Remembrance and Christmas, we also marked a number of other events as follows;

April 2023 : the church was decorated for Rev Steph’s farewell service.

Coronation of King Charles : in addition to the usual floral arrangements the primary school helped make paper flowers representing the four nations (rose, daffodil, thistle and shamrock) which were used to decorate a large crown in the font.

Open Gardens ; the Church porch was decorated with floral arrangements using flowers that were either gathered from East Bergholt gardens or grown locally in an effort to support the “grown not flown” movement.

Rachel visited Sue Cockram, who organizes the flower team at St Edmundsbury Cathedral, to find out about their efforts to reduce the use of oasis. She came away with lots of information, ideas and contacts to further our efforts in this direction.

The first flowers from the allotment were produced this year. We had some dahlia tubers kindly donated by Tessa Nutting and purchased dahlia and chrysanthemums from the East Bergholt Horticultural sale at the Lambe school. This year we will focus on clearing ground elder from the rest of the allotment, growing some annuals and expanding the range of perennials.

After we decorated the church in December, we marked the end of the year by making door wreaths to take home after. This was a good social event in the West End which we will repeat in 2024.

Rachael Lewis

On behalf of the Flower arrangers

Foundation Governors

“ I have come that they might have life, and have it to the full ,” John 10:10

The school has been pleased to welcome both a new Headteacher, Mrs Clare Sampson, and a Deputy Headteacher, Mrs Laura Tuttlebee in September. They have been busy meeting staff, pupils, parents and governors. The new leadership team have simplified the school rules to just three: be kind, be safe and be respectful. These have ensured that the school community is kind, considerate and caring in their relationships – making the school a happy and safe place for everyone to learn and grow.

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The first half of the school year has been an exciting one. At Christmas time the school’s youngest pupils delivered two nativity productions to parents, relatives and members of the church community. This was both a rewarding and enjoyable experience for the school’s young children as well as a fantastic opportunity for the school to incorporate Christian teachings. The school’s oldest pupils visited St. Mary’s Church to sing carols in conjunction with students from East Bergholt High School, against a backdrop of bible readings – a great way to supplement the Christian and community ethos at the school. The school also had a hugely enjoyable “Wow Day”, based on diversity. This helped pupils, parents and governors gain a new perspective on the lives of others around them as well as other cultures across the world.

The children have taken part in various sporting events locally and at county level with some very laudable results. The school believes that sport is for all and all pupils are encouraged to join in on the sporting fun and learn new skills.

The Parents and Friends Association (PFA) have been busy planning and delivering many fund-raising events, e.g. Christmas fayre, discos, Wacky Wardrobe Days, etc., generating finances for the benefit of the pupils and school.

Ruth Bull and Nick Pavitt have been visiting the school weekly, delivering assemblies with a Christian focus and message. The school is very grateful to them both for the wonderful work that they do at the school. Ruth Bull and her “Open the Book” team have also visited to share Bible stories with the children in an accessible and enjoyable way that enables them to engage imaginatively with the story. These are very well received by the children.

There have been a number of new staff arrivals over the past year and valete required, not least to outgoing Headteachers Gill Mitchell and Sarah Baker, and the SENCO Sarah Bowman who all departed at the end of the summer term. More recently we have had to say “adieu” to Neil Jackson, impresario extraordinaire, responsible for the majority of the school’s performing arts productions over recent years (not least the wonderful adaptation of “Oliver!” performed post-SATS last summer), whose enthusiasm and talents will be sorely missed – that said, rumour has it, he will be returning briefly this coming summer to direct the Yr 6 end of year musical.

The school now also has a new Chair of Governors, Chris Burns, who has been a long-term governor for the school and has an extensive background in education, meaning that we have a very strong team at the top to guide the school forwards. The Governing Body continues to have several vacancies; whilst staff and parent governor representation is replete, the remaining stakeholder contingents remain limited in size, although it is hoped that the vacant ex-officio Foundation Governor post will be filled by the Reverend Chris Willis once he has had time to settle in to his new role.

Building work has been a fairly constant companion since the summer term, the most obvious large-scale project having been the replacement of the school roof – something for which we have been very grateful over these last months. A very positive (but unintentional) consequence of the removal of the old roof was that the roof space had recently been inspected; there had been no sign of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) meaning that the new school year and winter term had an uninterrupted start – confidently so from a safety perspective – and on time: a situation not shared by several surrounding schools.

Governors play an active role in the life of the school, constructively challenging and supporting the Headteacher and her staff in their work. Recently, Governors undertook SIAMS training delivered by the Diocesan Education Team resulting in fruitful discussions about the ethos and values of the school taking place, reminding us all of the importance of our mission statement. A SIAMS inspection of the school during the remainder of the 2023/24 academic year is thought unlikely, but one during the 2024/25 year is a very high probability.

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The school is looking forward to the rest of the academic year and all of the adventures to come. Should you wish to view news and information regarding the school, the website address is: - https://www.eastbergholt pri.suffolk.sch.uk/

Report compiled by Clare Sampson (Headteacher), Chris Burns (Chair of Governors), Simon Rothwell (Foundation Governor).

East Bergholt Parish Magazine

The parish magazine continues to reflect a very broad and varied picture of East Bergholt life both in its advertising and in its editorial content. We have recently gained several new regular contributors, including representatives of the parish and district councils, the local police officer, and the bowls club – and we are receiving an increasing number of contributions from individual residents for the “issues and opinions” section, too. We have also overhauled the local information listings on the insides of the covers in an effort to make them more comprehensive and easily usable. The magazine remains profitable and indeed makes periodic contributions to church funds. In 2024 and 2025, the likely dramatic expansion of the village’s population may pose some challenges for distribution, but will also offer an opportunity for the parish magazine to play a valuable role in welcoming new residents.

Barnaby Page – Editor

Open the Book

The Open the Book team has undergone a few changes following Steph’s retirement in April. Sadly, losing Steph also meant that we lost Joop too as he moved away. We have also reluctantly lost Carole and Ted Wheatley, who decided the time had come for them to stand down. We thank them all profusely for all that they have done over the years and for the enjoyment and pleasure they brought to so many children and staff at the primary school.

The team currently comprises 7 regulars with the current churchwardens standing in the wings if needed, making a total of 9. We have been going into school roughly once a month and impressing the children and staff with our acting skills! Well, maybe not, but they all seem to enjoy our stories and our first century costumes. Some of the youngest children were a bit baffled at first with one of them known to comment to her mum: “Abbie’s grandma was in assembly wearing a tea-towel on her head, and I have no idea why” - hopefully we are starting to make more sense as the time has progressed!

If you would like to join in with this important ministry, please just let one of the team know and we can explain how it all works!

Ruth Bull (Team leader), Dianne Willett, Wendy Withers, Richard Appleton, Chris Jacob, Susan Shepherd and Roy Seden.

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Toddlers Group

It’s been another successful year for the group. We welcomed many new mums, grandparents and carers to the group with their little ones which has helped to keep us flourishing. It’s been a great place for new families in the village to meet and make friends, and we’ve received many comments regarding our warm and friendly welcome. The relaxed environment with toys for the children to play with and coffee and tea for the adults seems a winning combination. The children also enjoy a healthy snack during the session.

During our year we enjoyed an Easter egg hunt, teddy bear’s picnic and a wonderful Christmas party. We are very grateful to Mothers’ Union members who financially supported our Christmas party with some funds left for this year’s Easter egg hunt. As always, I am very grateful to my regular helpers Gill and Gina without whom many sessions would not have been possible, and to all those too who have helped out occasionally over the year.

The Group is an established part of our church life and a strong link with the wider community. It has also been wonderful to welcome so many of our toddler group families to our family@church services. We are hopeful that this link will help grow the number of younger people and families in our church family in coming years.

Liz Digby - Leader, St Mary’s Toddler Group

Family@church

During 2023, family@church has continued to flourish. We have been ‘on the road’ three times this year to Fields Farmshop and Café. In the summer we celebrated King Charles’ coronation in style with an Events Under Canvas tipi, a right royal picnic provided by Abby and her team, serenaded by Brass and Ivories (Tia and Joel) and party games enjoyed by everyone. In October we visited again for our Harvest service, and were taught traditional country dances by Marji and at Christmas we had a party and enjoyed a visit from You Know Who! Each occasion was much enjoyed by all our families and guests. As required by the end of the calendar year, we have spent all the Mission Hall monies that were extremely tightly restricted to fund worship in the East End.

We are delighted that this special mission has continued to grow this year and we have new families coming along on the first Sunday in every month, quite often following on from baptism services.

None of these services would be possible however without a lot of support from a wonderful team of helpers. We are very grateful to everyone who has lent a hand this year: Karen, Gill, Hannah, Gina and Arabella who have given invaluable help setting up for services, welcoming our families and helping with activities and storytelling; our generous benefactor who enables us to give the children booklets at Easter and Christmas, plus eggs and advent calendars.

Sadly we also said goodbye to Rev Steph and Coco. We would like place on record our sincere thanks for her wonderful support and for trusting us with this important mission!

Liz Digby and Fiona Trott

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Minutes of the Annual Parochial Church Meeting 2023 St Mary the Virgin, East Bergholt Sunday, 20[th] March 2022 immediately after the 10.30am Service

In attendance: Fiona Trott; (Chair); Stephne van der Toorn; Michelle Jowers (Minutes Secretary) Sarah Southgate; Lesley Cherry; Gill and Archie Rattray; Chris and Koshy Jacob; John Gamlin; Howard Holdsworth; Martin Huggett; Victoria Rothwell; Margaret Wheatley; Bridget Hutton; Pat Kelmsley; Ted and Carole Wheatley; Reuben Rushen

Apologies from: Steve Newman; Dorothy Brundell; Geoff Potter; Jackie Reeves; Jane Pavitt

In attendance:Fiona Trott; (Chair); Stephne van der Toorn; Michelle Jowers (Minutes Secretary)
Sarah Southgate; Lesley Cherry; Gill and Archie Rattray; Chris and Koshy Jacob; John Gamlin; Howard
Holdsworth; Martin Huggett; Victoria Rothwell; Margaret Wheatley; Bridget Hutton; Pat Kelmsley;
Ted and Carole Wheatley; Reuben Rushen
Apologies from:Steve Newman; Dorothy Brundell; Geoff Potter; Jackie Reeves; Jane Pavitt		 In attendance:Fiona Trott; (Chair); Stephne van der Toorn; Michelle Jowers (Minutes Secretary)
Sarah Southgate; Lesley Cherry; Gill and Archie Rattray; Chris and Koshy Jacob; John Gamlin; Howard
Holdsworth; Martin Huggett; Victoria Rothwell; Margaret Wheatley; Bridget Hutton; Pat Kelmsley;
Ted and Carole Wheatley; Reuben Rushen
Apologies from:Steve Newman; Dorothy Brundell; Geoff Potter; Jackie Reeves; Jane Pavitt
1. Welcome and prayers
Rev Steph opened the meetingwith aprayer and then handed over the meetingto FT.
2. Minutes of APCM 20th March 2022 -These were approved by all present.
3. Electoral Roll Report
This year there was one new member; four have sadly died. The current total of 122 was reported,
which was approved byall.
4. Report on the proceedings of the PCC -This report was approved by all present.
5. Approve the Treasurer’s report and accounts -This report was approved by all. Proposed by
Reuben Rushen and seconded by Sarah Southgate. FT thanked LC for all her hard work over the
last year. The finances are very difficult at the moment and LC is working tirelessly to cut costs
wherever possible. Everyone expressed their thanks.
6. Report on the proceedings of Deanery Synod -This report was approved by all present.
7. Safeguarding report -The report was approved by all.
FT has been standing in for Glen Rowson for the whole year while he had other commitments.
This is not sustainable, so she is very grateful to HH for offering to take over from June and is
happy to remain the Benefice Safeguarding Office until then. There will almost certainly be
changes in the future with the reorganised Benefice so final decisions will need to wait until the
new situation becomes clearer. CW raised the issue of face to face training sessions and FT
reassured her that arrangements were being made to help those not able to do it online.
8. Election of Churchwardens
Fiona Trott (proposed by Howard Holdsworth and Victoria Rothwell) and Sarah Southgate
(proposed by Howard Holdsworth and Lesley Cherry) were elected unanimously as the
Churchwardens.
Steph recorded her thanks to the wardens, including Liz Digby, for all their hard work and support.
Thanks were also recorded to the deputy church wardens for all their support behind the scenes.
9. Deanery Synod elections
Sarah Southgate and Chris Jacob were elected for three years in November 2020. Koshy Jacob
agreed to fill the remainingvacancy. His offer was unanimouslyaccepted byall thosepresent.
**10. ** PCC
Three of the PCC members due for re-election this year are prepared to stand again: Reuben
Rushen; Victoria Rothwell; Lesley Cherry. All were re-elected. The one current vacancy remains
unfilled and there are also three other vacancies still on the PCC. It is important to try and fill
these posts so that there is a full quota of members to help with the workload, and also to try and
introduce new blood.

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11. Appoint an Independent Examiner

Britt Evans has indicated her willingness to continue, so she was reappointed as Independent Examiner, proposed by Lesley Cherry and Ted Wheatley. Sincere thanks were extended to her for all the support she gives to Lesley.

12. Receive all other reports - All other reports were approved unanimously by those present. FT commented that these reports reflect how much goes on in the parish during the course of the year and that this should be a bonus in attracting a new incumbent.

Steph closed the APCM at 11.15 with the Grace. A basket of flowers was presented to her and sincere thanks were given for her amazing 16 years of ministry at St Mary’s. Everyone wished her well in her retirement.

13. MINUTES OF THE PCC MEETING FOLLOWING THE APCM attended by Fiona Trott (Chair); Michelle Jowers (Minutes Secretary), Stephne van der Toorn; Chris and Koshy Jacob, Howard Holdsworth, Victoria Rothwell, Sarah Southgate, Lesley Cherry, Reuben Rushen

Election of PCC Officers

lection of PCC Officers
Chair Fiona Trott (during Interregnum)
Vice Chair Sarah Southgate (during Interregnum)
Minutes Secretary Steve Newman
PCC Secretary Michelle Jowers
Hon Treasurer Lesley Cherry
Deputy Churchwardens Lesley Cherry; Chris Jacob;
Ruben Rushen; Geoff Potter;
Howard Holdsworth
Electoral Roll Officer Fiona Trott
Benefice Safeguarding Officer Fiona Trott (till June); Howard Holdsworth (from June)
Health and Safety Sarah Southgate
Standing Committee Chair, Vice Chair, Wardens, Health and Safety,
Treasurer, Minutes Secretary
Lettice Dykes Simon Rothwell (will chair during Interregnum) Reuben
Rushen; Ted Wheatley; Gill Rattray
Preservation Society Fiona Trott
Foundation Governors Simon Rothwell
Magazine Committee Barnaby Page, Lesley Cherry, Louise Kemp,
Alison Jones, Marion Ralph, John Gamlin
Captain of Bells Terry Eagle
Ecumenical Committee Chris Jacob
Representative

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14. A.O.B

It was suggested that additional people were added as Deputy Church wardens – in Brantham, a group of ‘welcomers’ had been elected, not just PCC members. Simon Rothwell is to be encouraged to canvas parents at school to fill the Foundation Governor vacancy and another representative will be needed to join the Preservation Society committee.

FT explained the papers circulated prior to the meeting. The 2007 profile was sent by way of example, given the information was out of date. The questions had been drafted by Len Smith to guide all four parishes to prepare for the parish profiles. FT explained that the bullet points were merely a guide to final content. Suggestions were made to add to the draft. FT also explained that the recent meeting with all the wardens and the Archdeacon had been encouraging and exciting. In addition to the joint PCCs meeting preparing the parish profiles, there will also be meetings with the wardens regarding communications, ministry teams to draw up service rotas and treasurers to discuss finances.

FT closed the meeting at 11:55

15. Dates of East Bergholt PCC meetings for 2023 (Thursdays) starting at 19:00: 11[th] May; 20[th] July; 14[th] September; 16[th] November

IMPORTANT COMBINED PCC MEETINGS REGARDING NEW BENEFICE AND APPOINTMENT OF NEW INCUMBENT:

28[th] March (combined PCCs meeting with Bentley, Brantham and Tattingstone) with The Revd Phil Dykes at Bentley Church at 19:00

3[rd] May Section 11 meeting with Rural Dean (combined PCCs meeting with Bentley, Brantham and Tattingstone) at Brantham church at 19:30

15[th] May Section 12 meeting with Bishop, Archdeacon, Patrons (combined PCCs meeting with Bentley, Brantham and Tattingstone)

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Famous for its bell cage and unfinished tower, St. Mary’s present building dates from about 1350. Built of brick, flint and stone (probably from an earlier building), it houses a Font inscribed to the memory of Abram Constable (17831862) the artist’s younger brother. The church chest, possibly as old as any part of the church fabric, has triple locks added by Elizabethan injunction. A three leaved lily emblem of St. Mary’s adorns the north side brick-work. The fivepointed star or mullet emblem of the De Veres, Earl of Oxford and Lords of the Manor of Old Hall decorates the north turret.

The purpose of our society is to raise funds to help preserve this vital part of village heritage for the benefit of future generations. Since the inauguration on 17th June 1997, with the considerable support of many local residents, the Society has raised more than £200,000. It has established the biannual East Bergholt Gardens Open Day, an event enjoyed by many which attracts visitors from far afield.

Currently, we have many problems with the church roof and desperately need to raise funds to assist with repairs. Help us to assist with the preservation of this unique structure and become a member of the Preservation Society. Your support and donations, large of small will go to achieve this aim.

St. Mary’s Church East Bergholt Preservation Society Review of 2023

Our Annual General Meeting was held in the West End of St. Mary’s Church on Wednesday 15[th] November. We were pleased to welcome members and share light refreshments.

The trustees presented the audited accounts and minutes of the previous AGM, held on 16th November 2022. These were approved by the members present. Our thanks to treasurer Roy Thorneycroft for preparing the accounts and to Nigel Thomas for auditing same.

Our Charity Trustees sought re-election which was approved. Unfortunately, we are still looking to appoint a new member to assist with marketing and social media plus a new member to assist with electronic ticket sales.

Sunday 4[th] June saw another East Bergholt Gardens Open Day with glorious sunshine greeting the many visitors. With both new and previously opened gardens contributing to the day, further interest was provided by beautiful floral displays at the church, a bellringing demonstration, try your hand at a bowls competition thanks to East Bergholt Bowls Club, games and of course, wonderful teas at various venues around the village.

Our sincere thanks to those involved including our sponsors Grier & Sons, East Bergholt Parish Council, the support given by Place for Plants and of course the garden owners, in particular Paul & Birte Kelly not forgetting all our cake bakers who all help to make this a special village event. In a service at St. Mary’s church on 8[th] October, our new noticeboard commemorating our founders Oliver Eley and Terry Marshall was blessed. Our thanks to Martin Huggett for all his assistance with the production of this item in finest oak. An evening of Carols and Mince Pies was held on Wednesday 13[th] December 6.30pm-8.00pm in St Mary’s Church. Whilst splendid singing competed with the organ to be heard, the evening also provided an opportunity to admire the beauty of this magnificent building. Whilst your support for these events enables the funding of work to preserve the fabric of our historic village landmark, it is great to have fun at the same time.

With kindest regards and many thanks for your support

Debbie Tuppen

Chairperson of the Preservation Society

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ST MARY’S CHURCH EAST BERGHOLT PRESERVATION SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP/DONATION FORM

The aim of the Society is to preserve this historic building for future generations by attracting support from anyone who cares about our heritage. Your donations, large or small, will be gratefully received. All funds raised will be used solely for the preservation of St. Mary’s Church and its Bell Cage.

Title: Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms/Other
Forenames
Surname
Address
Post code
Telephone
Mobile
Email
Annual membership
Donation
I enclose cash / Cheque (payable to St Mary’s Church
EBPS)
£ 10.00
£ .
£ .

In order to maintain your membership of the society, we would recommend that you complete a Banker’s Standing Order, a pro forma of which is attached.

To make the most of your membership subscription and donation we would ask you to complete a Gift Aid declaration, which will give the Society the benefit of the income tax that you have paid on your income.

Debbie Tuppen Delvyns Gaston Street East Bergholt CO7 6SD email : debbie.tuppen@gmail.com Tel: 078 21141473

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BANKERS STANDING ORDER FORM

To the Manager (Insert Bank name) Bank address Post code

Please pay Barclays Bank PLC, 9 High Street, Colchester CO1 1DD, Sort Code 20-22-67, for the credit of St Mary’s Church, East Bergholt Preservation Society, Account number 30604151, on receipt of this instruction and then on 1 September 2023, and then on the same date each year thereafter, until further notice.

The amount of £ ……………………………………… ……………………………………..pounds (amount in numbers) (amount in words) From my Account Number Sort Code Signed Address

Post code Date

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GIFT AID DECLARATION

For past, present & future donations St. Mary’s Church, East Bergholt, Preservation Society

Please return completed form to:

Debbie Tuppen Email: debbie.tuppen@gmail.com Tel: 07821 141473 Delvyns Gaston Street East Bergholt CO7 6SD

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