## **Trustees' Annual Report for the period** Period start date Period end date Day Month Year Day Month Year **From** 01 01 2024 **To** 31 12 2024 ## Section A Reference and administration details **Charity name Other names charity is known by Registered charity number (if any)** 1191777 Association of Festival Churches **Charity's principal address** c/o Hon treasurer Park Villa Thornham Parva, Suffolk **Postcode IP23 8EY** ## **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity** |1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
0|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not for whole**
**year **|**Name of person (or body) entitled**
**to appoint trustee (ifany)**| |---|---|---|---|---| ||Sir Antony Brian
Baldry|Chair||| ||Priscilla Victoria
Latham|||| ||The Revd Paula
Whitmore Llewellyn
Griffiths|||| ||Timothy John
Bridges|||| ||Wendy Coombey
MBE|||| ||Geoffrey Rea
Hunter|||| ||The Revd Andrew
Paul Whitehead|||| ||Andrew Boyce|||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| - 9 - 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 - 18 19 20 March **2012** **TAR** 1 **Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees)** **Name Dates acted if not for whole year** ## **Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)** **Type of adviser Name Address** ## **Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)** Nigel Mills (Festival Churches Development Officer) ## **Section B Structure, governance and management** ## **Description of the charity’s trusts** Constitution Type of governing document (eg. trust deed, constitution) Unincorporated Association How the charity is constituted (eg. trust, association, company) Appointed by existing trustees Trustee selection methods - (eg. trust, association, company) - (eg. appointed by, elected by) ## **Additional governance issues (Optional information)** You **may choose** to include additional information, where relevant, about: - policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees; - the charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works; - relationship with any related parties; - trustees’ consideration of major risks and the system and procedures to manage them. ## **Section C Objectives and activities** March **2012** **TAR** 2 **Summary of the objects of the charity set out in its governing document** (1) The Advancement of the Christian religion in accordance with the tenets, practices and principles of the Church of England through supporting and promoting the use of churches as Festival Churches and the delivery of divine service therein; (2) Promoting and supporting the use by Parochial Church Councils of Festival Churches for the benefit of the public in ways that are consistent with its status as a consecrated space. During 2024 the Association of Festival Churches (AFC) continued to advance the Christian faith and promote the conservation and sustainable use of church buildings by supporting the development and implementation of the Festival Church model across the Church of England. The charity’s activities were undertaken wholly in pursuit of its charitable objects and for the public benefit, in accordance with guidance issued by the Charity Commission. The trustees confirm that they have had due regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit when planning and reviewing the charity’s aims and activities. The AFC provides advice, advocacy, and practical support to dioceses, parishes and strategic partners exploring the Festival Church model as a means of maintaining both the physicality of historic church buildings and maintaining a living Christian presence in rural and fragile communities. The model enables churches with limited resources to focus on worship **Summary of the main** at key times of the year while opening up their buildings for wider **activities undertaken for the** community and cultural use. **public benefit in relation to these objects (include within** During the year the Development Officer, appointed in March 2024, led **this section the statutory** an extensive programme of engagement with dioceses, individual **declaration that trustees have** churches and national church institutions. Regular contact was **had regard to the guidance** maintained with the Church Buildings Council, diocesan officers and the **issued by the Charity** Church of England’s Buildings for Mission project. The AFC also **Commission on public** contributed to the ongoing review of the Pastoral Measure and to **benefit)** discussions about governance models for churches of lesser use. The Association worked to strengthen its partnerships with key bodies including Historic England, the Historic Religious Buildings Alliance, the Plunkett Foundation, Ecclesiastical Insurance and the Centre for the Study of Christianity and Culture, promoting shared learning and identifying opportunities for collaborative projects. Case studies were developed to illustrate the benefits of the Festival Church model and to encourage other churches to explore this approach. The AFC also provided direct guidance to an increasing number of parishes seeking to adopt or formalise Festival Church status. Through this work the charity supported the Church of England’s wider vision for a mixed ecology of worship and community life, helping to sustain parish churches as places of faith, heritage and community engagement. ## **Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)** March **2012** **TAR** 3 You **may choose** to include further statements, where relevant, about: - policy on grantmaking; - policy programme related investment; - contribution made by volunteers. ## Section D Achievements and performance March **2012** **TAR** 4 ## Section D Achievements and performance **Summary of the main achievements of the charity during the year** 2024 was a year of significant progress for the Association of Festival Churches, as awareness of the Festival Church model grew nationally and demand for support increased. Key achievements included: - **National and diocesan engagement:** The AFC established active dialogue with over 30 dioceses and became a regular point of contact for diocesan buildings officers and the national Buildings for Mission network. Presentations and workshops were delivered in several dioceses, including Leicester, Ely, Lincoln and Exeter, where the Festival Church model is being embedded within wider strategic reviews of church buildings. - **Support to individual churches:** Enquiries from individual parishes increased steadily throughout the year, reflecting greater recognition of the model’s potential. The AFC provided tailored guidance and facilitated introductions to relevant diocesan contacts. Site visits were undertaken to several churches, including those in Cumbria and Yorkshire, to document successful local approaches and gather material for new case studies. As this work develops further, it will be important for AFC to identify advocates in individuals dioceses (eg support officers, DAC Secretaries, Archdeacons) to whom much of this work can be delegated. - **Evidence and research:** A national survey of diocesan practice relating to Festival Churches was designed and circulated, providing valuable baseline data on awareness, procedures and attitudes. The findings informed a presentation to the Church Buildings Council in early 2025 and will shape the charity’s strategic priorities for the coming year. - **Partnership development:** The AFC strengthened relationships with national partners, resulting in invitations to contribute to sector events and publications, including the Historic Religious Buildings Alliance _Big Update_ , the Council for Bellringers newsletter, and the Church Buildings Council meeting in Durham. - **Communications and advocacy:** The charity’s website and online presence were refreshed, and new materials were prepared to explain the Festival Church concept and its benefits. Positive media coverage and direct engagement with partner organisations helped raise the profile of the AFC as a trusted and constructive voice within the heritage and church sector. By year-end the AFC was recognised as the primary national resource for advice and advocacy on Festival Churches. Through its activities, the charity contributed directly to maintaining open, active and sustainable places of worship and community life in areas where closure might otherwise have been inevitable. March **2012** **TAR** 5 ## **Section E Financial review** AFC has no reserves policy, having no reserves. This position will be **Brief statement of the** reviewed annually. **charity’s policy on reserves** **Details of any funds materially in deficit** ## **Further financial review details (Optional information)** You **may choose** to include additional information, where relevant about: - the charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising); - how expenditure has supported the key objectives of the charity; - investment policy and objectives including any ethical investment policy adopted. ## **Section F Other optional information** ## **Section G Declaration** **The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.** **Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees** ## **Signature(s)** Geoffrey Rea Hunter **Full name(s)** Antony Brian Baldry **Position (eg Secretary, Chair,** Chair **etc)** March **2012** **TAR** 6 Date 3010912025 TAR Maich 2012 |**Association of Festival Churches**|**Association of Festival Churches**|**Association of Festival Churches**|**1191777**| |---|---|---|---| |**Receipts andpayments accounts**|||| |**For the period**
**from**|Period start date
01/01/2024|**To**|Period end date
31/12/2024| **Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For the period** Period start date Period end date **To from** 01/01/2024 31/12/2024 ## **Section A Receipts and payments** |**A1 Receipts**|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**to the nearest £**
**-**
**16**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**16**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**16**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**16**
**-**
**-**
**16**|**Restricted**
**funds**
**to the nearest £**
**23,233**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**23,233**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**23,233**
**50**
**19,005**
**114**
**130**
**48**
**480**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**19,827**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**19,827**
**3,406**
**-**
**-**
**3,406**|**Endowment**
**funds**
**to the nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**|**Total funds**
**to the nearest £**
**23,233**
**16**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**23,249**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**23,249**
**50**
**19,005**
**114**
**130**
**48**
**480**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**19,827**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**19,827**
**3,422**|**Total funds**
**to the nearest £**
**23,233**
**16**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**23,249**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**23,249**
**50**
**19,005**
**114**
**130**
**48**
**480**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**19,827**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**19,827**
**3,422**|**Last year**
**to the nearest £**| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |Grant funding|**-**|||||**-**| |Interest|**16**|||||**-**| ||**-**|||||**-**| ||**-**|||||**-**| ||**-**|||||**-**| ||**-**|||||**-**| ||**-**|||||**-**| ||**-**|||||**-**| |**_Sub total_**_(Gross income for_
_AR)_|**16**|||||**-**| |||||||| |**A2 Asset and investment sales,**
**(see table).**||||||| ||**-**|||||| ||**-**|||||**-**| |~~**_Sub total_**~~|**-**|||||**-**| |**_Total receipts_ **
**A3 Payments**||||||| |||||||**-**| |||||||| |Bank fees|**-**|||||**-**| |Staff costs|**-**|||||**-**| |Travel and Subsistence|**-**|||||**-**| |Conference fee|**-**|||||**-**| |HRBA membershipfee|**-**|||||**-**| |Legal fees|**-**|||||**-**| ||**-**|||||**-**| ||**-**|||||**-**| ||**-**|||||**-**| |**_Sub total_ **|**-**|||||**-**| |||||||| |**A4 Asset and investment**
**purchases, (see table)**||||||| ||**-**|||||| ||**-**|||||| |**_Sub total_ **|**-**|||||**-**| |**_Total payments_**
**_Net of receipts/(payments)_**
**A5 Transfers between funds**
**A6 Cash funds last year end**
**_Cash funds this year end_**||||||| |||||||**-**| |||||||| ||**16**|**3,406**|**-**|**3,422**||**-**| ||**-**|**-**|**-**|**-**||**-**| ||**-**|**-**|**-**|**-**||**-**| ||**16**|**3,406**|**-**|**3,422**||**-**| CCXX R1 accounts (SS) 31/10/2025 1 |**Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period**|**Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period**|**Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period**|| |---|---|---|---| |**Categories**
Signed by one or two trustees on
behalf of all the trustees
**B5 Liabilities**
**B3 Investment assets**
**B2 Other monetary assets**
**B4 Assets retained for the**
**charity’s own use**
**B1 Cash funds**|**Details**
**Details**
**_Total cash funds_**
(agree balances with receipts and payments
account(s))
**Details**
**Details**
**Details**
Signature|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**to nearest £**
**16**
**3,406**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**16**
**3,406**
OK
OK
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**
**Cost (optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**
**Cost (optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Fund to which**
**liability relates**
**Amount due**
**(optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
Print Name
AntonyBrian Baldry
Geoffrey Rea Hunter|**Endowment**
**funds**
**to nearest £**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||OK| ||||**Endowment**
**funds**
**to nearest £**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**Current value**
**(optional)**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**Current value**
**(optional)**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**When due**
**(optional)**| ||||| ||||| ||||| ||||| ||||| ||||| ||||Date of
approval| |||AntonyBrian Baldry|30/09/2025| |||Geoffrey Rea Hunter|30/09/2025| CCXX R2 accounts (SS) 31/10/2025 2