**PARISH OF ST MARY AND ST EANSWYTHE WITH ST SAVIOUR FOLKESTONE** ## **A N N U A L M E E T I N G 2 0 2 3** A meeting of the parishioners for the purpose of Electing Two Churchwardens and The Annual Parochial Church Meeting to be held in the Nave of St Mary & St Eanswythe’s Church on Sunday 23 April 2023 at 11.30am **A G E N D A** ## **Annual Meeting of Parishioners** [Anyone on the civil electoral roll or on the electoral roll of the parish may attend the meeting and vote] 1. Opening Prayer. 2. Appointment of Secretary. 3. Minutes of the 2022 Meeting and Matters Arising. 4. To receive the Churchwardens’ Charities Account. 5. Election of two Churchwardens. ## **Annual Parochial Church Meeting** [Anyone on the electoral roll of the parish may attend the meeting and vote.] 1. Apologies for Absence. 2. Minutes of the 2022 Meeting and Matters Arising. 3. To receive: - a. Report on changes in the electoral roll since the last APCM. - b. Annual Report on the proceedings of the Parochial Church Council of St Mary & St Eanswythe Folkestone and the activities of the parish generally. - c. Examined financial statement of the PCC for the year ending 31 December 2022. - d. Report on the fabric, goods and ornaments of the church. - e. Report on the proceedings of the Deanery Synod. - f. Chair’s Report 4. ELECTIONS - a. Up to two Deanery Synod representatives. - b. Up to seven Parochial Church Council members 5. To appointments: - a. Sidespersons. - b. Independent Examiner. 6. Any other matters of parochial or general church interest (to be referred to PCC). 1 ## **THE PARISH OF ST MARY AND ST EANSWYTHE with ST SAVIOUR FOLKESTONE** Minutes of the Annual Parochial Church Meeting held in Church on Sunday 24 April 2022 after the 10.30am Eucharist. ## **Annual Meeting of Parishioners** (Anyone on the civil electoral roll or on the electoral roll of the parish may attend the meeting and vote). **1.** In the absence of Fr John, Tom Bertram opened the meeting with prayer. **2.** Tom Bertram proposed Megan Marwood be appointed as secretary for the meeting. All agreed. **3.** The minutes of the 2021 meeting were accepted as a true record. All agreed. **4.** The Churchwardens’ Charities Accounts were received and accepted. All agree. Tom Bertram confirmed the balance standing was £4439.82. **5.** The following were elected as Churchwardens for the coming year: Andrew Plested : Proposed: Angela Flisher Tom Bertram: Proposed: Angela Flisher Seconded: Pam Mullet Seconded: Ian Gordon Signed …………………………………………… Dated …………………………………………… ## **Annual Parochial Church Meeting** (Anyone on the electoral roll of the parish may attend the meeting and vote) **1.** Apologies for absence: Fr John Walker, Catriona and Chris Hunter, Patricia Skelsted, Sue and Maurice Bauhahn, Steve Friedrich, Rev Richard Wood, David and Diane Wright. **2.** The minutes of the 2021 meeting were accepted and signed as a true record. No matters arising. **3. a.** A report on changes in the electoral roll since the last APCM. - **b.** The Annual Report on the proceedings of the Parochial Church Council of St Mary & St Eanswythe Folkestone and the activities of the parish generally. - **c.** Examined financial statement of the PCC for the year ending 31 December 2021. - **d.** Report on the fabric, goods and ornaments of the church. - **e.** Report on the proceedings of the Deanery Synod. - **f.** The Chair’s Report 2 ## 4. **ELECTIONS** **a.** Two persons to serve on the Parochial Church Council. We had one nomination. Catriona Hunter: Proposed: Jenny Coleman Seconded: Marilyn Edey **5.** To consider appointment as: - **a.** Sidepersons: Sidepersons to remain the same with addition of Maurice Bauhahn. All in favour. Tom Bertram will confirm with Maurice Bauhahn. Tom Bertram will produce a list to confirm the role of a sidesperson. **b.** Appointment of Independent Examiner: It was proposed that Nicki’s Accountancy Services be appointed as Independent Examiner. Proposed: Ian Gordon Seconded: Paul Furminger **6.** Any other matters of parochial or general Church interest (to be referred to PCC). **a.** This week Tom Bertram will be meeting a representative from a company who installs infrared heating with regards to the Church heating. Funds must be raised to cover the cost. **b.** Andrew Plested confirmed that the scaffolding has been removed from the outside of the church for now. The chancel suffered damage during the storm which will mean more scaffolding whilst this is repaired. **c.** Tom Bertram suggested the offertory collection should be re-introduced. The offertory plate could be placed near the church entrance to encourage people to donate. **d.** Ian Gordon suggested a monthly statement of the financial situation should be recorded in the Rendezvous magazine. This may energise and motivate people to donate money. **e.** Ian Gordon said how lovely it was that Malcolm Munro and Megan Marwood have joined the church community. **f.** Marilyn Edey mentioned how important it is to engage with all church visitors to make them feel welcome. This may make visitors more likely to donate to the church. Tom Bertram closed the meeting with prayer. Signed …………………………………………… Dated …………………………………………… 3 **PARISH OF ST MARY AND ST EANSWYTHE WITH ST SAVIOUR FOLKESTONE** ## **ANNUAL REPORT** ## **and** ## **FINANCIAL STATEMENTS** ## **of the** ## **PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL** **for the year ended 31 December 2022** ## **Incumbent** The Revd Dr John Walker ## **Bank** National Westminster Bank PLC Europa House Sandgate Road Folkestone Kent ## **Independent Examiner** Nicola Cahill M.A.A.T. Nicki’s Accountancy Services 122 Foord Road Folkestone Kent CT19 5AB 4 **PARISH OF ST MARY AND ST EANSWYTHE WITH ST SAVIOUR FOLKESTONE** ## **ANNUAL REPORT OF THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[st] DECEMBER 2022** ## **Administrative Information** The Parish of Folkestone, St Mary and St Eanswythe with St Saviour is in the Elham Deanery, in the Diocese of Canterbury with the Church of England. There are two places of worship, the Parish Church of St Mary and St Eanswythe in the town centre of Folkestone and the Chapel of St Augustine, 39/41 Dover Road, Folkestone which is a Local Ecumenical Project shared with the Greek Orthodox Church of St Mark and St Fotini. The former Parish Church of St Saviour, Canterbury Road, is now occupied by Harbour Church. The correspondence address is sainteanswythe@gmail.com. The Parochial Church Council (PCC) is a charity registered with the Charity Commission Reg.No.1192616 . PCC members who have served from 24[th] April 2022 until the date this report is approved are: |Churchwardens:|Tom Bertram|| |---|---|---| ||Andrew Plested|| |Representatives on the|Victoria Friedrich|[Elected until 2023]| |Deanery Synod:|Clare Tomlinson|[Elected until 2023]| |Elected Members:|Maurice Bauhahn|[Resigned 14.03.2023]| ||Jan Clarke|[Elected until 2023]| ||Jenny Coleman|[Elected until 2023]| ||Pam Keeling|[Elected until 2023]| ||Patricia Skelsted|[Elected until 2023]| ||David Wright|[Elected until 2023]| ||Marilyn Edey|[Elected until 2024]| ||Catriona Hunter|[Elected until 2025]| |Advisors to the PCC|Parish Secretary:|Megan Marwood| |||[Resigned 30.03.23]| ||Worship:|Malcolm Munro| ||St Augustine’s Centre:|Carol Godden| ||Architect:|James Ford| ||Schools:|Trevor North| |||Jean O’Callaghan| ## **Structure, governance and management** The method of appointment of 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 to the PCC. Our Parish Safeguarding Co-ordinator and Parish Disclosure Officer have ensured that our parish procedures, organisation and pastoral practices comply with our duty under Section 5 of the Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure 2016 to have regard to the House of Bishops’ guidance on safeguarding children and vulnerable adults. 5 **PARISH OF ST MARY AND ST EANSWYTHE WITH ST SAVIOUR FOLKESTONE** ## **Aim and purposes** St Mary and St Eanswythe with St Saviour PCC has the responsibility of co-operating with the priest-incharge in promoting in the ecclesiastical parish the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. ## **Objectives and activities** The Church exists to make Jesus Christ known in Folkestone through worship, fellowship and mission. It looks to encourage its members and the people of the community of which it is a part, to realise their full potential as children of God. It also has the responsibility of maintaining the fabric of the Parish Church of St Mary and St Eanswythe, Folkestone a Grade 11[*] listed building. ## **Achievements and performance** There are 62 parishioners on the Church Electoral Roll, 27 of whom are resident within the parish. Three names were added during the year. There were two deaths. The average weekly attendance in the parish was 45 adults and 6 under-16s. The increase has largely been due to the introduction of Children’s Church once a month. Thirteen children were baptised, but our Confirmation service was postponed to 2023 due to Covid 19. Five weddings were held. There were four funerals, both of which took place in the church and at Hawkinge Crematorium, and two interment of Ashes in the Garden of Remembrance.. The full PCC met six times during the year. Members of the PCC are on the St Augustine’s Joint Council our LEP with the Greek Orthodox Church which manages the St Augustine’s Centre. We are grateful to The Revd John Tomlinson for his continuing contribution to the worship of the parish. Vicky Friedrich was re-authorised as a Lay Minister and helps at services, weddings, baptisms and funerals. We are grateful to Pam Keeling and Jenny Coleman for their work as out joint-treasurers; to Tom Bertram and Andrew Plested for their roles as Churchwardens, and to Pam Mullett and Jenny Coleman for supporting them as Deputy Wardens The PCC is active in pursuing the following priorities: **Ethos:** We aim to embed an ethos that is kind, appreciative and co-operative in which difference is valued, initiative is rewarded and mistakes are treated humanely. - **Welcome:** We want people to feel welcome whenever they come to church - **Worship:** We aim to both maintain and develop our choral, Anglo-Catholic approach to worship. - **Spirituality:** We wish to offer support for people on their spiritual journey. - **Pilgrimage:** We want to develop our church as a centre for pilgrimage. - **The Arts:** We would like our church to continue to host the Arts - **Children:** We aim to bring God’s love to children both in our church schools, and in our parish worship - **Social Care** : We want to support people going through challenging times. 6 **PARISH OF ST MARY AND ST EANSWYTHE WITH ST SAVIOUR FOLKESTONE** ## **Finance Review** All follow on the Financial Statements pages, approved by the PCC on 27 March 2022. Revd Dr John Walker (Chair) ## **NOTES ON THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022** 1. The accounts are prepared on a receipts and payment basis in accordance with the requirements of the Church Accounting Regulations 2006. 2. Planned giving is either by covenant or gift aid donations: By covenant or gift aid donation : number of contributors = 37 an increase due to the Widow’s Mite fund. Otherwise: number of regular contributors = 10 3. The General Account includes all voluntary, ordinary and extra ordinary receipts including those such as Calvary and the Fabric Fund which are restricted. 4. The Fabric Fund is restricted to receipts and payments relating to the fabric of the church. 5. The Magazine Fund Account refers to the Rendezvous Magazine. The Flower Fund Account is for the church flowers. 6. Investments are held by the Canterbury Diocesan Board of Finance or the Church of England Central Board of Finance. All holding prices are shown at cost. 7. The church insurers are the Ecclesiastical Insurance Group, Beaufort House, Brunswick Road, Gloucester GL1 1JZ. ## **TREASURERS REPORT** Attached are the accounts for the year ending 31[st ] December 2022. Individual accounts are selfexplanatory. The accountant who has approved the accounts Nicki’s Accountancy Services at 122 Foord Road, Folkestone. ## _GENERAL FUND_ 2022 has proved to be a very interesting year for Jenny Coleman and myself. The main problem has been dealing with the Three Days in January Account and problems caused by Lloyds Bank. Jenny and I agreed that it would make sense to separate Three Days in January from the general church accounts. The grant of £20,000 was received prior to Lloyds managing to complete the opening of the account and hence the £20,000 was paid into the general account. Payments started to be paid from the general account but eventually the account was opened, and the remaining balance paid in. We then discovered that the bank appeared unable to give me the electronic banking function which caused further problems as invoices required paying electronically and were then paid out of general with cheque payments repaid into the general account. The closure of the Lloyds account was agreed, and Jenny started the arduous task in 7 **PARISH OF ST MARY AND ST EANSWYTHE WITH ST SAVIOUR FOLKESTONE** November – the account being closed, and balance transferred back into the general account on 24[th] February! Planned Giving has benefitted from the Widow’s Mite Fund, which was created by Fr John and Jenny, it has proved a real blessing as we had sadly lost regular payments as circumstances changed due to illness, death and people moving out of the area. The Diocese notified us of changes in processing Gift Aid during the year and the PCC agreed that it would be better if we processed the claims to HMRC ourselves. Hopefully, this will become easier as we go along. The donation from Rendezvous magazine of £500 is very encouraging and £100 higher than last year. The magazine remains very popular and with the improvements leading to the increase in subscriptions one can only assume that it will go from strength to strength. As ever we are indebted to Ian Gordon for his continued work with Bayle Music and its partnership with Canterbury Music Club and his generous contributions from talks and Quizzes he has done during the year. Ride and Stride took place and our thanks to all those involved, the day coincided with the St Eanswythe Festival organised by Jenny and many of the Ride and Stride participants popped in for refreshments and to make purchases. Jenny was also responsible for the huge success of the Christmas Festival. Our grateful thanks to all who have helped us to raise both funds and morale to keep our beautiful church afloat. Our greatest concerns, as we are all too aware, is the cost of heating the church which has risen from £2,385.57 in 2021 to £6,218.37 in 2022. The lack of heating has already cost us revenue from cancelled concerts and as Tom Bertram pointed out the cost of heating the church for the Sunday service is currently £100. On a more personal note, Jenny and I would like to thank Fr John for being the inspiration we needed. Also, my personal thanks to my joint Treasurer Jenny for all that she has done and for her incredible tenacity in dealing with banks and her good judgement in addressing some challenging times in the administration of the accounts. Jennifer Coleman and Pamela Keeling 21 March 2023 8 PARISH OF ST. MARY ANO ST. EANSWYTHE WITH ST. SAVIOUR FOLKESTONE GENERAL ACCOUNT IUNRESTRicfEDI 2021 RECEIPTS 2022 2021 PAYMENTS 2022 6,966.11 Balance at Bank 1st January 2022 25,128.27 The MSnlstry Clergy Expenses 1,418.17 1,822.59 Voluntsry Recelpts Planned Giving Contrlbutions Tax Refund on Glft Ald Collectlons Church Boxes and Hlstorles 27,585. 17,715.00 The Church and Expen Wages And Verger Expense5 Music Fund. Cholr, Salarles Bread, Wine Candles Water and Sewer rates 011 and Heatin8 Electricity Postage, Statlonary and Sundry Expenses Copier Service Char8e Planned Glvln8 Expenses Accountsncy Fees DBF Fees Insurance In Service Church Schools 4,557.60 5.765.95 133.57 328.32 2,385.57 1,546.91 1.113.92 883.40 553.56 225. 935.CKI 8.244.74 437.69 4,680.IJO 8,550.16 633.71 195.25 6,218.37 1,587.28 78.24 1,166.04 255.00 3.362.63 47.(Kl 7,638.72 Othw Ordlnary Recelpts Investment Income Heating Fund Grants Three Days In January OCMS Scheme Hlstorlc En8land Grant Calvary Uoyds Misslon Transfer Folkestone Town Council Archblshop Countll Grant Llsted Places of Worship I,IW.46 1,092.04 670.th) 10,919.80 7,381.70 701.98 20.0￿.[K} 1,425.98 18,750.CQ 1,500.00 2,627.88 300.00 225.00 1,418.00 5,107.68 229.03 L9.95 6,250.00 1.360.(NJ 10,000.00 4,106.57 P¥ym•rts Outsldè the P¥r15h Parish Share Chubb Flre Books Sacconi and Social Expenses ClÈanln8 and Hygiene Leaflets Flower Fund Arthltect & Plannlng Fees Telephone Chfistmas Miscellaneous expenses Extra Ordlnary Recelpts Insurance Payment Wedding and Baptism Collections Funeral Fees Refunds Colourin8 Books Coffee Sales Votive Candles Flower fund Concerts & Art Exhlbition hire Various Donatlons 30,OLXI. 420.47 105.88 115.90 651.33 316.43 610.55 3,334.64 746.46 31.7SS.00 445.24 1,157.97 621.47 225.00 212.91 433.60 263.20 749.38 337.20 S59.(Kl 2,954.00 3,139.(KJ 1,470.(N) 20.00 1,145.lJ) 853.(X) 102.54 180.09 244.02 291.93 860.00 3,081.45 4,611.68 489.34 324.21 2,tKK).00 6,133.92 4,033.79 1,309.69 555.00 Pam and Angela Retirement Harvest Festival/Fetelchristmas Festival Grant from Rendezvous Magazine FindSn8 Ean5WYthe Books Bequest Recipes Table Sales Baptlsmal Blble Fund First Day Covers Sum Up Payments St Eanswythe Day Float AX8345283477 Christmas Treelcard Donatlons Chlldfen's Societv Gaiden of Remembrance Tours Widows Mite Sanctuary Ilght5 Organ Fund Sale of Shares Kent Rlde and Strlde 1,459.94 13,200.rxi 2,226.14 550. 23.42 Computer Supplies Rye Roofing Building & Maintenance Pam and Angela Retirement AIBMS Children's Society Float for Eanswythe Day Reimbursment R Chapman Charitsble Donation Baptismal Bible Fund Good With Device5 2,110.00 501.20 645.46 1,000.00 20.7￿.(￿j 1.127.90 505.24 1.135. 7,002.07 125. 1.833.21 200.1)0 335.00 1,015.31 66.61 251.70 29.00 160.00 183.00 179.80 150.00 1.329.53 179.80 205.68 2.95 25.00 288.80 251.70 1,500.00 1,497. 2,347.00 400.00 2,053.96 19,069.67 167.50 Three days In January 26,532.67 Transfer from Fabrlc Fund alc 2,Tr)0.00 25,128.28 Balance at Bank 31st December 2022 30,638.35 108,728.sa 148,632.98 108,728.53 148.632.98 I htreby approve these A¢tounts based on the informatlon and explanatlons provlded v••Dtth K￿ClI•SA• I￿￿..f*7>)>1YII11 Nicola Cahill M.A.AT 0910312023 io PARISH OF ST. MARY AND ST. EANSWYTHE WITH ST. SAVIOUR FOLK£STONE BUSINESS RESERVE ACCOUNT 2021 RECEIPTS 2022 2021 PAYMENTS 2022 1,358.93 Balance at bank 1st January 2022 2,886.10 Income from Investments 1,526.97 CBF Deposlt Fund CBF Investment Fund 146.91 1555.14 Transfer to General alc 2,LMIO.¢X) 0.20 Bank Interest 4.73 2,886.10 Balance at Bank 315t Oecember 2022 2592.88 2,886.10 4,592.88 2,886.10 4￿92.88 I hereby approve these Accounts based on the Snformation and explanatlons provided Nlcola Cahlll M.A.A.T 0910312023 li Parish Church ofst. Mary and St Eanswythe RENDEZVOUS MAGA21NE ACCOUNTS 2022. 2021 RECEIPIS Balance5 at l Jan 2022 Current Account Deposit Account Cash in Hand 2022 2021 PAYMENTS 2022 295.39 2416.93 2.13 291.96 2126.17 2.13 834.75 350 22.44 291 Prlnting Donation to PCC Postage/miscellaneous Colouring Books 1011.4 450 50 2420.26 865 136.88 201.88 Advert15ementS Donations Subs and Sales 925 67 380 Balance5 at 31 Dec 2022 Current Account Deposlt Account Cash in Hand 291.96 2126.17 2.13 152.56 2130. 2.13 0.24 Bank Interest 4.63 2285.49 3918.45 Total 3796.89 3918.45 Tot•1 3796.89 12 **PARISH OF ST MARY AND ST EANSWYTHE WITH ST SAVIOUR FOLKESTONE** ## **ANNUAL REPORT 2023 APPENDIX: SUPPLEMENTARY REPORTS** ## **CHAIR’S REPORT** This year has been a challenging one for me personally. I had a severe bout of Covid in early April and then suffered from symptoms of Long Covid until the end of October. During that seven-month period I could work only half-time. Nevertheless, there have been some significant developments in the last year. Our worship returned to normal and, while we still livestream our services, all our services and meetings have been in person. Our weddings increased from one to five and our baptisms from ten to thirteen. Our usual Sunday attendance has crept up from 40 adults and 2 children to 45 adults and 6 children, - largely due to Children’s Church, which is changing our Sunday worship for the better. I am so grateful for the Children’s Church team for all their hard work and commitment. Malcolm Munro has now been in post as our Organist and Choir Director for just over a year. He has brought fresh settings for our Eucharist , and fresh music. He has recruited new members to the choir and has worked well over the hours he is paid to improve our music, our choir and our organ. It is currently in a perilous state, but Malcolm is guiding us through the process of getting quotations for its restoration. I hope that the PCC will soon be in a position to choose the best solution and launch a fundraising appeal. I am most grateful to both Malcolm and all the choir for enhancing our weekly worship so beautifully, and to Laurence Long for his continued occasional help. I acted as Chaplain to the Mayor of Folkestone on a number of occasions, and I value highly the connection between our church and town. This has further been enhanced by the many concerts and other arts events, as well as school worship held in the church this year. This role is currently being threatened, however, by our inability to heat the church in the Autumn, Winter and early spring. Bayle Music moved their concerts to the Grand, and school Collective Worship has been held in the schools rather than the church, during the cold months. The boilers are extremely old. Only one now works and the gas engineer does not think it will last another winter. Tom Bertram is working hard to find an affordable solution and, again, I hope that the PCC will soon be in a position to choose the best solution and launch a fundraising appeal for this, too. I am very grateful to both Tom and Andrew for their immense hard work as Church Wardens. Andrew works constantly to raise money for and oversee the maintenance of our wonderful building. See more in his report, but I was particularly glad that the CCTV system was finally installed to help keep our volunteers safe. The PCC appointed Andrew as Clerk of Works to the Fabric of the Church, and Pat Skelsted as Deputy Clerk, in recognition of the essential role they play. These posts are not tied to the post of Church Warden so can continue should Andrew eventually stand down as Warden. Jenny Coleman, as Deputy Warden, oversaw two successful festivals in church this year for the St Eanswythe celebrations, and at Christmas. They both opened the church to our community and brought in some much needed cash. I an extremely thankful to Jenny and her amazing team both for their work at these times, and also for their cleaning blitzes at significant points of the year. And then she and Jan do an amazing job of making our church look so beautiful with flowers and the Easter Garden. Pam Mullett, Tom Bertram and Vicky Friedrich help to set up for services and clear up afterwards. And so many of you help by welcoming visitors to our church, or offering refreshments. It’s not just at our worship services, either: Pam Keeling and the Folkestone Inner Wheel have made such a difference to the lives of Folkestone’s Ukrainian refugees through their hospitality events in our church. 13 **PARISH OF ST MARY AND ST EANSWYTHE WITH ST SAVIOUR FOLKESTONE** We have made significant progress this year with our plan to develop our church as a pilgrimage centre. Under the guidance of Dr Andrew Richardson we received a grant form the Janus Foundation to cost the whole project out. That work is going quietly ahead, but the highest profile piece of that work was the commissioning of a new Reliquary for Eanswythe’s remains. Of the forty expressions of interest we received, there were 15 submissions, of which we have shortlisted five. These will now go to experts for comments and then back to the PCC in May who will make a final decision. There are more details in Jenny’s report. Along with our Wardens and Deputy Wardens, I am extremely grateful to all our PCC members for faithfully holding the vision and tradition of our church as we plan and make decisions. They have been wise stewards of our valuable resources, and compassionate and caring colleagues. But I am especially grateful to Pam Keeling, our Lead Treasurer, for the enormous amount of time and effort she has given to help us stay solvent in a year which has been personally challenging for her. Megan left us at the end of March after two years as Parish Secretary. We are very grateful for her personable and enthusiastic time with us and wish her well. I am at present conducting a review of the Parish Secretary role, at the close of which we will advertise with a new Job Description. I’ll give an update at the APCM. I am not the only minister in this parish. I am extremely grateful for the continued occasional assistance from Fr Barry Preece, and the constant support from Fr John Tomlinson and Vicky Friedrich. Their preaching brings and extra dimension to our understanding of the Gospel, and their leading of services brings us closer to God in worship. In March, Vicky was nominated by the PCC for selection for training as a Reader, so please pray for her as she explores this path. Please also pray for Andy Yan, who joined us this year and is in the discernment process for selection for ordination training. He’ll be joining the preaching team in the coming year. The shape of the coming year was decided at our January PCC meeting. As I now have only two years left with you I wanted to ensure that our remaining time together is spent wisely and well. Therefore, our PCC agreed together the following mission and ministry priorities to determine where our resources and my energy will go in these next two years. Please pray for and join in with any part of this that you feel drawn to. If you want to know more, please speak to any PCC member. The _Actions_ could be for the whole PCC, any of its members, any member of the church, or just for me; but they have been endorsed by the whole PCC. _Measures_ are important because they tell us if we need to change our strategy. ## **Ethos** We aim to embed an ethos that is kind, appreciative and co-operative in which difference is valued, initiative is rewarded and mistakes are treated humanely. ## _Actions_ - Support Individuals and teams in developing projects and running them - Express gratitude both publicly and privately - Celebrate special moments 14 **PARISH OF ST MARY AND ST EANSWYTHE WITH ST SAVIOUR FOLKESTONE** ## _Measures_ - People feel relaxed and good-humoured - People feel included and able to have a go at things - Suggestions are made positively - Difference of opinion is expressed constructively ## **Welcome** We want people to feel welcome whenever they come to church ## _Actions_ - Maintain and support our Sidesperson and Welcome teams - Invite visitors to stay for coffee and to join in with any current events - Let people know they’re welcome to join in the life of the church, e.g. our choir or various rotas - Develop a Welcome Pack with information for visitors - Develop a Pastoral Care Team - Raise money for installing a new heating system ## _Measures_ - The numbers of people who try us out and decide to stay - Increasing numbers of volunteers - The Welcome Pack made available - The commissioning of a Pastoral Care Team - Installing a new heating system ## **Worship** We aim to both maintain and develop our choral, Anglo-Catholic approach to worship. ## _Actions_ - Maintaining the tradition of our Sunday morning worship - Supporting our Organist & Choir Director to strengthen the choir and its repertoire - Launch an alternative service that uses liturgy, symbolism, the senses and the arts in an informal and contemporary way - Providing high-quality care through Occasional Offices ## _Measures_ - Increasing numbers in attendance, baptisms, confirmations and in the choir - Launching a contemporary service 15 **PARISH OF ST MARY AND ST EANSWYTHE WITH ST SAVIOUR FOLKESTONE** ## **Spirituality** We wish to offer support for people on their spiritual journey. ## _Actions_ - Offering reflective sermons - Offering Lent & Advent Courses - Offering experience of traditional monastic disciplines like Lectio Divina and Contemplative prayer through The Companions of Eanswythe - Offering seminars and taster sessions at our St Eanswythe Festival - Offering a programme for non-churchgoers to explore the Christian faith - Offering prayers for healing and wholeness ## _Measures_ - The number of people who access these groups and sessions ## **Pilgrimage** We want to develop our church as a centre for pilgrimage. ## _Actions_ - Under Dr Andrew Richardson’s leadership, to cost the ‘Eanswythe Found’ project by Summer 2023 - To fundraise for delivering the project by Summer 2025 - To develop ecumenical partnerships ## _Measures_ - Accurate bids and fundraising for every aspect of the project from a variety of sources - Increasing pilgrimage visits - Increasing income ## **The Arts** We would like our church to continue to host the Arts ## _Actions_ - To develop our close partnerships with Bayle Music, the Sacconi Quartet, the Creative Quarter and other artists in Folkestone - To host even more concerts, performances, exhibitions and community events - To continue to offer worship events for our wider town community ## _Measures_ - Numbers of events - Increased footfall or attendance - Increased income 16 **PARISH OF ST MARY AND ST EANSWYTHE WITH ST SAVIOUR FOLKESTONE** ## **Children** We aim to bring God’s love to children both in our church schools, and in our parish worship ## _Actions_ - Support our Children’s Church team - Support our two church primary schools through Collective Worship, governance and participation in church events ## _Measures_ - Numbers of families engaging with Children’s Church - The strengthening of Christian values in our schools in their leadership transitions - Increasing school events in our church - Church members becoming governors ## **Social Care** We want to support people going through challenging times. ## _Actions_ - Continue to host our Ukrainian Welcome event, and support the volunteers who deliver it - Make our support of the Rainbow Centre far more high-profile - Co-operate better with Churches Together in Folkestone in their social care projects ## _Measures_ - Increased giving for social care projects - Increasing numbers of volunteers from our church community for social care events or programmes Finally, I want to thank **you** . Thank you for being interested enough to read this report. Thank you for the support you are able to give. May god bless you, and us all, in the coming year. Fr John Walker ## **REPORT ON THE FABRIC, GOODS AND ORNAMENTS OF THE CHURCH** ## **1. Quinquennial Phase 2** Removal of vegetation between stonework and localised re-pointing of stonework has been completed. All rainwater gutters and downpipes have been removed, replaced where necessary, cleaned, repainted, re-fixed and sealed and drains cleared. **Weather Vane** - Having erected the scaffolding on the top of the Tower to access the weather vane, it was found to be in much worse condition. We now have quotes for the repair. Tthe weathervane needs taking down and reinstalling by someone else as the companies do not like working at height! Rye Roofing has quoted for this process. I am in the process of appealing for funding for this work. 17 **PARISH OF ST MARY AND ST EANSWYTHE WITH ST SAVIOUR FOLKESTONE** **Nave Roof seals to stonework** - For some unknown reason, when the church was re-roofed in 1988 the slate to Tower and Western Gable stonework for the central span of the Nave was made in mortar rather than the usual lead flashing used elsewhere. The mortar is well stuck to the slates but has pulled away from the stonework. This work requires scaffolding to the west end and against the Tower. I am in the process of appealing for grant funding. **Belfry Louvres mesh** - This is to keep the pigeons from roosting/nesting on the louvres and causing blocking of gutters etc.. I have asked Rye Roofing to put this work in hand but as yet there has been no progress.. **2. Calvary** - - The Diocese has approved the plan for the restoration and we have Planning approval. I am awaiting the result of my funding appeal to the War Memorials Trust 0 due at the end of the month. We have also received ward grants from FHDC (£500) and Folkestone Town Council (£200) and my thank to David Wright for further fundraising. **3. Churchyard Walls** - there are two areas of fractured walling, both revealed when the Council cut back the ivy. One is on the curve of the wall opposite the Calvary, the wall has been split by an ivy root and the top capping stones are loose. The other is the wall to the left of the steps which has moved due to ivy infestation. Both of these have been reported to the Council (FHDC). No progress as yet on the wall by the steps but the affected part of the wall opposite the Calvary has been dismantled to allow access for removal of the roots/ **4. Alarms and CCTV** - Planning Approval was finally received, after FHDC tried a last minute change to the grey colour for the external cameras. I pointed out that the stones are different colours on different parts of the church (and change depending on how wet the stones are). The Home Office funded equipment has been installed and is active. The CCTV, which keeps footage from the 15 cameras for 31 days has been used to identify an individual who decided to dig a hole in the churchyard (leaving his new shovel behind!) and the origin of a slate brought down by high winds. **5. Adam and Eve (before the apple!) Window** - Canterbury Cathedral Stained Glass Workshop have measured the stone setting for the window and made a template. The new window will have a Makrolon protective glazing but, unlike the present Makrolon it will be fitted into the window aperture and fixed with metal clips rather than surface applied with screws, making it far more difficult to remove. I received a quotation for the work (£9,437 plus VAT) and passed it on to Ecclesiastical Insurance for their approval. However, they now require further quotes. ## **6. Lighting/Electrical Issues** - - 1) On the pathway to the Tower behind the church the lights were not working. This was attended to but we now have issues with those nearest to the Tower staying on too long. The faulty PIR switch was replaced. - 2) The lights and fans in both toilets were not working. There was a wiring fault’ - 3) There was a faulty fitting in the top level of the North Transept chandelier and one lower bulb was flickering. The fitting was changed and all bulbs replaced with new LED bulbs.. - 4) The 500 watt floodlight for the Annunciation painting has been replaced with a 50W warm white LED - 5) Three of the six 120 watt floodlights for the mural above the Rood Screen have failed. The six bulbs and fittings have been replaced with three 50W warm white LED floods. - 6) The eight working bulbs from the chandelier were used to replace dead bulbs in the Nave. 18 **PARISH OF ST MARY AND ST EANSWYTHE WITH ST SAVIOUR FOLKESTONE** **7. Storm damage** - The top slates on the eastern end of the south face of the Chancel were lost and some other slates slipped. This work has been completed. **8. Chancel Sanctuary Lamps** - One of the three chains on the central lamp has snapped and the mechanism jammed so that the lamp cannot be raised or lowered from chest height. Each lamp is connected to its counterweight with three chains. Although the central lamp is raised and lowered far more often than the rest, given the age of the chains and the access issue it is probably best to consider replacing the chains on all seven lamps. I have asked Rye Roofing to look into this as I know they have a scaffold tower. ## Andrew Plested ## **MUSIC, CHOIR AND ORGAN** It was my privilege to take over as Organist and Choir Director at St Mary & St Eanswythe’s in Lent last year. My first year has had some ups and downs and there are certainly challenges ahead. ## Choir We are fortunate to have a choir of dedicated and talented singers who can created sounds that belie their small number. There have been some real musical highpoints this year, especially in Advent and Christmas. We also hosted other choirs for joint services for Sea Sunday and the Sacconi Festival. However, the choir’s small size does have a big impact on resilience – it does not take many singers to be away for us to be unable to perform the repertoire that was planned. This means that recruitment must be our main priority. We have been delighted to welcome a number of new singers this year, but we need to recruit more to be on a really secure footing. ## Organ The church is blessed with an exceptionally fine organ, but sadly it has not been maintained as frequently as it should so it is now in need of a major rebuild. Harrison & Harrison took over the care of the instrument this year and prepared a detailed report thar really highlighted the extent of the work needed to preserve the organ. A full rebuild of an organ of this size is going to be extremely expensive so we will need to look to outside organisations to try to obtain grants. Our in-house fundraising so far has included a couple of events and some very generous personal donations. This has enabled to us to commission an independent consultant to report on the organ and to engage three additional firms of organ builders to inspect the organ, report on it and propose a programme of work. Once the last of these is received the Organ Committee and PCC will decide which firm’s recommendations to follow and the real work of fund-raising can begin. ## Malcolm Munro ## **CHILDREN’S CHURCH** Children’s Church celebrated its first birthday in December and we continue to meet once a month. Children from six families attend regularly, some with their parents, and we are always ready to welcome more. In our time together we enjoy stories and activities based on the Gospel for the day. At the moment, the Upper Room is still big enough us. 19 **PARISH OF ST MARY AND ST EANSWYTHE WITH ST SAVIOUR FOLKESTONE** The family area in church is used every week and its position means that families can engage with the service easily. On Sundays when Children’s Church doesn’t meet, we provide activity sheets connected to the Sunday readings. You are welcome to have a look at these and perhaps take one home to pass on to a grandchild or neighbour. Highlights from the past year – - our picnic in the vicarage garden with fun and games and food for all who came - our second making of Birthday Cakes for Jesus on Stir Up Sunday - the collection of the decorated cakes at the Crib Service on Christmas Eve - the growing confidence of the children to speak and sing in church (and to take the collection) Very many thanks to everyone for your continued prayers for all of us. Clare Tomlinson ## **EANSWYTHE FOUND** The working Committee comprising Fr John Walker, Dr Andrew Richardson, Judy Doherty, Jan Clarke, Andrew Plested and Jenny Coleman has been working together for six months to decide on the next stages for the St Eanswythe project. It was decided to have a new reliquary designed for the Saint’s bones and this would form the basis for our grant applications for the work which will be required to display the history of the church and to enable us to welcome pilgrims from all over the world who feel very connected to St Eanswythe and wish to pay homage to her. The Diocese were consulted throughout and a press release was sent out from their Communications department asking for expressions of interest to design the reliquary. Dr Richardson had prepared a very detailed brief setting out exactly what was required. We received 40 notifications and then finally received 14 proposals for the design. The Committee reviewed these on Monday April 3 and the five chosen to go forward have been sent to various experts (conservator, historians etc) to be reviewed for suitability of materials, historical and ecclesiastical accuracy. When this examination is complete the PCC will meet to discuss the designs and choose one. Grant applications will then be made including crowd funding and we hope that we might be able to return St Eanswythe to her home in the church on her day – September 9. This has been a fascinating process for us all and we would like to say a special thank you to Dr Richardson for his continuing dedication to this project. Jenny Coleman 20 **PARISH OF ST MARY AND ST EANSWYTHE WITH ST SAVIOUR FOLKESTONE** ## **FLOWERS** The seasons of flowers certainly fit in with the annual rhythm of Church Life. It doesn’t seem a year ago Jenny and I were creating an Easter garden and decorating the Church with Lilies in memory of loved ones, yet here we are again doing just that. It will certainly be a joy to see flowers and greenery in the church after the recent period of Penance and Reflection of Lent when we have no flowers. Whenever possible we try to use seasonal flowers to decorate the Church, and we are gradually learning which fresh flowers last the longest in our displays, so alongside greenery from my garden and the tasteful use of silk flowers mixed in the display we can keep a display going for several weeks, therefore limiting dipping into the flower fund too often and keeping costs to a minimum. In June of last year colourful displays of Red,White and Blue silk flowers showed our appreciation of Queen Elizabeth 11 as we celebrated her Platinum jubilee along with many other Churches and organisations throughout the country. Little did we know then we would be sadly reflecting on her long life when we heard of her death in September 2022. We were all touched when we saw the many displays of flowers that had been laid in tribute to the many years of service she had given to this country. Glorious Autumn colours adorned the Church in October alongside The Harvest Festival display. Once again the food received went to the local Food Bank, for which they are always very grateful. In November, we remembered those who had lost their lives serving their country due to war. For Remembrance Sunday we decorated the Church and Pulpit with Poppies which was appreciated by many people who visited our Church at that time. At Christmas once again our Christmas Tree was purchased from Clough’s Farm . It was quite a treat and a responsibility for Jenny and I to go out to Barham and chose the right size and shape tree for the church. Once the lights and decorations were on the tree we were very satisfied with our choice and we hope you were too. The Holly and Ivy, greenery and red berries always give the Church a warm glow and a chance for us to sit back for a few weeks, before we start our seasons of flowers again Our Welcomers are always telling us that many visitors remark how lovely the flower displays are when they visit, so even though there are only two of us, we enjoy what we do and we hope that reflects in the Church flower displays. “When a flower blooms God is smiling at mankind” Jan Clarke 21 **PARISH OF ST MARY AND ST EANSWYTHE WITH ST SAVIOUR FOLKESTONE** ## **FRIENDS OF ST MARY AND ST EANSWYTHE** As with most organisations, the year has continued to prove challenging as we have experienced problems in conducting face-to-face committee meetings. A highlight has been our link with both Folkestone Inner Wheel and Folkestone Rotary Club, and we now provide regular coffee mornings for Ukrainians living in the area. Very popular occasions and it seems that our guests welcome the opportunity to gather together, whilst we have experienced wonderful moving sessions of songs and poetry. We did manage to hold a Quiz at the Woodward Hall which everyone enjoyed very much and our thanks of course to our wonderful Quizmaster Ian Gordon. The evening raised £171 for the Friends. The Friends had stalls for both the St Eanswythe Day Festival and later in the year the Christmas Festival at church, all the proceeds went to the church. The Creative Quarter Carol Service was packed with young and old, and the Friends did a sterling job in serving everyone with mulled wine and mince pies. The Friends Facebook site is still being used extensively due almost to entirely Fr John as he reaches more and more people with his excellent services, daily prayers, and reflections. The Friends website also continues to prove very successful, and the second website created for the project ‘The Women’s Role in World War 1’ is still in regular use presumably by some Primary schools. Pam Keeling ## **ELHAM DEANERY SYNOD REPORT** The Deanery Synod met four times during the past year. Each meeting followed a similar pattern – a short time of prayer and meditation, followed a presentation by a visiting speaker and finally, the business of the Synod. All the speakers placed an emphasis on mission, stressing the need for parishes to recognise a common faith and purpose, loving one another and reflecting God’s love. In particular, the Diocesan Director of Ordinands, our most recent speaker, invited us all to pay attention to God’s voice and to recognise the gifts God gives to all of us for the building up of God’s kingdom. ## Clare Tomlinson 22 **PARISH OF ST MARY AND ST EANSWYTHE WITH ST SAVIOUR FOLKESTONE** **First meeting of St Mary & St Eanswythe’s newly elected Parochial Church Council 23 April 2023** ## **A G E N D A** (Minutes of the last meeting will be received at the May PCC meeting) ## **A. Appointment of Deputy Wardens** ## **B. Election of PCC Officers** 1. Vice Chairs 2. Secretary 3. Treasurers 4. Electoral Roll 5. Safeguarding: - a. Parish Safeguarding Coordinator - b. Parish Disclosures Officer - c. Safeguarding Policy Statement ## **C. Future Meeting dates** 1. PCC Meetings will take place in the Upper Room on Mondays at 7pm: **2023** : 22 May; 24 Jul; 25 Sep; 27 Nov **2024** : 22 Jan; 25 Mar 2. The Standing Committee comprises the Chair, Churchwardens, Treasurers and Secretary. Meetings will take place in the Upper Room on Tuesdays 10.00-11.00: **2023** : 13 Jun; 10 Oct; 12 Dec (if needed) - **2024** : 13 Feb The Standing Committee may meet at other times as need demands. 3. The **2024** APCM will take place after the Eucharist on Sunday 21 April 23 ## Parish Safeguarding Policy Statement ## Parish of **ST MARY AND ST EANSWYTHE WITH ST SAVIOUR FOLKESTONE** This parochial church council has adopted the safeguarding policies and procedures of the Church of England. In particular we are committed to: - the safeguarding of all children, young people and vulnerable adults - carefully selecting and training paid and voluntary staff who might come into contact with children or vulnerable adults, using the Disclosure and Barring Service amongst other tools, to check their suitability - responding without delay to every complaint made which suggests that an adult, child or young person may have been harmed - cooperating fully with the police, local authority and any other appropriate statutory body in any investigation - ministering appropriately to anyone, child or adult, who has experienced abuse - extending pastoral care to those known to have offended against children or vulnerable adults whilst ensuring that children and vulnerable adults are protected from them We have appointed …………………………………………………………………… Tel: …………………………………………………………………… as the Parish Safeguarding Coordinator Approved by the Parochial Church Council on ………………………………………..... Signed ………………………………………………. Date ………………………... (Parish Priest) Signed ………………………………………………. Date ………………………... Signed ………………………………………………. Date ………………………... (Church Wardens) Any child wishing to talk about a problem can contact Childline on 0800 1111 Any parent or carer wishing to talk about parenting problems can contact Family Lives on 0808 800 2222 The Parish Safeguarding Coordinator is available to speak with adults or children. 24