“You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.” St Peter’s First Letter,2:9, from Rome
Annual Church Report for the year 2024-25
Thanking God for 200 years of St Peter’s! Looking forward with Hope! “1825-2025”
2025AD Annual Meeting
Agendas for the 2025 Annual Meetings The Parish of St Peter, Walworth in Church: Sunday, 18th May 2025 Immediately Following the Parish Mass
The Diocese has informed Parishes that APCMs are to be held in-person only. The meeting may be live streamed for observation only. Those viewing on-line will not be able to vote, regardless of eligibility.
VESTRY MEETING :
1. Rector opens the meeting.
2. Apologies.
- Churchwardens for year 2024/2025:
i) Re-appointment of: Helen Williams to serve for a 3rd year and Ami Bell for a 2[nd] year.
For information: Churchwardens are elected to serve for a term of 3 years and that can be extended to a maximum of 6 years.
ii) Appointment of two Youth Wardens for a term of 1 year.
- Close of Vestry Meeting.
ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING:
1. Rector opens the meeting.
-
Apologies:
-
Rector’s Report: April 2024 to May 2025: Father Andrew Mumby.
-
Church Finance Report and Annual Accounts January to end December 2024: Alex Metcalfe, Treasurer.
-
New Church Electoral Roll 2025: Report and Proposal to accept the
number of Electors on the CER: Kume Ukpedor, CER Officer.
-
Churchwardens’ Report: April 2024/25.
-
Report on the Proceedings of the Parochial Church Council: April 2024/25.
8. Deanery Synod Report: April 2024/25.
-
Reports on life at St. Peter’s Church: April 2024/25.
-
Elections to the Parochial Church Council and the Deanery Synod:
-
i) PCC: THREE Vacancies, to serve for 3 years.
ii) Deanery Synod Members: Siriol Davies. TWO vacancies. Deanery Synod Members automatically serve on the PCC.
PLEASE NOTE: Anyone disqualified under section 72 of the Charities Act 1993 because of bankruptcy or conviction for an offence of dishonesty or deception is not eligible to stand for election to the PCC or the Deanery Synod. Those
standing for the PCC or the Deanery Synod must be 16 years or over, actual communicants here at St. Peter’s and on the 2025 Church Electoral Roll of St. Peter’s Church Walworth for at least the past six months.
-
Appointment of an Independent Examiner for the 2025 Accounts.
-
Any Other Business received by the Chair prior to the Annual Meeting.
-
Date of 2026 Annual Parochial Church Meeting: Delegate to the PCC.
-
Close of Meeting.
Rector’s Report: 2025AD
My heart is full as I think back over not just the last year, but my nearly 15 years as Rector of St Peter’s, Walworth, and indeed the last 200 years of St Peter’s history here in Walworth. And if I’m honest, my head is also full, with so much going on and the work of the last year in the parish.
200 years ago, in 1825, St Peter’s Church was consecrated for the worship of almighty God and the service of this community of Walworth. Designed by Sir John Soane, already a noted architect, it was part of the wave of church building following the Battle of Waterloo, and indeed it is one of 40 churches built by the Church Commissioners for England known as the ‘Waterloo Churches’. Over those 200 years, countless people have come to this church to celebrate births, life and death. Countless people, congregations and clergy, have looked after St Peter’s Church and been looked after by St Peter’s Church. Today, that inheritance is ours: we are the chosen generation for this time that God has given us. And we have a bold vision for our 200th Anniversary: to restore and open up this beautiful church and its crypt and churchyard for today’s community here in Walworth and beyond.
Perhaps the biggest news to report formally is the National Lottery Heritage Fund’s decision to award a Development Grant to our 200th Anniversary project ‘Building Beyond: Soane Reimagined’. This amazing news given in March 2025 is a huge vote of confidence in St Peter’s, made possible by National Lottery players. The process is highly competitive and funds are limited. Thanks be to God for this wonderful news! And thank you to everyone who has worked so hard on preparing the bid, helping to raise match-funding, and praying for this huge piece of work. The Building Beyond steering group has put a huge amount of time and skill into supporting this bid, and in particular I want to say a very big thank you on our behalf to
Claire Maugham as chair of the steering group: Claire has brought skill, wisdom, experience, dedication, strategic acumen, and vast energy and time to this project with great generosity and focus. I also want to thank Father Alan, Siriol, Alex and Jo from our Church Council who have gone way above and beyond in working on this exciting but daunting process, bringing their time, skills, faith, wisdom and commitment, as well as sometimes almost literally holding my hand through the process. And of course, thank you to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for believing in this landmark restoration and opening up of St Peter’s Church, and thank you to lottery players everywhere!
Here at St Peter’s Church, the 200 Group has been a huge success, raising £8910 in pledges so far! An amazing level of commitment from us as a church family. Donors locally and from around the world have given £5485 through our online Crowdfunder! We are also grateful for grant-funding and collections in this initial phase from: The Drapers’ Company, the National Churches Trust, Mr Tom Harris, The Old Rectory Ensemble, The G Family’s East Street shop collection (George, Gloria and family), Donna’s Lent collection, The Walworth Society’s music night collection, and anonymous donors.
My ‘Father Andrew 200 Miles for 200 Years’ sponsored bike ride, with Femi’s help as ride-leader, has raised a massive £1368 in sponsorship already: thank you to everyone who’s so kindly sponsored me, I can’t tell you how grateful I am!
Together we can achieve our match-funding target: we must keep going with our pledges, and our fundraising – PLEASE think about a sponsored activity of your own, or any event you could organise to raise funds!
Our Development Grant of over £400,000 means that we will have 18months-2 years to fully prepare our plans and larger fundraising targets to be ready to apply for the Delivery Grant of over £3,000,000. We need to keep up our hard work and prayers so that we can keep on track for success at that next crucial stage, with God as our helper.
‘Building Beyond: Re-Imagining Soane’ will see Sir John Soane’s first, finest and best-preserved church brought back to its full glory as a building, but also as a place where our stories and heritage from today and the past 200 years are celebrated and treasured. As well as being our church family home, St Peter’s is one of Southwark’s most significant heritage assets (with only three other Grade 1 listed buildings in the Borough including Tower Bridge!), of international architectural significance.
Building Beyond will make St Peter’s fully accessible, even more welcoming, flexible and better-equipped for our work with our local community. It will also put St Peter’s firmly on the map for local, national, and international visitors, help us to reduce our carbon footprint, make the Churchyard safer to enjoy, and help St Peter’s to become more financially sustainable in every
way.
We’ve had amazing partners who we have worked with on initial plans, but also more detailed proposals for activities funded by the NLHF bid going forward. And our relationships with other Soane sites in London has been depened ready to work together more fully as part of this project. Here are some of the things they have said about Building Beyond and our NLHF success:
Will Gompertz, the Deborah Loeb Brice Director of Sir John Soane’s Museum, said: “St Peter’s Church in Walworth is an important example of Sir John Soane’s innovative and visionary architecture. I am delighted the NLHF is generously supporting its renovation, so once again it can be a joy for all to behold, and play a full role as a much loved and valued community building.”
Michael Tsoukaris MSc(Arch) MSc(CVS) RIBA, Head of Design Conservation and Transport for the London Borough of Southwark said: “The modest Grade I listed St Peter’s Church is not just a hidden gem designed by Sir John Soane, it is also the centre-piece of the Liverpool Grove Conservation Area at the heart of Walworth. Surrounded by Georgian houses and some of the earliest social housing blocks built in London under the guidance of Octavia Hill, it stands as a beacon of resilience and community. This grant is a true step change in prospect for this nationally important building. It means that the church can now look ahead to the next 200 years of serving its community with a confidence and a vision as clear and elegant as that of John Soane who designed it in the first place.”
Stuart McLeod, Director of England, London & South at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “We’re pleased to give our initial support to St Peter’s Church in Walworth with their once-in-a-generation restoration project. Thanks to National Lottery players, they can continue to develop their plans to reimagine this historic building, enabling it to adapt for a sustainable future. We look forward to working with the Project Team to progress their plans to apply for a full grant at a later date.”
Diana Cochrane, from The Walworth Society, said: “The Walworth Society is delighted to learn that St Peter’s Church will receive the funding needed to take its renovation project forward. Throughout its 200-year history, St Peter’s has used
the church spaces and its grounds inventively to help meet the needs of a densely populated area and its working-class community. This vital service continues to today. The society is looking forward to working with St Peter’s to celebrate its 200-year anniversary through a series of heritage-led events and we look forward to local people being able to take part in the next stage of this truly exciting project.”
So friends, in this 200[th] anniversary year for St Peter’s as we give thanks for the building and consecration of our beloved parish church in 1825, let us remember that we are a chosen generation: God has called us to be good stewards of everything we have received so that we may dwell in the house of the Lord for ever, as God’s chosen generation, a royal priesthood, and a holy people of many tribes and tongues and nations. (Psalm 23, 1 Peter 2) I invite each of us to prayerfully consider what part God is calling us to play in this great work of restoration and opening up for today and future generations. God needs each of us: our prayers, our skills, our donations, our time. And to all of us at St Peter’s, a very happy 200[th] Anniversary!
Of course, parish life in general has continued to be busy, fulfilling, and varied as usual. Our clergy, staff, and volunteer members, serve our community through times of joy and sorrow with compassion, dedication and love. It is a great joy to have the church doors open Mon-Thu during the week again, and we see a steady stream of people coming into church for prayer, peace, to light a candle, to see the building, to come for help, to eat lunch, and much more. The church is here for the whole community, and during the week we are always busy with the ‘bread and butter’ the ‘rice and chicken’ the ‘heartbeat’ of parish life.
Life in the Crypt continues to grow, with Saint Louie Café & Bakery flourishing and bringing new cultural and musical events to the community, and Trampline New Horizons CIC holding its monthly makers market with food, clothing, gifts and more, now joining forces with the new Latin American Saturday market on Liverpool Grove. We are working with a platform called Conveenie to increase bookings in the Crypt, as part of our desire to be more open and more financially sustainable.
Safeguarding is one of our most important responsibilities here at St Peter’s and one we take very seriously. There are no safeguarding incidents to report for this past year. However, the Clergy and others are regularly in touch with the Diocesan Safeguarding Team to seek advice on church life, and on times when a person reports any kind of abuse or neglect in their own life to St Peter’s Church. Clergy, Church Officers (such as
Churchwardens, employed staff, and other volunteers), Church Council members, and leaders and assistants at our children’s and youth worship and other activities all attend Diocesan safeguarding training appropriate to their level of responsibility. As I have said in church, everyone in church is welcome and encouraged to do the free, basic online training offered centrally by the Church of England. There is no requirement to do this, but if you would like to know more and help us all to keep ourselves and others as safe as possible in our church and community, just search ‘church of england online safeguarding training’ and you will be able to register at the online portal and go through the training modules available to all members (Clergy and other Office holders attend more detailed ‘higher level’ training appropriate to their responsibilities). Please read my Safeguarding report carefully and do ask any questions you have, or raise any concerns with either the Clergy, Parish Safeguarding Officers (Kingsley and Sylvia, details on the Safeguarding poster), or Churchwardens.
Above all, we are a Christian church! Everything we do flows from our faith that God is good, that God came and lived among us in the person Jesus the Carpenter’s son from Nazareth. Everything we do is fed by our worshipping life together. It is a real blessing to us as a church family that each Sunday there is someone here for the 1[st] time and someone here for the 1000[th] time! Together, this is our house, God’s house, where each one of us belongs, whoever we are. I’m grateful to all our organists and cantors, readers and intercessors, servers and welcomers, and every single member of the congregation whether old or new, who together make St Peter’s a place where we the holy people of God can sing God’s praises, each of us precious, honoured, equal, called, and loved in God’s sight. I am personally so inspired and full of joy when I see the inclusive and diverse church family we are at St Peter’s: and I am always pleased when someone comes to St Peter’s and says that they feel like it is a safe place to ‘be myself’. We live in a world where more and more in politics seem to want to divide people, and devalue some of us, turning back the work of generations who have struggled in the Church and in the world for justice for all people. Let us stay strong and show ‘a better way’, the way of Jesus, the Son of Mary, a child who became a refugee, and who grew up to turn tables over and upset powerful people with his vision that ‘the last shall be first and the first shall be last’ (St Matthew 20:16)
St Peter’s School are also very excited about our 200[th] Anniversary and are planning to celebrate in great style through art, history, and of course
worship! Our Headteachers Mrs Penn and Mr Jones lead a wonderful team of teaching and support staff, who do an amazing job looking after our children in their learning and growth. Our Good grade at Ofsted last year is a strong indication of high standards, especially given the difficulties of the new framework, which is itself not without controversy. Classes visit church for a variety of subjects, and clergy visit school for worship and class visits, and St Peter’s Church is well represented on the School governing body working to support and challenge for the good of our children and community.
Finally, in some ways it isn’t my job to say thank you to everyone who makes St Peter’s the amazing place it is: we all do it for God alone. But I am constantly grateful and inspired when I see people serving God in this church quietly and unseen, as well as in more public ways: it is only together that we can make sure St Peter’s continue to grow and to flourish, as a home, an ark, a place of peace and rest for all people. But on a personal note I want to give thanks and praise in particular for Father Alan, our very own Canon Wild! Alan’s priestly and pastoral, liturgical and convivial contribution to our church and parish is a marvel of Walworth and a joy to us all. The greatest Assistant Priest we could hope for: thank you, Alan!
I never tire of reminding myself and all of us, in the words of the great African Bishop of Hippo, Saint Augustine: We are an Easter people and “Alleluia” is our song! May the joy of the resurrection fill our hearts now and forever! Amen.
Father Andrew, Rector of St Peter’s, Walworth
Safeguarding Report:
First of all, ‘If in doubt shout!’ is one of the most important things for us all to remember in Safeguarding. If you have a concern that you or someone else isn’t safe in church or a church activity, or in wider life: please talk to someone you trust. That could be someone on the Safeguarding poster in church (the Rector, or Parish Safeguarding Officers), a Churchwarden, a member of the Clergy, or if you have concerns about how Safeguarding is done here at St Peter’s, the details of the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisers team are also included on the Safeguarding Poster and on our website, or just search ‘Diocese of Southwark Safeguarding’.
Secondly, please let us remember that no-one is above reproach when it comes to keeping children, vulnerable adults, and all of us safe and able to
flourish in church, in church activities, and in our general lives. If you have a concern about the behaviour of a priest, a teacher, a churchwarden, a parent, a carer, a bishop, a police officers, or any individual: it doesn’t matter who they are and how ‘important’ or ‘senior’ they are: please say something to someone you trust.
St Peter’s Church Council had its annual refresher training in February this year. In addition to refreshing our basic training on the responsibility of everyone for Safeguarding, we covered some new issues to be aware of in regards to ‘tech-based’ safeguarding issues and potential for abuse.
The PCC has complied with our duty to have "due regard" to the Church of England’s House of Bishops' guidance in relation to safeguarding, which is referenced in both our PCC training and the diocesan training that clergy and officers receive.
Father Andrew, Rector
Treasurer’s Report:
It has been another remarkable year for St Peter’s Walworth, and I would like to begin by extending heartfelt thanks to our congregation for their continued generosity and unwavering support. Your donations and contributions are the cornerstone of our community, enabling us to sustain and grow our church’s mission. I would particularly like to highlight the outstanding increase in Donations and Legacies this year, which rose from £66,678.77 to £82,822.23. This growth reflects the thoughtful contributions of our members, including Gift Aid, legacies, and one-off donations. These funds are a vital resource for ensuring the continuity of our church’s mission and upkeep.
In 2024, both our expenses and revenue increased, partly due to the tenancy of St Louie in the crypt café area. This year also marked the first full financial year of St Peter’s directly managing the crypt. The success of this transition is owed to the incredible support provided by St Peter’s staff, freelancers, and volunteers, whose dedication and hard work have made this result possible. As part of this process, I am pleased to report that we reached a settlement with InSpire, the previous crypt tenant, regarding a repayment plan for the arrears owed to St Peter’s. This resolution represents a positive step forward in reconciling outstanding matters and moving ahead with a renewed focus on the crypt’s potential.
Additionally, income from other trading activities expanded notably, with crypt and church lettings generating £52,035.70 – though about two-thirds of this revenue was offset by church letting costs, such as engaging freelancers to support St Peter’s in managing the space. New sources of income, such as from our new crypt tenant’s Trampoline, also generated nearly £9,000. This creative utilization of our spaces has strengthened our financial position while continuing to encourage community engagement. On the expenditure side, this year brought substantial costs across different areas. Over £22,000 was spent on raising funds, including significant investments related to St Peter’s bid for support from the National Heritage Lottery Fund. This expenditure underscores our commitment to the future preservation of St Peter’s for future generations. Separately, exceptional maintenance requirements arose this year, including emergency repairs to the church’s pumps. These repairs were critical to ensuring the continued functioning of essential systems within the church.
On a personal note, this year marks the conclusion of my six years as Treasurer of St Peter’s Walworth. It has been an extraordinary privilege to serve such a dedicated and inspiring congregation. The warmth, kindness, and faithfulness of this community have made every challenge worthwhile. From the generosity of our members to the dedication of our volunteers, I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the life of St Peter’s and will cherish the memories of this role.
As I step down from this position, I remain immensely proud of all that we have achieved together and am confident in the church’s continued growth and prosperity. Thank you for entrusting me with this responsibility over these years.
With every blessing,
Alexander Metcalfe, Treasurer, St Peter’s Church
St Peter’s, Walworth: Registered Charity Number 1194616 Financials: 1[st] January 2024 to 31[st] December 2024
Accounting policies
-
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Charities Act 2011 using the Receipts and payments basis. 2. The statement of assets has been prepared under the historical cost conversion.
-
Agency collections are funds collected on behalf of another group over which the PCC has no control. FUNDS:
-
General funds represent the funds of the PCC that are not subject to any restrictions regarding their use and which are available for application to the general purposes of the PCC.
-
Funds designated for a particular purpose by the PCC are also unrestricted.
-
The accounts include all monetary transactions, assets and liabilities for which the PCC is responsible in law. They do not include the accounts of church groups that owe their main affiliation to another body or those that are informal gatherings of church members.
Incoming resources:
-
Collections are recognized when received by or on behalf of the PCC
-
Planned giving and income tax recoverable on Gift Aid donations re recognized only when received by the PCC.
-
Rental income from the letting of church premises is recognized when the rent is received. Dividends are accounted for when received; interest entitlements are accounted for when the interest is received. Assets:
Consecrated property of any kind is excluded from the accounts by the Charities Act 2011. Moveable church furnishings are listed in the church’s inventory which can be inspected at any reasonable time.
Deanery Synod Report:
We have a wonderful new Area Dean, in Father John Carruthers of St Paul’s, Lorrimore Square, our neighbouring parish. We pray God’s blessing on him as he takes on this role in supporting the local parishes and convening the Deanery Synod with Akin our Lay Chair. Meetings of Synod are still returning to normal after lockdown and also the retirement of our previous Area Dean.
Father Andrew
Preparation of the New Church Electoral Roll 2025:
Over the past weeks a completely new Church Electoral Roll has been prepared. This is a requirement every six years and in between an annual Revision takes place.
Thank you to all who completed a CER Form and I am pleased to confirm that the new CER for 2025 stands at 125 electors. A list of the names of those on the Roll is displayed on the table at the back of Church.
The Annual Meeting is asked to please accept the 2025 New Church Electoral Roll as presented with 125 electors.
Please note that additions may be made to the CER during the year by contacting Kume Ukpedor, St Peter’s Church Electoral Roll Officer, via the Parish Office email: office@stpeterswalworth.org. Applications will then be presented to the Parochial Church Council.
Kume Ukpedor, St Peter’s Church Electoral Roll Officer
Churchwardens’ Report:
Firstly, Thanks be to God for an amazing year. Congregation numbers are increasing following the covid pandemic and it is so good to see new people attending St Peter’s for our joyful Sunday Parish Mass.
We wish to say a huge “Thank you” to Father Andrew, our Rector, and Father Alan, our Assistant Priest, for all that they do for this Parish of St Peter, Walworth; for leading our worship, for their pastoral care and for their continued support and guidance. We give thanks to God for our Clergy Team.
Fabric, Goods and Ornaments of the Church:
As many of you will know by now, we recently received the most exciting news that St Peter’s application to the National Lottery Heritage Fund had been successful, resulting in £438,000 for the Round 1 Development Phase. Thank you to all who have already joined the St Peter’s 200 Group and pledged to give £3.17 a week (or similar), or raise money by sponsorship, over the next year in support of the 200th Anniversary Building Beyond Appeal. Our aim is for 200 of us to pledge to raise the £33,000 Church contribution which is match-funding for our NLHF application. Grateful thanks go to the Building Beyond Committee, chaired by Claire Maugham, for the enormous amount of work in completing the Funding Application and, of course, to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for having the faith
and vision in St Peter’s Church. Please come and talk to us if you wish to make a contribution to the 200th Anniversary Building Beyond Appeal. There were no Faculty Applications during the past year.
Although the Rector and the Churchwardens have a particular responsibility for the church building, every member of St Peter’s has a duty of care to look after and keep our church clean and tidy for the praise and glory of God.
We are very fortunate to have a small group of committed volunteers who clean and tidy our church including cleaning the silver and the candlesticks and cleaning and ironing the church laundry. We are so thankful for all that they do, most of which goes on behind the scenes week after week. If you would like to volunteer to help with small maintenance jobs, help clear the gutters, cleaning etc please come and speak to us.
Churchwardens meet with either the Archdeacon or the Area Dean for the Annual Inspection when our Registers (including Services, Baptism, Confirmation, First Communion) are inspected and evidence of
the statutory safety and maintenance checks including gas, electrics, fire extinguishers and insurance documents are made available to the Archdeacon or the Area Dean. We are currently in the process of setting a date for this inspection within the next couple of months.
Finally we wish to say that it has been a privilege and a joy to serve as your Churchwardens this past year and we very much look forward to an exciting year ahead.
We are an Easter people and ALLELUIA is our song. AMEN.
Ami Bell and Helen Williams: Churchwardens
St Peter’s Parochial Church Council Report:
Members of the PCC: 14 members
Ex-officio members:
-
Father Andrew Mumby, Rector and Chair of the PCC
-
Canon Alan Wild, Assistant Priest (Non-stipendiary)
-
Helen Williams, Churchwarden
-
Aminata Bell, Churchwarden
-
Siriol Davies, Deanery Synod Representative and Lay Vice-chair of the
PCC
Lay Members:
-
Alex Metcalfe (Treasurer)
-
Steven Rogers
-
Gloria Brown
-
Ayokunnu Iyiola
-
Joanna Johnson
-
Serena Dyett
-
Adeola Adetoro Ahmed
-
Kehinde Tuki
-
Joy Diali (Secretary)
Serving on the PCC at St. Peter's Church offers not only an opportunity for personal and spiritual growth but also a chance to make a positive impact on our Church community.
-
Meeting Frequency and Format: The PCC meets a minimum of four times a year, either in person at the church, in the Crypt, or remotely via Zoom. These meetings are typically held on Tuesday or Wednesday evenings from 6:30 pm. There are 5 vacancies for PCC Lay members and 3 vacancies for Deanery Synod Representatives. If you meet the eligibility criteria and feel called to serve, reaching out to the Clergy Team or current PCC members for further information would be a valuable next step. Your willingness to serve could indeed contribute significantly to the spiritual life and vitality of St. Peter's community.
-
Financial Oversight: The PCC closely monitors church finances, supported by the expertise of the Alex Metcalfe, PCC Treasurer. Various giving schemes, including the Parish Giving Scheme, weekly Giving Envelope Scheme and card reader, are available for members to contribute to the church's growth and sustainability. A huge “Thank you” to all who have continued to make their weekly offering even in these difficult financial times. Gift Aid makes a huge difference to St. Peter’s income. If you are a UK taxpayer it means the church is able to claim 25p in every £1 that you donate – if you give us your permission to do so.
-
200th Anniversary of St Peter’s Church: This year marks the 200th Anniversary of St. Peter’s Church and to celebrate this important anniversary the PCC’s Building Committee, of which Father Alan is the Chair, planning is underway for a significant fundraising appeal project to fully restore the building. As many of you will know, St. Peter’s Church is
a Grade I Listed building, and the Architect was Sir John Soane. We all have a responsibility to ensure this beautiful building is kept in a state of good repair for future generations and, of course, for the Glory of God. Glory to God, our grant application to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for first phase of the project was successful. This allows us undertake work on our actual plans for building and further fundraising.
A huge “Thank you” to Father Alan, Alex Metcalfe, Siriol, Joanna Johnson and Members of the Steering group and staff team, who have all dedicated a tremendous amount of time and effort throughout this process. Further fundraising is needed, if you would like to plan a sponsored activity of any kind, please speak to any of the Clergy Team or PCC member for further details.
-
Services: Both in-person and online worship services have flourished, with a full schedule of weekday morning prayer and evening services. The dedication of the Clergy Team, Father Andrew and Father Alan, we express our heartfelt gratitude to them for their leadership and hard work. We are grateful to God for our wonderful and dedicated Clergy Team.
-
Organist: Gratitude is extended to the organists, Kev and Winston, for their contributions to the worship experience through music, highlighting the importance of music in St. Peter's worship.
-
Safeguarding: The PCC prioritises safeguarding, providing training and resources to ensure the safety of all church members. Completion of the Church of England online safeguarding training is required for PCC members, emphasising the church's commitment to maintaining a safe environment.
In conclusion, the PCC remains dedicated to fulfilling its duties and ensuring the well-being of the church community.
Joy Diali, PCC Secretary, April 2025.
St Peter’s Walworth Bell Tower Report:
‘Ringing and reaching out in Christ to the Walworth Community’
St Peters’ Bellringers' skills have continued to grow over the last year. With a permanent membership of 13 who regularly ring, we have been able to enhance bell handling and bell control skills and learn new methods together as a band. Huge congratulations to Sarah who achieved her first
quarter peal in the last year. She rang 1260 changes taking over 45 minutes to ring; a difficult task which takes a lot of concentration.
The reputation of being amongst the friendliest towers in London continued to attract visitors far and wide over the last year. Ringers who are keen to challenge themselves, experiencing our lightest and fastest set of eight bells around, often join in with Sunday ringing. This brings added capacity to the teaching session that follows on 1st, 2nd and 5th Sundays. Continued thanks go to Edmund who offers his time and expertise generously to assist me in the steady handling of ropes, people and ringing demands and make St Peter’s a smooth operation.
The ever-growing pool of ringing talent means that the tower can fulfil all requests that are made of it. This routinely includes regular Sunday service ringing, Christmas specials, Easter Vigils, funerals and weddings which are very much within the scope of the tower.
The maintenance of the tower remains paramount. The installation of CCTV in the tower aids the visual inspection of the bells whilst ringing and is a valuable teaching aid, especially for those who have never seen inside a belfry. This year the requests for peals and quarter peals increased again. All this ringing increases normal wear and tear upon the ropes. Four of our ropes have been spliced to maintain safe ringing. However, to enable our bells to continue joyfully ringing across the parish, all 8 ropes need to be replaced this year at a cost of approximately £1600. The Tower fund relies on donations from visiting bands and will not cover the cost of replacing all 8 ropes. I am enquiring about potential funding from Surrey Association. Failing that, I will start a fundraising initiative to ensure that we can replace our ropes and prevent our bells from temporarily falling silent. As always, huge thanks go to the congregation for keeping the praise a coming and for their swift arrival into church when the bells call them to pray, worship and celebrate.
Kev Mitchell, Tower Captain.
Music & Worship Report:
It is often said that worship without music does not easily soar; so wherever St Peter’s seeks to make worship really expressive of truth, music is used, and to some tune. Sometimes this means simple acapella but at other times it means more elaborate music.
St Peter’s has two fine instruments that are maintained to a high standard and attract a discerning calibre of musician to rehearse and perform, enjoying the fine acoustic experience that is Soane at St Peter’s, Walworth. This year’s frequent maintenance has secured the reliable performance of the organ. The organ continues to perform though increasing missing notes and cyphers would indicate that the mechanism will need some attention in the not-too-distant future. We are indebted to an anonymous benefactor for the yearly maintenance of the wonderful Bechstein. The Walworth Society are supporting the Church in researching music and preparing musicians for a summer concert and a gala 200 Soane and St Peter’s reimagined concert on St Cecelia’s Day in November.
Winston continues to be in high demand across London so we have augmented the organist rota to include some regular and able deputies. The cantors routinely sing with Zoe and Gloria singing weeks 1 and 2 and Christian and Rita singing weeks 3 and 4. The joyful singing from the dedicated cantors in the responsorial psalm, together with the merry playing from one of the team of organists, is in flow with the simple architecture and the stained glass of the delightful Soanes building.
As the music plays and the cantor sings, the congregation is liberated to meditate upon the fusion of the sung expression and on the beauty which surrounds us. Our worship is indeed uplifted, by the power of the Holy Spirit, into a closer sense of the presence of God.
Kevin Smart, Director of Music, St Peter’s Church.
Servers’ Report
Not a lot has changed since last year’s report. We still struggle to find people to come on to the Serving Team. As mentioned in previous reports, I no longer produce a Rota for the team, instead we see who turns up each Sunday and pick a team from them. Not ideal, but it saves an enormous amount of time as far as rota preparation is concerned, and the frustration of not being informed at all when someone cannot serve. Where I used to have difficulty fitting everyone on to the Rota so that each person was getting the same number of opportunities to serve, this most certainly doesn’t happen anymore.
New members are always encouraged, but it is important to remember that this is a commitment, and continuity and timekeeping have to be
observed. Again a special mention goes out to Steve Rogers, as current Head Server, whose commitment and reliability is an important element in the successful running of the team, although over these past months Steve’s physical health has caused him problems, and he’s not been able to fulfil his role as Head Server so much. We wish him a speedy recovery.
Finally, I would like to thank, on behalf of St. Peter’s, all those who do give their time to serve at the Altar here. As I’ve said many times before, Serving is a very valuable ministry, should always be taken seriously, and is an important part of our worship here, and we are extremely fortunate that we have a few who are committed to that. I pray that numbers will improve.
Father Alan
What things do you like about life at St Peter’s?
What things would you like to see at St Peter’s?
ST PETERS WALWORTH - 1194616
Analysis of income and expenditure Selected period: 01 January 2024 to 31 December 2024
| Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted | Designated | Restricted | Endowment | This year | Last year | ||
| Income and endowments | |||||||
| Donations and legacies | |||||||
| 0101 - Gift Aid - Bank | 3,682 | — | — | — | 3,682 | 4,383 | |
| 0110 - Gift Aid - Envelopes | 1,299 | — | — | — | 1,299 | 1,459 | |
| 0201 - Other planned giving | 10,026 | — | — | — | 10,026 | 12,642 | |
| 0301 - Loose plate collections | 6,007 | — | — | — | 6,007 | 6,081 | |
| 0410 - Giving through church boxes & | 364 | — | — | — | 364 | 427 | |
| votive | |||||||
| 0411 - Flower Fund | — | 1,148 | — | — | 1,148 | 575 | |
| 0501 - One-off Gift Aid gifts | 4,246 | — | — | — | 4,246 | 3,045 | |
| 0502 - Online & Card Donations | 16,709 | — | — | — | 16,709 | 10,836 | |
| 0550 - Donations appeals etc | 1,231 | — | 4,135 | — | 5,367 | 1,978 | |
| 0551 - Bell Tower Donations | — | 385 | — | — | 385 | 215 | |
| 0554 - Youth Church | — | — | 267 | — | 267 | 175 | |
| 0556 - Rector's Discretionary Fund | — | — | — | — | — | 50 | |
| 0601 - Tax recoverable on Gift Aid | 10,103 | 260 | — | — | 10,363 | 7,189 | |
| 08A1 - Non-recurring one-off grants | — | — | 20,569 | — | 20,569 | 16,863 | |
| 0901 - Other funds generated | 180 | — | 2,203 | — | 2,384 | 756 | |
| Donations and legacies Totals | 53,852 | 1,793 | 27,176 | — | 82,822 | 66,678 | |
| Income from charitable activities | |||||||
| 1101 - Fees for weddings and funerals | 3,461 | — | — | — | 3,461 | 3,722 | |
| 1231 - Inspire rent and Share of Bills | — | — | — | — | — | 9,491 | |
| Income from charitable activities | 3,461 | — | — | — | 3,461 | 13,213 | |
| Totals | |||||||
| Other trading activities | |||||||
| 0910 - Cash Sales- Refreshments, | 42 | — | — | — | 42 | 39 | |
| Religious Item | |||||||
| 1241 - Gallery Lettings Long Term | 5,590 | — | — | — | 5,590 | 10,274 | |
| 1242 - Crypt & Church Lettings | 52,035 | — | — | — | 52,035 | 27,667 | |
| 1243 - Just Park | 1,176 | — | — | — | 1,176 | 245 | |
| 1244 - St Louie Utilities | 22,978 | — | — | — | 22,978 | — | |
| 1245 - St Louie Profit Share & Rent | 4,721 | — | — | — | 4,721 | — | |
| 1246 - Trampoline Rent | 4,750 | — | — | — | 4,750 | — | |
| 1247 - Trampoline Service Charge | 4,184 | — | — | — | 4,184 | — | |
| Other trading activities Totals | 95,479 | — | — | — | 95,479 | 38,225 | |
| Investments | |||||||
| 1001 - Dividends- Sick & Poor Fund | 237 | — | — | — | 237 | 234 | |
| 1002 - Income from Two Churches | — | — | 1,400 | — | 1,400 | 2,400 | |
| Trust | |||||||
| 1020 - Bank and building society | 73 | — | — | — | 73 | 55 | |
| interest | |||||||
| Investments Totals | 310 | — | 1,400 | — | 1,710 | 2,689 | |
| Income and endowments | 153,103 | 1,793 | 28,576 | — | 183,472 | 120,807 | |
| Grand totals |
There may be minor discrepancies in the totals if the pence are not being shown
16 May 2025 Page 1
| Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted | Designated | Restricted | Endowment | This year | Last year | ||
| Expenditure | |||||||
| Raising funds | |||||||
| 1710 - Costs of applying for grants | 7,800 | — | 1,440 | — | 9,240 | — | |
| 1720 - Costs of stewardship campaign | 73 | — | — | — | 73 | 67 | |
| 1730 - Costs of fetes & other events | 762 | — | 12,206 | — | 12,968 | 117 | |
| Raising funds Totals | 8,636 | — | 13,646 | — | 22,282 | 184 | |
| Expenditure on charitable activities | |||||||
| 1731 - Social Events including | 774 | — | — | — | 774 | 518 | |
| refreshments | |||||||
| 1801 - Giving to missionary societies | 50 | — | — | — | 50 | — | |
| 1851 - Rector's Discretionary Fund | — | — | — | — | — | 100 | |
| 1852 - Mercy Money -Sick & Poor Fund | 35 | — | — | — | 35 | 157 | |
| 1910 - Parish support Fund | 30,708 | — | — | — | 30,708 | 31,500 | |
| 1911 - Fees repaid to Diocese | 1,078 | — | — | — | 1,078 | 1,639 | |
| 2050 - Salary and Wages | 24,555 | — | — | — | 24,555 | 20,328 | |
| 2101 - Working expenses of incumbent | 311 | — | — | — | 311 | 736 | |
| 2130 - Parsonage house expenses | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | |
| 2170 - Education | 47 | — | — | — | 47 | 21 | |
| 2173 - Youth Church | — | — | 3,039 | — | 3,039 | 115 | |
| 2201 - Parish training and mission | 60 | — | — | — | 60 | — | |
| 2301 - Church running - insurance | 6,093 | — | — | — | 6,093 | 5,381 | |
| 2302 - IT and Online Services | 342 | — | — | — | 342 | 896 | |
| 2310 - Church office - telephone | 310 | — | — | — | 310 | 350 | |
| 2311 - Printing Postage Stationery | 4,886 | — | — | — | 4,886 | 2,890 | |
| Flyers | |||||||
| 2320 - Organ / piano tuning and repairs | 1,225 | — | — | — | 1,225 | 750 | |
| 2330 - Church maintenance | 17,121 | — | — | — | 17,121 | 2,179 | |
| 2331 - Cleaning | 266 | — | — | — | 266 | 102 | |
| 2332 - Bell Tower | — | 162 | — | — | 162 | 108 | |
| 2340 - Sacristry,Altar,Worship Supplies | 2,307 | — | — | — | 2,307 | 3,257 | |
| 2341 - Flowers | — | 809 | — | — | 809 | 551 | |
| 2342 - Organist | 5,120 | — | — | — | 5,120 | 5,519 | |
| 2350 - Upkeep of churchyard | 812 | — | 3,610 | — | 4,422 | 1,115 | |
| 2360 - Administration | — | — | — | — | — | 304 | |
| 2370 - Visiting speakers / locums | — | — | — | — | — | 21 | |
| 2401 - Church running - electric | 25,733 | — | — | — | 25,733 | 18,872 | |
| 2410 - Church running - gas | 7,484 | — | — | — | 7,484 | 13,972 | |
| 2420 - Church running - water | 2,017 | — | — | — | 2,017 | 887 | |
| Expenditure on charitable | 131,344 | 971 | 6,649 | — | 138,964 | 112,281 | |
| activities Totals | |||||||
| Other expenditure | |||||||
| 1732 - Misc expenditure | 2,906 | — | 31 | — | 2,938 | 1,429 | |
| 1733 - Crypt Lettings Costs | 35,055 | — | — | — | 35,055 | 8,917 | |
| Other expenditure Totals | 37,961 | — | 31 | — | 37,993 | 10,347 | |
| Expenditure Grand totals | 177,942 | 971 | 20,327 | — | 199,241 | 122,813 |
There may be minor discrepancies in the totals if the pence are not being shown
16 May 2025 Page 2
Anthony Harbinson
3 Corrina Park
Belfast
BT17 0HA
15 August 2025
Dear Father Andrew and members of The Parochial Church Council of Walworth, St Peter
Independent Examiner in respect of your annual accounts. This years accounts, for the periods ended 31 December 2024, and the associated relevant files and backup material have been examined by me but as you are aware, as trustees of the charity, the members of the PCC are responsible for the preparation of these accounts and you have decided that an audit of the accounts is not required under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed. Having looked at the accounts and associated evidence I concur with this decision, however going forward and given the increasing funding you will receive in respect of the renovation and updating of the church over the next few years you may wish to consider moving to a full and proper audit of the accounts.
In terms of my duties as Independent Examiner it is my responsibility to
-
examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act;
-
follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act; and
-
state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
that I have carried out my examination in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commission, which included reviewing the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from the management committee concerning any such matters.
I wish to make it clear that the procedures I undertook do not provide all the evidence that would be required in a full audit, and as I am not a qualified auditor, I therefore have not expressed an audit opinion on the accounts, rather I have carried out an independent examination and have reached a conclusion based on the scope of that more limited approach.
As part of my examination I also considered a range of other relevant documents such as minutes of your Annual Meeting of the two churches, the Trust reports and printouts you’re your General Ledger.
come to my attention
-
which give me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements
-
to keep accounting records in accordance with s.130 of the 2011 Act; or
-
to prepare accounts which accord with these accounting records have not been met; or
-
to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Your sincerely,
Anthony Harbinson BA(Hons), MSc, MBA, FCCA, GCHS