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2024-12-31-accounts

The Parochial Church Council of Penny Lane St Barnabas

Annual Report For the Year Ended 31 December 2024

Penny Lane St Barnabas Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2024

CHARITY INFORMATION ................................................................................................... 2 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ..................................................................................................... 3 STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT .............................................................. 3 STANDING COMMITTEE ............................................................................................................ 4 PCC .......................................................................................................................................... 4 STATEMENT OF PCC RESPONSIBILITES ....................................................................................... 5 STAFF CHANGES ....................................................................................................................... 5 ELECTORAL ROLL ...................................................................................................................... 5 BUILDINGS AND MAINTENANCE ....................................................................................... 5 REVIEW OF ACTIVITIES ...................................................................................................... 6 WORSHIP AND CREATIVE .......................................................................................................... 6 KIDS AND FAMILIES’ MINISTRY ................................................................................................. 7 SAFEGUARDING ....................................................................................................................... 8 YOUTH ..................................................................................................................................... 8 STUDENTS ................................................................................................................................ 9 SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION..................................................................................................... 10 PASTORAL CARE ..................................................................................................................... 10 FINANCIAL REVIEW ......................................................................................................... 11 INVESTMENT POLICY .............................................................................................................. 11 RESERVES ............................................................................................................................... 11 RISK ASSESSMENT .................................................................................................................. 11 CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................. 12 FINANCIAL REPORTS ............................................................. ...........................................14

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Penny Lane St Barnabas Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2024

CHARITY INFORMATION

OPERATING NAME

Penny Lane Church

INCUMBENT

Revd Alex Rayment

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER

Ajay Rajani FCIE Stewardship, 1 Lamb’s Passage, London, EC1Y 8AB

BANKERS

Barclays Bank plc LIVERPOOL SOUTH, Leicestershire, Leicester LE87 2BB

PRINCIPAL OFFICE

St Barnabas Penny Lane 1 Carsdale Road Liverpool Merseyside L18 1LZ

Charity Registration Number 1194669

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Penny Lane St Barnabas

Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2024

The Members of the Parochial Church Council (the 'PCC'), who are the charity's trustees for the purposes of charity law, have pleasure in presenting their report together with the financial statements for the year.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

St Barnabas Penny Lane’s PCC has the responsibility of co-operating with the Incumbent and the Leadership Team in promoting in the parish the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. In particular it aims to encourage the Church family towards the vision of a Church which:

01 — CREATES

All people have creativity in their bones, it is what makes us human. We want to be a place where the creative is nurtured and nourished and where art is made and displayed.

02 — HOPES

Hope is being bold enough to long for a future nothing like our present. We need to be a community that longs for the things not yet seen, prays for the shaping of things to come and longs to see heaven invade earth.

03 — BELONGS

This church will be one where any one can come and feel at home. The first Jesus-inspired communities met in homes and grew out of love and care for one another. We are longing to be a people that puts its efforts into calling everyone into belonging to a community that cares, challenges and encourages us to be more than we could be alone.

It also has maintenance responsibilities for the Church and the Church Vicarage, 1 Carsdale Road, Liverpool L18 1LZ

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

The charity registered with the Charity Commission on 3 June 2021 and operates under the Charities Act 2011. Prior to 3 June 2021 the charity was excepted from the obligation to register. The governing documents for the charity are the Parochial Church Councils (Powers) Measure 1956 (as amended) and the Church Representation Rules.

Members of the PCC are either ex-officio or elected by the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) in accordance with the Church Representation Rules.

Responsibility for setting policy and for determining the parameters within which the PCC should operate rests with the PCC who meet regularly to monitor the activities of the charity. Responsibility for the day to day operation of the charity has been delegated to a management team led by the incumbent.

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Penny Lane St Barnabas

Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2024

During the year the following served as members of the PCC:

Incumbent: Revd Alex Rayment Curate: Revd Kirsty White (on maternity leave from 1 June 2024) Revd Andrew Bailey (appointed 24 June 2023) Warden: David Lever (resigned 23 April 2024) Dom Knower (resigned 23 April 2024) James Davison (appointed 23 April 2024) Patrick Hamilton (appointed 23 April 2024)

Representatives on Deanery Synod: Peter Franklin (appointed 24 April 2023)

Elected Members:

Carys Anderson (appointed 17 May 2021) Andres Florez (appointed 17 May 2021) Daisy Mitchell (resigned 23 April 2024) Catherine Rogers (resigned 29 Nov 2024) Tania Gamble (appointed 23 April 2024) Ruth Robinson (appointed 23 April 2024)

Liz Kaddour (appointed 17 May 2021) Peter Franklin (appointed 17 May 2021) Jacob Vestergaard (appointed 24 April 2023) Jen Burgess (appointed 24 April 2023) Matt Nixon (appointed 23 April 2024)

In attendance: Emily Nelson (PCC Secretary)

STANDING COMMITTEE

This is the only committee required by law.

Terms of reference

Members: Revd Alex Rayment (Vicar), Patrick Hamilton (Warden), James Davison (Warden), Matt Nixon (Treasurer), Emily Nelson (Operations Director)

PCC

The full PCC met six times during the year to deal with normal business. The Standing Committee met as and when necessary and their deliberations were received by the full PCC and fully discussed when appropriate.

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Penny Lane St Barnabas

Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2024

STATEMENT OF PCC RESPONSIBILITES

The PCC is responsible for preparing the Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

Charity law requires the PCC to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of the affairs of the charity as at the balance sheet date and of its incoming resources and application of resources for the financial year. In preparing these financial statements, the PCC are required to:

  1. select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently;

  2. observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;

  3. make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;

  4. state whether the applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and

  5. prepare the financial statements on a going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation.

The PCC is responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011 and the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

STAFF CHANGES

During the year Jennie Ellison returned from maternity leave and is now job sharing with Laura Rayment, who is now splitting her time between kids and pastoral care. Isaac Mogans joined the team in September as a full-time Student Pastor.

ELECTORAL ROLL

There were 105 names on the Electoral Roll in 2024. The electoral roll is re-done in 2025.

BUILDINGS AND MAINTENANCE

2024 was a quiet year with regard to improvement works as no major repairs were completed, however the Quinquennial Report was completed this year which means that there will be more significant building works to come in the next few years. The main activities are noted below.

Church Internal

No works were done in the church.

Church External

  1. Roof overhaul/inspection was completed

  2. Gutters were cleared and inspected

  3. Outside uplighters were repaired and changed to LED

  4. Back door was changed to open outward to comply with fire safety regulations

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Penny Lane St Barnabas Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2024

Church Vicarage

  1. Old bin store was demolished and levelled in preparation for usable storage

Outstanding Works to be Completed

  1. Roof repair and rainwater goods maintenance

  2. Plant removal from masonry and patch pointing

Quinquennial Inspection

The Quinquennial Inspection occurred in April 2024.

REVIEW OF ACTIVITIES

In planning the activities, the Trustees have applied the guidance on public benefit issued by the Charity Commission.

WORSHIP AND CREATIVE

The last year has been a great one for us in the Worship/Production team. We have grown in number, ending the year with 50 people on team, who give of their time and talents so generously. It is an absolute joy to lead a team where we have so much fun week by week.

We are hearing about so many people that are encountering the Holy Spirit in powerful ways in our worship on Sunday and we have noticed that as a church there is such a hunger in this moment to worship, more than we have seen before! It is super exciting and I always come back to Psalm 63:

You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you;

I thirst for you,

my whole being longs for you,

in a dry and parched land

where there is no water.

We are starting to see the spiritual tide turning as people become desperate to be in God’s presence. Speaking to other teams/worship leaders in the UK this story is playing out, especially in the younger generation, in pursuit of Jesus in its simplest form. It’s so inspiring to know that there is a real move of God happening and that we are part of it.

We had Penny Lane Carols this year which saw 758 people come through the doors to experience the Christmas message in a new way through music and creativity. Lots and lots of people coming into church for the first time and have kept coming back.

We have held regular worship nights which have given us the chance to go deeper and spend more time in worship, listening to God and lingering in his presence, these nights have been popular with

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Penny Lane St Barnabas Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2024

our young people. If you, like me, are in the over 30’s camp, I would strongly encourage you to come down to the next one and be blessed by what’s going on!

Going forward as we have now grown as a team to more than the average Church of England church, the challenge is now community, where before your team would provide that to an extent, we are now working on ways to condense that further so being part of the worship team is still a space where you can be seen and known by those around you.

At our Team night all of the worship team set an alarm for every Monday to pray for the church, for our worship and to be listening to what God may be saying to us in this moment. What could happen in our worship if 50 people were praying every week for God to move. I know I want to be there!

KIDS AND FAMILIES’ MINISTRY

This year has brought about lots of change in very exciting ways! Firstly, Jennie returned from maternity leave and started a job share with Laura which has enabled both to give more time and energy into their specific remits within the role.

Partly as a result of our kid's groups reaching capacity at the 11am service, in September we launched our new 9am service and a monthly sensory room session. This gave us the challenge of recruiting enough kids team volunteers to facilitate running an extra two services each week. Through lots of hard work from Laura and provision from the Lord, we have had an abundance of new team joining which has eased the strain of the extra services on existing team. One of our volunteers who is specially trained on working with children with extra sensory/additional needs is now heading up the sensory room monthly sessions, which has enabled us to tailor the room better to the needs of the children that come and increase the sessions to running twice a month. She has a vision to make this a weekly session, which we are looking to bring in, in the coming months to give the parents of these children the ability to partake in the service more regularly.

Our Sunday services are now seeing an average of around 50-60 children, our 7-10’s room at the 11am is still seeing around 20-25 children weekly which is putting us at capacity, but with the extra team we have been able to rota on an additional volunteer. We are still looking into ways we can facilitate this as our margin for growth in that room is incredibly limited.

Our Play Cafe has continued to grow, and we have seen many play cafe parents bringing their older children to holiday clubs, attending our light party and our Christmas services. Each week we are seeing an average of about 90 adults and children attend with the community growing ever stronger and new faces being welcomed in well.

As a result of the church growth this year, the staff team are no longer able to help the setting up and packing down for play cafe. In order to facilitate longevity with the play group, we have had a vision meeting with parents of the church who attend, to discuss what we want to see happen and our plan for recruiting a Play Cafe team. Our vision for Play Cafe is to see the loneliness and isolation, that is rife within early years parenting, eliminated by creating a space where intentional relationships are formed, a space where prayer is offered, and people are eventually integrated into the church community. With this vision, we hope to grow a team of volunteers that not only help us to facilitate the running of play cafe but also help to bring the vision to life through conversations and connections.

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Penny Lane St Barnabas

Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2024

We had lots of fun hosting our February half term ‘Superhero’ themed holiday club and our autumn term ‘Toy Story’ holiday club where we had themes of “You’ve got a friend in me” (Jesus), the story of the lost sheep, messages of Kindness and a talk on identity. At Christmas, we were blessed with having over 500 toys donated to us which meant we were able to gift a toy to every child that passed through our doors over the Christmas period. We also put on our Nativity show which was thoroughly enjoyed and saw lots of parents from play cafe and holiday clubs attend.

The growth that we have seen within the church over the last term of 2024 was incredible and it has allowed us to see the areas that need improvement and the things that we are already doing well. We are taking the time for future-planning our kids ministry to help us with the inevitable growth that 2025 will bring. It is such a blessing to be running out of room and something that we absolutely do not take advantage of. It may be a challenge, but it will encourage creativity and our trust in God.

SAFEGUARDING

The PCC has complied with the duty under section 5 of the Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure 2016, fully recognising its duty to have due regard to House of Bishops' guidance on safeguarding children and vulnerable adults. There were no safeguarding referrals during 2024.

Current number of DBS’s

Contact with Diocese

YOUTH

The last year of youth ministry at Penny Lane has been exciting!

Youth ministry at penny Lane continues to grow, with more families moving to the church, and kids moving up through the Sunday groups. There are now enough of them that we have split the Sunday groups into 11-13 year olds and 14-16 year olds. This has been good for the dynamics within youth, as they are able to play games and have discussions more relevant to their age group. It’s great to see their relationships grow stronger as they get more comfortable with the new dynamic.

Our Monday after school group has grown, with roughly 8 or 9 young people coming along most weeks. We started running the new Youth Alpha course, which has provided a great opportunity for our young people to express their thoughts and give more personal answers to the questions explored in each session.

In May we will be having our second Youth Weekend Away to Min Y Don. We had our first Youth Weekend Away to Min Y Don in 2024. It was a great success with 15 young people attending. We will be having our second weekend away in May and we are so looking forward to taking more youth away this year.

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Penny Lane St Barnabas Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2024

Last year we were hoping to get out around Liverpool more for youth events and socials, and over the last year we have been part of The Merseyside Youth Prayer Nights that happen termly in different locations around Merseyside. Our youth love attending them, and we had the privilege of hosting one in February last year, where roughly 80 youth and their leaders came to Penny Lane to Worship and pray for our city and the young people in it. It is so encouraging to see youth at Penny Lane grow and change, and I’m excited to see what God will do in their lives over the coming months.

At the start of 2025 the Thursday youth club was put on hold, so that we could make some changes and experiment with something new. Within the next few weeks we will be starting a Youth home group. While the Thursday youth group is still relatively small, the home group will be a great opportunity to develop the friendships and trust between youth and their leaders. Hopefully this will encourage some of the youth who aren’t already involved in more of the weekly groups to join in and be comfortable enough to invite friends from outside the church community.

In February we had our first Sixth-formers hang out. This has been started to bridge the gap between older youth and students, and we hope this will integrate more of that age group into our evening service too. Because we have more young people attending Church and weekly groups, our volunteer team has also had to grow, and it’s been a great answer to prayer to have such enthusiastic and inspiring members of the Church committing to serving as part of the youth team.

STUDENTS

I’ve been leading the student ministry for about 6 months now and I’m amazed at how much God has done within that period. In September and October, we hosted meals for freshers and across those 4 weeks we saw an average of 73 students sticking around after the 6pm service for free food and chats with new people!

Leading on from this many of those new students began to continue attending on Sundays and started coming to student nights on Mondays too. Now the average number of students in attendance on a Monday night since September is 51.

Many of the students have been quite eager to get involved in all other areas of Church, which has been so encouraging to see. From serving on the kids’ team to serving on worship, it’s great to have so many students who have planted themselves at Penny Lane.

In November we took 47 people to the student weekend away at Quinta Christian Centre where we had time for extended worship, we played a load of games and dove deeper into God’s word, in particular looking at the heart. This was such a great time for the new freshers to integrate into the student group, making new friends and feeling more a part of the community.

In December we had the Student Christmas Ball, with a total of 80 people in attendance, where we had time to sit and eat a meal together and then hit the dance floor with a live band!

Student nights on Mondays include a game, worship, a short talk or panel discussion, group times and often someone shares a testimony from the past week. We have looked at different topics from living a life of prayer to finding identity in Christ, and we are currently doing a series called “Encounters with Jesus,” looking at different parts of Jesus’ interactions with people and what we can learn from them.

God has really been moving in the students, some having Holy Spirit encounters for the very first time, some getting baptised and many making new commitments to Jesus. It really is a pleasure to lead the student ministry and I can’t wait for what’s to come!

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Penny Lane St Barnabas Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2024

SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION

We have been very fortunate over the last year for our outreach to be growing.

Asylum seeker outreach: Since last year we have been able to train and begin chaplaincy at our local temporary accommodation. Practically that looks like holding a space in the carpark of the accommodation with drinks and snacks, playing games, chatting and signposting individuals to suit their needs. We have a great group of six regular volunteers with a handful of additional helpers that step in when needed. Some of the people have started going to the men’s football and we have enjoyed dinner with a group of them as well. It has been amazing to see community and friendships growing over the last year and to learn about the individuals’ stories. Additionally, we have begun a partnership with Bridge2, a charity that specialises in distributing essential goods and English lessons for asylum seekers.

Prison ministry: We are leading the chapel service in Altcourse prison monthly with worship and a speaker. We have also been able to assist in the running of the Sycamore tree course in both HMP Liverpool and Altcourse, a faith-based course about restorative justice. I am hopeful that this year this will also lead onto an Alpha course.

Markets: We continue to be a host of the monthly Good Market and have also begun a relationship with a Vintage market. This has been a great way to bring locals into the building and have conversations with them. Many of which have been surprised to see a modern space and have come to carol services.

PASTORAL CARE

Over the last six months we have been focusing on implementing a structure for Pastoral Care at Penny Lane. Previously, Alex, Andrew and Kirsty have focused on delivering pastoral care, alongside group leaders and the staff team, but we would like to systemise this to allow for better pastoral care and ensure we are meeting the needs of our growing congregation.

The main plan of how to systemise this is to introduce a Pastoral Care Team, who will take over New to Church meetups, dealing with prayer requests and low-level pastoral care needs that arise. We also hope to set up a WhatsApp group to organise meal rotas for members of our congregation who have recently had a baby or are experiencing a Pastoral issue.

Alex and Andrew will continue to deal with higher level Pastoral Care as is needed. We now have 24 members of the Pastoral Care Team and will be delivering online training to them in the next few weeks (this will include prayer ministry training and safeguarding). The team will also undergo the Diocesan Safeguarding training and GDPR training.

We will also be updating our system for prayer requests, so that it is signposted from the front of church, as well as available on both the website and through the QR codes available throughout the Church. This will allow people to request prayer either remotely or in person with a member of the Pastoral Care Team.

We are very excited about what is to come in the next year and hope to be providing a high level of Pastoral Care for our congregation, so that everyone feels supported, seen and safe at Penny Lane.

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Penny Lane St Barnabas Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2024

FINANCIAL REVIEW

During the year income increased by £56,000 to £381,000, and expenditure increased by £42,000 to £380,000. As a result the PCC has reported a surplus of £1,000 (2023: a deficit of £13,000) and the PCC’s net assets increased by this amount to £282,000. Net assets comprise fixed assets of £80,000 and net current assets (principally cash) of £202,000 of which £15,000 is restricted.

This year’s increase in income was largely due to the receipt of a final tranche of grant income from the Jerusalem Trust, which added £48,000 to our income this year. Also, encouragingly, income from donations and related gift aid increased by £18,000. We received less income from the Diocese this year but this was partly offset by slightly more income from our activities and from bank interest and the overall reduction in income was from these sources was £10,000.

This year’s increase in expenditure was largely due to an increase of £38,000 in staff and related accommodation costs. We increased our payments for the Parish Share by £5,000 and we spent an extra £8,000 on a variety of other items. This was partly off set by a reduction of £9,000 in the amount we spent on utilities (mainly energy).

The Parish Share paid in 2024 was £55,000.

INVESTMENT POLICY

The Church’s funds were held as cash and deposits at Barclays Bank plc. The Church does not invest in equity funds.

RESERVES

The PCC aims to hold unrestricted cash of no less than £100,000, which equates to about three month’s budgeted expenditure, so that it could continue to operate should income and / or expenditure vary adversely. At the year-end the PCC held unrestricted cash of £202,000 and the PCC is complying with its reserves policy.

RISK ASSESSMENT

The financial stability of the Church depends to an extent on the giving of the church family and our ability to balance this and other sources of income in line with Church expenditure. At the moment most of our salary costs and some of our clergy housing costs are covered by grants from the Diocese’s Strategic Development Fund. This grant income is due to end in 2025 and the goal is to be become self-funding by the beginning of 2026. The PCC are monitoring income and expenditure closely, taking steps to increase income from other sources and are reviewing plans for spending.

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Penny Lane St Barnabas Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2024

CONCLUSION

THE PAST YEAR

We have seen so much growth and health being added to Penny Lane Church this past year. We have seen many more people complete Alpha and we had the privilege of baptising 17 adults in the 2024 and seeing many join groups and teams and find home here at Penny Lane Church.

A THIRD SUNDAY SERVICE

Adding a third Sunday Service was a risky endeavour. We did it to add capacity in our kid’s ministry, to increase the space available for morning service attendees and to see if it would attract a different group of people. It has been a success and is growing. We are still in the implementation phase but the early signs of growth have been extremely encouraging. We are working to make sure the majority of the volunteer team is made up of 9am service attendees so the service is self-sustaining.

GROWTH IN YOUNG ADULTS

We continue to see a huge growth in students and young adults attending Penny Lane Church. The appointment of a full-time student pastor has definitely contributed towards the health of this growth and it feels like we really have a pastoral offering for students and young adults.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

We are now regularly in two prisons (Liverpool Prison and Altcourse Prison) doing different projects and involving volunteers from church. This has been an incredible source of encouragement and empowerment for our congregation as they have been able to get involved and be a real tangible blessing to prisoners and staff. We also continue to work with refugee and asylum seekers in a residence run by a government contractor and another charity in a different area of Liverpool. This has strengthened our reputation as a church amongst non-religious organisations as a place that can provide genuine help to people who are marginalised and in need of support.

KIDS

Being a church where kids not only come but seriously enjoy is an absolute privilege. We have been able to increase our offering to support parents of children with additional needs, with a trained team running a group for them twice a month which gives the parents respite to enjoy the service whilst their children have fun in a safe and appropriate way.

YOUTH

Our teenage group is growing on a Sunday and they are getting involved in other areas of church and connecting at citywide youth events. The youth work continues to evolve and change with the desires and needs of the young people. They had their first weekend away which was a great time of fun, socialising, outdoor adventure activities and biblical input.

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Penny Lane St Barnabas Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2024

LOOKING FORWARD

We launched an evolution of our mission statement to be a church that makes space for people to meet God, find family and change the world. As we have now been going for 4 years we are starting to really gather momentum and find language to shape our direction of travel.

Meet God: we are going to up the spiritual temperature of everything we do. This will include a reintroduction of weekly prayer meetings, a 24/7 prayer week in the lead up to Easter and other events around prayer and worship. We look forward to our weekend at Home in March where we can gather corporately for prayer and worship. We are also planning a church wide Discipleship course in the summer term to help people who may have done alpha take the next steps of following Jesus.

Find Family: We need to keep increasing our groups and building leaders. We currently have 20 midweek groups run by 35 different people in the church. We would love to double this number and have at least 40 groups running at church to make sure we are offering good pastoral care and providing places for people to be known.

Change the world: We would love to do some local social transformation projects in and around the area so our local area knows that Penny Lane Church is good news and we can serve the community in really practical ways. We will also be planting our first church in September 2025 and as we send a team out to do that we look forward with hope to see another church revitalised and another community transformed by what God chooses to do through His church.

If you have any major concerns about this or any ideas on how to make it all work, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

APPROVAL

This report was approved by the PCC and signed on their behalf by:

A rayment A rayment (Apr 6, 2025 17:54 GMT+1) Apr 6, 2025 ………………………………….. ……………………………….. Alex Rayment Date Church Leader

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PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF PENNY LANE ST BARNABAS

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024

CONTENTS

Page
Independent Examiner's Report 15
Statement of Financial Activities 16
Balance Sheet 17
Notes to the Accounts 18-25
Detailed Statement of Financial Activities with Comparatives 26

Page 14

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT

TO THE MEMBERS OF THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF

PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF PENNY LANE ST BARNABAS ('the Charity')

I report to the members of the PCC (who are also the charity's trustees) on my examination of the accounts of the Charity for the year ended 31 December 2024 on pages 16 to 26 following, which have been prepared on the basis of the accounting policies set out on pages 18 and 19.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As members of the PCC you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).

I report in respect of my examination of the Charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent examiner’s statement

Since the Charity’s gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a body listed in section 145 of the 2011 Act. I confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a Fellow of the Association of Charity Independent Examiners, which is one of the listed bodies.

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe:

  1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the Charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or

  2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or

  3. the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair' view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Ajay Rajani

Ajay Rajani (Apr 14, 2025 08:28 GMT+1)

Ajay Rajani FCIE Fellow of the Association of Charity Independent Examiners Stewardship 1 Lamb's Passage London EC1Y 8AB

Date: Apr 14, 2025

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PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF PENNY LANE ST BARNABAS

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024

Note
INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM:
Donations and legacies
3
Charitable activities
4
Other trading activities
5
Investments: bank interest
Total income and endowments
EXPENDITURE ON:
Charitable activities
6
Total expenditure
Net income/(expenditure)
Transfers between funds
13
Net movement in funds
Reconciliation of funds:
Total funds brought forward
Total funds carried forward
13		 Unrestricted
Funds
£
153,301
21,446
16,147
1,965
192,859
182,035
182,035
10,823
(65)
10,759
256,170
266,929		 Restricted
Funds
£
188,288
-
-
-
188,288
198,163
198,163
(9,875)
65
(9,809)
24,778
14,968		 Total
Funds
2024
£
341,589
21,446
16,147
1,965
381,147
380,198
380,198
949
-
949
280,948
281,897		 Total
Funds
2023
£
291,771
17,263
16,147
312
325,493
338,104
338,104
(12,612)
-
(12,612)
293,560
280,948

The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year.

All income and expenditure derive from continuing operations.

The notes on pages 18 to 26 form part of these accounts.

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PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF PENNY LANE ST BARNABAS

BALANCE SHEET

AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2024

Note
FIXED ASSETS
Tangible assets
8
CURRENT ASSETS
Debtors
9
Cash at bank and in hand
10
CREDITORS: Amounts falling
due within one year
11
Net current assets / (liabilities)
TOTAL NET ASSETS
FUND BALANCES
13
Unrestricted General Funds
Designated funds
Restricted Funds		 Unrestricted
Funds
£
79,461
79,461
5,679
201,735
207,414
(19,946)
187,468
266,929
236,626
30,303
266,929
-
266,929		 Restricted
Funds
£
-
-
-
14,968
14,968
-
14,968
14,968
-
-
-
14,968
14,968		 Total
Funds
2024
£
79,461
79,461
5,679
216,703
222,382
(19,946)
202,436
281,897
236,626
30,303
266,929
14,968
281,897		 Total
Funds
2023
£
95,188
95,188
6,935
191,124
198,060
(12,300)
185,761
280,948
225,867
30,303
256,170
24,778
280,948

The financial statements were approved by the members of the PCC and were signed on its behalf by:

A rayment Apr 6, 2025 A rayment (Apr 6, 2025 17:54 GMT+1) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------Alex Rayment - Church Leader Date: Charity number: 1194669

The notes on pages 18 to 26 form part of these accounts.

Page 17

PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF PENNY LANE ST BARNABAS

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024

1 Statutory Information

The Parochial Church Council of St Barnabas Penny Lane is a charity registered with the Charity Commission in England & Wales. The charity's registered number and principal address can be found on the Charity Information page.

2 Accounting Policies

These financial statements are prepared on a going concern basis, under the historical cost convention. The financial statements include all activities for which the PCC is legally responsible; the activities of informal gatherings of church members and groups that owe their main affiliation to another body and are excluded.

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with The Church Accounting Regulations 2006, the 'Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)' ("the Charities SORP"), with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland ("FRS 102") and with the Charities Act 2011. The charity meets the definition of a public benefit entity as set out in FRS 102.

The Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 (the '2008 Regulations') requires charities to prepare their accounts in accordance with 'Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice effective from 1 April 2005' but this accounting standard has since been withdrawn and has been replaced by the Charities SORP mentioned in the preceding paragraph. The charity has prepared these financial statements in accordance with the new Charities SORP; this departure from the 2008 Regulations is believed to be necessary for these financial statements to give a 'true and fair view'.

The principles adopted in the preparation of the financial statements are set out below.

a) Going concern

The PCC have assessed whether the use of the going concern basis is appropriate and have considered possible events or conditions that might cast significant doubt on the ability of the charity to continue as a going concern. The PCC have made this assessment for a period of at least one year from the date of approval of the financial statements. In particular the PCC have considered the charity's forecasts and projections and the possible implications should projected income and / or expenditure vary unexpectedly. The PCC have concluded that there is a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue to operate for the foreseeable future. The charity therefore continues to adopt the going concern basis in preparing its financial statements.

b) Income

Income (which includes planned giving, collections and other donations) is recognised in the period in which the charity becomes entitled to receipt, the amount receivable can be measured with reasonable certainty, and receipt is probable. For the most part income is generally recognised when it is received by, or on behalf of, the PCC. Income is only deferred when the charity has to fulfil conditions before becoming entitled to it or where the donor has specified that the income is to be expended in a future period.

Income from donations and legacies includes recoverable gift aid, which is recognised when the related donation is received. Gift aid that has not been recovered by the balance sheet date is included as a debtor.

The charity relies on volunteers to carry out many of its activities. However, in accordance with the SORP, the value of these services has not been included in these financial statements as they cannot be reliably measured.

Income from charitable activities represents income receivable from goods, services and facilities supplied in furtherance of the charity's charitable objects. It comprises income from church events and courses, community outreach programs, weddings and funerals and letting of facilities for community use.

Income from other trading activities represents income receivable from activities undertaken to generate funds for the charity. It comprises income from permitting the placement of telecommunications equipment on the church building.

c) Expenditure

Expenditure, including irrecoverable VAT, is recognised when it is incurred or, if earlier, when a legal or constructive obligation for a payment arises provided that it is probable that settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured

Contributions in respect of the diocesan parish share are included in the Statement of Financial Activities for all amounts agreed to being payable for the financial year. Any contributions that have not been paid over by the year end are included as a creditor.

From time to time, the charity makes grants to other institutions and individuals to further its charitable objectives. Grants payable are recognised as constructive obligations arise, which is generally when the charity expresses a commitment to the recipient that can be measured reliably and then only to the extent that any conditions associated with the grant are outside of the control of the charity.

Page 18

PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF PENNY LANE ST BARNABAS

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024

2 Accounting Policies continued

c) Expenditure continued

Governance costs, which are included in expenditure on charitable activities but are identified separately in the notes to the accounts, includes costs associated with the independent examination of the financial statements, compliance with constitutional and statutory requirements and any other expenditure incurred on the strategic management of the charity.

d) Fund accounting

e) Tangible fixed assets

Consecrated and beneficed property is not included in these financial statements by virtue of s.10(2) of the Charities Act 2011. All expenditure on consecrated or beneficed buildings is written off in the year in which it is incurred.

Movable church furnishings held by the incumbent and Churchwardens on special trust for the PCC and which require a faculty for disposal are capitalised in accordance with the policy set out below. These items are regarded as inalienable property and are listed in the church's inventory which can be inspected at any reasonable time. Inalienable property acquired prior to 2000 has not been capitalised as there is insufficient cost information available.

Items purchased or donated for the charity's own use are capitalised when the cost of purchased items, or the fair value of donated items, is more than £1,000 and the item is expected to benefit the charity over more than one accounting period. Depreciation is charged on a straight line basis so as to write down the value of each asset to its estimated residual value (if any) over its expected useful economic life. To achieve this objective the following rates of depreciation are charged:

Computers Over 3 years Furniture and equipment Over 5 to 10 years

The carrying values of tangible fixed assets are reviewed for impairment in periods when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable.

f) Leased assets Leases which do not transfer substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership to the charity are classified as operating leases. Operating lease payments are recognised as an expense on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

h) Taxation

The charity has taken advantage of the various reliefs from taxation available to charities and no tax is payable on the charity's income.

j) Exemption from preparing a cashflow statement The charity has taken advantage of an exemption conferred by the Charities SORP and has not prepared a cash flow statement.

Page 19

PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF PENNY LANE ST BARNABAS

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024

3 Donations and legacies

4
5
6
a
b		 Donations of cash and similar
Gift aid recoverable
Grants receivable
Diocese: Strategic Development Fund
Diocese: for clergy accommodation
Diocese: for other purposes
Other grants
Income from charitable activities
Church events, courses and ministries
Community outreach programs
Weddings and funerals
Facilities hire
Income from other trading activities
Placement of telecommunications equipment
Charitable expenditure
Costs incurred directly on specific activities
General ministry expenses
Parish share
Staff costs
Clergy accommodation, council tax and utilities
Catering and kitchen expenses
Media and audio visual expenses
Other ministry expenses
Specific areas of ministry
Church events and courses
Community outreach programs
Student ministry expenses
Youth and children's ministry expenses
Worship ministry expenses
Grants payable (note 6c)
Property expenses:
Repairs, maintenance and cleaning
Utilities and council tax
Costs incurred on support & administration
Governance costs
Independent examiner's fee for preparing and examining the accounts
Administrative expenses
Subscriptions
Insurance
Depreciation of tangible fixed assets
Total expenditure		 2024
£
130,396
26,497
112,713
11,100
550
60,333
341,589
2024
£
8,207
4,533
2,287
6,420
21,446
2024
£
16,147
2024
£
55,075
173,933
36,740
2,398
593
10,438
9,689
6,588
6,237
7,883
2,049
3,909
315,532
11,756
20,560
32,316
347,848
3,360
1,211
4,887
7,164
15,728
32,350
380,198		 2023
£
115,996
23,052
129,964
7,875
1,500
13,383
291,771
2023
£
4,596
6,263
1,306
5,099
17,263
2023
£
16,147
2023
£
49,998
143,714
29,004
2,719
2,314
8,561
9,137
8,753
3,603
4,537
532
4,034
266,906
9,060
29,840
38,900
305,806
3,180
1,770
4,646
6,687
16,015
32,298
338,104

Page 20

PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF PENNY LANE ST BARNABAS

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024

6c Grants payable

Grants payable
Grants for UK and overseas mission
Grants to relieve hardship
Christians Against Poverty
Triple C (Liverpool)
Individuals
The comparatives for the previous year are as follows:
Grants for UK and overseas mission
Grants to relieve hardship		 Institutions
£
50
1,000
1,000
-
2,050
Institutions
£
640
1,534
2,174		 Individuals
£
-
-
-
1,859
1,859
Individuals
£
-
1,860
1,860		 2024
£
50
1,000
1,000
1,859
3,909
2023
£
640
3,394
4,034

7 Analysis of staff costs, the cost of key management personnel and trustee remuneration

The average monthly number of employees during the year was 7 (2023: 7). Most of the charity's activities are carried out by volunteers.

No staff received salaries at a rate of more than £60,000 per annum.

The charity's key management comprise the members of the PCC. Total employment benefits payable to key management for the year were as follows:

Employees who are also members of the PCC
Catherine Rodgers (employment ended May 2024)
The following amounts were payable in the previous year:
Employees who are also members of the PCC
Ben Hyde (employment ended February 2023)
Catherine Rodgers (employment commenced March 2023)		 Wages &
salaries
1,356
Wages &
salaries
2,178
1,068		 Employer
pension
contributions
-
Employer
pension
contributions
110
-		 2024
£
1,356
2023
£
2,287
1,068
3,355

Benjamin Hyde served as a ministry co-ordinator and Catherine Rodgers served as a cleaner. They received the above payments for serving in those capacities, not for serving as members of the PCC; these payments are permitted by the charity's governing document.

Alex Rayment, Kirsty White and Andrew Baily (who are clergy members of the PCC) receive a stipend from the Diocese and so they are not employees; some of the Parish Share paid to the Diocese is used to help meet the cost of these stipends. They were provided with accommodation (which is customary for clergy) and the cost of this accommodation (and related expenses) to the PCC was £36,740 (2023: £29,004).

Page 2 1

PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF PENNY LANE ST BARNABAS

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024

8 Tangible fixed assets

Furniture and
equipment
£
Cost
At 1 January 2024
145,453
Additions
-
At 31 December 2024
145,453
Accumulated depreciation
At 1 January 2024
51,206
Charge for the year
15,214
At 31 December 2024
66,420
Net book value
At 31 December 2024
79,033
At 31 December 2023
94,247
9
Debtors
Gift aid recoverable
Other debtors
Prepayments and accrued income
10
Cash at Bank and in Hand
Cash at bank
Payment processing accounts (e.g. Gocardless, Stripe)
Petty cash
11
Creditors: liabilities falling due within one year
Taxation and social security
Other creditors
Accruals
Deferred income		 Computers
£
3,601
-
3,601
2,660
514
3,173
428
941
2024
£
1,207
1,300
3,172
5,679
2024
£
209,731
6,922
50
216,703
2024
£
2,995
2,479
3,360
11,112
19,946		 Total
2024
£
149,054
-
149,054
53,866
15,728
69,593
79,461
95,188
2023
£
1,383
3,095
2,457
6,935
2023
£
187,016
4,058
50
191,124
2023
£
2,437
2,646
3,180
4,037
12,300

Deferred income comprises rental income of £4,037 (2023: £4,037) received for the placement of telecommunications equipment in the new financial year and grant income of £7,076 (2023: £nil) received before the year end to help fund activities in the new financial year.

12 Pension commitments

During the year employer’s pension contributions totalling £8,632 (2023: £7,079) were payable to defined contribution personal pension schemes. No pension contributions were owed at the balance sheet date (2023: £692).

Page 2 2

PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF PENNY LANE ST BARNABAS

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024

13 Funds

During the year the movements in the charity's funds were as follows:

Opening Incoming Outgoing Transfers Closing
balance resources resources in the year balance
2024 2024 2024 2024 2024
£ £ £ £ £
Unrestricted funds
Designated church planting and reserve fund 30,303 - - - 30,303
General unrestricted funds 225,867 192,859 (182,035) (65) 236,626
256,170 192,859 (182,035) (65) 266,929
Restricted Funds
Music fund 2,051 - (250) - 1,800
Strategic Development fund 1,172 112,713 (113,885) - -
Vicar's fund 14,437 - (4,642) - 9,794
Clergy Housing fund - 11,100 (11,100) - -
The Jerusalem Trust fund 5,013 60,000 (65,013) -
Christmas Appeal fund 1,939 3,206 (2,000) 61 3,206
Community fund 168 333 (333) - 168
Other small funds - 936 (940) 4 -
24,778 188,288 (198,163) 65 14,968
Aggregate of funds 280,948 381,147 (380,198) - 281,897

During the year the PCC transferred £65 from unrestricted funds to restricted funds so that no restricted funds were in deficit at the year end

Analysis of net assets by fund

The assets and liabilities of the various funds were as follows:

assets and liabilities of the various funds were as follows:
Tangible fixed assets
Debtors
Cash at bank and in hand
Creditors falling due within one year		 General
Designated
funds
funds
£
£
79,461
-
5,679
-
171,432
30,303
(19,946)
-
236,626
30,303
Unrestricted Funds		 Restricted
funds
£
-
-
14,968
-
14,968		 2024
£
79,461
5,679
216,703
(19,946)
281,897

Page 2 3

PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF PENNY LANE ST BARNABAS

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024

13 Funds continued

In the previous year the movements in the charity's funds were as follows:

Unrestricted funds
Designated church planting and reserve fund
General unrestricted funds
Restricted Funds
Music fund
Strategic Development fund
Vicar's fund
Clergy Housing fund
Heating fund
The Jerusalem Trust fund
Christmas Appeal fund
Community fund
Media fund
Aggregate of funds		 Opening
balance
2023
£
30,303
184,225
214,528
2,430
12,850
15,629
-
-
48,125
-
-
-
79,032
293,560		 Incoming
resources
2023
£
-
170,832
170,832
-
129,964
-
7,875
1,500
12,000
1,939
1,133
250
154,661
325,493		 Outgoing
resources
2023
£
-
(130,761)
(130,761)
-
(141,642)
-
(7,875)
(1,500)
(55,112)
-
(965)
(250)
(207,344)
(338,104)		 Transfers
in the year
2023
£
-
1,571
1,571		 Closing
balance
2023
£
30,303
225,867
256,170
(379)
-
(1,192)
-
-
-
-
-
-
(1,571)
-		 2,051
1,172
14,437
-
-
5,013
1,939
168
-
24,778
280,948

In the previous year the PCC incurred capital expenditure totalling £1,571 that fell within the scope of the restrictions placed on some funds and transfers for this amount were made from restricted funds to unrestricted general funds.

Analysis of net assets by fund

In the previous year, the assets and liabilities of the various funds were as follows:

Tangible fixed assets
Debtors
Cash at bank and in hand
Creditors falling due within one year		 General
Designated
funds
funds
£
£
95,188
-
5,105
-
134,744
30,303
(9,170)
-
225,867
30,303
Unrestricted Funds		 Restricted
funds
£
-
1,831
26,077
(3,130)
24,778		 2023
£
95,188
6,935
191,124
(12,300)
280,948

Designated funds

The Church planting and reserve fund represents funds set aside by the PCC to help plant, or revitalise, other churches. This fund can also be used to help meet any out of the ordinary major expenditure (such as repairs to the church building).

Page 2 4

PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF PENNY LANE ST BARNABAS

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024

13 Funds continued

Restricted funds

The Music fund was created from donations received to maintain the bells and organ in the church, to help meet choir related expenses and to help purchase music equipment

The Strategic Development fund was created from grants received from the Diocese to help develop the activities of the church. This included funding to help purchase audio visual equipment, pay staff and pay clergy expenses and pay set up and operational expenses.

The Vicar's fund was created from a grant received from the Church Revitalisation Trust to help fund specific projects and initiatives identified by the Vicar. The Clergy Housing fund was created from a grant received from the Diocese to help meet the cost of accommodation provided to the Curate.

The Heating fund was created from a grant received from the Diocese to help meet heating costs.

The Jerusalem Trust fund was created from a grant received from this Trust to help meet the costs of the PCC's operations and projects as a resource church.

The Christmas Appeal fund was created from donations received from a special Christmas appeal made to raise funds to support local charities. Grants to two local charities were paid shortly after the year end. The Community fund was created from grants received to help meet chaplaincy expenses and to help the local community celebrate Christmas.

The Media fund was created from a grant received to help meet the cost of media production.

14 Operating lease commitments

The charity has operating leases for manses provided to it's curates. The minimum amount payable (until the next break clause and ignoring the potential effect of future rent reviews) in respect of this lease is as follows:

ignoring the potential effect of future rent reviews) in respect of this lease is as follows:
Within one year
Between one and five years
Payments falling due:		 2024
£
4,250
-
4,250		 2023
£
14,825
4,250
19,075

During the year the charity was charged £23,948 (2023: £16,675) for its operating leases.

15 Transactions with related parties

During the year the charity:

Except for the reimbursement of expenses incurred when acting as agent for the charity, or incurred when undertaking clergy or employment duties, no expenses were paid to (or for) the members of the PCC.

Except as disclosed in note 7 'Analysis of staff costs', there have been no other transactions with related parties during the year.

Page 2 5

PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF PENNY LANE ST BARNABAS

DETAILED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES WITH COMPARATIVES

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024

Note
INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM:
Donations and legacies
3
Charitable activities
4
Other trading activities
5
Investments: bank interest
Total income and endowments
EXPENDITURE ON:
Charitable activities:
6
Total Expenditure
Net income/(expenditure)
Transfers between funds
13
Net movement in funds
Reconciliation of funds:
Total funds brought forward
Total funds carried forward
13		 General
Designated
2024
2024
£
£
153,301
-
21,446
-
16,147
-
1,965
-
192,859
-
182,035
-
182,035
-
10,823
-
(65)
-
10,759
-
225,867
30,303
236,626
30,303
Unrestricted funds		 Restricted
2024
£
188,288
-
-
-
188,288
198,163
198,163
(9,875)
65
(9,810)
24,778
14,968		 Total
2024
£
341,589
21,446
16,147
1,965
381,147
380,198
380,198
949
-
949
280,948
281,897		 General
Designated
2023
2023
£
£
137,110
-
17,263
-
16,147
-
312
-
170,832
-
130,761
-
130,761
-
40,070
-
1,571
-
41,642
-
184,225
30,303
225,867
30,303
Unrestricted funds		 Restricted
2023
£
154,661
-
-
-
154,661
207,344
207,344
(52,683)
(1,571)
(54,254)
79,032
24,778		 Total
2023
£
291,771
17,263
16,147
312
325,493
338,104
338,104
(12,612)
-
(12,612)
293,560
280,948

Page 26