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Reg. charity no: 1196804

THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF ST ANDREW, TAUNTON

ANNUAL REPORT AND UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

For the year ended 31 December 2024

PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF ST ANDREW, TAUNTON ANNUAL REPORT 2024

Administrative information

St Andrew’s Church is situated in Taunton. It is part of the Diocese of Bath and Wells within the Church of England. The correspondence address is St Andrew’s Parish Office, Greenway Avenue, Taunton, Somerset, TA2 6HU.

Parochial Church Council (PCC) members who have served from 1 January 2024 until the date this report was approved are:

Incumbent The Revd Robin Lodge Chair (ex-officio) Churchwardens David Budd Vice Chair (ex-officio, from APM 2024) (Vacancy) Deanery Synod Stephen Grimshaw (ex-officio) Representatives Henry Haslam (ex-officio) Darren Chalmers (ex-officio) Elected members Ali Aish Steve Bull Carol Dimmer Ali Perry (from APCM 2023 until July 2024) Bill Perry Di Ruff Antony Yeo PCC Treasurer (Vacancy) (from July 2024) Co-opted member Sue Goodman PCC Secretary Permission to attend Lesley Gold Parish Administrator and speak [APM = Annual Parish Meeting APCM = Annual Parochial Church Meeting]

Structure, governance and management

The PCC is a registered charity, numbered 1196804. It does not have any other related trusts or charities.

The method of appointment of PCC members is set out in the Church Representation Rules (2020). All church attendees are encouraged to register on the Electoral Roll and to stand for election to the PCC. The PCC meets approximately bi-monthly to conduct church business. Sub-committees of the PCC exist for the management of St Andrew’s Church Hall, Fund Raising and to progress the New St Andrew’s Project. Limited life working parties are set up occasionally to fulfil specific tasks and consist of PCC members and others by invitation.

The ministry of the parish is sustained by its Parish Priest, the Revd Robin Lodge and two Readers: Mrs Ruth Cook and Dr Jeremy Harvey. There is also a small team of four Lay Pastoral Assistants, one Lay Worship Assistant and several other teams of volunteers covering a wide range of church life, which report regularly to the PCC.

Objectives and activities

The PCC (Powers) Measure 1956 summarises the charitable objects of the PCC as “cooperating with the incumbent in promoting in the ecclesiastical parish the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical.” St Andrew’s PCC sees this as a calling to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ as it has been received by the Church of England by the nurture of faith among the community by word, pastoral care and practical service. It also has maintenance responsibilities for the church and the church hall.

From 1 September 2013, St Andrew’s Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School converted to academy status and became a member of the Bath & Wells Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) and was renamed St Andrew’s Church of England School. Currently, there are no representatives of St Andrew’s on the Local Governing Committee, the Foundation Governor posts being filled from elsewhere.

PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF ST ANDREW, TAUNTON ANNUAL REPORT 2024 (CONTINUED)

Achievements and performance

Church attendance & Statistics for 2024

The number on the Electoral Roll at 31 December 2024 was 93 (102 at 31 December 2023).

The average Sunday attendance including children, counted in October was 59 (63 in 2023) but larger numbers attended for special services, such as at Christmas and Easter. In 2024 the number of baptisms was 2 (4 in 2023). There were no weddings in 2024 (1 in 2023). In total there were 9 funerals both in church and at local crematoria (6 in 2023).

Review of the Year

The year 2024 was one of consolidation and progress with the year’s Mission Action Plan. The effects of the Covid-19 pandemic are still with us, though now less pronounced. Attendance has picked up, with an estimated reduction of 10 since before Covid. Physical contact at the Peace at the Eucharist is beginning to return, though not with all. Anecdotally, more are prepared to share the Common Cup although this recovery has been slower. It has been good to welcome more new members who have travelled to work in the UK from outside Europe. We now have church family with origins in India, Pakistan, Iran and Nigeria. Sunday working patterns have reduced numbers attending our children’s group, but this ministry is supported by a strong team.

Sadly, 2024 also saw the deaths of six members of the congregation, including Ali Perry and Alan Cook, both of whom had held key leadership positions within the church over the years. All of them are greatly missed.

The PCC met six times in 2024. Average attendance was 77% (85% in 2023). The Standing Committee (six meetings), the Hall Committee, and Fund Raising Group met between meetings. Minutes of their meetings were received by the full PCC and discussed where necessary. Other focussed groups, teams and officers regularly report to PCC meetings.

In line with diocesan policy, the PCC sets its priorities and expressed them in its Mission Action Plan (MAP). In September 2024 a parish conference was held to identify priorities for 2025 based on our values: Welcoming, Caring, Growing, Responding (to God and community) and Nurturing. The new plan resolved to maintain inspiring worship and nurturing faith, with a focus on drawing our children more deeply into the Eucharist; working to encourage church members of overseas heritage and supporting community facing activities, especially in church; to learn more about the needs of our community including developing links with the railway station; and to continue with the New St Andrew’s Project. The MAP sets out specific, timed and measurable actions for the year under each heading, naming the designated lead in each case. These will be reviewed in the Autumn and a new MAP prepared for 2026.

We were pleased to see a return to formal provision for children during worship. We have continued to develop our Children’s Area in the South Aisle, although, as our regular children grow older, we now concentrate on staffing some simple instruction in the faith using a range of child-centred activities. Church Mice and Messy Church, the latter in conjunction with Rowbarton Methodist Church, continue successfully.

As noted above, schools work continues to be an important part of our work with children and young people. As well as involvement in governorship at St Andrew’s School, the Vicar shares weekly acts of collective worship in school with the Revd Deborah Kirk and the Revd Annie Deche of Rowbarton Methodist Church, one of our own Readers, Ruth Cook, and Patrick Weld, one of the Foundation Governors. The Vicar is also a member of the Ethos Committee at The Taunton Academy, a church secondary school and part of the Richard Huish Academy Trust, which lies in our parish. Ongoing support for Collective Worship, Religious Education and its Chaplaincy is available on request. “Easter Cracked,” a dramatic presentation of the Easter story for children from schools in the area run by members of MINT (Mission in North Taunton), successfully ran in 2024, although changes in personnel and priorities mean that Nativity on the Green was not held last Christmas. MINT is a federation of ourselves, Rowbarton Methodist, Oakwood Community Church, Wellsprings Chapel and St Peter’s, Lyngford, which has now left the group. Our work with Priorswood Primary School, which also lies within the parish, continues to invite the Vicar and the Revd Deborah Kirk, the local Methodist Superintendent Minister to lead occasional acts of Collective Worship.

PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF ST ANDREW, TAUNTON

ANNUAL REPORT 2024 (CONTINUED)

St Andrew’s has a Safeguarding Policy for the protection of children and vulnerable adults in line with diocesan guidelines. It is reviewed and updated annually. A copy of the policy is displayed in church. Names of all volunteers and their roles, not just those with Disclosure & Barring Service clearance, is available to the PCC as the body legally responsible for running the church. Full Job Descriptions have been formulated for each post, and training is regularly undertaken at an appropriate level for all those working for the PCC in a volunteer capacity. The PCC also has a Lone Worker Policy for employees and volunteers who need to work alone in church or in the community on its behalf, an Employee’s Complaints & Grievance Policy, and a Data Protection Policy. The PCC also has a range of other policies governing aspects of parish management.

Home Communion is now fully available to both the housebound and those indisposed or recovering from surgery for a longer period. Work with care homes consists of providing end-of-life spiritual support when requested, as well as a monthly hymn singing service at Aspen Court.

A full programme of public fund-raising events ran in 2024 providing both enjoyment for all and a much needed boost to church funds. Donations sponsoring the spire lighting continue. Finances pressures grew even tighter in 2024 so that all financial decisions need to be made with great care. Happily, an element of transitional relief plus the factoring in of the socio-economic background of parts of the parish meant that the new method of Parish Share calculation came up with a projected figure for 2025 that will be a whisker lower than 2024. Had this not occurred, the PCC would have been unable to fend off partial default for very long. The PCC has a Financial Reserves Policy which ensures that we always have enough cash to cover all essential commitments for a minimum of 3 months in case of emergency.

St Andrew’s continues to be represented at meetings of the North Taunton Partnership and now the North Taunton Development Group, alongside practical assistance given to Taunton Food Bank, Arc (formerly Taunton Association for the Homeless) and Taunton Welcomes Refugees. Support in kind was also given to Pyrland Academy (previously North Taunton Academy) for a breakfast club for students.

Joint services with our neighbours at Rowbarton Methodist Church continue to be values part of our programme, as well as our work with them to offer Messy Church four or five times a year.

Many individual church members use household collecting boxes for the Children’s Society, though this is changing with the decline in the use of cash. There remains no planned giving from PCC funds, apart from an annual contribution to the Chaplaincy at Pyrland School.

The church’s Health and Safety Officer post is now been filled and work is being done to update our record keeping. A Health and Safety policy statement approved by the PCC is on display in church and Health and Safety is a standing PCC agenda item along with the reporting of any entries in the Accident Book as to whether any action is required, and the policy document regularly reviewed and updated.

The most recent Quinquennial Inspection was made by the PCC’s now former architect, Mrs Jo Hibbert, in December 2020. Priority has had to be given to the reordering of the heating, but with some work planned before the next QI in 2025. The new infra-red electric system installed during the 2023, consisting of four chandelier-style heating and lighting units and wall-mounted heaters in the side aisles required attention earlier in the year when it was found that the appliances had been hung too high. However, the new system has been a disappointment, and steps are being researched towards improvement. It was found that nothing could be done to improve the effectiveness of the ceiling-mounted heating panels fitted in the Narthex. The PCC continues to be pleased to have contributed to the Church of England’s aim for Net Zero emissions by 2030, but wonders whether it has been disadvantaged by adopting a system still in its infancy.

Following the granting of the necessary Faculty, the pews were removed from the South Aisle and Font Aisle, resulting in a church building that can be used more flexibly for congregation and community alike. This proved a boon at the annual Christmas Market in December, where freer circulation of the public became possible. We continue to look for ways of making the very best of this space.

The Hall Committee has continued to oversee the use of the building and implement planned improvements. At her appointment, the Hall Manager, Cherry Hingston was charged with making marketing of the Hall a particular priority, She has already done some excellent work improving and streamlining the booking procedure and other management systems. The Hall’s financial footing is now such that a regular direct debit payment is now made into the PCC account, fulfilling our aim that the Hall should be a source of funding for the church’s wider mission.

The past years saw the replacement of our former monthly magazine, “Inspire,” with a quarterly, simpler publication named, “Re-Inspire,” edited by Ruth Cook. Our weekly electronic and postal mailing continues to aid communication, alongside our website, Facebook and Instagram pages, as well as the traditional weekly newsletter. Most of our larger services are also livestreamed through our Facebook page.

St Andrew’s continues to work on its response to changing world and, with it, a changing church. As with climate change, many of the problems noted coming down the line are now far closer to coming home to roost. Some have already done so. Nevertheless, we maintain our faith in a faithful God, who constantly equips his people to serve the communities to which we are sent. Inevitably that involves change, which for many does not always come easily. It might be that a smaller, leaner, and so more effective Church, is what will evolve in the coming years. The implications that will mean for St Andrew’s are still uncertain, particularly with likely reductions in clergy staffing in the future, but we will continue in our endeavour to respond faithfully.

Financial review

Total receipts on funds were £121,418 and are detailed in the financial statements.

£136,167 was spent to provide the Christian ministry from St Andrew’s Church, including the contribution to the diocesan parish share, which largely provides the stipends and housing for the clergy. The parish share paid this calendar year was £58,197.

The net result was a deficit of £15,751 including Restricted Funds.

It is PCC policy to maintain a balance on unrestricted funds (if possible), which equates to approximately three months unrestricted payments, to cover emergency situations that may arise from time to time. It is our policy to invest our fund balances in the CBF Church of England deposit funds.

Approved by the PCC on … 25 March 2025 …… and signed on their behalf by

[Rev’d Robin Lodge, Vicar]

The Parish Church of St John the Evangelist, Staplegrove, Taunton, T A2 6EJ From the Treasurer, David Bridges CRSM ARCM ARCO Avoiidalc, Roclory Close, St<iplegi'ove, 'I'A2 6F.W 07543 570742 davidjbridges2018@)gmail.com Sue Goodman PCCSecretary St Andrew's Church Greenway Avenue Taunton TA2 6HU Reciprocal Independent Examination for St Andrew's and St John the Evangelist, Taunton 26 February 2025 Dear Sue I have carried out an Independent Examination on the Accounts for the year ended 31, December 2024, prepared by your Treasurer Mr Antony Yeo and am delighted to confirm that, in my opinion, they accurately reflect the transactions that took place during 2024. With all good wishes

Independent Examiner's Certificate forthe PCC Accounts Report to the trustees ot. r A(l0)s Parochial Church Council On accounts for the year ended: SI 201 Charity Number (if applicable).. 11fl6S04 Set out on pages Respectlve responsibiliti¢s of trustee8 and The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The examlnèr charity's trustees consider that an audit is not required for thi5 year under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 (the Charities Act) and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to.. examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act. to follow the ProdureS laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 14515llbl of the Charities Act, and to state whether particular matters have come to my attention. Basi$ of Independent My examination was carried out in accordance with general Directions given by the examlner'8 Statement Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusua5 items or dis¢lo$ures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit. and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a 'true and faic view and the report is limited to those mallers set out in the statement below. Independent examlnorf$ In connects'on with my examinatson. no maller has come to my attention (other than statgrnont that disclosed below ') which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in, any material respect, accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act or the accounts do not accord with the arxounting records I have come across no other mallers in connection with the examination to which attentson should be drawn in order to enable a proper understsnding of the accounts to be reached. pi e delet8 th8 words in the br8ckets if they do not apply. . KIITrVLIVJllllkTAI Slgn¢d: Date: Name: Relevant professlonal quallflcatlonls) or body lif anyl: foh16 Addrg89: Aooh)JALE SIOrfL IE

Disclosure Only complete if the examlner needs to highlight material problem8. Give here brief details of any items that the examinerwishes to disclose.

St Andrew's Church Taunton's Receipts & Payments Account for rhe year ended 31 December 2024 1014 2023 Receipts t>onaiions and Lerdcles.. 4&700 40,700 44J89 25.188 10.269 CoUe£uon5, doTravon5 & othernI Inco tsx r¢tovtr¢d 11.498 Le8aae5 Other Trading acti¥ MylnelBookstsll sakslHa11 Lettlngs etc IKome frornother Prop¢rrle$ Anmual Feteleyents 1.345 1.345 51,000 IQ610 30.620 7.583 7.S03 &235 &223 5.223 4.459 Receipts from Invesiments.. Intere5t& dhtdend5 1,194 3,481 4.775. 3.482 Receipts from Charitabk acty¥4tle5'. Parochtsl fees 1.099 1,099 1.409 Other Receipts Insurance clalms protteds Iromfixed assets Loans re1ve Other 1.338 1.33& 787 Total Refelpts 17.935 3.481 121.416 167.479 Payments Charitable acti¥iiles'. Donatlon51Grants to chariDe5 Mlsslon & Eyangdism Par15h Share I197) 14,3201 127,4931 ($8.197) (4.320) (27.493) 150.6061 13.9701 116,8951 Clewexpenses Church runnlng expenses Churchyard MatenanCe Costof ralslTrgfunds 13241 {324) Supportcosts Adm1nlstr3tlon costs Ilnc. staff co5t51 GoYerNance C05L5 (2,5131 (23,2551 1901 IZO,1061 123.2551 Orher 14.609) (4,609) 165071 Major expendit4Jre Rep¥lrs ¢0 churth lId[ Rep31rs ro other property Catal purchase51iddltlons Loan repayments 115,2Q61 (15.206) 149.3941 Total payments tr,; ;; {137.168) (137.1é8) (152.477} Surplusl{D¢fidt) of RKelpts over yentS {19.233) (I S.752) 15.002 Tronsfors tlw {01 127,6381 (15.7S21 84,571 15.002 Cosh ¢Jt b¢ThTrk ITond oi l Joo IAttyalBolontel 33,976 5Q595 45062 Q7,6381 50,595 48.819 15,005

statement of Assets and Llabilities at•t•m•rtt Olarte• Sl•t st Andr•W• Ta¥nton y•r•ttdl 31 •h•r2024 Oponlng Balanc• 2.99 43,718.77 32,398.82 944.93 1,574.00 5.930.87 Statsmgnt Mon Mon8 In Out Balan¢• 115,286.24 -113,244.83 2.044.40 2,150.71 -31,0.00 14,869A8 11.719.66 -io,(x)o.00 34,118.28 152.53 -226.20 871.26 31.948.00 -24,790.00 4,707.99 -2.455.20 Account Namo A Nafv4esl Current A¢¢ount U ("Cash") B CBF Fabric Fund D I"Cash"I C CBF General Fund U I'Eash"I D CBF Btsll Fund R I"Cash"I E Church Hall Account F New St Andrew's Building Fund 8.732.IKI 8,183.66 TOTALS 84.570.18 165.965.13 -181,716.23 68.819.08 I. TIL•lth•n¢lal 8lat•Jn•nt$ th• PCC havo pMpav•d In a¢¢9rd4Ce wlth th• Glwr¢fv Accountlrtg lityul•tlon• 2000 th• It•c•lpt• aml P*ym•nts h•¥1 Assets W8 havotsvoln¥oStmAntac£ounts ¢BF F•brfc FurLd cyn.) CBF Gon8rn1 Fd £11.12102 Those pay dlvldend8 £16,717.71 Llabllltl nfjnned that the abo wl accounts examined Zb14J

FURTHER ANALYSIS OF ACCOUNTS FOR TAUNTON ST ANDREW 2024 2023 -15751.10 15000.08 Tox efflclent planned glvln8 other planned giving other collectlons at sorvlces Other Glvlng & Donatlons - Recurrlttg Olhor Glvlng & Donatlons - Non-Rocurrl Speclal Appeals All tax Yecovbred through Glft Ald Logacles recelved Recurrlng Grant$ Non-Recurring Grant$ Fund Ralslng Ev•nts Dlvldends & Interest Income from Proportles Total Parochial Fees Ineome 15 Bookstall, Magazlno etc 16 Hall Lettlngg Incom• from oth•r Church Actlvltlos Insurance Clalms Rolmbursemgnt of costs by other Parfsho# Sale of Flxed As8•ts Servlce Fee Reimbursemont by DBF Other Inoorn• 42 203.54 4.496.00 442.89 38 504.52 5.884.32 2 478.48 6 527.23 2527.62 11235.39 114.95 10 268.51 51000.00 10 1000.00 4459.12 3482.07 8.235.00 1409.00 11 5.222.99 4774.83 7 582.70 12 13 14 1099.00 30 620.00 73.48 18 261.35 51.80 17 18 19 20 21 22 1265.00 121A15.87 735.00 167,478.52 Oth r15 aldo idforo Co Irmed that the above agree with the accounts examined 2024 2023

30 Fund Ralslng Costs Donatlons lo Charltlos & Mlsslon Glvlng Parlsh Shar• Salarles & Wag•s Cleryy Expenses other ExpeThs•s Cleryy Houslng cosls 37 Local Mlssion and Evangellsm ProJ•cts 38 Chlldronlyouth Work costs 39 Insurance ¢o$ts 40 Cleanlng costs 41 Mlnor RepairslRovllne Malntsnance 42 Adminlstratlon costs othey Church Expansos Swvlc•s Churchyard Malntenanco Flowers 46 Muslc costs 47 Heatlng & Llghtlng costs 48 Water Rates 49 Cosls ot Tradlng 50 Govomance Costs 51 Parochlal Fees Romfttanco to DBF Parochlal Fe99 to v1s1t1 Mlnlst•r 53 '. Parochial F3 to olher 3rd parly Paro¢hlal Fees Remltted to other PCC 8ervlce F•e to vlslllng Mlnist•r Paymont of costs to olher Parlsh•$ 57 Deanery Ctysls 58 Sundry Expgnsos Major Ropalrs to Church Bulldln9 Major Repalrs to other propertles AlteratlonslExtonsions to Church Bulldlng 411.95 -162.95 31 -2 500.00 0 606.04 -15.998.45 32 33 8 197.00 -17,778.20 4 319.66 -2512.6 34 35 0.47 -1155.49 -95.10 .275.34 4 966.54 -1010.80 .10.383.84 -5 477.28 4 881.03 -739.93 -1.783.26 43 .1726.01 560.29 45 .19 -1237.81 -12 944.33 .184.00 -11.77 -1003.05 -10 630.35 -177.95 55 42.00 -15 206AO .2 626.46 47 490.27 -1.970.70 -1904.21 .152478.44 61 .137166.97 ConfSrmed that the above agree with the accounts examlned Balan¢0 70 Loans recèlved Repayment of Loans 71

72 Alt•ralonslExtenslons to othw Assets Charltles where PCC acts lust an agent New Flxed Assets (not Investments) Purchase of Investments Sale of Investment5 TotBI balance sheet incomelexpenditure 73 78 79 80 TOTAL IncOmndItur• 701.10 IJ0008 Confirmed that the above agree with the accounts examined

FURTHER SUBDIVISIONS OF ACCOUNTS FOR INFORMATION 2024 2023 RECEIPTS Donations in for Garden of ReMernbran AP Coffee time donations Donations in for Messy Church Yellow one off envelopes Hall receipts 3517.00 418.00 432.00 41,90 225.00 19,067.57 277.30 75.00 31948.OD PAYMENTS 15.716.95 Gas -church Heating Out ,,Electricity- Church Organist Parish Administrator Phone ladminl Iwebsite cost Vicars expenses Messy church expenses ,Hall payments lotal 693.41 970.79 55,207.72 1.511.05 1.382.00 7.016.80 526.08 253.52 3,970.42 4549.92 1505.00 7619.40 4319.66 112.14 24790.00 20.577.70

FUNDRAISING DETAILS RECEIPTS 2024 RECEIPTS 2023 Table top sale8 March Lunch Summer Fete Chrlslmas Market Easyfundraislng Wlnter Warm¢r Harvest Lunch Summer Lunch Splr¢ lightlng othgr 355.48 391.74 1467.61 1741.76 321.80 221.72 316.90 361.88 550.00 80.1)0 Table top sales March Lunch Summer Fete Christmas Market Easylundralslng Winter Warmer Harve8t Lunch Summer Lunch Spire Ilghting 255 362 934.67 1700.03 151,79 347.5 519.5 373.18 550 recorded as donatlons 5808.89 5193.67

11 £J r*