## St Thomas’ Church Lowther St York
## ANNUAL REPORT and FINANCIAL STATEMENTS of the PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL For the year ended 31 December 2023
## www.sthomasyork.org.uk
Priest-in-Charge: Revd Alistair Rycroft Churchwardens: Mrs Jo Bloss, Mr Matt Clarke-Neale
Treasurer: Mr Ross Watson
Independent Examiner : Mrs Jane Kasiuk
Bank: Lloyds Bank plc, Pavement Branch, York Registered charity number: 1198054
## Contents
||Page|
|---|---|
|Annual Report|1-3|
|Independent Examiner’s Report|4|
|Receipts and Payments account|5|
|Statement of Assets and Liabilites|5|
|Notes to the Accounts|6-7|
|Budget for 2024|8|
Followed by further reports and minutes of 2023 meetng
## Annual Report of the PCC of St Thomas’ for the year ended Dec 31[st] 2023
St Thomas’ Church (serving the parish of St Thomas with St Maurice) is on Lowther St in the Groves area of York. It is within the Diocese of York.
The Parochial Church Council (PCC) is a charity registered with the Charity Commission. The PCC has the responsibility of promoting in the ecclesiastical parish the whole mission of the church; pastoral, evangelistic, social, and ecumenical. It also has maintenance responsibilities for the church and hall.
Membership : Members of the PCC are either ex-officio or elected by the Annual Parochial Church Meeting in accordance with the Church Representation Rules. All church attendees are encouraged to register on the Electoral Roll and are then eligible to stand for election to the PCC.
During 2023, the members of the PCC of St Thomas’ Church were:
Revd Al Rycroft (priest-in-charge) – Chair Revd Andy Hagon (curate) David Stirk – Vice Chair Matt Clarke-Neale – Churchwarden (from AGM) Jo Bloss – Churchwarden David Pennock – Treasurer (until AGM, thereafter normal member) Ross Watson – Treasurer (from AGM) Tom Dennis – Secretary Viv Pennock Peter Platts Ruth Dunlop Will Mitchell Gerald Snowden (Deanery Synod Representative)
There were six full PCC meetings during 2023
## Church Atendance
As of April 2024, there were 121 names on the electoral roll (42 resident in the parish). The average attendance figure for Sunday services in October 2023 was 83 adults and 25 children. In 2023, we continued to stream worship services online, live from the church building with several regular viewers.
Church Services continued at 10.30am on Sundays, usually a Eucharistic Service, but with some Services of the Word (sometimes All Age). Children’s groups ran during our non- all age services. We held communion services midweek through most of the year. We held special services (Carol Service, Midnight Communion) in December.
Safeguarding: The PCC has a safeguarding policy, displayed in the church and church hall. St Thomas’ follows guidance to ensure ‘safer recruitment’ of staff and volunteers. Staff and volunteers are appropriately trained according to Church of England guidance. The PCC has complied with the duty to have due regard to the House of Bishops’ safeguarding policy.
Through 2023, the Parish Safeguarding Representative was Alison Taylor. Tom Dennis became the PCC’s safeguarding link.
## Review of 2023 and Priorites for 2024 (by Al Rycrof, Priest-in-Charge)
Another year has rushed by; things at St Thomas’ don’t seem to stand still. But perhaps that’s just what we should expect. What is alive is never stagnant or static, but dynamic and ever-changing. This means that there can be an air of chaos, and it may feel as though we are constantly trying to keep a rein on things, not let ng everything run wild; but we want to be grateful to God for giving us this abundant life! I remember a wise man (I think his name was Phil Moore) saying that he was always sceptical when people said God wanted the church to have a ‘time of consolidation’, because it doesn’t really seem that God works like that – he is the God of new creation, new life and growth.
It has seemed (and this is borne out by the numbers in the book!) that we’ve experienced a small step-change in our size as a Sunday congregation in the latter half of 2023 and into this year. Regularly, we will have 120-140 people (adults and children combined) gathering to worship – this is a wonderful blessing, as well as a logistical challenge! It means we have to think seriously both about how we can make our Sunday mornings ‘work’ in welcoming and accommodating that number of people; and also about whether there are new ways in which this growth might spill over into other worshipping communities being formed. I expect this to be an important question for St Thomas’ over the next year, particularly as we prepare to move back into a church building which we hope we allow greater versatility.
Another important (and related) question over the coming months will be our partnership with St Wulstan’s. We have done, and continue to do, some things together (events, occasional services etc). We now move into a time where we will be making decisions with St Wulstan’s about whether there are ways in which this relationship should be formalized, and if so how this should happen.
Through 2023, we emphasized in our teaching our relationships with one another and with God – growing as disciples and in love for one another. Of course, this is a lifelong calling, and we have not wanted to leave this behind as we’ve moved into 2024. We continue to believe that God’s call on us is to be a ‘haven of hope’ in the Groves, as people find love and welcome in this communitiy: not merely the love and welcome of a flawed hu - man family (important though that is), but even more so the perfect and eternal love and welcome of their heavenly Father.
Once again, we are so grateful for the wonderful mix of people at St Thomas’, and especially for the marvellous sense of family – from newborns to nonagenarians! It’s a great joy, but also a big responsibility for the adults, as God asks us to invest in our children as they grow up in the faith. As last year, I’d love to encourage each of us to ask God how you might serve (there are innumerable ways he might lead you!) the children in our church fam - ily. In the life of the church, each and every one of us is given unique gifts with which to serve one another – no one is peripheral or useless.
We’ve seen some extraordinary things through 2023 – remarkable displays like the ‘Knitted Bible’; wonderful community ventures like Chocolate and Co, with its strong links to St Thomas’; wonderful baptisms representing God’s work in so many lives. I do give thanks for everything that’s going on at St Thomas’, on Sundays and throughout the week, in the church buildings and out in homes and in the community. Please do read through the reports later in the booklet for an overview of the many different ministries, as well as information about the finances and the work going on with the building. Without listing names (because there are so many), I’d like to thank each and every person, young and old, who serves – on welcome and coffee, in music and worship, maintaining the building, serving on PCC or staff team, with children and young people, and in so many other ways. We pray it is all for the glory of God as he is honoured in our lives, our church and our community.
We go on trusting God in all the uncertainties of life, in the midst of our fragile world. As we read in early 2024:
“Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship, for they will walk in the light of your presence, Lord.” Psalm 89.15
## Financial Review for 2023
Total receipts on general unrestricted funds in 2023 were £107,920 and are detailed in the financial statements on pages 5 to 7 of this report. £110,422 was spent to provide the Christian ministry from St Thomas’ Church, including the freewill offering of £36,468 to the Diocese of York, which largely provides the stipends and housing for the clergy.
General maintenance costs increased to £7,187, which included things such as costs for various pieces of joinery work and maintaining the trees at the front of Church.
Planned Giving, collections, donations and Gift Aid Tax all increased to give a net result for the year of an excess of receipts over payments of £208 after transfers.
Our total budgeted general fund expenditure for 2024 is £115,381, which equates to £2,219 per week. The majority of this money comes from the generous giving of the congregation at St Thomas’ Church. Church members are encouraged to use standing orders to provide planned regular income. The budgeted requirement for Planned Giving is £84,600, or £1,627 per week. Where possible the use of Gift Aid to maximise donations by the recovery of income tax is encouraged. The tax reclaimed for the tax year 2022/23 was £21,053.
The general fund budget excludes the financing of any capital works on the structure of the Church, so in addition to all the general fund figures reported above the Building a Haven Project had fund raising of £13,576 last year. Expenditure on the project totalled £6,086. This year will see significantly more expenditure as the floor levelling work takes place.
## Reserves Policy
It is necessary for the PCC to maintain a balance of unrestricted funds, equivalent to 3 months unrestricted expenditure, £28,845 against the 2024 budget of £115,381. The balance of £51,500 on unrestricted funds at the year-end exceeded this target, however some of these funds will be used to assist with the Building a Haven project.
Ross Watson (PCC Treasurer)
13/04/24
3
## Independent Examiner’s Report
## Report to trustees of the PCC of the Church of St Thomas with St Maurice, York (Charity no 1198054)
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Church of St Thomas with St Maurice, York, (the Charity) for the year ended 31 December 2023, set out on pages 5 to 7.
## Responsibilites and basis of report
As the trustees of the Charity 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 2011 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
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
- the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; or
- the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or
- the accounts did 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.
Mrs Jane Kasiuk 20 Elmfield Avenue, York, YO31 9LS 13[th] April 2024
4
## **St Thomas with St Maurice Church, Lowther Street, York FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023**
|**RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS**
**ACCOUNT**
**Receipts**
Voluntary receipts from donors
Tax efficient planned giving
Other planned giving
Collections
Other recurring
giving/donations
Non-recurring
giving/donations
Income tax recovered
Other voluntary receipts
Activities for generating funds
Investment income
Receipts from church activities
Other incoming resources
**Payments**
Church activities
Diocesan Freewill Offering
Other payments
**Excess of Receipts over**
**Payments**
Transfers between funds
Bank current and deposit
accounts 1 Jan
Bank current and deposit
accounts 31 Dec
**STATEMENT OF ASSETS**
**AND LIABILITIES**
**Cash Funds**
Bank current account
Bank deposit account
CBF deposit fund
**Investment Assets**|Notes|Unrestricted
Fund
£|Designated
Fund
£|Restricted
Fund
£|Endowment
Fund
£|Total
2023
£|Total
2022
£|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||||||
|||||||||
|||||||||
|||||||||
|||62,511.00|-|1,200.00|-|63,711.00|59,842|
|||11,764.37|-|600.00|-|12,364.37|11,218|
|||4,982.26|-|1,208.13|-|6,190.39|3,466|
|||-|-|-|-|-|-|
|||3,194.08|-|25.00|-|3,219.08|6,885|
|||17,059.02|-|3,993.65|-|21,052.67|16,466|
|||99,510.73|-|7,026.78|-|106,537.51|97,877|
||3a|-|-|870.00|-|870.00|17,907|
||3b|536.00|-|7,783.00|-|8,319.00|31,625|
||3c|660.79|-|2,710.55|-|3,371.34|691|
||3d|7,212.00|-|-|-|7,212.00|3,908|
||3e|-|-|-|-|-|5,212|
|||107,919.52|-|18,390.33|-|126,309.85|157,219|
|||||||||
|||||||||
|||36,467.98|-|-|-|36,467.98|34,728|
||3f|73,953.96|-|17,855.87|-|91,809.83|87,465|
|||110,421.94|-|17,855.87|-|128,277.81|122,193|
|||||||||
|||(2,502.42)|-|534.46|-|(1,967.96)|35,026|
|||2,710.55||(2,710.55)|-|-|907|
|||208.13|-|(2,176.09)|-|(1,967.96)|35,932|
|||51,292.70|-|101,840.27|-|153,132.97|117,201|
|||51,500.83|-|99,664.18|-|151,165.01|153,133|
|||||||||
|||||||||
|||||||||
|||||||||
|||||||||
|||2,388.65|-|229.90|-|2,618.55|10,247|
|||34,041.50|-|43,638.05|-|77,679.55|72,019|
|||15,070.68|-|55,796.23|-|70,866.91|70,867|
|||51,500.83|-|99,664.18|-|151,165.01|153,133|
|||||||||
|||||||||
|||-|-|-|-|-|-|
|||||||||
|||51,500.83|-|99,664.18|-|151,165.01|153,133|
The attached notes on the following pages form part of these financial statements
Approved by the PCC on 11 March 2024 and signed on their behalf by: Revd Al Rycroft (PCC Chair) Ross Watson (PCC Treasurer)
## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS**
The financial statements of the PCC have been prepared in accordance with the Church Accounting Regulations 2006 using the Receipts and Payments basis.
The movement in designated and restricted funds during the year were:
|**Fund**
**Restricted Funds:**
Martin Fund
Restricted / Charity / Funeral Collections
Flower Fund
Creativity Fund
Outreach and Support projects
Building a Haven Project
Community Café Fund
Acts 435
**Designated Funds:**
Receipts and Payment Analysis
Other voluntary receipts
Legacy
Recurring grants
Non-recurring grants
Activities for generating funds - receipts
Fund raising
Receipts from investments
Dividends and interest
Rent from PCC owned property
Receipts from church activities
Fees retained by the PCC
Bookstall
Letting of Hall and Church
Rent from car park
Other incoming resources
Insurance claims
Loans
Donations received as endowments
Sale of COIF shares|Balance
b/f|Receipts|Payments|Transfers|Balance
c/f|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||||
||55,796.23|2,710.55|-|(2,710.55)|55,796.23|
||-|735.83|(505.93)|-|229.90|
||138.49|25.00|(16.00)|-|147.49|
||2,663.49|472.30|(950.71)|-|2,185.08|
||9,044.29|-|(664.16)|-|8,380.13|
||18,398.40|13,576.65|(6,086.73)|-|25,888.32|
||15,649.37|-|(8,612.34)|-|7,037.03|
||150.00|870.00|(1,020.00)|-|-|
||101,840.27|18,390.33|(17,855.87)|(2,710.55)|99,664.18|
|||||||
|||||||
||-|-|-|-|-|
|||||||
||Unrestricte
d
Fund
£|Designate
d
Fund
£|Restricted
Fund
£|Total
2023
£|Total
2022
£|
|||||||
||-|-|-|-|-|
||-|-|-|-|-|
||-|-|870.00|870.00|17,907|
||-|-|870.00|870.00|17,907|
|||||||
||536.00|-|7,783.00|8,319.00|31,625|
||536.00|-|7,783.00|8,319.00|31,625|
|||||||
||660.79||2,710.55|3,371.34|691|
||-|-|-|-|-|
||660.79|-|2,710.55|3,371.34|691|
|||||||
||1,352.00|-|-|1,352.00|938|
||-|-|-|-|-|
||2,540.00|-|-|2,540.00|2,130|
||3,320.00|-|-|3,320.00|840|
||7,212.00|-|-|7,212.00|3,908|
|||||||
||-|-|-|-|-|
|||-|-|-|80|
||-|-|-|-|-|
||-|-|-|-|5,132|
||-|-|-|-|5,212|
Unrestricte Designate d d Restricted Total
Receipts and Payment Analysis
Total
|Church activities - payments
Costs of generating funds
Fund raising costs
Donations (grants) to charities
Overseas missions
Home missions
Secular charities
Activities directly related to the work of the church
Salaries, wages & honorarium
Working expenses of the incumbent
Working expenses of assistant staff
Parsonage house expenditure
Mission & evangelism costs
Church insurance
Church cleaning
Church admin costs
Church maintenance costs
Upkeep of services
Upkeep of churchyard
Other PCC property upkeep
Support costs
Loan interest paid
Church administration and administrator
Gas costs
Electricity costs
Water costs
Oil costs
Costs of trading
Bookstall costs
Letting direct costs
Parish magazine costs
Governance costs
Major expenditure
Major repairs to church buildings
Major repairs to church hall
New building or major works|Fund
£|Fund
£|Fund
£|2023
£|2022
£|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||||
|||||||
|||-|-|-|21|
|||||||
||6,500.04|-|368.93|6,868.97|6,700|
||2,500.00|-||2,500.00|2,804|
||250.00|-|137.00|387.00|381|
|||||||
||31,621.62|-||31,621.62|33,247|
|||-|-|-|94|
||-|-|-|-|-|
||149.62|-|-|149.62|478|
||2,155.43|-|950.71|3,106.14|2,312|
||2,415.59|-|-|2,415.59|2,314|
||2,659.35|-|-|2,659.35|2,632|
||1,339.36|-|-|1,339.36|913|
||7,187.08|-|-|7,187.08|5,311|
||3,300.22|-|16.00|3,316.22|3,601|
||-|-|-|-|-|
||-|-|-|-|-|
||1,510.58|-|1,684.16|3,194.74|1,890|
||-|-|-|-|-|
||1,127.92|-|-|1,127.92|-|
||7,394.03|-|-|7,394.03|3,212|
||2,594.09|-|-|2,594.09|1,187|
||331.16|-|-|331.16|371|
||-|-|-|-|-|
|||||||
||-|-|-|-|-|
||827.87|-|-|827.87|587|
||-|-|-|-|-|
||90.00|-|-|90.00|85|
|||||||
||-|-|-|-|-|
||-|-|8,612.34|8,612.34|-|
||-|-|6,086.73|6,086.73|19,323|
||73,953.96|-|17,855.87|91,809.83|87,465.35|
The expenses paid to clergy may include a small immaterial proportion, which relates to their function as PCC members.
Working expenses of the incumbent allocated to specific cost centres.
No payments were made to PCC members.
**St Thomas with St Maurice Church General fund budget 2024**
||**Total**|Per Week|
|---|---|---|
|**INCOME**|**£**|**£**|
|Planned giving|84,600|1627|
|Collections|4,000|77|
|Income tax|17,000|327|
|Donations|2,000|38|
|Fees|1,000|19|
|Car parking|4,500|87|
|Hall income|1,700|33|
|Interest|600|12|
|**TOTAL**|**115400**|**2219**|
||**Total**|**Per Week**|
|**EXPENDITURE**|**£**|**£**|
|Charity giving|5,500|106|
|Support Chris & Suzy|5,500|106|
|Support Louise|0|0|
|Free Will Ofering|38,292|736|
|Vicarage water|432|8|
|Church & Hall running|18,000|346|
|Maintenance|5,000|96|
|Training / Scholarship|1,400|27|
|Misson / Outreach|1,500|29|
|Services|3,500|67|
|Admin|1,400|27|
|Miscellaneous|600|12|
|Lay Outreach Workers|22,838|439|
|Children's Worker|11,419|220|
|**TOTAL**|**115381**|**2219**|
||||