## Wrexham Mission Area Registered Charity 1199546 ## **Annual Report 2024** ## **Our Churches** Worship and associated activities were maintained across our six churches together with ongoing support for St Mary’s Bersham throughout the year under review. St Giles’ has continued to welcome good numbers to services of differing styles along with other events and embarked on a significant project to replace the chancel roof and repair associated stonework. Work also started to refurbish and enhance St Mark’s building which has necessitated all its activities being relocated. St John’s remains a small in numbers but continued to provide services of worship on Sundays and Wednesdays with help from the ministry team following the departure of their vicar in May. Congregations remain strong at All Saints and St Margaret’s with Holy Trinity also welcoming new people. It was with great sadness that the final service was held in St James’ Church on Sunday 21[st] April. This closure was painful for all involved and many questions raised by the process remain unanswered. The MA has continued to maintain the building pending the completion of the faculty requirements before it can be handed over to the Representative Body of the Church in Wales. ## **Shared Mission Area Events** An Easter vigil for the Mission Area was held at St James’ when the Paschal Candles of all the church were first lit. This was an opportunity for people from across the Mission Area to support St James’ Church as it prepared for closure. An open invitation was made to an early morning Ascension Day service on the tower of St Giles’ followed by a cooked breakfast. Bishop Gregory presided at a confirmation service at St Margaret’s in the autumn with candidates from All Saints, St Margaret’s and the Alyn Mission Area. There were also shared services of valediction and welcome for departing and arriving clergy. ## **Mission Area Conference** The MAC is both the PCC and the Board of Trustees for the Mission Area. It met on five occasions during 2024. Consideration was given to the viability of all our churches and the number of stipendiary clergy which could be employed under the present Diocesan share formula. Later in the year, there was discussion of the future of St John’s and a potential pairing with St Mark’s was considered a possibility to be shared with the diocesan leadership. With diocesan encouragement, thought was also given to changing the charitable status of the Mission Area from a Registered Charity to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) It was agreed to make this change although work on this was still ongoing at the end of the year. Building projects continued to be overseen by the MAC with the possibility of a Property Sub Committee remaining unrealised. The MAC also has the responsibility to sign off faculty applications for the Mission Area Churches and discuss significant building projects, notably at St Mark’s and Giles’. ## **Personnel** At the beginning of the year, the Mission Area continued to support four stipendiary priests. Sarah Errington left to take up a post in the diocese of Sailsbury leaving a vacancy at St John’s. In August, Jason Bray, vicar of St Giles’ departed to become dean of Llandaff Cathedral in Cardiff and the following month, Petra Goodband was licensed to her role as associate priest at St Giles’. Her post, funded by the diocese through the Church Growth Fund was intended to be the start of the ‘Hub’ church development at St Giles’ with a focus on music, but by default, Petra took over Jason’s duties until a replacement was appointed. We were grateful to Brian Stickles and Nick Roe for serving as MA wardens. We welcomed Sarah Namirembe on St Padarn’s placement with St Margaret’s and St Mark’s and Elin Douglas Jones continued her placement at All Saint’s and Holy Trinity. Alex Cottrell began an apprentice role in the same churches. It was also good to have Karen Reynolds and Shaun Davies on board as Administrator and Hall Manager respectively ## **Church Army Centre of Mission & Hope Street** The Ministry Team works closely with these other expressions of Anglican ministry in Wrexham. The Mission Area Leader line manages the Centre of Mission which runs the Tin Can Youth Centre providing a Christian witness to many young people with no church background. In turn, the Centre of Mission works collaboratively with Hope Street on projects such as the Coleg Cambria Chaplaincy and Bridge the Gap football ministry. Links are also maintained with other churches through Christians Together in Wrexham along with prison and school’s ministries. The Mission Area remains a member of Together Creating Communities. (TCC) ## **Finance** We have managed to pay the Mission Area share to the diocese in respect of our clergy and support services for 2024, but many of our churches are struggling to maintain these obligations alongside the maintenance of their buildings. We have negotiated a drop in our clergy figure for 2025 from 4 to 3 ½ which will reduce our overall obligation to the diocese. I am very grateful to Carol Jones, Sue Williams and Karen Reynolds all of whom worked hard with the treasurers and the auditors to ensure the accounts for 2023 were posted in time on the Charity Commission Website. Jonathan Smith, Mission Area Leader June 2025 w￿h￿n￿lS￿nA￿•a stale￿nto1￿nmda1 Prtl%¥tlÈs Forthe year￿d￿l31#D￿ernher3]24 Prlorywr funds knds ds ￿na￿On$and legades IrKome frorn charitable gdi%ltles Othertrddiro aCti￿tres In¥estm2nts Otherlncorn 4YJJOI AYI GY3JJ4 478￿1 21436 19,474 15,523 225 J.7 Total Incom? 92 i ￿,661 EXpe￿lture0￿ thallabTe *dMlles Rai%ngfunds Otherex nditure ndllure g74835 X¥7 147 471 Netlttamellexpenthlwel 1¢x#j￿¢$ befor¢tr4n¥l¢r I￿.7￿} XWJ rr4nrfers.' Grosstrar6fetsmetwe•nfuMf5. In fyv5Str3rn5Ie￿ betw2en funds. Q r4J JÈ, 149).1891 116,6221 Galnsllosses on In%*stmenta&set5 N•tnpxeff*ntln fum1$ 8¢XC61 RLrono7iotion oAlutTrds Tot41 hjnds brou forward 497 Td@769 510,684 Tut41 fvnd¥(orrf•dforvArd Unrestrikted Gene￿I￿nd D$￿Enoted st&les FlowerFund WrexhJn M4- Foster Rt¥d wreXh￿ MA- St Petees 24163 Resirfthd AppreTrtitr5hÉp Caia Food Club Parish of Wrexh*n FabrltFuAd StGtles Babes in the PewsFund stG(les Bellflr¢¢ers stJlesChaNtsl tiepalrFurb str*les Fabric Fund 778 J4921 J6.¥21 4197 lJ97 4993 421 J8A21 36.517 stl&les up￿epfUnd StJ4me$- thurthdoorrefijrblshment stJAmos- GroWroxh4m StJohn's- T￿TretAfid ￿ghti￿ Fwd St ma￿aret,$. C¥ltal ljft st ￿aret.$- ChJr¢h hall st￿￿¥a￿V￿. Lalychaper stMarg8ret's- stheple Fund 5tMa¥areV5- Rd)es 15J2 StMwk's- Holiday H￿BerPr01ect StM¥k's- Kids Club SundaySth)ol Fund Wrexh8m M4- Admln Wrexh*n M4- Foster Rd Wrexham w.st Peterts Z4316 2.117 1117 IZ51 1251 14291 JO,251 7X,770 Wrex1￿M Mission Area Balance Sheei a5 at 31st December2024 unrestrI￿d Deslrnd Restrfcted At Funds Funds Funds 3VIZ/2023 Fixed assets Inv85tm•nts 131924 36,228 )9,153 305,3( Current assets Debtors Investments ashAt RaDkAnd th Hand 3,351 320 101632 3,351 3,339 S15.5￿ 4ala) SI9,￿Yj 431,469 377,314 39,964 Llabllltles Creditors Tffjl Jssetsless ￿lIt￿tIl•bIlltIes 414542 W,IW 736.TIO Wrexharn MlsslonArea Movement In Funds Fwthe ￿ttertded 3tst Deonthr1024 Tranfers OUWIK between GaIn$￿tt ¥esourios losse& At31112124 At0¥0¥24 ￿SOUr{ Unyestrlrtedfunds a57,741 6,6S4 235,55? Deslgn*ed StGlles- Flower Ftjnd Wrexham MA- FosterRd Wr8xham MA- St Peterfs Ico 132 24.C53 15,842 24,053 15,842 estr1rted funds Apprenticeship Scheme All Salnts- Sunday Sd)ool Fund Parlsh of Wrexham Fab￿¢ Fund Caia Food Club St Giles- Babes In the Pews Fund St Glle5- Bellrlngers St Gile&- Chancèl RepairFufftd StGlles- FabrlcFund StGiles- Flower Fur StGTles-%ltchen Fund StGlle5- Upkeep fund StJamès- Church door refurblshment StJ8mes- Growrexham StJohn's- Tollet And ￿ghtIng Fund St Mar£aret'5- Capital Glft St Mar8aret's- Church hall St Margaret's- Lady Chapel St Marsaret's- Robes St Mar8aret's- Steeple Fund St Mark's- Bullding fund st Mark'5- Caia Food Clu St Mark's. Kids Club Sunday khool Fund St.Mark's.- Hollda¥ Hunger Pmject Wrexhèm MA- Admin Wrexham MA- Foster Rd WrexhamMA- St P¢tels Totsl F￿dS IU9 18, 1614 150) 1$921 50 322 3,197 99a 45,1 36,517 19,617 97 iCB.485 114,415 1512 7,277 150 240,212 425.310 278,834 1117 551 372 21316 1251 18,291 124,053) T￿ 924 147 (M8 689,( INDEPENDEKf EXAMINER'S REiioirr Wrexham Mlsslon Area I report on the accounts for the year ended 31st December 2024. Respectlve responslblllties of trustees and examlner The Mission Area Conference IMAC) are responsible for the preparatK)n of the accounts. The MAC considers that an audit is not required for this yeaT under section 14412) of the Charities Act 2011 Ithe 2011 Act) and that an Independent examination is needed. It 15 my responsibility to: examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act) to follow the procedures lald down In the General Directions glven by the Charlty Commisshoners (under sectton 145{5).Lb) of th8 2013 Act}.' and to state whether partlojlar matters have come to my attention. Ba515 of Independent examlnetr5 report My examination was carried out in accordance with the general directN)ns given by the Charity Commission. An examination indudes a review of the ar£ounting records kept by the Charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those recoids. It also includes conSiderat￿n of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The prtxedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence twiat woukl be required in an auditand consequently no oP￿￿n is given as to whether the accounts present a 'true and fair vieW and the report is limited tothose matters set out in the statement below. Independentexamlner's statsment In connection wlth my examination, the followln£ matters have come to my attention: l. Docurnerntation of fund batances a5 the year end not belng read1￿ awdllab However. the above point gives me no reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements: al to keep accounting records in accordarKe with section 130 of the 2011 Act- and b) to prepare accounts wh￿h accord with the accgunting rewrd5 and cornply with the accountlng requirements of the 2011 Act have not been meL Signed: (Namej L￿101￿M IDate) lQUalillcotlo￿ if17nyJ (Address) aS.&_o&En_D f &occl -Miethc] INDEPENDEKf EXAMINER'S REiioirr Wrexham Mlsslon Area I report on the accounts for the year ended 31st December 2024. Respectlve responslblllties of trustees and examlner The Mission Area Conference IMAC) are responsible for the preparatK)n of the accounts. The MAC considers that an audit is not required for this yeaT under section 14412) of the Charities Act 2011 Ithe 2011 Act) and that an Independent examination is needed. It 15 my responsibility to: examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act) to follow the procedures lald down In the General Directions glven by the Charlty Commisshoners (under sectton 145{5).Lb) of th8 2013 Act}.' and to state whether partlojlar matters have come to my attention. Ba515 of Independent examlnetr5 report My examination was carried out in accordance with the general directN)ns given by the Charity Commission. An examination indudes a review of the ar£ounting records kept by the Charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those recoids. It also includes conSiderat￿n of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The prtxedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence twiat woukl be required in an auditand consequently no oP￿￿n is given as to whether the accounts present a 'true and fair vieW and the report is limited tothose matters set out in the statement below. Independentexamlner's statsment In connection wlth my examination, the followln£ matters have come to my attention: l. Docurnerntation of fund batances a5 the year end not belng read1￿ awdllab However. the above point gives me no reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements: al to keep accounting records in accordarKe with section 130 of the 2011 Act- and b) to prepare accounts wh￿h accord with the accgunting rewrd5 and cornply with the accountlng requirements of the 2011 Act have not been meL Signed: (Namej L￿101￿M IDate) lQUalillcotlo￿ if17nyJ (Address) aS.&_o&En_D f &occl -Miethc]