Treasurer’s Report, 2023
“But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully”
2 Corinthians 9:6
First the good news that we, as a parish, are still solvent and we have paid our parish share in full – again! Hopefully we shall be able to do so again next year despite the repeated 10% annual increase. As at 31.12.23 we had no outstanding invoices although several large ones connected with the heating were due in 2024.
It is also very pleasing to note that we have been able to raise and donate large sums of money towards the running of the lunch club and food pantry. In this connection we are also very grateful for donations – in both cash and kind – which we have received from other churches in the local area and from several private donors.
This year, despite the increasingly burdensome and stressful nature of the accounts, I have continued to use the online accounting system which is invaluable in keeping track of all the various funding streams.
This year has marked a significant change in the finances of the church in that we have now started obtaining grants for the repair and maintenance of the building itself. The first part of the this is the removal of the old heating system and its replacement with a new one. This also involved extensive asbestos removal. The heating system was operational in time for the carol service this year (several people complaining it was too hot and they had to remove their coats!)
The Lunch Club and Food Pantry have continued throughout the year – lunches on an eat in or ‘take-away’ basis. As a result I thought I would include some interesting statistics about the Food Pantry and the impact of the food which has been distributed. These figures are based purely on the donations received from the FareShareGo collections and do not include the regular deliveries:
27744 kg 0f food collected 66613 meals equivalent 88191 kg of CO2 saved as a result
These figures are astonishing and a testament to the need within the area which we are able to help to serve. So, congratulations and thanks to all
the volunteers who help to provide this invaluable and, unfortunately, increasingly needed service.
We have continued to maintain a good ‘track record’ when it comes to spending grants responsibly on the purposes for which they were given which is one of the things which larger grant awarders look for in a project. We will also have little difficulty in proving social need for our building and the work which goes on inside it. The fact that we have been able to keep the projects running throughout the pandemic despite all the restrictions and regulations which this involved should also stand us in good stead when it comes to bidding for these larger building focussed grants.
However, despite some elements of gloom within the finance report it should be remembered that we are still open and serving our community despite the financial and other restrictions which we are all feeling
Stuart Wood - Treasurer
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Inde endent Examinerfs Re rt for the PCC of St James's Church HI her Brou hton Salford for the Year Endln 31 December 2023 This is rny first Ind•pend•nt E¥Omin•5 Rew)rt since rny Orylination. This is rny ftjrrnal rvport to the PCC. datsd August 2024. It is unfortunate that it is this L8te in the year, however I wasonlyglven the paperwork just overa week ègo, and I was onlyftsrmal apwinted byyou on Sunday Il" August 2024. My first iask Is to ¢omment the fftnan¢es them$elv¢s. The a¢¢ounts package is MyFundAccounting.online. The supportin8 paperwork is held in two A4 folders which I was given to cornpare with the accounts, toBether with the bank staternent5. The paperwork was in a tidy format. permittsng rrvè to compare the accounts with the supporting paperwork and the bank aternents. St James. Church operatss successhjlly frorn a financial perspective. thanks to the dlll8ent supervision of your Treasurer, Stuart Wood. In my 2009 report, I noted then that St Jarneg faced potential bankruptcy within three years unless significant chan8es were undertaken. It is a source of Breat relief to find you continuirygto function a5 you do. l am very aware of the challews faeln8 you asthe PCC. The roof ConneS to be a problem, and you have recently cornpleted the first phase of replacinK vour heating wsiem. The Ras part of the system Is Installed and working, and l understand that this has effectively been paid forfrom yoursavings. an amount around £57,000 plusvaTroui Othera0Clated sum& Be aware though that a fvrther £60,000 is needed to £omplete the proleet, Including extemal heHt exchangers. ar¢d that this will be paid for over the coming years with the 5UPPOrt of gTrnts. I trust that applications for suitsble Erants will follow Short. In addition. payments to move asbest05 and carry out 50rne work on thè rotsf hpve produced a deficit of £95,681 for the year 2023. with your funds droppi from £130.491 down to £34.809 by year end. Thi5 sort of 5pendinL vitsl though it was. is earlY unsustainable. even in the short term. On 8 happler note. congratulations are due f¢r payln8 your Dlotesan Share In full yet agaln. This isa ConshIerab achievement at a time when you are seekin8 to sort the church building tsut as well. All I can do now Is to wlsh you success wlth your ongoing plans for 2024 and 2025. You as a PCC must focus for the being upon your frnancial position. as you attempt to keep your finances balaneed wlth a much-reduced capltal fund to baek you up, whllst c4JntinuirTrgto tare frjr the frdbric of the church. and of course. carry out God's woeKthroughout the parish. God Bless yots all rithly. 11.T D Revd Mike Qson. Fd.4 8.Sc.. C.Eng., M.l.E.T., J.P.