East Vale Ministry Area
Registered Charity 1200840
Examined Accounts and Annual Report 31 December 2024
CONTENTS OF ACCOUNTS AND ANNUAL REPORT 2024
| Page | |
|---|---|
| Trustee’s Annual Report | 1 |
| Independent Examiner’s Report | 6 |
| Receipts and Payments Account | 7 |
| Statement and Assets and Liabili�es | 8 |
TRUSTEE’S ANNUAL REPORT 2024
Our Mission Statement
We are eight churches, united in serving the communi�es of the East Vale, sharing our faith in the love of Jesus. The link to the website is h�ps://eastvalechurches.org.uk
Missional Aims of our Ministry Area
To develop a worship pa�ern which incorporates the needs of our communi�es, building on our successful online worship and Morning Prayer.
To expand the outreach and engagement with our schools in the Ministry Area and the young people in our communi�es.
To build on excellent ecumenical links across the Ministry Area.
To recognise and address the needs of our rural communi�es, especially in respect of loneliness and isola�on across all age groups.
To encourage and further develop our lay leadership, par�cularly in the strategic leadership team in the Ministry Area.
Introduc�on
This document has been written in consultation with all the EVMA churches.
St Bride – St Brides Super Ely St Nicholas – St Nicholas St Cadoc – Pendoylan St Peter – Peterston-Super- Ely St Dunwyd – Welsh St Donats St Cadoc – Llancarfan St Mary – Bonvilston St Illtyd – Llantrithyd
Each of these churches has produced its own Annual Report to present to its own congregation at the Annual Congregational Meetings.
The EVMA is also responsible for the churchyard at St George’s, the church itself having closed a few years ago. The clergy endeavour to maintain close links with the community of St George’s and a group sang carols around the village just before Christmas.
2024 East Vale Ministry Area Leadership Team (MAC)/Trustees
Canon Martyn Davies , EVMA Leader; Rev Michael John , Part time Priest; Rev. Peter Watson , Part time Priest; Rev. Amanda Thomas , self-supporting Assistant Curate; Alex Rees (Church Warden – Rector’s appointment); Delyth Hurley (Church Warden – People’s appointment); Judith Roberts (Secretary); Anna Cory (Treasurer); Lynne Mordecai; Diana Powell; Katherine Kemp; Jane Warner; Alan Meredith; Gethin Rowlands; Martyn Evans; Judith Morris (Church representatives).
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Each Church’s MAC representatives are elected at the respective Congregational Meetings. The People’s Warden is proposed and elected at the Annual Vestry as are the officers.
(names in italics are members of the Ministry Area Leadership Team)
The MAC meets regularly approximately quarterly with a mee�ng of the MALT in between. Mee�ngs of the Church Commi�ees are received by the MAC and any issues concerning the EVMA as a body are discussed.
Our Charity Commission reference number is 1200840.
Outreach
A newsle�er is prepared weekly with the �mes of all church services and the allocated officia�ng priest and includes links to the website and the live-streamed services from St. Peter’s. It also includes details of forthcoming events in the various churches and communi�es, some�mes photographs of interest, contact details for the clergy and safeguarding officer, etc. This is circulated to the church coordinators who then distribute it by e-mail to their congrega�on and other interested par�es or by hard copies to those who are not on e-mail. The newsle�er is also uploaded to the website along with the clergy rota.
Most of our church porches act as places to deposit items donated to the Food Bank by the congrega�on as well as members of the local communi�es. The results of the regular collec�ons and the items urgently required are made known via social media. This is perceived by many to be a “Church-led” ini�a�ve which improves the visibility and standing of the church in the local community.
mornings, gi� days, concerts, cheese and wine evenings etc.
The Sunday Service at St Peter’s is live-streamed and can be accessed by anyone with the link on the newsle�er. Weddings, funeral and bap�sms can also be live streamed on request. We have ascertained that a great many people access the church service by this means every week. The link to access it is h�ps://ipcamlive.com/stpeterspeterstonsely .
Church Services
Each Church normally has a Eucharist Service every Sunday (St Mary’s, Bonvilston has a family Service on the first Sunday of the month and Holy Eucharist on the third Sunday). St Peter’s, Peterston-super-Ely has introduced an evening or afternoon (in winter months) choral service, usually on the last Sunday of the month where one in three services is Choral Evensong.
A mid-week Holy Eucharist is held every Wednesday at noon in St Peter’s with an average attendance of 8.
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In Lent there is an additional noon Eucharist at Llancarfan.
Usually, on the fifth Sunday of the month there is just one service in the EVMA at 10.30, with each church hosting the service in turn. This service is popular and usually attended by around 35 people. At this Eucharist one of the clergy or laity is usually interviewed.
The Clergy
We are grateful for the support, both in practical and pastoral terms, of our excellent clergy team. We are also fortunate to have been allocated Rachel Petley for the duration of her three-year training as an Ordinand. Rachel will remain with us as an Assistant Curate from June 2025.
Children’s Ministry
The clergy are regularly involved in school worship sessions with our Church in Wales primary schools (St Nicholas, Pendoylan and Peterston-super-Ely). “Open the Book” is now a regular fixture in all three schools involving the dramatization of Bible stories, with a Team including clergy and lay people. There is also a family worship service based in Pendoylan school every half term.
“Experience Easter” was once again held for the older children in our primary schools with the help of volunteers as well as clergy and was very well received.
“Life Path” was held for the second year in Llancarfan in June, involving year 5 children from all our church schools in exploring the lives of monks. This will be repeated in 2025.
Nevertheless, it has been difficult to engage families in the regular worship and life of the church outside the school day.
However, the schools now visit their local churches on a regular basis for worship and/or special occasions such as Remembrance Services, to which parents are invited.
Certain special services, such as the Pet Blessing Service at St Peter’s and Crib services, are well attended but have not resulted in any firm commitment by families to regular worship.
It is hoped to continue these events, moving around different churches in the EVMA, varying the themes and formats so as to engage with as many families as possible.
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Other Events
Second Tuesday Together . On the second Tuesday of each month a coffee morning is held at Bonvilston Reading Rooms beginning at 10.30am. There is regular attendance by clergy as well as a committed group of parishioners who enjoy the far-ranging conversation and cake. Rev Amanda is the contact person for this and lifts can be organised. In August an outing was arranged to Penarth Pier which was very much enjoyed and bears repeating in 2025.
Regular a�endees at Second Tuesday Together enjoying their ou�ng to Penarth Pier where they enjoyed coffee and enormous toasted teacakes.
Discussion groups take place on some Monday evenings at the homes of various participants. Discussions are sometimes based on courses recommended by the Diocese or, more recently, have focussed on a particular topic or book of interest. There are 14 members of the group, and anyone is welcome to join at any time. Please contact Rev Amanda for more information.
God in the Garden
At Pentecost, an event took place at the home of Rhian and Peter to celebrate the Church’s Birthday, with crafts, worship and cake! This event is taking place again on Pentecost Sunday 2025.
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The Electoral Roll
The total number on the Electoral Roll for the EVMA is 163 with the numbers for each church as follows:
St Dunwyd, WSD 15
St Cadoc’s, Llancarfan 30
St Illtyd’s, Llantrithyd 11
St Bride’s 14
St Cadoc’s Pendoylan 14
St Nicholas 18 St Mary’s Bonvilston 10 St Peter’s, Peterston-super-Ely 51
Church Buildings and Faculties applied for
replace exis�ng hea�ng system
St Illtyds Church - for tower repairs (list B applica�on)
St Brides Church - for new boiler
St Nicholas Church – toilets, new hea�ng system etc; and to dismantle lychgate; to replace exis�ng gates in churchyard with replicas, resurfacing pathway & provision of outside ligh�ng.
EVMA Financial Report for 2024
The consolidated accounts for 2024 show total unrestricted income of £153,971 and costs of £156,620. Unrestricted income of £8,000 and unrestricted costs of £84 have been designated by EVMA. This meant that at the end of the year there was an overall deficit of £2,649. There was a varia�on across the churches with St Peters and St Marys and St Donats showing surpluses for the year but all the other churches recording a deficit.
tax rebates.
Our biggest cost was the Fairer Share payment to the diocese towards the cost of our clergy of £84,004 which is 53% of our total expenditure from unrestricted funds. The other most significant costs were electricity of £12,353, church maintenance and repairs of £5,736 and church insurance of £6,970.
At the end of the year the total unrestricted reserves were £289,095, £8,498 being designated, which is a healthy posi�on. However again the posi�on varies across the churches with some having quite low levels of restricted reserves. It is also important to remember that we all have old buildings which require periodic costly maintenance which could quickly deplete those reserves.
Approved by order of the board of Trustees on __ and signed and its behalf by:
Anna Cory (Treasurer)
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INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF EAST VALE MINISTRY AREA 2024
Independent examiner's report to the trustees of East Vale Ministry Area
I report to the charity trustees on my examina�on of the accounts of East Vale Ministry Area (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31[st] December 2024.
Responsibili�es and basis of report
As the charity’s trustees, you are responsible for the prepara�on of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Chari�es Act 2011 ('the Act').
I report in respect of my examina�on of the Trust's accounts carried out under Sec�on 145 of the Act and in carrying out my examina�on I have followed all applicable Direc�ons given by the Charity Commission under Sec�on 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent examiner's statement
a�en�on in connec�on with the examina�on giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
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accoun�ng records were not kept in accordance with sec�on 130 of the Chari�es Act; or
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the accounts did not accord with the accoun�ng records; or
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the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Chari�es (Accounts and Reports) Regula�ons 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair’ view which is not a ma�er considered as part of an independent examina�on.
I have no concerns and have come across no other ma�ers in connec�on with the examina�on to which a�en�on should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Henry Lloyd Davies
Bevan Buckland LLP
Ground Floor Cardigan House Castle Court Swansea Enterprise Park Swansea SA7 9LA
Date: ___ 16th September 2025
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RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT 2024
| Receipts: Donations and legacies Receipts from charitable activities Other trading activities Investments Other receipts Total receipts Payments: Raising funds Payments on charitable activities Other payments Total payments Net receipts / (payments) resources before transfer Transfers: Gross transfers between funds - in Gross transfers between funds – out Other recognised gains / losses: Gains/losses on investment assets Gains on revaluation, fixed assets, charity's own use Net movement in funds Reconciliation of funds: Total funds brought forward Total funds carried forward |
Unrestricted Funds £ Unrestricted (Designated) Funds £ Restricted Funds £ Endowment Funds £ Total Funds £ Prior Year Total Funds £ 103,894 8,000 39,109 - 151,003 104,722 6,794 - 3,241 - 10,035 12,334 23,093 - - - 23,093 26,202 12,090 - 2,046 - 14,136 8,477 100 - 4,406 - 4,506 - |
|---|---|
| 145,971 8,000 48,802 - 202,773 151,735 1,283 - - - 1,283 2,861 155,253 84 63,228 - 218,566 155,885 - - - - - - |
|
| 156,536 84 63,228 - 219,849 158,746 |
|
| (10,565) 7,916 (14,426) - (17,075) (7,011) |
|
| - - 20 - 20 89,211 - - (20) - (20) (89,211) 1,442 - 678 - 2,120 2,968 - - - - - - |
|
| (9,123) 7,916 (13,748) - (14,955) (4,043) 289,720 582 231,679 - 521,981 526,024 |
|
| 280,597 8,498 217,931 - 507,026 521,981 |
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STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES 2024
| Current assets Debtors Investments Cash at Bank and in Hand Liabilities Total assets less liabilities Represented by: Unrestricted General Fund Designated Bonvilston 100 Club St Nicholas Appeal St Nicholas Enhanced Entrance St Georges Churchyards Restricted Bonvilston Chancel Repair Fund Bonvilston Churchyard Bonvilston Special Purposes Bonvilston Tower Children’s Fund Diocesan Grant Incumbent’s Fund Friends of St Illtyd’s PSE Organ Fund Pendoylan Bells Pendoylan Chancel Repair Fund Restoration Project Simon Gibson Trust St Brides Churchyard St Nicholas Appeal St Nicholas Churchyard St Nicholas Enhanced Entrance St Georges Churchyard WSD Chancel Repair Fund WSD Churchyard Funds Total |
Unrestricted Funds £ Unrestricted (Designated) Funds £ Restricted Funds £ Endowment Funds £ At 31/12/2024 £ At 31/12/2023 £ - - 21 - 21 20 26,319 - 63,696 - 90,015 104,929 254,278 8,498 154,214 - 416,990 417,031 |
|---|---|
| 280,597 8,498 217,931 - 507,026 521,981 |
|
| - - - - - - |
|
| 280,597 8,498 217,931 - 507,026 521,981 |
|
| 280,597 - - - 280,597 289,720 - 477 - - 477 477 - (84) - - (84) - - 8,000 - - 8,000 - - 105 - - 105 105 - - 1,460 - 1,460 1,460 - - 164 - 164 164 - - 5,099 - 5,099 5,099 - - 21,305 - 21,305 21,305 - - 122 - 122 567 - - 1,761 - 1,761 1,761 - - 1,108 - 1,108 1,108 - - 320 - 320 - - - 2,940 - 2,940 2,940 - - 16,499 - 16,499 15,862 - - 9,417 - 9,417 8,729 - - 43,634 - 43,634 43,634 - - 38,371 - 38,371 33,371 - - (593) - (593) (1,626) - - 51,901 - 51,901 74,410 - - 2,459 - 2,459 1,855 - - 832 - 832 - - - 1,009 - 1,009 941 - - 3,011 - 3,011 2,770 - - 17,112 - 17,112 17,329 |
|
| 280,597 8,498 217,931 - 507,026 521,981 |
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