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2025-12-31-accounts

Annual Report & Financial Statements 2025

Registered with the Charity Commission for England & Wales as the Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St Clement, Sandwich. Charity Number: 1201047

Parish Office, St Clement’s Hall, Church Street St Clement’s, Sandwich, Kent, CT13 9EH admin@stclementsandwich.org.uk 020 3089 4745 www.stclementsandwich.org.uk

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2025 Annual Report
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The Parochial Church Council (PCC) constitutes a registered charity, number 1201047. The PCC members who have served from the APCM in April 2025 until the date of this report were:

Rector (ex officio) Deanery Synod Representative (ex officio) Elected PCC Member (Sacristan) Elected PCC Member (Parish Safeguarding Officer) Elected PCC Member (Hon. Secretary) Churchwarden (ex officio) Elected PCC Member Elected PCC Member Elected PCC Member (Hon. Treasurer) Elected PCC Member Elected PCC Member Churchwarden (ex officio) Elected PCC Member (Electoral Roll Officer) Deanery Synod Representative (ex officio)

The Reverend Sebastian J.M. Hamilton Dawn Baxter-Phillips Diane Coller Lin Connor Rosalind Daniels Howard Evans Sal Higgins Derek Kirkaldie Stephen Kirkpatrick Emma Montgomery Andrew Motion Valerie Oates Angela Trim Kevin Wright Richard Palmer serves as Gift Aid Secretary.

Objectives and Activities

Canterbury. The correspondence address is the Parish Office, St Clement’s Hall, Church Street St Clement’s, Sandwich, Kent, CT13 9EH.

complied with the duty in section 4 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit, Charities and Public Benefit.

The PCC is responsible for co-operating with the Rector in promoting within the ecclesiastical parish the whole mission of the Church: pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. The PCC also has maintenance responsibilities for St Clement’s Church, the Rectory, the Hall and the Churchyard.

Structure, Governance & Management

The Churchwardens are as set out in the Churchwardens Measure 2001 and are ex officio members of the PCC. Deanery Synod and other PCC members are elected as set out in the Church Representation Rules. PCC members are trustees of the charity. All church attendees are encouraged to register on the Electoral Roll.

Electoral Roll

During the year following the preparation of a new Electoral Roll in 2025, there have been five additions to the roll and the names of seven members have been removed. Of those removed, six have died and one has moved away from the area. A recent annual review and revision of the role has now been undertaken and the number of names listed on the roll currently stands at 135.

Administrative Information

St Clement’s Church is situated on the sole rise of land in the Ancient Cinque Port Town of Sandwich in the Benefice of Sandwich (St Clement) and Worth (St Peter & St Paul). It is part of the Church of England and is in the Diocese of

Public Benefit Statement

The trustees confirm that they have

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Rector’s Report
Fr Sebastian Hamilton
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In 2025 we continued to live out the vision of our Warm Welcome Project:

TEACHING & PRAYING

The Christian life begins and ends with worship and prayer – all our mission flows out from it, and we bear all things back up in prayer again. Therefore worship and prayer should be our first consideration.

Holy Communion according to the Book of Common Prayer 1662 is celebrated each Sunday at 8:00am, and on Wednesdays at 10:00am. The Parish Eucharist is sung each Sunday at 10:30am. Said or Sung Eucharists have been offered on other days for Feasts or pastoral reasons throughout the year. A huge debt of gratitude is owed to all who have contributed to our worship by acting as sidespeople, readers, intercessors, and servers, along with those who prepare refreshments, and to all who contribute by their presence and willingness to welcome new members of the congregation and visitors. In 2025 we undertook a Congregational Survey, taking the mood of our whole community, a ‘Participating at St Clement’s’ volunteering drive, and a survey on ideas for gentle reordering of the church. Thank you to all those who have engaged so fully with these – it is the positivity, hope, and commitment in our life together that have driven some of our record attendance figures, and our steady growth Sunday by Sunday.

I am grateful to share licensed ministry here with, and be blessed personally by, the Rev’d Robin Bendall, the Rev’d Dr Jeanne Males, the Rev’d Howard Pashley, and our Reader Derek Kirkaldie. While +Michael Turnbull has now retired from licensed ministry, I am so pleased that he continues to advise and minister to us all in many other ways. Of course our Choir is at the heart of so much of our worshipping life, and I pay great tribute to Julian Sampson in particular for leading their life during 2025.

We looked beyond our walls by sharing time with several ordinands/Curates on placement, welcoming the Dean of Canterbury Cathedral to preach for Corpus Christi, and the Bishop of Dover for Remembrance Sunday. We were also honoured to be chosen as the face of the Church of England for the Feast of Candlemas, with the National Online (prerecorded) Service coming from St Clement’s, and having more than 250,000 views.

Ecumenical links are maintained primarily through Churches Together in Sandwich, with an ecumenical outdoor service in Holy Week and prayer breakfasts on occasion throughout the year.

This year we celebrated twelve Baptisms at St Clement’s (double 2024). Five weddings took place (the same as 2024), and twenty seven individuals had a funeral, thanksgiving service, and/or internment of ashes at St Clement’s (across 35 services).

Funeral ministry is therefore an important part of our life at St Clement’s, and a key way in which we serve the wider community.

CHILDREN & YOUNG PEOPLE

St Clement’s supports many of our local schools. I am a Governor at Sir Roger Manwood’s Grammar School, and we host (or are involved in arranging) several services for them throughout the year. In 2025 I led a number of Year 7 Religious Education visits to St Clement’s, teaching how we use our building to live out Holy Week. We also host the Year Seven Christmas Carol Service for Sandwich Technology School, and 2025 has seen a much deeper relationship growing between the Church and School under their new Headmaster. Our relationship with Sandwich Infant School continues to develop – including several visits to the church from classes for lessons on Christianity and church buildings, and I have led several sessions within the School too. I still cannot go walking around the town at 3:40pm without getting many ‘Hello Fr Sebastian!’ greetings from pupils of all ages.

Alongside our school engagement we support the weekly Toddler Group meeting in our Church Hall. I undertook an excellent Diocesan training course on how Churches with few young people can still build growth, and the PCC are continuing to explore an exciting proposal for music work

with young people, along with other events and activities.

PASTORAL CARE

Pastoral and social care of the parish is offered faithfully by members of the congregation, because this is a responsibility that we all share. A time for fellowship is particularly available at the weekly Friday morning Coffee Pot in the Hall.

I have also made many visits to people at home or in hospital, and during 2025 a great number from St Clement’s have discerned a call to form a new Pastoral Care Team, which will be an exciting development during 2026.

TOURISM & VISITORS

I have been quietly working with interested parties during 2025 to develop new tourism initiatives, for launch after Easter 2026. With a new guidebook, audio tour (featuring members of the congregation), children’s booklets, and ‘Quick Guide’ maps St Clement’s should be a great destination for tourists, while not losing the peace and holiness of its role as a church. New leaflets and posters are being developed to be distributed across the town

with maps (and a QR code to open a map to St Clement’s on one’s mobile phone), to encourage visitors to our town not to miss us!

LITTLE GARDENS OF SANDWICH

The return of Little Gardens was a great success, with many thanks to Rhys Llewellyn-Harries and the whole Committee. More than 420 visitors joined us, and £8,452 income was raised. Thanks to all who contributed raffle prizes, which helped to raise the profile of the event, as well as raising a great deal in its own right.

ENGAGEMENT WITH THE WIDER PARISH

St Clement’s has a role, through members of the congregation informally, or more formally through myself, with virtually every organisation and aspect of life in Sandwich. The Parish Church has a unique role in being a ‘non-partisan’ place in which to draw people and groups together. In addition to my role as Chaplain to the Mayor of Sandwich, I have also become a Trustee of the Jubilee Centre, keen to help discern their future as virtually the only public building in South

Sandwich.

Social media continues to be an important way of connecting with local people, sharing more of our life with our parish and breaking down preconceptions.

AND FINALLY...

Finally (but certainly not least), often hidden in the Parish Office but so vital to our life, it has continued to be a great pleasure to work with Caroline Flynn, our Parish Administrator. We all benefit from her dedication and hard work – I come away from every meeting with her feeling lighter for the sharing of work, and sharing of laughter.

I also thank Diane Coller who, though handing back her Churchwarden’s wand, has taken up the duties of Sacristan, and without whom we simply couldn’t pray in the same way. Val Oates has begun to make the role of Churchwarden her own since her election in May, and I am deeply thankful for the sharing of ministry with her, and with Howard who continues to be a tower of strength and wise counsel. To them, to all our Officers, and all who work so hard to make St Clement’s a place of joy I give great thanks.

Candidate Profiles

2026 Annual Parochial Church Meeting of St Clement’s Church

Rebecca Blake Candidate for PCC Member (Hon Treasurer)

I am a regular worshipper at St Clement's and also a qualified chartered accountant. The role of Treasurer is becoming vacant, and I feel that it is a role in which I will genuinely be able to serve the Church.

Diane Coller

Candidate for PCC Member (Sacristan)

I was previously Churchwarden at St Clement's for six years and have served on the PCC for a number of years. I look forward to continuing to serve and support our Church community, as it grows, in whatever way I am able.

Lin Connor

Candidate for PCC Member (Parish Safeguarding Officer)

I have worshipped at St Clement’s Church for 10 years and been on the PCC for 2 years. I have been Parish Safeguarding Officer for a year and feel very strongly that our Church must be a safe place for all.

Rosalind Daniels Candidate for PCC Member (Hon Secretary)

I have over 10 years’ experience acting in the role of secretary for local charities. As a regular worshipper at St Clement's, and PCC Secretary for the past year, I will be glad to continue to serve our church community in this role if re-appointed.

Howard Evans

Candidate for Churchwarden

I have served as churchwarden for the past four years and now offer myself for re-election for a further year.

Sal Higgins

Candidate for PCC Member

I joined the PCC last year because I was interested to find out more about how the church is run and how I might contribute to church life. I joined the choir last year, so I also represent that aspect of our church within the PCC. I am part of the team working to become Anna Friends as I believe pastoral care is a valuable resource for both our congregation and our wider community and this was an opportunity for me to use skills I’ve honed during my career, outside my work life. I have enjoyed my first year on the PC and look forward to continuing this next year.

Derek Kirkaldie Candidate for PCC Member

I am a Reader, Licensed Lay Minister, and Anna Chaplain with a passion for teaching and preaching the Bible and supporting older people within the parish community. I am also a member of the church choir and bring extensive experience of Parochial Church Councils to my ministry and service.

Candidate Profiles (continued)

Emma Montgomery Candidate for PCC Member

I have lived and worshipped at St Clement’s for the last five years and enjoy supporting our church community in all its activities and events, especially as a member of the choir.

Val Oates

Candidate for Churchwarden

Having sung in St Clement’s choir for over 26 years, I was elected as a member of the PCC in 2022 and learned a lot about church life during the Interregnum! Although still so much to learn, I was honoured to be appointed Churchwarden at the APCM in 2025 and with the help of my learned colleagues and the Rector, I hope I can be a support to the Rector, the Church and the congregation.

Ann Trim

Candidate for PCC Member (Electoral Roll Officer)

I have had close connections with St Clement's Church for many years. I was baptized and confirmed here and was also a teacher at the Sunday School. I love the church and my role as Electoral Roll Officer has given me the opportunity to learn more about the workings of St Clement's, its place in history and to provide support as a volunteer.

Katharine Wilkinson

Candidate for PCC Member

I have previously served as a member of The Guild at St Brides Church, Fleet Street, London EC4Y 8AU. Since moving to Sandwich I have benefitted from attending both the 8.00am and 10.30am services. I would be honoured to serve on the PCC to help support the life of the Church and contribute to its strategic direction for the benefit of the community in Sandwich.

Kevin Wright

Candidate for Deanery Synod Representative

Being on The Deanery Synod gives me an opportunity to see how our Deanery works with the Diocese and indeed the whole Anglican Communion. Sharing different aspects of other parishes, both from a governance and a liturgical perspective, is also helpful and refreshing in moving forward in our faith journey.

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Churchwarden’s Report
Val Oates
Howard Evans
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During 2025, the wardens by the PCC later this year and, continued to have regular if acceptable, be open for wider discussions with the Rector, the neighbourhood consultation. Revd Sebastian Hamilton, on We continue to be thankful to parish, church and church fabric Barry Brooks and his team of matters.

We continue to be thankful to Barry Brooks and his team of volunteers who work often and long to maintain and improve the vegetation and general tidiness of the churchyard.

Caroline Flynn, our administrator, has relieved us all of much routine administration of church and hall activity. We are grateful for her cheerful assiduity and conscientiousness.

Fabric, Goods & Ornaments

The Warm Welcome Project This was launched in autumn 2024. This Project will inform, where appropriate, much of the re-ordering within and of the fabric over the coming years. Initial congregation consultation about gentle internal re-ordering was undertaken in January 2026.

CHURCHYARD

Our intention is to maintain and improve the churchyard and enhance its appearance.

The strip of land in the churchyard extension next to the rectory garden boundary is now the site for the burial of cremated remains and related memorials to form a double row. Faculty application was submitted in late 2023 though formal approval is still awaited. In consequence, revised plans for this area and the closed Garden of Remembrance (before the north porch) will be considered

Heating The replacement gas boiler installed in winter 2024/25 has performed well. To help maintain the fabric and organ the heating is now kept at about 13 degrees C and higher when there are services. The work has not yet been formally signed off as the external temperature sensor must

be removed from facing the rising sun which leads to false external vernal and autumnal readings.

Floor Tiles The chancel floor tiles and ledger stones, the crossing terracotta floor tiles, the ledger stones and floor tiles in the main aisle and east end of the nave and baptistery and in the St Margaret’s chapel were professionally cleaned and lightly renovated in September and October 2025. After an exploratory test, the Victorian tiles behind the High Altar were also revealed.

Maintenance Arising from the quinquennial survey of 2024, estimates have recently been sought for the recommended routine fabric repairs notably to many of the window frames. From initial enquiries, this work is likely to involve extensive scaffolding of the building and a significant portion of the overall expense. Therefore, staging of the work over, say, three or four years - as funding permits – may prove challenging. There will be no remission of VAT for future repair work.

All routine cleaning and clearance of gullies and gutters most recently in January 2026, has been done. Regular inspections for insurance purposes have been completed. An annual asbestos inspection was conducted in May 2025.

Misericord Faculty permission for repair of the Misericord has been received. The repair is expected to be completed over this summer.

Vestry Roof This roof leaked during heavy rainfalls in September and October 2025. Although manifestly urgent, the initial application for a ‘light’ faculty permission recommended by the diocese was rejected and a full faculty permission had to be sought. This was received in March 2026 and the main work was begun on 23rd April 2026. The work to make good the damaged plasterwork on the interior may not be completed until later this year.

The Tower The replacement tower flagpole should also be

completed this year. Almost all the work involved with the flagpole replacement will be covered by our insurers. We are grateful to Martin Thorley and Bruce Williams for supervising this work with our Inspecting Architect as scheduling the various contractors involved has proved challenging.

General Observation The diocesan faculty procedure can be laborious and slow, while the specialist contractors are few and very busy so that sensible scheduling from a church perspective can be difficult.

Church Hall

The gutters and gullies were cleared. Necessary toilet repairs were undertaken with the local plumber, together with an urgent repair to the hot water tank. All regular insurance inspections have been undertaken.

The gutter and gullies clearance

has revealed two or three points of water ingress temporarily repaired which point to more serious remedial work on the hall roof in the future when funds permit.

Health & Safety Policy and Risk Assessments

The Health and Safety Policy, Risk Assessments and Fire Risk Assessments have all been reviewed recently, being completed at the beginning of March 2025 and again in March 2026.

We also received a site survey from Ecclesiastical Insurance in March 2026 in which the church was congratulated for its conscientious carefulness.

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Churchyard
Rediscovered
Project
Barry Brooks
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St Clement’s Churchyard visitors can linger, relax and reflect continues to play its part in the on the wonders of the natural world life of St Clement’s Church, its as well as their restorative powers. congregation, the Sandwich Community and the many Our main aims and ambitions for visitors to the town. The profile the churchyard remain essentially of the work of the volunteers has the same and once again the spring been celebrated in various forms flowers have been beautiful and, as throughout the year and as a I write this report, the churchyard group we are continually buoyed is adorned by blossom from our and consistently motivated by several cherry trees. Last spring the many positive comments the number of bulbs donated by we receive from those passing members of the congregation through the churchyard and the dramatically increased so this year support of the Rector and the the Spring Bulb Meadow has been Churchwardens. Importantly, the especially beautiful where each churchyard continues to provide small flower adds its own special a haven for local wildlife and a character of form and colour to the welcoming environment where tapestry that carpets part of the

Our main aims and ambitions for the churchyard remain essentially the same and once again the spring flowers have been beautiful and, as I write this report, the churchyard is adorned by blossom from our several cherry trees. Last spring the number of bulbs donated by members of the congregation dramatically increased so this year the Spring Bulb Meadow has been especially beautiful where each small flower adds its own special character of form and colour to the tapestry that carpets part of the north churchyard. We have been asked so many questions about the meadow that we have sited a small plinth with an explanation next to the path and this has already resulted in several bags of spring bulbs appearing in the north porch. As a consequence, we expect next year’s meadow to be an even more colourful.

The Peggy Rosseter Bee Garden

As referenced in the main report, Janet and Richard have taken over the care of the garden, which is benefitting enormously from their work. The small wildflower bed created during winter 2024 has flowered for the first time and looks wonderful. Once again, the Crocus Walk leading to the Bee Garden provided an early sign of spring with its flickering purple carpet.

Our work in the churchyard has been greatly enhanced by a number of new volunteers who have enabled us to extend our

work in clearing and tending long lost graves as well as managing the more invasive species of plants such as Alexanders, Brambles, Elder, Hogweed and Ivy. All flora are welcome in our wilderness areas but by clearing invasive species we are enabling the wildflowers such as Anemones, Cyclamen and Primroses to flourish. New volunteers also bring with them new ideas and in the coming years we hope that the new wildflower

The St Clement’s Apiary

The copies of our second edition of our bee booklet are almost gone and Paul is preparing the text for our third edition which we hope to publish later in the year. The apiary itself is in rude health and, as outlined above, our colonies continue to develop and increase. Last summer we benefitted from the generosity of a retired beekeeper, Conrad Garret, who donated a hive and many other pieces of bee equipment to the project. We continue to look to increase our number of bee custodians and Mark Blamey has recently joined our ranks.

Garden

Reflections and prayers in the Churchyard

Rev Dr Jeanne Males, Chaplain to the St Clement’s Bees, regularly writes prayers and reflections which follow both the Church Calendar and the Seasons of Nature. We are gradually gathering these together with drawings and photographs and at some point will produce a booklet or make these available on our website.

meadow, initiated by new volunteer, Susan Harvey, which is being nurtured in the east of the churchyard parallel to Knightrider Street, will add another colourful dimension for visitors in the summer. More modest in scale but equally impressive is the raised wildflower bed behind the apiary garden which is currently full of Honesty. We await to see whether the flowers will gradually be replaced by shimmering silver seed pods in the coming months. I am pleased to say that our good relationship with DDC remains in place and they have continued

Spring Bulb Meadow

We were delighted that the Rector chose a photograph of the meadow to adorn the front cover of the Church Notes for Easter Day. The meadow in the Churchyard has once again provided a beautiful spring attraction as first Crocuses, then Daffodils followed by Tulips appear among the swiftly growing Queen Anne’s Lace which will eventually take over and produce white clouds of flowers drifting right across the Churchyard. A plinth describing the aims of the meadow has been sited alongside the path in the hope that we may receive more bulb donations from interested parties.

to strim the agreed areas close to St Clement’s on a regular basis and are remarkably diligent in removing the many bags of green waste collected by the volunteers. I am confident that the DDC Team led by Darran Solley will continue their support in the coming year despite them having to manage severe budget cuts.

Our use of social media continues to raise the profile of, and interest in, the Churchyard both locally and nationally. At the time of this report our private Facebook page, St Clement’s Churchyard Rediscovered, has 117 followers, and our e-mail group of Churchyard Friends over 50 members. In addition, this year we have introduced a WhatsApp Group so that our more active volunteers can arrange working parties or just keep each other informed of when they intend to be in the churchyard. We are very

C h u r c h y a r d Donations and Funds

We are grateful for the continued support of Steve Kirkpatrick, the PCC Treasurer, who manages our finances and makes sure that our funds are in a healthy state. The Churchyard Project has continued to attract a range of financial and other support over the past year from individuals and groups. Last autumn our lawnmower finally decided to retire and we were grateful that the PCC generously funded a replacement. Project funds continue to be supplemented by donations for the honey we harvest two or three times each season as well as for copies of Echoes from the Past. These donations enable us to buy equipment and other essentials.

The Birds of St Clement’s

The content for our booklet entitled Birds of St The Clement’s has been produced but publication has stalled somewhat with the passing of our editor, Jean Garforth. We are working to find a solution that will enable the last project that Jean was involved in to be realised.

excited about our next venture into the world of social media where we have another new volunteer with expertise in web design, as a result of which we are now well on our way to having a website dedicated to our project. Once this is up and running, we will announce its arrival in the Sunday Church Notes and through our other social media outlets.

For many people St Clement’s Honeybees are best described as the ‘star attraction’ of our project, as their fame has spread throughout Sandwich. We are regularly asked ‘How are the bees?’ or ‘Where can we get some St Clement’s Honey?’ Such questions are really only the tip of the iceberg as far as the apiary and the bee garden are concerned. Whenever we are working in the apiary, we meet visitors who want to know about our bees and ask questions about them. We are now close to having distributed the second series of our bee booklets

The St Clement’s Labyrinth

As we clear more of the churchyard, we have identified a piece of ground where we could site a labyrinth. The original idea came from Anni Harrison-Brooks and received the support of the Rector. The planning is at an early stage but the concept is to provide a space for meditation and reflection and is in the long tradition of labyrinths in churches and churchyards.

Swifts in St Clement’s Tower

to give talks on our project and during the year we have visited Woodnesborough Gardening Society, hosted Age UK in the churchyard and participated in the National Green Week and The Little Gardens of Sandwich where talks were given in the apiary itself. As in previous years the apiary has featured in Sandwich Arts Week with bee poems sited on plinths in the apiary. A key occasion in the Churchyard calendar is The Blessing of the Bees. Last year this took place on St Benedict’s Feast Day, Friday 11th July at noon. Once again, a large group of visitors, members of the community as well as Coffee Pot members gathered in the Apiary Garden where Rev Dr Jeanne Males, Chaplain to the St Clement’s Bees conducted a short Service, Anni and Barry Brooks sang the Bee Boys Song and the event concluded with refreshments. This year the Blessing will take place on Friday 10th July at noon and everyone is invited.

With the support of the Tower Captain and the encouragement of the Rector we have produced a plan for installing Swift Boxes in the tower. This plan has been agreed by the PCC and we are awaiting agreement of the Church Architect before we seek the final support of the Archdeacon.

and are preparing the text and photographs for a third version. So far, we have distributed just under 800 booklets to visitors. Since last year Janet and Richard have taken a keen interest in the Apiary Garden and it has benefited from their care, attention and skills. Richard has even installed two water butts to collect rainwater from the roof of the Gardener’s Hut so that he can more easily water the many new plants that Janet is planting. Although we had a cold, damp winter our 4 colonies of honeybees survived in tact perhaps in part because we did not take a late autumn honey harvest last year and left each hive with a full Super of honey. We believe that in addition to making sure the bees had a good source of winter food the full Supers also helped insulate the hives. Whatever the reason, the bees are flourishing and visitors to the apiary will currently see 5 full hives and one full Nucleus, all thriving despite the uncertain weather. We also have one empty hive and a small empty demonstration hive awaiting further swarms or colony splits. Visitors may also notice a wall mounted ‘Swarm Lure’ to the left of the apiary, which is there in case a colony swarms in our absence and fancies a new residence.

Perhaps the most important event full Super of honey. We believe of the year was the launch of Echoes that in addition to making sure the from the Past, Jean Garforth’s and bees had a good source of winter Lynne O’Donoghue’s booklet on food the full Supers also helped the history of the Churchyard, the insulate the hives. Whatever the people laid to rest there and the reason, the bees are flourishing and history and customs associated visitors to the apiary will currently with bereavement. The printing of see 5 full hives and one full this full colour booklet was funded Nucleus, all thriving despite the by a grant from KCC’s Member’s uncertain weather. We also have Fund supported by Councillor one empty hive and a small empty Sue Chandler. The launch took demonstration hive awaiting place in St Clement’s on Saturday further swarms or colony splits. 31st May and was attended by Visitors may also notice a wall nearly 100 people. Copies of the mounted ‘Swarm Lure’ to the left booklet have been available in of the apiary, which is there in case the church since that time with a a colony swarms in our absence suggested donation to the project and fancies a new residence. of £10 which will be used to fund a future reprint. Alongside A key element of the project is our the publication of the booklet outreach programme where we Jean and Lynne also produced a seek to educate people on aspects free leaflet detailing a tour of the of our flora and fauna. We continue churchyard which highlighted a

small selection of their favourite tombs and graves. Guided tours were also offered during the Little Gardens event. The success of Echoes was overshadowed by the sudden and unexpected death of Jean in the autumn. She was one of our first and most dedicated volunteers and we all miss her terribly. Lynne has continued to work on their research and gave a talk, dedicated to Jean’s memory, to The Sandwich History Society earlier this year, which served to stimulate even more interest in their research.

A project such as ours can only be sustained with the commitment and dedication of volunteers. This year we have welcomed an influx of several individuals all of whom bring with them a range of ideas and skills. We held a meeting of volunteers on Saturday 7th March which was attended by over 20 individuals. A work plan for 2026 was discussed and agreed and this has resulted in the churchyard looking wonderful this spring.

The Churchyard continues to provide the beautiful setting that St Clement’s Church deserves. As new volunteers join us, new ideas are shared, as a consequence of which the rediscovery of St Clement’s Churchyard is enhanced and enriched, securing the future of the project: a joy for us all.

St Clement’s Trees and The Flowers and Plants of St Clement’s

Work on these booklets has been put on hold as we look for a solution following the loss of Jean Garforth’s skills. It may be that the St Clement’s Churchyard Rediscovered website can provide an ideal home for the photographs, drawings and text that have been produced.

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Choir & Organ
Julian Sampson
Director of Music
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“When you sing, you pray twice” is a phrase frequently attributed to St. Augustine of Hippo. Thus

the choir continues to thrive and enjoy the huge variety of music that it prepares and sings as part of our Sunday services and for special events. We continue to maintain a very quick turnaround of music, usually learning it on the Friday night and performing it on the Sunday morning. This is all made possible by the loyalty of the membership, our collective teamwork but also, to be frank, a willingness of members to come out on a Friday night whatever the weather or circumstance. Very few parish churches in small towns such as ours have a competent robed four-part choir that sings on a regular basis, and to such a standard that we are invited and welcomed to sing elsewhere and at cathedrals. We are hugely encouraged and supported by our clergy and loyal congregation as we contribute to church life here at St Clement’s and at Worth.

Weekly music continues to be very diverse and over the past months we have sung not only in the traditional religious languages of English and Latin, but also in French, German and Hebrew. We follow the church’s seasons and complement the services with seasonal music at Advent, Christmas, during Holy Week and Easter. Each Sunday usually also has a specific theme appearing in the readings and the communion music often follows this same theme. For me, the singing of the psalm each Sunday in the traditional Book of Common Prayer language is

particularly satisfying.

It is also a privilege to sing for specific events within our town such as the civic services and we are looking forward to the 800th Mayoral celebrations next month where we will perform a specially composed anthem for this occasion. Remembrance Sunday is always a poignant time and last year we sang the Karl Jenkins Requiem liturgically and in January the choir marked the 81st Anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz on World Holocaust Day. These solemn events allow us to sing particularly moving and emotional music.

Following our well-established tradition, it has been a great pleasure and privilege to sing “in other quires and places”. We sang Evensong at Canterbury Cathedral in October in a service particularly dedicated to Beryl’s memory with music that we knew she loved. The Canterbury services are livestreamed on YouTube and so the choir performs to many thousands in a global congregation. We had hoped to sing at Southwark Cathedral in 2025, but this had to be postponed until October this year. We will now achieve our 40th Cathedral service since we started these trips in 2008 and indeed it was at Southwark that we had our very first cathedral sing. This is a true milestone for a small choir such as ours, having sung at Westminster Abbey 5 times, St Paul’s and Southwark Cathedrals and ventured to such far flung cathedrals aa Norwich, Peterborough, St Albans and Winchester as well as those

closer to home.

We are indeed only a small choir and benefit hugely from Robert’s accompanying skills and support. The ethos of the choir is very much as a team and this year we have been particularly remembering and supporting those members with ill health and unable to be with us on our weekly journey through a hugely varied musical repertoire that is underpinned by our strong resolve to keep music at the forefront in St Clements. New members are always welcome to join this friendly band and in this past year we have welcomed Phil Price and Sal Higgins to our ranks. The choir’s social life is exemplified by its annual Epiphany Sunday lunch with our spouses and families at the Bell Hotel.

Following the very significant work carried out on the organ in 2024 we have seen the instrument continue to settle down as the intricate timberwork reacts to the changing temperatures and humidity in the church as the new heating has taken effect. The more constant temperature regime has been of great benefit and enhances the longevity of this wonderful example of church organ craftsmanship. Whilst we haven’t had any formal organ recitals this year, the church has hosted Deal Festival and Choral Concerts and plans are afoot for a special organ event later this year.

Thank you for your continued congregational support.

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Deanery Synod
Dawn Baxter-Phillips
Kevin Wright
Deanery Synod Representatives
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During the year, three meetings of the Sandwich Deanery Synod were held.

At the June Meeting, farewell was bidden and thanks were given to the Reverend Chris Spencer who would be leaving St George’s, Deal in July. Reverend Lindsay Yates, who is the Generous Giving Advisor to the Canterbury Diocese, gave a very useful Presentation on how to make generous giving easier. This included the use of card machines and a discussion on Gift Aid. The importance of Legacies was also stressed. She and her colleague Vicky Alford, the Generous Giving Officer offered to help with putting materials together for Giving Campaigns.

In our October Meeting a Presentation was given by Alyne Godfrey, Net Zero Officer for the Canterbury Diocese. She outlined steps that could be taken to help achieve the challenging C of E’s Target of reaching net zero by 2030. This was followed by an interesting discussion around Eco Church.

The February Meeting was of special interest to St Clement’s. Father Sebastian, having taken up his appointment as Area Dean, welcomed everyone to the Meeting and expressed his gratitude for the good wishes he had received since his appointment was announced. There then followed an excellent Presentation by our own Licensed Reader, Derek Kirkaldie, which

focused on the path to becoming a Licensed Reader and the challenges and joys of the role. He explained the various processes, then outlined his own personal journey, concluding with the joys of the Ministry. He also appealed for more Readers in the Sandwich Deanery. The training itself can take up to 3 to 4 years.

As at all Meetings, any relevant Deanery information regarding changes to Clergy in the Parishes, financial matters, safeguarding and general Deanery news, was also shared and disseminated as necessary to Parishes.

More detailed Minutes are always available for further reading.

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Churches in Society
Ken Young
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The object of the charity is to promote and support the welfare and well-being of people, voluntary/self-help groups and organisations within the Sandwich Deanery (Deal, Warmer and the Sandwich area of Kent), by provision of grants that meet the

social and environmental needs within these areas. Grants are only awarded to groups that are registered charities.

The trustees are appointed by the Sandwich Deanery, and meet six times a year. The three Winter meetings are held by Zoom

and the three summer meetings at St. George’s Church, Deal. The following are the Charity registered groups awarded grants in the past year-end and approved by the Trustees.

Hope for tomorrow Cancer treatment close to home £600 DW7K Rowing Club New ores £400 St. Andrew’s PCC Access ramp £600 Hope for tomorrow Cancer treatment close to home £400 Deal Air Cadets Paddle boards £650 Upper Deal Ministries Helping the Homeless £650 Clarion Housing C’bury Women’s Shelter £1000

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Church Hall
Caroline Flynn
Parish Administrator
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St Clement’s Church Hall running. continues to be well used during the week for various activities and classes. There are a wide range of activities/classes offered, including Tai Chi, Pilates, Yoga, Active for Life classes, Ballet, Toddler Group, Coffee Pot, Chess, Jive classes, Workout & Worship, Singing, Fitness classes, Table Tennis and a Men’s Circle Group. There are currently a few available times for hire across the week due to some clubs no longer

The Advent Coffee Morning and Raffle held at the beginning of December proved very popular; an excellent £700 was raised for St Clement’s Funds.

A defibrillator was installed in May last year, which was jointly funded by The Sandwich Rotary and a Quiz Night organised by Anna Upton.

A few problems with the hot

water early this year, resulted in replacement parts within the immersion heater, this resolved the issue. The main entrance door to the hall was repaired and redecorated along with a rotting windowsill.

Grateful thanks again to Jennie Bradshaw for continuing to look after the garden grounds around the hall, it has made a huge difference and is looking lovely.

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Bell Ringing
Jan Raes
Tower Captain
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Following on from our AGM in May last year, it has been one of the busiest bellringing years for us all. We have grown in numbers as a team, tightened up on our ringing skills and new connections have been made with neighbouring towers which has united us all and helped to give us a larger pool of ringers to call upon.

Notable ringing occasions at St.Clements have been The Little Gardens of Sandwich ringing demonstration attracting over 30 visitors, 6 wedding celebrations, Heritage Open Day demonstrations again attracting 30 plus visitors including the Mayor and Deputy Mayor, a Memorial Service, Remembrance Sunday service, 8 Christmas services , Evensong Ring for Sebastian as

he became Area Dean, Maundy Thursday ring together with Easter Sunday service all these occasions being in addition to practice days, Sunday Family Service rings and more.

This year as a team we have attended KCACR District Ringing Meetings, a District Ringing outing to village towers within our district, took part joining our neighbouring church of Ash in ringing at a number of towers in Thanet. We have welcomed a flurry of visitors keen to ring our bells and welcomed an attempt of a Peal in memory of a past Tower Captain. We have played host to a District Practice where rare methods have been successfully rung. We proudly came 6th in the 2026 Striking Competition

held at Littlebourne and enjoyed our own organised tower tour. At Christmas we celebrated our ringing friendships together at The Bell Hotel.

We continue to encourage and welcome new membership and learners, this year adding three new ringers to our band thus enabling a wider pool of ringers to call upon for all the ringing occasions that continue to arise. We look forward to the coming months ringing for the 800th Anniversary of Mayors, the 2026 Little Gardens of Sandwich, Heritage Open Day and more. As I step down from my role as Tower Captain this year, I am confident in our new leadership and that the bells of St.Clements will continue to joyfully ring out over Sandwich.

Safeguarding LIN CONNOR Parish Safeguarding Officer

It has been quite a demanding year for Safeguarding, the Church of England has made it a priority and have introduced a Dashboard Computer package which allows us to log all the training expectations and records. We are working slowly through all the activities of our Church and building up our training and records.

As safeguarding officer, I have completed all available courses, have attended a safeguarding officer’s induction course and I regularly attend Diocesan zoom training sessions.

I am very pleased to report that all the PCC are up to date and fully trained, the Bell Ringers have also been very supportive and completed their training. The Toddler Group is now completely compliant, but I have taken the hands -off Leadership role as the

training and recruiting was rather onerous. We have 2 new helpers who been formally appointed and have completed their training and are fully DBS checked. The choir is our next project and Julian is fully trained; the Diocese have agreed that I can just do in house training courses with the rest of the choir and not the online courses.

The main courses are on- line on the Church of England Portal and take about 1.5 hours to complete and pass. Most people only need The Basic Safeguarding certificates and some also the Foundation Safeguarding certificate.

Kathy Bennett is DBS officer and deals with applications for certificates.

This all sounds so regimented but I try not to lose sight of what is really at the heart of Safeguarding, it is making our Church a safe place for

all people, not just the young and vulnerable. I learnt recently at a course about survivors that many victims wait up to 27 years until disclosure, this really brings home to me that we may have many people within our churches who need our protection and support. If you have any concerns, however minor, please report them to me, they in themselves may be minor but I send them to the Diocesan Safeguarding Team, who act very sensitively and wisely, and these reports may add up to a centrally held bigger picture. My contact details are: safeguarding@ stclementsandwich.org.uk

An easy way to think of safeguarding is:

RECOGNISE

RESPOND

RECORD

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PREFACE to the
2025 ACCOUNTS
Steve Kirkpatrick
Honorary Treasurer
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The Financial Statements for 2025 are set out on the following pages.

Our income and expenditure for the year is reported on the Statement of Financial Activities on page 5. This shows that our total income across all funds was £192,897 and our total expenditure across all funds was £209,906. Consequently, we have reported a deficit of £17,009.

Income details across all funds are shown on pages 10 & 11 of the following pages. Planned Giving, our main source of regular income, increased by 7.6%, which is very pleasing indeed. However, this income continues to remain lower than pre-pandemic levels. Unfortunately, income from Donations, Appeals & Grants decreased in 2025. This was mainly due to income from legacies being significantly lower than that in 2024, although I should point out that we were still very fortunate indeed to receive legacy income

of £29,856. I should also point out that our deficit would have been significantly worse had we not received this income. We also saw a reduction in income from service collections, donations, and Gift Aid reclaimed. However, on a more positive note, our income from parochial fees increased by an extremely impressive 88%, and income from the rental of the church hall continues to perform well.

A number of fundraising events resulted in income to our General Fund totalling £9,195. The majority of this impressive figure came from the successful return of the Little Gardens of Sandwich, but income was also received from the Advent Coffee Morning event, and from sponsored participation in the Friends of Kent Churches Ride & Stride and the Cardiff Half Marathon. Special thanks must be given to all those involved for their valued contribution.

Our expenditure on charitable

activities can be seen on page 12 of the following pages. Church running expenses increased, mostly due to an increase in heating costs as we strived to control humidity levels in the church following advice given by our inspecting architect. When possible, every effort has been made to control expenditure. As usual, our most significant expense was our Parish Share contribution. We were asked to pay £89,708 in 2025, a sizeable increase of 11.9%. However, I’m pleased to report that this was paid in full, and the increase for 2026 is a more manageable 1.25%.

All our restricted funds remain in good order. We were fortunate to receive a legacy of £2,000 for the Garden of Remembrance Fund, and income from the Mary Atwood’s Churches’ Charity resulted in £31,642 being deposited to the Fabric Fund. Despite this, I should point out that Fabric Fund expenditure exceeded income in 2025. Significant projects such

as the much needed conservation cleaning and repair of the floor tiles, the restoration of the Victorian tiles behind the high altar, and works relating to the reinstatement of the flagpole, resulted in total expenditure of £63,960. However, we have claimed £9,535 from our insurers for the flagpole works, and I have made a successful application to the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme for a grant of £7,654 to cover the VAT charged on the restoration and conservation cleaning project.

Following all financial activity relating to 2025, the balance sheet on page 7 shows that we had net assets of £422,307. Details of how these net assets are split across our various funds can be seen on pages 16 & 17 of the following pages.

We continue to look for areas

where we can increase our income. I would also like to take this opportunity to remind you all of the Church of England owned Parish Giving Scheme (PGS). We joined the Scheme three years ago, but it appears that some of you have continued to make your regular contributions by standing order, and some have actually ceased to make a regular contribution direct to our bank account. Please do let me know if you have any concerns about the scheme, or if you require any further information before deciding to participate. The main beneficiary of your contributions via PGS is our church by providing an assured, regular and tax-efficient source of income with virtually no administration.

We will also continue to control future expenditure wherever possible, but certain demands on

our finances are unavoidable. Our inspecting architect carried out the Quinquennial Report of the church early in 2024, and although she expressed satisfaction at the general condition of the church, some essential and recommended works have been identified that will need to be carried out over the next 3/4 years. The cost of these works will inevitably place pressure on our Fabric Fund.

We continue to rely on our loyal Church family and the local community, and the PCC is very grateful to you all for your generosity and support. Your continued support will enable our beautiful parish church to fulfil its mission by maintaining a Christian presence at the heart of our community.

Charity registration number: 1201047

St Clement PCC Sandwich

Annual Report and Financial Statements

for the Year Ended 31 December 2025

St Clement PCC Sandwich

Contents (continued)

Reference and Administrative Details 1
Trustees' Report 2 to 3
Statement of Trustees' Responsibilities 3
Independent Examiner's Report 4
Statement of Financial Activities 5 to 6
Balance Sheet 7
Notes to the Financial Statements 8 to 20

St Clement PCC Sandwich

Reference and Administrative Details

Chairman Reverend S J Hamilton
Trustees Reverend S J Hamilton
H A Evans
S M Kirkpatrick
D B Kirkaldie
D E Coller
V Oates
K M Wright
D Baxter-Phillips
S H Higgins
A M Trim
L K J Connor
R C Daniels
E M Montgomery
A B Motion
Charity Registration Number 1201047
Principal Office St. Clements Hall
Church Street
St. Clements
Sandwich
Kent
CT19 9EH
Independent Examiner Graham Rennells FCA
Independent Examiner
The New Barn
Mill Lane
Eastry
Sandwich
Kent
CT13 0JW

Page 1

St Clement PCC Sandwich

Trustees' Report

The trustees present the annual report together with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 December 2025.

Objectives and activities

Charitable objects

The object of the charity is promoting in the ecclesiastical parish the whole mission of the church.

Appointment of trustees

The charity's policy is to invite suitably qualified local people to become Trustees of the Charity. The appointment of any new trustees during the year are confirmed at the Annual General Meeting.

Organisational structure of the Charity

The chairman is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the charity and reports to the trustees on a regular basis. The trustees meet as required to ensure that the charity is properly administered and to make any policy decisions.

Public benefit

The trustees confirm that they have complied with the requirements of section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission for England and Wales.

Policy on reserves

The reserves of the charity are maintained at a level that the trustes consider will meet future costs, whether planned or not. They are used as and when necessary to meet the charitable objective.

Internal Financial Control

All financial matters are dealt with by the treasurer subject to the approval of the trustees.

Risks

The Trustees examine the major risks that the Charity faces each financial year when preparing and updating the strategic plan. The Charity is developing systems to monitor and control these risks to mitigate any impact that they may have on the future of The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St Clement, Sandwich.

Financial review

The charity had a total deficit for the year of £17,009, which is made up of general funds of £5,032, designated funds of £924 and restricted funds of £11,053.

Page 2

St Clement PCC Sandwich

Trustees' Report (continued)

Statement of Trustees' Responsibilities

The trustees are responsible for preparing the trustees' report and the financial statements in accordance with the United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice) and applicable law and regulations.

The law applicable to charities requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources of the charity for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008, and the provisions of the constitution. The trustees are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charitable company's website. Legislation governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

The annual report was approved by the trustees of the charity on 10 May 2026 and signed on its behalf by:

......................................... Reverend S J Hamilton Chairman and trustee

......................................... S M Kirkpatrick Trustee

Page 3

St Clement PCC Sandwich

Independent Examiner's Report to the trustees of St Clement PCC Sandwich

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of St Clement PCC Sandwich for the year ended 31 December 2025.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity trustees of St Clement PCC Sandwich 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 St Clement PCC Sandwich'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:

  1. accounting records were not kept in respect of St Clement PCC Sandwich as required by section 130 of the Act; or

  2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or

  3. the accounts do not comply with the accounting 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.

...................................... Graham Rennells FCA Independent Examiner ICAEW

The New Barn Mill Lane Eastry Sandwich Kent CT13 0JW

11 May 2026

Page 4

St Clement PCC Sandwich

Statement of Financial Activities for the Year Ended 31 December 2025

Note
Income
and
Endowments from:
Donations and legacies
2
Activities for
generating funds
3
Investment income
4
Other income
5
Total income
Expenditure on:
Costs
of
generating
funds
Costs of trading
activities
Charitable activities
6
Total expenditure
Net
(outgoing)/incoming
resources
before
transfers
Gross transfers between
funds
Net movement in funds
Reconciliation of funds
Total
funds
brought
forward
Total
funds
carried
forward
13		 Unrestricted funds
Designated
£
General
£
-
117,533
-
18,903
-
4,324
-
8,363
-
149,123
-
-
(924)
(159,861)
(924)
(159,861)
(924)
(10,738)
-
5,706
(924)
(5,032)
5,962
149,400
5,038
144,368		 Restricted
funds
£
37,488
-
6,286
-
43,774
(986)
(48,135)
(49,121)
(5,347)
(5,706)
(11,053)
283,954
272,901		 Total
2025
£
155,021
18,903
10,610
8,363
192,897
(986)
(208,920)
(209,906)
(17,009)
-
(17,009)
439,316
422,307		 Total
2024
£
187,707
11,718
12,575
4,449
216,449
-
(203,335)
(203,335)
13,114
-
13,114
426,202
439,316

The notes on pages 8 to 20 form an integral part of these financial statements. Page 5

St Clement PCC Sandwich

Statement of Financial Activities for the Year Ended 31 December 2025 (continued)

Comparative Figures for the Year Ended 31 December 2024

Note
Income and Endowments from:
Donations and legacies
2
Activities for generating funds
3
Investment income
4
Other income
5
Total income
Expenditure on:
Charitable activities
6
Total expenditure
Net income/(expenditure)
Net movement in funds
Reconciliation of funds
Total funds brought forward
Total funds carried forward
13		 Unrestricted
funds
£
141,480
11,718
4,129
4,449
161,776
(144,663)
(144,663)
17,113
17,113
137,749
154,862		 Restricted
funds
£
46,227
-
8,446
-
54,673
(58,672)
(58,672)
(3,999)
(3,999)
288,453
284,454		 Total
2024
£
187,707
11,718
12,575
4,449
216,449
(203,335)
(203,335)
13,114
13,114
426,202
439,316

All of the charity's activities derive from continuing operations during the above two periods. The funds breakdown for 2024 is shown in note 13.

The notes on pages 8 to 20 form an integral part of these financial statements. Page 6

St Clement PCC Sandwich

(Registration number: 1201047) Balance Sheet as at 31 December 2025

Note
Fixed assets
Tangible assets
9
Current assets
Debtors
10
Investments
11
Cash at bank and in hand
Creditors: Amounts falling due within one year
12
Net current assets
Net assets
Funds of the charity:
Restricted income funds
Restricted funds
13
Unrestricted income funds
Unrestricted funds
Total funds
13		 2025
£
3,957
22,604
104,569
303,190
430,363
(12,013)
418,350
422,307
272,901
149,406
422,307		 2024
£
4,314
16,212
108,058
366,661
490,931
(55,929)
435,002
439,316
283,954
155,362
439,316

The financial statements on pages 5 to 20 were approved by the trustees, and authorised for issue on 10 May 2026 and signed on their behalf by:

......................................... Reverend S J Hamilton Chairman and trustee

......................................... S M Kirkpatrick Trustee

The notes on pages 8 to 20 form an integral part of these financial statements. Page 7

St Clement PCC Sandwich

Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2025

1 Accounting policies

Statement of compliance

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the second edition of the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice issued in October 2019, the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Charities Act 2011.

Basis of preparation

St Clement PCC Sandwich meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. The accounts (financial statements) have been prepared under the historical cost convention with items recognised at cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant note(s) to these accounts.

Going concern

The trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the charity's ability to continue as a going concern.

Income and endowments

Voluntary income including donations, gifts, legacies and grants that provide core funding or are of a general nature is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the income, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured with sufficient reliability.

Donations and legacies

Donations and legacies are recognised on a receivable basis when receipt is probable and the amount can be reliably measured.

Investment income

Dividends are recognised once the dividend has been declared and notification has been received of the dividend due.

Expenditure

All expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to that expenditure, it is probable settlement is required and the amount can be measured reliably. All costs are allocated to the applicable expenditure heading that aggregate similar costs to that category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated on a basis consistent with the use of resources, with central staff costs allocated on the basis of time spent, and depreciation charges allocated on the portion of the asset’s use. Other support costs are allocated based on the spread of staff costs.

Raising funds

These are costs incurred in attracting voluntary income, the management of investments and those incurred in trading activities that raise funds.

Charitable activities

Charitable expenditure comprises those costs incurred by the charity in the delivery of its activities and services for its beneficiaries. It includes both costs that can be allocated directly to such activities and those costs of an indirect nature necessary to support them.

Page 8

St Clement PCC Sandwich

Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2025 (continued)

Taxation

The charity is considered to pass the tests set out in Paragraph 1 Schedule 6 of the Finance Act 2010 and therefore it meets the definition of a charitable company for UK corporation tax purposes. Accordingly, the charity is potentially exempt from taxation in respect of income or capital gains received within categories covered by Chapter 3 Part 11 of the Corporation Tax Act 2010 or Section 256 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992, to the extent that such income or gains are applied exclusively to charitable purposes.

Tangible fixed assets

Individual fixed assets costing £100.00 or more are initially recorded at cost, less any subsequent accumulated depreciation and subsequent accumulated impairment losses.

Depreciation and amortisation

Depreciation is provided on tangible fixed assets so as to write off the cost or valuation, less any estimated residual value, over their expected useful economic life as follows:

Asset class

Office equipment

Depreciation method and rate Straight line over 5 years

Research and development

Research and development expenditure is written off as incurred.

Current asset investments

Current asset investments are included at the lower of cost and net realisable value / market value.

Cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents comprise cash on hand and call deposits, and other short-term highly liquid investments that are readily convertible to a known amount of cash and are subject to an insignificant risk of change in value.

Fund structure

Unrestricted income funds are general funds that are available for use at the trustees discretion in furtherance of the objectives of the charity.

Designated funds are unrestricted funds set aside for specific purposes at the discretion of the trustees.

Restricted income funds are those donated for use in a particular area or for specific purposes, the use of which is restricted to that area or purpose.

Financial instruments

Classification

Financial assets and financial liabilities are recognised when the charity becomes a party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.

Financial liabilities and equity instruments are classified according to the substance of the contractual arrangements entered into. An equity instrument is any contract that evidences a residual interest in the assets of the charity after deducting all of its liabilities.

Page 9

St Clement PCC Sandwich

Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2025 (continued)

Recognition and measurement

All financial assets and liabilities are initially measured at transaction price (including transaction costs), except for those financial assets classified as at fair value through profit or loss, which are initially measured at fair value (which is normally the transaction price excluding transaction costs), unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction. If an arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, the financial asset or financial liability is measured at the present value of the future payments discounted at a market rate of interest for a similar debt instrument.

Financial assets and liabilities are only offset in the statement of financial position when, and only when there exists a legally enforceable right to set off the recognised amounts and the charity intends either to settle on a net basis, or to realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.

Financial assets are derecognised when and only when a) the contractual rights to the cash flows from the financial asset expire or are settled, b) the charity transfers to another party substantially all of the risks and rewards of ownership of the financial asset, or c) the charity, despite having retained some, but not all, significant risks and rewards of ownership, has transferred control of the asset to another party.

Financial liabilities are derecognised only when the obligation specified in the contract is discharged, cancelled or expires.

Investments

Investments in The CBF Church of England Deposit Funds are measured at fair value through profit or loss. Where fair value cannot be measured reliably, investments are measured at cost less impairment.

2 Income from donations and legacies

Donations and legacies;
Planned giving
Donations, appeals and grants
Collections - open plate
Gift aid reclaimed		 Unrestricted
funds
General
£
51,714
44,863
4,870
16,086
117,533		 Restricted
funds
£
-
37,488
-
-
37,488		 Total
2025
£
51,714
82,351
4,870
16,086
155,021		 Total
2024
£
48,037
111,640
8,645
19,385
187,707

Page 10

St Clement PCC Sandwich

Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2025 (continued)

3
Income from other trading activities
Events income;
Hall income
Other events income
4
Investment income
Unrestricted
funds
General
£
Interest receivable and similar
income;
Interest receivable on bank
deposits
4,324
Other income from current asset
investments
-
Investment increase/(decrease) in
fair value
-
4,324
5
Other income
Wedding and funeral fee income		 Unrestricted
funds
General
£
9,708
9,195
18,903
Restricted
funds
£
6,612
1,283
(1,609)
6,286
Unrestricted
funds
General
£
8,363		 Total
2025
£
9,708
9,195
18,903
Total
2025
£
10,936
1,283
(1,609)
10,610
Total
2025
£
8,363		 Total
2024
£
10,145
1,573
11,718
Total
2024
£
9,004
1,921
1,650
12,575
Total
2024
£
4,449

Page 11

St Clement PCC Sandwich

Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2025 (continued)

6 Expenditure on charitable activities

Church running expenses
Rectory expenses
Sanctuary
Office and secretarial
St.Clements Hall
Churches together
Religious Books
Children's Church
Administrator's pay and penion contributions
Clergy administration
Clergy travel and subsistence
Clergy hospitality
Accountancy fees
Diocesan share
Legal and professional fees
Depreciation of office equipment
Music
Sundries
Repairs and maintenance
Organ repairs and maintenance
Churchyard expenses		 Unrestricted funds
Designated
£
General
£
-
19,258
-
1,130
-
1,662
-
3,767
-
14,959
-
200
-
159
-
85
-
12,661
-
833
-
327
-
107
-
2,418
-
89,708
-
-
-
1,582
-
4,181
-
2,140
-
1,987
924
-
-
2,697		 Restricted
funds
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
46,496
-
1,639		 Total
2025
£
19,258
1,130
1,662
3,767
14,959
200
159
85
12,661
833
327
107
2,418
89,708
-
1,582
4,181
2,140
48,483
924
4,336		 Total
2024
£
13,008
1,585
680
2,879
16,550
200
10
326
7,157
1,902
279
324
1,740
80,154
96
1,337
4,458
2,829
59,604
5,067
3,150

Page 12

St Clement PCC Sandwich

Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2025 (continued)

Unrestricted funds
Designated
£
General
£
924
159,861		 Restricted
funds
£
48,135		 Total
2025
£
208,920		 Total
2024
£
203,335

Page 13

St Clement PCC Sandwich

Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2025 (continued)

7 Trustees remuneration and expenses

During the year the charity made the following transactions with trustees:

Reverend S J Hamilton

£10,909 (2024: £4,213) of expenses were reimbursed to Reverend S J Hamilton during the year.

H A Evans

D E Coller

D B Kirkaldie

£305 (2024: £118) of expenses were reimbursed to D B Kirkaldie during the year.

S M Kirkpatrick

£449 (2024: £167) of expenses were reimbursed to S M Kirkpatrick during the year.

D Baxter-Phillips

£Nil (2024: £18) of expenses were reimbursed to D Baxter-Phillips during the year.

K M Wright

£253 (2024: £Nil) of expenses were reimbursed to K M Wright during the year.

No trustees, nor any persons connected with them, have received any remuneration from the charity during the year.

No trustees have received any other benefits from the charity during the year.

8 Taxation

The charity is a registered charity and is therefore exempt from taxation.

Page 14

St Clement PCC Sandwich

Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2025 (continued)

9 Tangible fixed assets

Cost
At 1 January 2025
Additions
At 31 December 2025
Depreciation
At 1 January 2025
Charge for the year
At 31 December 2025
Net book value
At 31 December 2025
At 31 December 2024
10 Debtors
Trade debtors
Prepayments
VAT recoverable
Other debtors
11 Current asset investments
Listed other shares
12 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
Other creditors
Accruals		 Furniture and
equipment
£
6,682
1,225
7,907
2,368
1,582
3,950
3,957
4,314
2025
£
9,535
2,391
7,654
3,024
22,604
2025
£
104,569
2025
£
4,702
7,311
12,013		 Furniture and
equipment
£
6,682
1,225
7,907
2,368
1,582
3,950
3,957
4,314
2025
£
9,535
2,391
7,654
3,024
22,604
2025
£
104,569
2025
£
4,702
7,311
12,013		 Total
£
6,682
1,225
7,907
2,368
1,582
3,950
3,957
4,314
2024
£
70
2,544
8,984
4,614
7,907
2,368
1,582
3,950
3,957
4,314
2025
£
9,535
2,391
7,654
3,024
22,604
2025
£
104,569
2025
£
4,702
7,311
12,013
16,212
2024
£
108,058
2024
£
3,795
52,134
55,929

Page 15

St Clement PCC Sandwich

Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2025 (continued)

13 Funds

Unrestricted funds
General
General fund
Designated
Organ Maintenance
Organ Recital
Total unrestricted funds
Restricted funds
CBF Investments and cash
Fabric Fund
Legacy Fund
Bell Fund
Organ Maintenance
Garden of Remembrance
Little Gardens
Churchyard Rediscovered
Total restricted funds		 Balance at 1
January 2025
£
149,400
5,080
882
5,962
155,362
110,389
69,419
61,849
21,504
78
16,998
-
3,717
283,954		 Incoming
resources
£
149,123
-
-
-
149,123
1,311
32,920
3,887
171
4
2,166
1,000
2,315
43,774		 Resources
expended
£
(159,861)
(924)
-
(924)
(160,785)
-
(46,467)
-
(30)
-
-
(986)
(1,638)
(49,121)		 Transfers
£
5,706
-
-
-
5,706
(3,572)
(2,204)
-
-
-
70
-
-
(5,706)		 Balance at 31
December
2025
£
144,368
4,156
882
5,038
149,406
108,128
53,668
65,736
21,645
82
19,234
14
4,394
272,901

Page 16

St Clement PCC Sandwich

Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2025 (continued)

Total funds

Balance at 1
January 2025
£
439,316		 Incoming
resources
£
192,897		 Resources
expended
£
(209,906)		 Transfers
£
-		 Balance at 31
December
2025
£
422,307

Page 17

St Clement PCC Sandwich

Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2025 (continued)

Unrestricted funds

Unrestricted funds
General
General fund
Designated
Organ Maintenance
Organ Recital
Total unrestricted funds
Restricted
CBF Investments and cash
Fabric Fund
Legacy Fund
Bell Fund
Organ Maintenance
Garden of Remembrance
Churchyard Rediscovered
Total restricted funds		 Balance at 1
January 2024
£
121,453
15,303
993
16,296
137,749
104,998
81,892
60,399
21,306
63
16,776
3,019
288,453		 Incoming
resources
£
161,087
-
689
689
161,776
5,391
44,513
1,450
253
15
222
2,329
54,173		 Resources
expended
£
(138,296)
(5,067)
(800)
(5,867)
(144,163)
-
(56,986)
-
(55)
-
-
(1,631)
(58,672)		 Transfers
£
5,156
(5,156)
-
(5,156)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-		 Balance at 31
December
2024
£
149,400
5,080
882
5,962
155,362
110,389
69,419
61,849
21,504
78
16,998
3,717
283,954

Page 18

St Clement PCC Sandwich

Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2025 (continued)

Total funds

Balance at 1
January 2024
£
426,202		 Incoming
resources
£
215,949		 Resources
expended
£
(202,835)		 Transfers
£
-		 Balance at 31
December
2024
£
439,316

Page 19

St Clement PCC Sandwich

Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2025 (continued)

14 Analysis of net assets between funds

Tangible fixed assets
Current assets
Current liabilities
Total net assets
Tangible fixed assets
Current assets
Current liabilities
Total net assets		 Unrestricted funds
General
£
Designated
£
3,957
-
151,096
5,038
(12,013)
-
143,040
5,038
Unrestricted funds
General
£
Other
£
4,314
-
151,004
5,962
(5,918)
-
149,400
5,962		 Restricted
funds
£
-
274,229
-
274,229
Restricted
funds
£
-
333,965
(50,011)
283,954		 Total funds at
31 December
2025
£
3,957
430,363
(12,013)
422,307
Total funds at
31 December
2024
£
4,314
490,931
(55,929)
439,316

Page 20