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2024-12-31-accounts

Bristol Harbourside Churches

Parish of Holy Trinity and Saint Stephen’s, Bristol

Annual Report & Accounts 2024

Holy Trinity Church

Clifton Vale, Hotwells, Bristol, BS8 4ST tel: 0117 983 8878 email: info@bristolharboursidechurches.org www.holytrinitythotwells.org.uk

Saint Stephen’s Church

21 St Stephen’s Street, Bristol BS1 1EQ Tel: 0117 922 5267 email: info@bristolharboursidechurches.org www.saint-stephens.com

www.bristolharboursidechurches.org

Registered Charity Number: 1202411

Contents

1. Introduction and PCC membership page 2
2. Rector’s Report 4
3. PCC Secretary’s Report 7
4. PCC Treasurer’s Report 7
5. Reports on our church buildings and grounds:
a. Saint Stephen’s church, garden and allotment; 8
b. Holy Trinity church and garden; 11
c. Energy efficiency and creation care 12
6. Deanery Synod Report 12
7. Safeguarding Report 13
8. Resonate 14
9. Work with children, young people and schools 15
10. Trinity Community Services (TCS) 16
11. Concerts at Saint Stephen’s 18
12. Community collaboration and engagement 19
a. At Saint Stephen’s 19
b. At Holy Trinity 20
13. Statement of Trustees’ Responsibilities 22

Appendix: Financial Statements

1. Introduction and PCC membership

The Parochial Church Council (PCC) present the reports from the Bristol Harbourside Churches PCC for the year ending 31[st] December 2024.

Objectives and activities

Under the PCC (Powers) Measure 1956, the PCC has the responsibility of co-operating with the Rector to promote in the parish the whole mission of the Church (discipling, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical).

Public benefit

The PCC is aware of the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit in ‘The Advancement of Religion for the Public Benefit’ and have regard to it in their administration of the parish. The PCC believes that by fulfilling its responsibility to work for the promotion of the whole mission of the Church it provides a benefit to the public by:

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Reserves

The PCC considers that a reserve of four months’ committed PCC expenditure should be maintained in hand against future spend. Based on our forecasts for 2025 and excluding any major capital expenditure which will be funded separately, this equates to about £44,400. Unrestricted reserves held as at 31 December 2024 exceed this level but ongoing careful management of our reserves will nevertheless be appropriate. Trinity Community Services (TCS) is a significant project of the Parish. As such it operates its own reserves policy and a sum of £16,000 based upon six months’ budgeted costs is held to this end

BRISTOL HARBOURSIDE CHURCHES PCC MEMBERSHIP following 2024 APCM

Our Clergy are ex-officio members of the PCC:

Our Churchwardens are elected for a 1-year term of office and are ex-officio members of the PCC:

Our Deanery Synod Representatives are elected for 3-year terms of office and are ex-officio members of the PCC:

Following their election to Diocesan Synod for 3-year terms of office the following people became ex-officio members of the PCC on August 1[st] 2024:

Our nine elected lay members are:

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2. Rector’s Report

Report from Revd Kat Campion-Spall

Over the course of 2024 we continued to grow into our new identity as Bristol Harbourside Churches. Building on work the PCC began in 2023, we agreed our new identity and values statements in our October PCC meeting:

Bristol Harbourside Churches: Life in all its fullness

Bristol Harbourside Churches is a community of two churches, Holy Trinity and Saint Stephen’s, where we embrace Jesus’ promise of life in all its fullness (John 10.10).

This means being:

Inclusive – we believe that every person is made in God’s image and loved by God, whoever they are and whatever is going on in their life. We know that life has ups and downs, joys and sorrows, times of faith and times of questioning. We want to offer a genuine welcome and safe space for everyone, and for our community to be a place where each person’s experience of God is enriched by being with people who are different from them.

Engaged – we believe that God is at work in the world around us. We are curious and open to learning from people and contexts within and beyond the church, without getting hung up on labels. We believe our faith is relevant in every part of our lives and want our churches to reflect that.

Connected – we believe that God created and loves the whole world. Because of this, our lives are connected to the life of the planet and to the lives of other people in our communities and across the globe. We seek to use our actions, voices and influence positively for others, in God’s service.

Inviting – we want to be generous with our church buildings, so they are accessible and welcoming both as spaces for worship and as a resource for our communities and neighbours. We want to share the story of Jesus through our words and actions in a way that encourages others to join us on our journey of faith.

Ebb and flow

The life of a harbour is shaped by the ebb and flow of the tides and the rhythm of the seasons. The meeting place between land and sea, it has its feet on the ground and its eyes on the horizon. It is busy and vibrant - people arrive from north, south, east and west, in all their wonderful diversity, with stories of their adventures and with treasure to share; in need of repairs for storm-damage and provisions for the next voyage. The harbour is a resting place, a trading place, a place of exploration and discovery. It is a place, not to stay, but to prepare for the journey.

Our church community seeks to live out God’s call in Bristol Harbourside today by embracing the life and rhythms of the harbour

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These statements are designed to be both descriptive and aspirational – they are recognisably “us” in a way that each church can inhabit in its own distinctive way, but they also express a vision of how we want to grow into our calling and gifts. So, even though we formally adopted these towards the end of the year, you will see evidence of these values throughout the reports that follow, which reflect the rich and vibrant life of our church community across the parish. And I would like to use them to shape my reflections, picking up on a few highlights not covered elsewhere in this report.

Inclusive

We gave some attention over the year to how more diverse people might be involved in visible leadership roles in church. After a very successful Christingle service at the end of 2023, our children and young people at Holy Trinity were keen to continue leading worship together, and so planned and led our services for Mothering Sunday, Harvest and Christingle. It is wonderful to see them grow in skill and confidence as they take on meaningful leadership roles both up front and behind the scenes.

At Saint Stephen’s, five of our lay leaders were commissioned as Benefice Worship Leaders by Archdeacon Becky Waring at the start of December. This was an affirmation and authorisation of their existing leadership responsibilities, and it is a particular gift at Saint Stephen’s that we have so many lay leaders, bringing a wide range of experiences and perspectives to our worship.

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Harvest service
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It was also a delight to offer the new “Prayers of Love and Faith” for the first time, which we did in April at Saint Stephen’s with Sam and Albert following their marriage at the Registry Office earlier that day.

Engaged

At Holy Trinity we have been developing a fortnightly slot called “Faith in Action” where a congregation member shares something about their life outside church and how it connects with their faith. People share about their work, volunteer roles and interests in a way that enables us to know each other better and celebrate the many areas of life where members of our church community have an impact. It also enables a wide range of voices, from different ages and backgrounds, to be heard in our worship.

At Saint Stephen’s, the Reconciliation Laboratory project was revived this year. The Reconciliation Laboratory creates a space for people with a range of views and perspectives on subjects that may be divisive or controversial. People are invited to share their thoughts and listen to other’s contributions with an open mind. We had two sessions, with different participants, exploring issues around the war in Gaza.

It is always an important mutual learning experience when we have ordinands on placement at our churches. This year we said goodbye to Helena as she was ordained and took up a curacy, and we welcomed Charley from Trinity College for a summer placement, and Tatjana from Sarum College for a 1-year placement at Saint Stephen’s.

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Connected

Walking the northern section of our parish boundary

Our ongoing engagement with racial justice, particularly at Saint Stephen’s, continued this year. The Racial Justice team at the Diocese of Bristol invited us to be part of a Trail of Remembrance, a self-guided walking trail through the city including churches and other historic sites. It was launched during Black History Month in October. This is accessible through QR codes at each stop, and via the Diocesan and Saint Stephen’s websites. In Hotwells we were asked to be part of the Western Harbour Advisory Group, contributing to the plans for the redevelopment around the Western Harbour area in

our parish. It is a really positive sign that the perspective of the local church is invited and valued.

Inviting

Our church administration has undergone some changes over the last year as we said goodbye to Karen and welcomed Evelyn in the spring. This change prompted us to review how our administrators work and to develop closer team working, with each administrator having responsibilities across the whole parish. Together with the adoption of Church Suite as a management system, this has enabled us to grow in effectiveness and efficiency in how we work as a single parish, including how we use our church buildings and deal with bookings and enquiries. Our admin team are often people’s first point of contact and therefore the public face of our churches, and I am very grateful for my colleagues in our church offices.

It has been a delight to welcome new people to our churches over the past year. We have celebrated six baptisms over the year – five adults and one child – all of whom have joined our churches in the last few years and remain active members.

Christmas at Holy Trinity

At the end of the year it is wonderful to see how our churches bring people together at Christmas. After a very successful Carols at Lunchtime at Saint Stephen’s in 2023, bringing together our partners and the groups who use the church during the week, we tried this approach at Holy Trinity with our Community Carol Service. Both Carols at Lunchtime and Community Carols were vibrant and joyful and really did bring together

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our local communities into the churches they feel connected with through partnerships built up over the year. A wonderful sign of our place in the parish and in the hearts of our neighbours.

These are just a few snapshots - there is a huge amount to celebrate over the past year in the parish which is reflected in the reports that follow. I am hugely grateful to the commitment and faithful service of the many people who enable all these things to happen through giving their time and energy, and through supporting the churches financially, and through praying and caring for one another. Some will be named in the pages that follow, many will not, but each are a precious part of the body of Christ that together we make up, sharing the love of God in the Bristol Harbourside parish. Thank you.

3. PCC Secretary’s Report

Report from Jane Jones

The PCC met 8 times during 2024 including the short meeting immediately following the APCM in May and an Away Day in September. To save time some decisions on straightforward matters such as the approval of a building repair were agreed by email and noted in the minutes of the following meeting.

This was the second full year since Holy Trinity and Saint Stephen’s became a single parish and the PCC developed a new statement of parish values. Work continued to bring together the two churches’ separate policies and update them in a way appropriate to our current circumstances.

Inclusion continued to be a focus for the PCC. The PCC approved the use of the newlyauthorised Prayers of Love and Faith for same-sex partnerships and adopted a policy to enable the admission of children to Holy Communion before being confirmed. Creation care also remained an important focus and energy audits were carried out at both church buildings.

Regular items on PCC agendas included oversight of the church buildings and finances, safeguarding, Trinity Community Services and reports from Deanery Synod. The PCC also reviewed seasonal services and regular worship at BHC, confirming the timings of Sunday services at Holy Trinity and Saint Stephen’s at the end of the twelve-month trial period and approving the introduction of a new midweek lunchtime Holy Communion service at Saint Stephen’s.

5. PCC Treasurer’s Report

Report from Andy Beckingham

The financial statements for the Parish for the calendar year 2024 are set out within this annual report. Our previous financial statements covered a 14 month period from the commencement of our new Parish arrangements in November 2022 but we have now reverted to a 12 month calendar year reporting period.

We are so greatly blessed by our financial provision and thanks are due to our valued and generous charity partners, notably the Antient Society of Ringers, the Parish Hall of St James,

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and the Saint Stephen’s Ecclesiastical Charity, as well as members of our own community, who support our mIssion with such generosity.

The financial statements include the accounts for Trinity Community Services which is accounted for as a restricted fund, and whose own report, and thanks to its benefactors, is set out elsewhere within this annual report.

Our total income in 2024 amounted to some £194,000 of which £126,000 was unrestricted. We have managed to control our expenditure after making a Parish Share contribution of some £52,560 and supporting employment costs of some £49,000 with only limited utilisation of some £7,000 of our unrestricted cash reserves. Funded capital projects have included renovation and repair of the sanctuary floor, roof and exterior walls at Saint Stephen’s as well as replacing the hall carpet at Holy Trinity. We have additionally received funding towards the Saint Stephen’s garden renovation project and this work has commenced and will be completed in 2025.

We remain in a reasonable financial position with carried forward unrestricted reserves of some £78,000. Although we hold restricted reserves of some £58,000 (of which £33,000 relates to a Holy Trinity buildings fund and some £17,600 to Trinity Community Services) significant further and necessary capital expenditure is planned in 2025 so ongoing fund raising and careful stewardship of our resources will be necessary.

As ever, we greatly appreciate the support of Marc and Evelyn, our Church Administrators, as well as our employed TCS team. Our thanks to all of them and to Tyrrell Proctor for their service as our Independent Examiner.

If you would like to discuss financial support to the Church and its Mission, please do not hesitate to approach me in confidence.

5. Reports on our church buildings and grounds

a. Saint Stephen’s church building, grounds, Secret Café and allotment

Report on the church building from Dave Mitchell

With the completion of the major refurbishment of the interior of the church (the Hartnell Project) in 2023, there remained a number of areas to be finished off. In particular the carpeted area (the stage) at the front of church. When the old carpet was lifted we found a whole mixture of flooring underneath – ancient tiles, concrete and floorboards. Around the altar the tiles were found to be in reasonable condition, so we had those repaired and polished. The lower stage area was too difficult so it was better to simply re-carpet.

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The main contractors then returned at the end of the year to carry out various items of “snagging” where the original decorations needed further repairs, plus one or two places where water ingress had caused some deterioration.

The stone floor where the piano stands was also showing signs of wear and tear, probably mainly caused by people moving the piano around. As it was starting to be a health and safety issue we decided to have it repaired in various places.

While on the subject of the Hartnell Project, we were thrilled to be presented with an award from the Diocese for the excellence of the refurbishment. For those who haven’t yet seen it, there is an excellent slideshow of the works on the Saint Stephen’s website, here: - - https://www.saint stephens.com/hartnell project

Externally we had an area of broken slates repaired on the North Aisle roof, and a

massive clean-up of moss and debris off the same roof. Out in the garden one of the cast iron gates had broken off its hinges. This required substantial repair work to not only the gates themselves but the stone pillars on which they rest.

One of the ongoing issues we have had for the past year or more is the gradual decline of the organ. Following a failure of the electricity supply to the blower it was decided not to go ahead

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with expensive repairs, and instead install a smaller free-standing chamber organ we had been offered by a church in Cirencester. This has proved a great success, both for occasional services and for the resumption of organ recitals at Saint Stephen’s.

Once again we are extremely grateful for the financial support of the Antient Society of Saint Stephen’s Ringers who continued to fund substantial repairs to the fabric of the church throughout the year.

Report on garden, allotment and Secret Café from Frances Houghton

We continue to work with our Hong Kong friends looking after the Saint Stephen’s church garden and developing plot 28B at Meadows Allotment in Bower Ashton.

During 2024 we saw an increase of people from all walks of life visit the church garden, not only to enjoy the peace and tranquillity that this premium green space provides in the old city of Bristol but also for the added bonus of being able to visit the Secret Café and enjoy authentic Spanish food cooked and baked on the premises. We were extremely grateful to receive funding from the Ecclesiastical and Ringers Charities to enable us to refurbish the café and kitchen with new appliances, kitchen units, re-sanding of the café floor and redecoration.

We reported last year that we had secured CIL funding to upgrade the church garden to create a better environment by eliminating trip hazards, rectifying flooding issues during heavy downpours as well as installing raised flower beds and two further bike stands. The extra bike stands are now in place but we experienced a delay in receiving the necessary permissions to go ahead with the project in 2024.This has now been granted and work is scheduled to start in February 2025.

Our Hong Kong garden team have learned a lot about growing vegetables and maintaining a healthy pond that will attract wild life to our allotment plot. We were also pleased to harvest a further bumper crop of different organic vegetables in 2024, although our second attempt to grow outdoor tomatoes sadly failed!

During the winter months we repaired and repainted our two garden sheds, refurbished the wooden bench given to us by Holy Trinity Church, and created a herb patch and included a variety of insect attracting plants in the flower bed. Having been presented with

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an allotment award last year, we were delighted to receive a further commendation award this year from the President of the Allotment Association in recognition of our environmental care, maintenance and the variety of produce grown in Plot 28B.

b. Holy Trinity church building and grounds Report from Alan John and Maria Whiteman

The usual range of maintenance and repair tasks continued as they do every year, largely unseen but vital to keep our buildings in good shape to enable them to be used in so many different ways by the church family and the local community. We remain very grateful to Hugh Leaman, our hardworking administrators and all others who work behind the scenes on these tasks. During 2024 we have been preparing for major repair works that will be carried out in spring 2025 to address water ingress in Holy Trinity's old vestry, the sanctuary area and north west gable above the new vestry.

We were delighted to install a much needed new carpet in the Holy Trinity hall thanks to a grant from the Parish Hall of St James Bristol. This work also enabled us to regain full use of the third doorway and replace the frosted glass with clear glass, completing our plan to improve the visibility from outside.

Our application for a fully funded defibrilator was accepted and we began fundraising for the cost of installing this outside the west entrance to the church, which we expect to happen during 2025.

Three swift boxes were installed high up on Holy Trinity's north wall – we now just await aerial tenants looking to raise young families to move in to their smart new accommodation!

The gardening team has helped look after the garden through the year. Once again a big thank you to all those who've weeded, pruned, planted and cared for this precious and well-loved green space in the heart of Hotwells.

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c. Energy efficiency and creation care

Report from Alan John

A key focus this year has been responding to the Diocesan commitment to be net zero carbon by 2030 and the invitation for each church in our diocese to make its own contribution to that target. We are grateful for the generous grant assistance made available by the diocese to help us implement energy efficiency measures.

An energy group from our two churches met through the autumn to share ideas, arrange contractor visits and seek and review quotes for work. Quotes for secondary glazing and insulation in the church office areas and for solar panels on the roof were obtained for both churches and draught proofing measures considered.

A key aim is to reduce our direct fossil fuel consumption (principally related to gas heating) in our churches. We are trialling possible infrared heating solutions (which have already been installed in a number of local churches) and continue to explore with specialist contractors potential solutions tailored sensitively to the different circumstances, layout and architecture of each church. In 2025 we will also be installing the energy efficiency measures in the office areas of both churches and conducting a detailed solar panel system scoping survey, initially at Saint Stephen’s. We are grateful for all feedback received relating to this trial and all the energy efficiency measures and plans we are considering to reduce our carbon footprint and play our practical part in creation care.

A shout out too for those members of our church family who attend regular and wellsupported diocesan Eco Champions meetings in which sustainability ideas, enthusiasm and experiences from churches across the diocese are shared.

6. Deanery Synod Report

Report from Elana Howard

I was able to attend two of the three Deanery Synod meetings held in 2024.

7[th] February:

Josh from Equal Music talked about how they go to schools in East Bristol and connect through music, showing why music is important.

We also looked at how diverse Bristol’s parishes are, the gifts and challenges we have, how we connect with our communities and other churches, and the challenges we face in creating and growing wider connections.

4[th] September:

Pippa White talked about their work in schools in East Bristol.

First we were informed that 75% of churchgoers came to faith under the age of sixteen. However one third of parents today are not concerned about passing on faith to their children. Pippa explained that this is why churches should build partnerships with parents,

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teachers and charities to have a bigger impact. It was important to listen to what schools in our communities need. We can make connections by talking to RE teachers, baking for cake sales, becoming reading partners and offering Easter or Christmas in a Box.

7. Safeguarding Report

Report from Liz Leaman, Parish Safeguarding Officer (PSO)

Statement of commitment to Safeguarding

The parish of Bristol Harbourside Churches is committed to safeguarding children, young people and adults at risk.

Liz Leaman as Parish Safeguarding Officer, and Emily Gould for Saint Stephen’s make up the Safeguarding team for Bristol Harbourside Churches. This means that members of both churches would have regular and recognised contact with someone from the leadership team in each church. Some administrative support is also given by the administrators in each church, and work is ongoing with Churchsuite to assist with Safeguarding Processes.

Policies

The Safeguarding Policy was reviewed in December 2024 ready for approval by PCC at its meeting in January 2025

Activities

The PCC oversees the following activities for Vulnerable Adults: Trinity Lunch Club weekly at HTH for older adults.

A new Baby and Toddlers group has opened at HTH on Wednesday mornings during term times. Risk Assessments and Volunteer checks have been made.

Safer Recruitment

The PCC is responsible for the safe recruitment of people wanting to work with vulnerable groups through the activities mentioned above as well as church roles. During the year, the PCC has recruited the following numbers of people to support those groups.

There are identified job roles, which include induction and line supervision to support these roles.

DBS Checks

As part of the safer recruitment process, where eligible, people working with vulnerable groups such as TCS and toddler have been DBS checked at the level appropriate to the role. Because the parish provides activities for vulnerable groups, the PCC members are eligible for an enhanced DBS Check. These people have a current check in place, i.e. the check has been completed within the last 3 years.

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Training

Safeguarding training at different levels is a requirement for all roles:

Other training e.g. First Aid is also a requirement for some roles.

Reporting to the PCC

The PCC was updated about Safeguarding matters in the parish at its meetings during 2024.

During the year there were three safeguarding cases which were managed and reported on to the Diocesan Safeguarding Team.

8. Resonate

Report from Nick Gould

Resonate in 2024 continued to explore its core themes of creativity, activism and faith; drawing knowledge and inspiration from our churches, the city around us and the wider faith community. The meetings ran twice monthly for the first half of the year before moving to monthly meetings for the Autumn/Winter term. The monthly sessions have been really well attended whilst still providing space to explore a variety of topics and issues. And we still made room for our BBQ in the summer and traditional Cider and Carols event to kick off advent.

Film was a big influence during 2024. Our ‘Creative Conversations’ series continued with members of our community sharing films that have influenced their lives, Martin Kiszko joined us to share his experiences as a composer and discussed the importance of the soundtrack on a film. We also spent an evening on a shared deep dive into the film ‘Arrival’, after encouraging the community to watch (or re-watch) it in the preceding weeks.

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Other external speakers at Resonate included Dr Alice Kinghorn continuing our community discussion around ‘Contested Heritage in Church Buildings’ while examining the history of some memorials in St. Stephen’s church. Ruth Whiter came to

share how art has influenced her activism, this session also included Dave Mitchell from our parish community. And we continued to draw on the knowledge within our churches in sessions around the work of the Five loaves and Two Fishes foodbank project, led by Sister Teresa, and on ‘Graffiti: From

Vandalism to Art’ in which Rupert Martin looked at the close ties our city has with this medium.

Resonate continues to be led by a small team drawn from both churches of the Parish and we look forward to exploring a diverse array of topics in 2025.

9. Work with children, young people and schools

Report from Sally Martin, Schools Chaplain

It is four years since I started at Willow Park School and 2024 was particularly difficult for the school. They went into ‘special measures’ in May and the Head Teacher went off sick soon

afterwards. He resigned in November but none of the other staff have left. They have shown such a commitment to the school, which is somewhere one experiences the whole world in one place. Children arriving from often dangerous and complex situations can find a safe place there. The Leaf Trust seconded Ruth Laing as an interim Head Teacher and she has worked SO hard with the staff to turn things around, which has happened. Ruth came in May and had time off for an operation between the October half-term break and Christmas.

The staff have been hugely appreciative of my being there with Kat for festivals and school visits. I have been able to do weekly assemblies to support the school. The

Willow Park children walking to Saint Stephen’s for Easter in a Box

school also visited Saint Stephen’s for both Easter and Christmas in a Box.

At Hotwells School 2024 was a year of growing connections. Thanks to the links made by Liz, Julia and the TCS team, children from the school have been visiting Holy Trinity for many years

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Children from Hotwells School chatting to TCS clients

Following a chat with the Head Teacher I was invited to do a Reception class assembly for Harvest and Christmas. The school displayed artwork in the Arts Trail at Holy Trinity in October, with church and PTA volunteers working together, and held its Carol Concert at Holy Trinity in December when staff and parents were really appreciative of the welcome they received.

to chat with clients at the Thursday Lunch Club. Initially I volunteered, along with two friends, to go into the school to hear children read. In partnership with Hope Chapel we then offered ‘Easter in a Box’ at Holy Trinity and ‘Christmas in a Box’ at Hope Chapel.

Trinity Tots was relaunched in October with the support of the PCC. This baby and toddler group is an opportunity for young children and their carers to meet, connect and play in the Holy Trinity hall on Wednesday mornings, led by a regular team which also includes Chloe, Evelyn and Deb. Some of these families along with their older children came to the Christingle Service, led by young people from the church, and the pop-up Nativity Service on Christmas Eve led by the John family and Kat.

We continued to offer a Creative Table at Sunday morning services for children, young people and adults who find this helpful. It was wonderful to see young people from the church actively involved in services, leading some of them and at other times helping with music, readings and the AV system.

10. Trinity Community Services (TCS)

Report from Liz Leaman

The weekly Thursday Lunch Club continued to build in 2024. Average attendances rose from

23 to 28 per week. An average of 50 members were registered at any time. The Christmas party was especially popular, with Ali and the team catering for 60 including volunteers and invited guests! Good to know we can seat 60 in the hall for a 3 course meal!

Staff and volunteers

Julia Senior Smith continued to lead the team in her third year as Lunch Club coordinator, working 18 hours

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per week. Paid staff also include Corinne as deputy for 7.5 hours per week. We celebrated 10 years with Alison as she continued in her role as cook. A much valued and faithful group of volunteers keep the service running and new volunteers Peter, Linda, Andrea and Emma have also joined the team this year.

Management and Governance

The management team consists of Revd Kat Campion Spall, Maria Whiteman (chair), Liz Leaman, Revd Richard Croft, Brian Price from the community, Phillip Miles, Member rep and Julia Senior Smith, coordinator of TCS. The Management Committee report to the PCC. At least 2 members of the Management committee are also PCC members and therefore trustees.

Finances

Trinity Community Services holds a separate bank account which is reported within the church accounts. Reserves continue to be used annually as needed to supplement the money received, but remain at a level that is considered sufficient. Income is derived from a mixture of contributions from members, grants, fundraising and donations. The service needed to raise £32,000 each year to continue to function.

In 2024 the service attracted grants from such as the Grateful Society, Garfield Weston, Dolphin and Quartet as well as John James for specific events such as Easter and Christmas. Following the decision last year to try to raise more income from fundraising and donations, TCS was blessed with generous donations from organisations and individuals. A special thank you to the Merchants Arms who donated the profits from sales of t shirts and their Christmas event. We also received £100 from Bristol Rotary after giving a talk about TCS at their breakfast meeting.

Other ways of fundraising in 2024 included the Christmas wreath making workshop (pictured right) and sharing profits from choir concerts.

Activities and Events

Different entertainments continued including music, talks and crafts. Trips to Clevedon and Portishead were enjoyed by all, despite the rain!

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We continued to host regular history talks on some Thursdays which were also open to the public, charging £3 per head to cover tea and cake. We are grateful to those who came to share their knowledge and enthusiasm on their subjects.

Partnerships

Thank you to our staff, Julia, Corinne and Alison for the hard work they contributed, as well as sharing the fun times with us! Thanks to the volunteers – Sally for her energy and enthusiasm with getting us all moving and often singing! Brian who continues as quiz master every week, and all the other volunteers who help every week in every way. And to our amazing members – thank you for being an amazing, fascinating and loving group. THANK YOU!

11. Saint Stephen’s concerts

Report from Rupert Martin

Did you know that there's a concert almost every Monday lunchtime in Saint Stephen's church? Everyone is welcome. Music starts at 1.10 pm. Entry is free, with a retiring collection (give what you can afford) to help cover musicians' expenses.

The creator of this programme, David Mowat, has put together another wonderful year of concerts which are so perfectly suited to the superb acoustics of St Stephen’s. We have had an extraordinary variety of performances including classical, jazz, blues, folk, and world music, with singers, instrumentalists, bands from near and far. I remember an electrifying piano soloist from America, some superb recorder players, opera singers and some jazz that made you want to boogie boogie.

The programme runs on a shoestring and relies on word of mouth, so do come along if you can, invite others and spread the word. Thanks go to Marc in the parish office and to a small team of volunteers for their support. Above all we are grateful to David Mowat for the quality of the programme he curates and his commitment to our church and its outreach into the city.

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David also runs the very successful Cotham Club which meets monthly at Cotham Parish Church with more extensive concerts.

12. Community Collaboration and Engagement

Report from Alan John, Dave Mitchell and Maria Whiteman

During 2024 we carried out a thorough review of room and venue booking fees for both church buildings with a real focus on our buildings being accessible and available for our local communities. We now have a structured three tier table of rates for commercial, charity and partner bookings, with partner rates being for organisations we work closely with as a church community and want to support or where we want to be actively involved in the event or where the event furthers our missional objectives. This supports us in our focus on community collaboration.

a. At Saint Stephen’s

The year began with the amazing Light Festival - Saint Stephen’s played host to “Ascendance” a video installation depicting an astronaut floating in space, projected on a thin gauze screen suspended from the ceiling of the nave. This brought in an estimated 18,000 visitors over the week of the festival, and we had teams of volunteers in place to welcome them and provide refreshments.

The church continued to be open to visitors four days a week, and the Secret Cafe continues to provide tasty Spanish food and provide a welcome oasis for the city centre community to enjoy. We also opened the church for the Saturday of the Harbour Festival in July – the bell ringers ran trips up the tower and gave hands-on experience of bell-ringing, and church volunteers were on hand to chat to visitors and serve drinks.

The Antient Society of Saint Stephen’s Ringers held their annual May Day service on top of the tower, and their main Sunday morning service in the church in November.

Our regular groups continued with a few alterations from the previous year:

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One of the particular joys is to see people who come to one of the above groups, then showing up elsewhere, perhaps to join us for daytime/weekday services, use the café, attend the concerts or poetry meetings etc. Saint Stephen’s acts as a hub for the diverse city centre population - workers, shoppers, tourists, students, and of course those who are just seeking a quiet space in their busy lives.

b. At Holy Trinity

We continue to be encouraged to see Holy Trinity church and hall being used by and for a wide variety of church and community groups, events and activities including Trinity Lunch Club, HCCA and other residential group meetings, services and events for local schools, the West Bristol Arts Trail, our popular Alpha course and the new Trinity Tots group which was launched successfully during the year.

In addition, these regular groups continue to use the hall for their meetings:

With our emphasis on community collaboration continuing to grow, here are our highlights from the year:

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13. Statement of Trustees’ Responsibilities

The trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards including Financial Reporting Standard 102: The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

The law applicable to charities in England & Wales 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 income and expenditure of the charity for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:

The trustees are responsible for keeping sufficient 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 Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of the constitution. They 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.

Report approved by the Trustees on 25[th] April 2025 and signed on their behalf by

Revd Kat Campion-Spall (PCC Chair) and Andy Beckingham (PCC Treasurer)

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THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF HOLY TRINITY AND SAINT STEPHEN'S, BRISTOL FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE PERIOD COVERING 01 JANUARY 2024 TO 31 DECEMBER 2024 Registered Charity Number: 1202411 TYRRELL PROCTER Chartered Accountants Business Advisors Beaulort House 113 Parson Strtet Bristol

THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF HOLY TRINITY AND SAINT STEPHEN'S, BRISTOL FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE PERIOD 01 JANUARY 2024 TO 31 DECEMBER 2024 CONTENTS Page Charity Information Report of the Trustees Independent Examinerfs Report to the Trustees Statement of Financial Activities Balance Sheet Notes lo the Financial Statements 7-10 Trustees Only: Detailed Income & Expenditure Account 12-13

THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF HOLY TRINITY AND SAINT STEPHEN'S, BRISTOL CHARITY INFORMATION FOR THE PERIOD 01 JANUARY 2024 TO 31 DECEMBER 2024 Admlnlstratlvo Infom)atlon Charity Name". The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Holy Trinity and Saint Stephen's, Bristol Charity Num￿1.. 12(r2411 Operational address". St. Stephens Church 21 Sl Stephens Street Bristol BS1 1EQ Tru8te•8 Rev Kathryn May Campion-spall (Chair) Rev Sister Teresa Mary ITrace Diana Wrighll Edward James Kay (Reliied 19, May 20241 Dr Emily Gould Elana Howard Jaclyn Barbara Stephenson (Retired 19 May 20241 Lee Kenneth Stephenson (Retired 19, May 2024} Nicholas Mason Hall Elizabeth Jane Leaman Susan Jane Williams Diana Chloe John Janie Maria Whiteman David Christopher Mitchell Jane Elizabeth Jones Andrew Howard Beckingham Rev Frances Mary Houghton Alan Richard John Rev Richard Gary Croft Elizabeth Miriam Jones (Appointed 1°, September 2024) Andrew Simon King (Appointed 1 September 2024) Dr Linda Wilson IAppoinled 1. September 2024) Sally Jane Martin (Appointed 19, May 2024} Anne Ridley IApwinled 19" May 20241 Accountants TYRRELL PROCTER Chartered Accountants Beaufort House 113 Parson Street Bristol, BS3 5QH

THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF HOLY TRINITY AND SAINT STEPHEN'S, BRISTOL REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE PERIOD 01 JANUARY 2024 TO 31 DECEMBER 2024 The Trustees present their tnjstees, report and finanaal Stat￿entS for the period covering 1 January 202410 31 December 2024. Truste88 Statemont Under charity law, the trustees shall prepare finanryal statements for each financial year, which sh¢)w a true and fair view of the slate of affairs of the charity and of the excess of income over expenditure. In preparing these financial stalemenls, generally &eepled aceounling practice entsils that the Iruslees.. select suitable ￿COUntIng policies and then appty them consistenlty., make judgements and estsmales that are responsible and prudent., slate whether the recommendations of the Slalement of Recommended Practice I'Accounling by Charilies'l have been followed. subject to any material departures di¥losed and explained in the financial slalements., slate whether the financial statements comply wlh the Injsl de&J, sutr4.￿1 to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial slalemenl$'. prepare the financial statement$ on the going concern basis unless il is inappropriate lo presume that the charity wll continue ils ￿tiVitIeS. The trustees are required lo act in aCCordar￿e with the trust deed of the chanty, wlhin the framework of trust law. They are responsble for keeping prcper a￿o￿ntIng records. They have general responsibility for taking such steps as are reasonably ¢wen to them lo safeguard the assets of the charity and lo prevent and delect fraud and other irregularities. Approved by the Trustees Rev Kathryn May Campion-spall CHAIR Approved 3April 2025

THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF HOLY TRINITY AND SAINT STEPHEN'S, BRISTOL INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES FOR THE PERIOD 01 JANUARY 2024 TO 31 DECEMBER 2024 We have examined the financial statements set out on pages 5fj. RgSPOCtive responsibilities of trusto98 and examiner The charity's Iruslees are responsible for the preparation of xcounts. The charity's members consider that an audit is not required for this year under sectson 144 of the Charities Act 2011 (the Charities Adl and that an independent examinats.on 1$ needed. It is our responsibility lo.. examine the accounts under Secti￿ 145 of the Charities Act, . to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Cc¥nmission lunder $edion 14515llbl of the Charities Act), and . to slate whether particular matters have cc¢me lo our attentson. Ba858 of Independent examln•r'8 report Our examination was carried out in ￿ordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented wlh those records. 11 also includes consderalion of any unusual items or disclosures In the accounts. and seeking explanations from trustee5 concerning such mallers. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as lo whether the accounts present a "true and fairt view and the report is limited lo those matters sel out in the statement below. This report is made lo you in accordance with the temis of our engagement and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permilled by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility lo anyone other than the trustees, for our work or for this repcyt. Indgpgndont oxaminoe$ statement In connection wlh our examinatson, no matter has c￿me lo our attention.. 1. which gives us reasonable cause lo believe that in, any material respect, the requirements.. lo keep accounting records In accordance wlh section 130 of the Charities Act., and lo prepare accounts which accord Trmth the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Charities Act and the Regulations have not teen met,. or 2. to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order lo enable a proFer understanding of the accounts lo be reached. TYRRELL PROCTER Chartered Accountants 7 April 2025

THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF HOLY TRINITY AND SAINT STEPHEN'S, BRISTOL STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE PERIOD 01 JANUARY 2024 TO 31 DECEMBER 2024 Total Funds 2024 12 Month8 Total Funds 2023 14 Month• Unrgstricted Funds Restricted Funds Ggnoral othor TCS INCOME AND EXPENDITURE.. Income Resour¢e$'. Donations Operating Activities Investments 1C6,269 17,188 2,713 33,615 19.848 14.681 159.732 31,869 2.819 534,477 31,426 2,096 TOTAL INCOMING RESOURCES 126,170 33615 34.635 194,420 Expended Resources Operating Activities Management & Administration 124,827 8.118 34,899 39.626 1,152 199.352 9.270 6,240 8,618 TOTAL RESOURCES EXPENDED 132 945 34 899 40.778 208 622 574 858 NET INCOMING RESOURCES 16,7751 11,2841 {6,143 {14,2021 16,8591 Investment gains I Ilossesl Asset Depreciation Funds transferred from Holy Trinity Hotwells- Charity 1132765 Funds transferred from Saint Stephens, Bristol - Charity 1165483 515 (3791 515 13791 1,947 13801 109,200 47,142 Balance of Funds- Brought Forward 85.126 42,163 23,761 151,050 Balance of Funds- Carried Fttry￿rd 78,487 40,879 17,618 136,984 151050

THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF HOLY TRINITY AND SAINT STEPHEN'S, BRISTOL BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2024 2024 12 Month8 2023 14MonthB Note8 FIXED ASSETS Tangible Assets 1,138 1,517 CURRENT ASSETS Investments Debtors Balanc8 at Bank 43.181 3.738 124,803 42,667 10,432 116,559 171,722 169,658 CURRENT LIABILITIES Creditors falling due within one year 35.876 20,125 NET CURRENT ASSETS 135,846 149,533 NET ASSETS 136.984 151,050 Represented by". UNRESTRICTED FUNDS RESTRICTED FUNDS 78,487 58,497 85,126 65,924 136.984 151,050 Approved by the Board of Trustees and signed on ils behalf: Chair Treasurer Approved 3 April 2025

THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF HOLY TRINITY AND SAINT STEPHEN'S, BRISTOL NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE PERIOD 01 JANUARY 2024 TO 31 DECEMBER 2024 PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES The principal accounting policies adopted in the preparation of the financial statements are set out below and have remained unchanged from the previous year. lal Basis of Accounting The financial ststements have been prepared under the historical cost convention, and in accordance with the Slatement of Recommended Practice. Ib) Fund Accountlng Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity. lill Designated funds are unreslricted funds eamat1(ed by the Management Committee for particular purposes. liiil Restricted funds are subjected to restrictions on their expenditure imposed by the donor or through Ihe terms of an appeal. Icl Incomlng Resources All incoming resources are included in the statement of financial activities when the charity is enlilled to the income and the amount can be quanlified with reasonable accuracy. The following specific policies are applied lo particular caiegories of income. li) Voluntary income is received by way of grants, donations and gifts and is included in full in the Statement of Financial Activrties when receivab￿. Grants, where entitlement is not conditional an the delivery of a specific performance by the charity, are recognised when the charity becomes unconditionally entitled to the grant. lil) Donated services and faalities are induded at the value to the charity where this can be quantified. (iiil The value of ServI￿S provided by volunteers has not been included in these accounts. liv} Investment income is included when receivable. Iv) Incoming resour￿$ from charrtabk trading activty are accounted forwhen earned. Ivi} Incoming resources from grants. where related to perfomiance and specific deliverables, are accounted for as the charity eams the right to consideration by its perfornan￿.

THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF HOLY TRINITY AND SAINT STEPHEN'S, BRISTOL NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued) FOR THE PERIOD 01 JANUARY 2024 TO 31 DECEMBER 2024 Id) Resources Expended Expenditure is recognised on an accrual basis as a liability is incurred. Expendtture includes any VAT which cannot be fully recovered. li) Costs of generating funds comprise the costs associated with attracting voluntary income and the costs of trading for fundraising purposes. lill Charitable expenditure comprises the costs associated with attracting voluntary income and the costs of Irading for fundraising putposes. liiil Govemance costs include those costs associated with meeting the constitutional and statutory requirements of the charity and include the audit fees and costs linked to the strategic management of the charity. liv) All costs are allocated behveen the expenditure categories of the SOFA on a basis designed to reflect the use of the resource. Costs relating to a particular activity are allocated directly, others are apportioned on an appropriate basis. lel Fixed Assets Tangible fixed assets are written off over the expected useful life of the asset, at 25% per annum on the reducing balance basis.

THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF HOLY TRINITY AND SAINT STEPHEN'S, BRISTOL NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued) FOR THE PERIOD 01 JANUARY 2024 TO 31 DECEMBER 2024 TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS Fixttjres & Fittin9• Equipment TOTAL COST Al 1" January 2024 Additions in the year 27,778 72,566 100,344 At 31" December 2024 27.778 72,566 100,344 DEPRECIATION Al 1" January 2024 Charge for the Year 27,778 71,049 379 98,827 379 At 31" December 2024 27,778 71,428 99,206 NET BOOK VALUE AT 31° December 2024 NET BOOK VALUE AT 1" Janua 2024 1,517 1,517 INVESTMENTS 2024 12 Month¥ 2023 14 Month¥ Endowments- Sunday School Prizes Endowments- Trinty Buildings Deposits- Church of England 2,821 20,186 20,174 2,758 19,735 20,174 43.181 42,667 DEBTORS 2024 12 Months 2023 14 Months Sundry Debtors HMRC 2.114 1,624 5,075 5,357 3,738 10,432

10 THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF HOLY TRINITY AND SAINT STEPHEN'S, BRISTOL NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued) FOR THE PERIOD 01 JANUARY 2024 TO 31 DECEMBER 2024 continued CREDITORS- FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR 2024 12 Months 2023 14 Months Sundry Creditors Deposits and Advanced Receipts Capital Retention 7,483 19,733 8,660 9.107 2,358 8,660 MOVEMENTS IN FUNDS Balance 01.01.2024 Funds Transfer Balance 31.12.2024 Incomlng Outgolng Re HTH Buildings Fund Sl Mallhias Schools Chaplaincy Fund Community Support Fund Hardship Fund Sl James Parish Hall SSC Buildings Fund 8ristol Archdeaconry Charity TCS 33,3e6 3.755 1,640 2.065 6,281 16,2811 12141 11501 14221 33,387 3.541 1,490 1.643 483 833 23,761 27,334 {26,9991 18331 (40,7781 818 34,635 17.618 Totol Restricted Fund$ 65,924 68.250 General Fund 85,126 126,685 {133,3241 78,487 85,126 126,685 133,324 78,487 Grand Total 151.050 194.935 209.0011 136,984