2024-12-31-accounts

This text was generated using OCR and may contain errors. Check the original PDF to see the document submitted to the regulator.

Trustees’ Annual Report for the period

From 01 January 2024 to 31 December 2024

THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST JAMES' WOODSIDE LEEDS

Charity registration number: 1206564

1. Welcome from the Vicar

Objectives and Activities
a. Our Purpose
b. Our Main Activities
c. Keeping the Church Maintained
d. Parish Centre
e. Pop-up Café
f. The Horsforth Community Pantry
g. Kid’s Church & Messy Church
h. St James’ Justice Team
i. Open the Book and Rewind
j. Church Flowers
k. Horsforth Churches Together
l. Statement on Public Benefit
m. Contribution made by Volunteers

3. Achievements and Performance

a. Our Main Activities
b. Sharing God’s Blessing

4. Financial Review

a. Financial position
b. Reserves and investment policy
c. Sources of funding
d. Risk management
e. Financial support offered by St James’
f. Self-assessed carbon footprint
g. Independent examiner’s report

5. Structure, governance and management

a. Safeguarding
b. The Diocese of Leeds and the Leeds Northwest Deanery
c. The Horsforth Shed

6. Reference and administrative details

Trustees

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8. Who’s who at St James’

9. Declarations

Annex – detailed financial statements, including church finances explained.

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1. Welcome from the Vicar

It is my great privilege to serve as the Vicar of St James’ Woodside and to welcome you to read the Trustees Annual Report. 2024 marked an important year for me personally as I was licensed as the permanent Vicar after six years as an interim in the post. I was also invited to become an honorary canon of Bradford Cathedral by the Bishop of Leeds; an invitation I was delighted to accept.

Cast as Pilate in the Great Easter Egg Hunt, again! At least everyone looks interested.

Our purpose is to live well together under God, and to Share God’s Blessing with the people of Woodside. In this Trustees Annual Report, we hope to share the ways in which we live out our purpose.

During the year we continued to develop the St James’ site as a community asset. The Parish Centre and the Horsforth Shed continued to provide space for encounter beyond the walls of the church and this year these spaces were joined by the Horsforth Pantry. We can already see how God is using these spaces to bring new life to the church in our place and we are excited to see how this will develop in 2025 and beyond. We also continued to advance plans for a major reordering of the church building, and this included a capital project to address essential repairs to the church fabric (roof and walls).

I remain grateful to the number and variety of people who contribute to the life of St James’. A fuller list is included later in this report, but I would like to offer particular thanks to PCC members for their commitment and work over the year, churchwardens, Glenda Ingham and Lynne Gillions; vice-chair, Tracey Greig; secretary, Alison Pickford; treasurer Cal Bailey and accountant Malcolm Barraclough. Particular thanks also go to our readers, Pete Gillions and Cal Bailey, to retired clergyman, Brian Lipscombe, to Jo Bailey, our Parish Safeguarding Officer and to Hannah Mason who leads our work with children.

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I am also thankful for all those who pray, read, sing, bake, visit, mow, clean, and myriad other jobs at St James’ – many unseen. These are all expressions of faith in God and a desire to Share God’s Blessing with those around us.

Thank you for taking the time to read this report. I pray that you find it a faithful reflection of life at St James’ and that you will forgive any omissions, which I assure you, have been unintentional.

May mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance

Jonathan

The ‘official’ opening of the Horsforth Community Pantry at St James’ by the Lord Mayor of Leeds, Councillor Abigail Marshall Katung, October 2024.

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2. Objectives and Activities

a. Our Purpose

The PCC is a public benefit entity within the meaning of Financial Reporting Standard (FRS) 102. The Church of England website has as its mission statement 'A Christian presence in every community'. Woodside St James’ PCC has the responsibility of working with the Vicar in promoting the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical, primarily in the parish of Woodside St James’ and extending to the town of Horsforth, the Northwest Leeds Deanery and the Diocese of Leeds.

The PCC also has responsibility for the management of the church building, the Parish Centre, former Scout Hut and The Horsforth Community Pantry, which relocated into a purpose-built unit at St James’ in June 2024. Further information about the church building, Parish Centre and Horsforth Community Pantry is included later in this report.

Between 2018 and 2021 work to convert the former Scout Hut into a community workshop was undertaken to accommodate The Horsforth Shed. The Horsforth Shed operates as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (Charity no. 1184672). The trustees of the Horsforth Shed, which include the Vicar and other members of the PCC, report separately.

b. Our Main Activities

We are members of the Church of England and so follow Jesus Christ within this tradition and alongside both other Anglican churches and local churches of other denominations, as fellow members of Horsforth Churches Together.

Services of worship are offered in traditional and contemporary formats, and the pastoral offices - weddings, funerals and services of baptism – are offered to those in the Parish and those with Parish connections. Services and offices are open to the local community irrespective of formal links to the church.

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Highlights from the year included a joyful celebration in church on Easter morning and our Harvest celebration, which included a special service for Ducklings Nursery. Two very generous collections of food were taken from our harvest services to the Horsforth Community Pantry, which opened its doors in a new home at St James’ on 02 July 2024.

Following the success of our ‘St James’ Presents’ events held in 2023 as part of our anniversary celebrations we hosted a spoken word event with northern poets Erin Bolens and Carl Burkitt. We also welcomed the return of folk trio Granny’s Attic who entertained an appreciative audience with stunning musicianship and whimsical asides.

The Christmas season was busy with a Carol Service for Broadgate Primary Year-6 children and their parents and teachers, a Christingle Service for Ducklings Nursery, a Memorial Service held in partnership with Slater’s Funeral Directors and Carol Singing at Broadfields. It was good to see a full church once again for the atmospheric Candlelit Carol Service, which followed our Victorian Bazaar.

In 2023 we commenced work on a masterplan to address the challenges of the church building: limited access for wheelchairs and pushchairs, poor heating and lighting, and a lack of toilets and kitchen. These problems are inter-related and need to be addressed to secure the future of St James’ as a worship space and community asset. This work continued in 2024 as we consulted the Leeds Diocesan Advisory Committee and other stakeholders about our plans and began to engage with potential funders. We also procured essential repair work to the church fabric, which is described later in this report, and which has informed the masterplan.

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c. Keeping the Church Maintained

We are fortunate to have a knowledgeable and committed Fabric Committee who ensure the PCC keep up with the maintenance of the church building and churchyard. Thanks are due to David Thrussell who has chaired the Fabric Committee for a number of years, to the members of the committee and to the Vicar who brings his preordination experience as an engineer to bear in the committee’s planning and work.

During 2024 we employed contractors to carry out repairs to the churchyard boundary wall. Two buttresses were constructed on the southern boundary and the wall was repointed following advice from a structural engineer. Volunteers from the Horsforth Shed also fettled the churchyard gate, which now closes for the first time in years.

Following architect’s advice in the last Quinquennial Inspection (November 2023), the PCC obtained the necessary permissions to complete essential roof and masonry repairs. Contracts were procured for scaffolding, roofing and repointing and the scope included

replacement of the chancel and blowing chamber rooves.

During the works it was discovered that several of the stone carved ridge copings on the chancel were damaged, so new stones were carved to replace them. Smart water was applied to the lead surfaces before the scaffolding was removed.

The Fabric Committee are

confident that major water ingress into the building has been prevented by these works. In early 2025 the PCC procured some further work to remove damp-affected plaster from the internal walls, which will allow these walls to dry out fully.

The stonemason also levelled and repaired some of the gravestones identified as unsafe.

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The churchyard grass and planting beds have been looked after by a group of volunteers and its tidy condition is due to their hard work. A tree growing close to the church was removed on advice of the architects.

In the Parish Centre a team of volunteers completed a redecoration of the large hall, and a new floor and some new energy efficient lighting was installed. The side doors to the centre have been resurfaced.

Annual work on the boilers, lightening conductor, fire and intruder alarms and fire extinguishers has been completed.

d. Parish Centre

There have been a few changes to the regular lettings in the Parish Centre. Regular users include very popular Numbertrain classes, to which parents bring their toddlers from far and wide, children’s dance and drama classes, and a range of exercise classes, including fitness for mums with toddlers, Yoga and Pilates. We now have regular (but not income-earning) cafés for the Horsforth Community Pantry on Tuesday mornings, and our own popular monthly pop-up café on the second Friday of the month, plus there are weekly craft sessions in the small hall, and a monthly knit and natter group. Brownies and the Women’s Institute use the building regularly. The Parish Centre also hosts NHS Diabetes Prevention Programmes, run by Reed Wellbeing, and National Childbirth Trust courses. The building is used regularly for children’s parties and is occasionally used for meetings such as AGMs of small charitable organisations.

There is still capacity to increase lettings of the Parish Centre and to use the small hall while classes are running in the main hall. As ever, we hope to encourage an increase in bookings in 2025.

Total earnings from lettings during 2024 were £20,860, down 4% on 2023 (£21,800). However, cleaning costs, utilities, management, insurance, depreciation and repairs costs were £18,880 also down from 2023 (£19,404).

Over the summer the large hall was redecorated and the floor replaced, both of which have been very well received.

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e. Pop-up Café

The monthly café was held on the second Friday each month in the Parish Centre. It was open from 10-11.30 and regularly over-ran due to people enjoying the ‘nattering’!

The café serves delicious home-baked cakes and hot drinks and endeavours to cater for a range of dietary requirements. Around 1525 people come each time, of all ages.

During the year we received a £250 contribution from the Leeds Warm Spaces initiative, and the café continues to be registered with Voluntary Action Leeds as part of the Welcome Spaces Network. The Pop-up Café is advertised on local Facebook groups. Everyone is welcome.

f. The Horsforth Pantry

The Horsforth Community Pantry opened its doors to members on Tuesday 02 July in a purpose-built shop and food store adjacent St James’ Woodside (Horsforth). Just one year after conversations between Nigel Sinclair and Jonathan Cain (the two vicars in the town), Claire Evans (the ABCD Community Builder for Horsforth) and local councillors, the Pantry opened to the delight of all involved. One Pantry member commented, “it’s just like shopping in M&S!”

The opening of the Horsforth Community Pantry is one legacy of the coronavirus pandemic, when the Horsforth Community Assets Project (HCAP) under the auspices of the Abbeylands Team – St Margaret’s, Horsforth – started a food project for vulnerable families. The food project went through various incarnations, including a partnership with the Kirkstall Valley Development Trust (KVDT), but it has been a long-held ambition to find a permanent site for a pantry in Horsforth.

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The Horsforth Community Pantry is a project that seeks to address financial inequality, which is an issue in stark relief in Horsforth. The Pantry works with partner organisations (Children’s Services, the Children’s Centre, MHA Communities), who refer individuals and families to the Community Pantry for support. The principal (in)equality issues that were considered in the planning of the project are:

The affordability of weekly shopping for low-income families. The Pantry addresses this by providing groceries valued at c.£25 for the weekly membership fee of £6.
Poor access to transport for low-income families. The Pantry addresses this by providing a location in the heart of the area of most deprivation in Horsforth (walking distance).
The desire for better-off families to help those struggling with the cost of living. The Pantry addresses this by a) providing volunteering/ befriending opportunities and b) providing a location to donate food that will go directly to low-income families in Horsforth.

On the opening day, Claire Evans said, “I can’t believe what we have achieved in just one year.”

During that year, plans were drawn up, planning permission obtained, funds raised and a building erected. The building was put together using largely volunteer labour from across

churches in Horsforth and Leeds, and the facilities of another St James’/ Horsforth Churches Together Project, the Horsforth Shed.

Funds were donated by a series of organisations and individuals – it was a project that drew people together. One of the donors, Foodsavers Network, continues to support the Pantry in operation, including the provision of credit union accounts for Pantry members. For the six months to December the Pantry was operated by HCAP and the Woodside PCC in partnership. While we will continue a close working relationship with our friends at HCAP, responsibility for operating the Pantry migrated to St James’ on 01 January 2025.

The opening of the Pantry in July was followed by an ‘official’ opening by Councillor Abigail Marshall Katung in October.

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g. Kids’ Church & Messy Church

Kids’ Church is run by Hannah Mason and Jo Howes and takes place on the second and fourth Sunday of each month. The number of children attending varies each session, typically between 8 and 12. Children range in age from 2 years to 15 years old.

Each session begins with a focus on one of the Bible readings from the main service and is usually followed by a couple of craft activities. Children have a drink and snack during the session. We aim to create an inclusive environment where all children feel welcome. Once each month the children return to the service in church for Holy Communion and participate in the Eucharistic liturgy.

Messy Church happens monthly on the third Sunday afternoon and over the last year we have had a regular attendance of about 15 children plus their parents. It is always a hive of activity with the children engaged in several crafts, followed by a celebration time of Bible story, singing and prayers. We have continued to look at various characters from the Old Testament. The afternoon finishes with a meal for the children and plenty of cups of tea for the adults! We have been very pleased to welcome some new families this year – including those who are interested in baptism.

We are indebted to the regular and committed volunteers who turn up each month to enable this invaluable work with our families. Particular thanks go to Alison Pickford who prepares the food each month, Yvonne Lipscombe who always prepares the food craft and Christine Lazenby who generates a lot of craft ideas!

h. St James’ Justice Team

Our Justice Team has grown by one member to thirteen in 2024. We mainly offer our support to email petitions and campaigns which can be remarkably effective, including securing debates in parliament.

2024 was a general election year, and we jointly organised another local Hustings event for our candidates, this time at our Church. All candidates came except from the Reform Party, and we were able to

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hear them answer our questions and be tested in this polite but public arena.

Following boundary changes, we have been ‘re-located’ from the Pudsey to Leeds NW constituency; Katie White OBE, the Labour candidate, was elected our new MP – her first post to parliament, where she is now Parliamentary Private Secretary to Rt Hon Ed Miliband, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change. Katie has long been committed to this topic, having been instrumental in drafting and gaining support for the Climate Change Act 2008 while she was working for Friends of the Earth.

We now write regularly to her, receiving nearly as regular responses as we did while Stuart Andrew was our MP.

Perhaps the main topic of local interest is the current Public Enquiry into the expansion and night flights of Leeds Bradford Airport. Our concern is that it doesn’t contribute to the local economy – in fact the reverse, despite claims to the contrary – and causes sleep loss due to illegal and noisy night flights, as well as hosting the by far the largest source of carbon emissions in our locality.

Additionally, we have supported an Oceans Treaty to ensure that underwater mining and international fishing are properly regulated, debt relief for the poorest countries, as well as many similar campaigns.

26 June 2024, General Election hustings at St James’.

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i. Open the Book and Rewind

Our relationship with schools continues to thrive. We visit assemblies in all 7 primary schools in Horsforth. Over the past year we have enacted the stories of several Old Testament characters and are currently focusing on the life of Daniel. We are sometimes invited into schools for other occasions. The children always enjoy our visits. We are very keen to recruit more folk from any of our local churches. Each round of assemblies sees us telling Bible Stories to over 2000 primary children. We are also very

grateful for the financial support from Horsforth Churches Together which enables us to borrow props and costumes from Otley Christian Resources Hub.

Our Christmas Rewind involved Year 4 children from all the primary schools. They were involved in a range of fun activities and heard the Christmas story told in creative ways. We encouraged them to wonder about the events and share their thoughts with each other. It went over 2 days and although we are always tired at the end, it is immensely rewarding to share the birth of Jesus with so many children. The teachers always give positive feedback and are keen to get involved. We have invited all Year 5 children to participate in Easter Rewind where a similar range of activities will take the children through the events of Holy Week.

j. Church Flowers Report

We continue to have a dedicated team made up of the following people: Christine Barraclough, Helen Davies, Ruth Dent, Tracey Greig, Lynne Gillions, and Glenda Ingham.

We provide arrangements each week and also extra displays for special celebrations such as Easter and Harvest and bunches of daffodils for distribution on Mothers’ Day. Members of the congregation sponsor flowers often in memory of a loved one or on

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an occasion special to them. Sponsors are listed in every edition of St James’ Life. We are forever grateful to our volunteer florists and sponsors, including those who responded to our sponsor-appeal in 2024.

k. Horsforth Churches Together

We are very blessed to be part of such an active group which enables us to get involved with other local churches in reaching out to our community. The Horsforth Chaplaincy Project led by Duncan Stow heads up several events including the Good Friday Walk of Witness, activities at the Horsforth Gala, Carols in the Park, outreach to refugees and asylum seekers and work in schools. Some members from St James’ have enjoyed the evenings hosted by asylum seekers, where the refugees cook food and tell their stories.

Horsforth Churches Together enables the Christian witness of the individual churches in the town to have a bigger impact than if the churches worked separately. St James’ supports the work of Horsforth Churches Together and The Horsforth Chaplaincy Project with a regular financial contribution.

Horsforth Churches Together meetings are held about 4 or 5 times a year, and anyone is welcome to attend. Also, the Horsforth Chaplaincy project produces newsletters with information about their work and upcoming events.

l. Statement on Public Benefit

The trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit.

The public benefit offered by St James’ is to promote in our parish the whole mission of God’s church. We do this primarily by offering public worship free of charge and for everyone. Additionally, we provide, through our vicar and a team working with Horsforth Churches Together, school assemblies at all local primary schools. We make gifts to charities. We work for justice in our world. We operate a Community Pantry to serve local people who are struggling with the cost of living. And we encourage and support our members

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to serve their neighbours, at work and at home, in these and a variety of other ways.

m.Contribution made by Volunteers

Many people contribute to the life of St James’. The table in section 8 of this report lists around 50 different individuals who all serve the church and local community through a variety of activities.

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3. Achievements and Performance

a. Our main activities

The population of the parish of St James’ Woodside was recorded as 8,910 in the 2021 census. The Electoral Roll is the official record of those who are affiliated within a parish to the Church of England. A person needs to be on the Roll if they want to be able to stand for election to the Parochial Church Council or another of the Church’s governing bodies or if they want to vote at the Annual Church Meeting.

The revision of the Electoral Roll was completed in April 2024 and as a result, the Annual Church Meeting, held on 19 May, was advised that the numbers on the roll had increased: 58 residents and 49 nonresidents, a total of 107 members. This is indicated in the table below.

Year	Number on the Electoral Roll
2019	96
2021	100
2022	93
2023	93
2024	107

Each year we are required to make a ‘Statistics for Mission’ return to the Church of England. A selection of the data record in that return is presented in the following tables, which give an indication of the achievements and performance of the church.

Worshipping Community	Worshipping Community	Worshipping Community
Year	Children (Age 0-10)	Young people (Age 11- 17)	Adults (Age 18- 69)	Adults (Age 70+)	TOTAL
2019	22	3	70	20	115
2021	17	4	58	29	108
2022	23	4	69	26	122
2023	18	8	70	24	120

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Worshipping Community

Worshipping Community	Worshipping Community	Worshipping Community	Worshipping Community	Worshipping Community	Worshipping Community
Year	Children (Age 0-10)	Young people (Age 11- 17)	Adults (Age 18- 69)	Adults (Age 70+)	TOTAL
2024	23	6	68	27	124

It was pleasing to see an increase in average Sunday attendance in 2024 when compared to 2023. Attendance has not yet reached preCovid (i.e. 2019) levels, but average Sunday attendance in 2024 was 4% up on 2023.

Average Sunday Attendance	Average Sunday Attendance
Year	Children	Adults	Total
2019	13	60	73
2021	No data (Covid)	No data (Covid)	No data (Covid)
2022	9	52	61
2023	10	58	68
2024	11	60	71

Attendance at major festivals

Attendance at major festivals	Attendance at major festivals	Attendance at major festivals
Year	Christmas Eve/ Day	Easter Day
2019	207	106
2021	131	76
2022	187	79
2023	201	93
2024	214	81

Pastoral Offices

Pastoral Offices	Pastoral Offices	Pastoral Offices	Pastoral Offices	Pastoral Offices	Pastoral Offices
Year	Baptism	Confirmation	Wedding	Funeral (church)	Funeral (crematorium)
2019	12	3	3	2	6
2021	1	3	2	8	5
2022	10	0	3	5	5
2023	3	2	1	1	10
2024	8	0	3	3	5

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b. Sharing God’s Blessing

Our strategy, Sharing God’s Blessing was established for the five years to 2024 and, during the year, the five aspirations from that document continued to guide our planning.

The ‘progress’ made against each of the five aspirations in our strategy during the past year is recorded in the tables below.

Goal 1. Thriving as an Anglican Parish Church with a clear vision and values

Goal 1. Thriving as an Anglican Parish Church with a clear vision and values	Goal 1. Thriving as an Anglican Parish Church with a clear vision and values
Our aspiration by 2024 … With Christ as our model for Loving, Living and Learning, we are excited to be part of a body of maturing Christians in the Diocese of Leeds, with a shared story to tell and a distinctive part to play. We are all committed to the safeguarding, care and nurture of everyone within our community and to God’s creation. St James’ is a community of confident Christians, growing in numbers and as disciples, transforming our local community by sharing the love of God. Together, we are working with others in the diocese and across the town of Horsforth, making a unique contribution to building the Kingdom of God.	Progress towards our aspiration/ challenges … It was encouraging to record a further 4% growth in Average Sunday Attendance at St James’ in 2024. Although this remains marginally below attendance levels pre-pandemic, we have a firmer expectation that growth is possible/ happening. We remain excited to see God at work in our service to the local community. In 2024 the Horsforth Community Pantry added an extra dimension to our community engagement. Safeguarding remains a key priority for us. Our Parish Safeguarding Officer continues to use the Parish Safeguarding Dashboard to prompt discussion and drive actions at each meeting of the PCC. c.50% of our regular worshipping congregation are involved in discipleship groups, which contributes to the confidence of our Christian witness. St James’ people continue to contribute to the work of Horsforth Churches Together, including the Farmer’s Market, the Good Friday Walk of Witness, Carols in the Park and work in schools (Open the Book and Rewind to Christmas and Easter).

Goal 1. Thriving as an Anglican Parish Church with a clear
vision and values

Our aspiration by 2024
…
With Christ as our
model for Loving, Living
and Learning, we are
excited to be part of a
body of maturing
Christians in the
Diocese of Leeds, with
a shared story to tell
and a distinctive part to
play. We are all
committed to the
safeguarding, care and
nurture of everyone
within our community
and to God’s creation.
St James’ is a
community of confident
Christians, growing in
numbers and as
disciples, transforming
our local community by
sharing the love of God.
Together, we are
working with others in
the diocese and across
the town of Horsforth,
making a unique
contribution to building
the Kingdom of God.

Progress towards our aspiration/ challenges …
It was encouraging to record a further 4% growth in
Average Sunday Attendance at St James’ in 2024.
Although this remains marginally below attendance
levels pre-pandemic, we have a firmer expectation
that growth is possible/ happening. We remain
excited to see God at work in our service to the local
community. In 2024 the Horsforth Community
Pantry added an extra dimension to our community
engagement.
Safeguarding remains a key priority for us. Our
Parish Safeguarding Officer continues to use the
Parish Safeguarding Dashboard to prompt
discussion and drive actions at each meeting of the
PCC.
c.50% of our regular worshipping congregation are
involved in discipleship groups, which contributes
to the confidence of our Christian witness.
St James’ people continue to contribute to the work
of Horsforth Churches Together, including the
Farmer’s Market, the Good Friday Walk of Witness,
Carols in the Park and work in schools (Open the
Book and Rewind to Christmas and Easter).

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Goal 2. Reimagining ministry

Goal 2. Reimagining ministry	Goal 2. Reimagining ministry
Our aspiration by 2024 … In the context of a shared understanding of what it is to be the Church of England in this diocese, we have explored and tested lay leadership. St James’ ministry is faithfully yet imaginatively Anglican, flourishing and financially sustainable. Ordained and lay ministers are working confidently in fruitful partnerships. We have repaired the internal decoration of the church building and explored ways in which development of the building might better enable our worship, and better serve the local community as a spiritual resource. The Horsforth Shed is a vibrant part of the ministry of St James’, creating opportunities and building relationships to share the love of God.	Progress towards our aspiration/ challenges … Ordained and lay ministers at St James’ continue to work well together, and there is significant lay participation in worship at St James’ – music, prayer and preaching. The PCC were delighted to be able to meet the Parish Share obligation in full, satisfy other financial commitments and generate a modest surplus for the year. The PCC committed to direct any surplus generated by the Parish Centre in 2024 to the Horsforth Shed. During 2024 the PCC continued to advance plans for the reordering of St James’, and this included a consultation with the Leeds Diocesan Advisory Committee and other stakeholders who visited in May. Essential repair work was completed on the church fabric (roof and walls) in the autumn and this work has informed the scope of future work. The PCC were delighted to see the ministry and reach of the Horsforth Shed continue to grow during the year. We are also excited to see how the ministry and reach of the Horsforth Community Pantry will develop.

Our aspiration by 2024 …
In the context of a shared
understanding of what it is
to be the Church of England
in this diocese, we have
explored and tested lay
leadership. St James’
ministry is faithfully yet
imaginatively Anglican,
flourishing and financially
sustainable. Ordained and
lay ministers are working
confidently in fruitful
partnerships.
We have repaired the
internal decoration of the
church building and
explored ways in which
development of the building
might better enable our
worship, and better serve
the local community as a
spiritual resource.
The Horsforth Shed is a
vibrant part of the ministry
of St James’, creating
opportunities and building
relationships to share the
love of God.

Progress towards our aspiration/ challenges
…
Ordained and lay ministers at St James’
continue to work well together, and there is
significant lay participation in worship at St
James’ – music, prayer and preaching.
The PCC were delighted to be able to meet the
Parish Share obligation in full, satisfy other
financial commitments and generate a modest
surplus for the year. The PCC committed to
direct any surplus generated by the Parish
Centre in 2024 to the Horsforth Shed.
During 2024 the PCC continued to advance
plans for the reordering of St James’, and this
included a consultation with the Leeds
Diocesan Advisory Committee and other
stakeholders who visited in May. Essential
repair work was completed on the church fabric
(roof and walls) in the autumn and this work has
informed the scope of future work.
The PCC were delighted to see the ministry and
reach of the Horsforth Shed continue to grow
during the year. We are also excited to see how
the ministry and reach of the Horsforth
Community Pantry will develop.

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Goal 3. Nurturing lay discipleship

Goal 3. Nurturing lay discipleship	Goal 3. Nurturing lay discipleship
Our aspiration by 2024 … All members of the St James’ community are maturing in their calling as Christians. People understand the part that they play in God’s mission to the world (‘The Five Marks of Mission’), and our worship and our common life equip people to express their faith confidently in family, work and social settings. Teaching is a priority. An enquirer’s course and a programme of nurture courses run each year; small group participation is the norm. All is intentionally underpinned by prayer.	Progress towards our aspiration/ challenges … We place significant emphasis on relationships and community, and the principal way in which people mature in faith at St James’ is by spending time with each other. We continued the This Time Tomorrow slot during Sunday services, approximately once per month. This provides an opportunity for congregation members at St James’ to share something of their work, reflect on how their work serves God’s kingdom and be prayed for. Small groups at St James’ (called Bethlehem Groups) gathered for three six-week studies during 2024. In Lent the groups looked at Mark’s Gospel. This was followed by a look at the psalms in the company of John Bell (one of his books not the person!) and by a study of Luke part 1 in the autumn. In Advent members of the worshipping community were encouraged to read_Do not be afraid_, by Rachel Mann, or Women of the Nativity, by Paula Gooder. There was no enquirer’s course run at St James’ in 2024. At the time of writing a_Start Course_is underway (February/ March 2025) and the Bethlehem Groups have started Luke part 2.

Goal 3. Nurturing lay discipleship

Our aspiration by 2024 …
All members of the St
James’ community are
maturing in their calling as
Christians. People
understand the part that
they play in God’s mission
to the world (‘The Five
Marks of Mission’), and our
worship and our common
life equip people to express
their faith confidently in
family, work and social
settings.
Teaching is a priority. An
enquirer’s course and a
programme of nurture
courses run each year;
small group participation is
the norm.
All is intentionally
underpinned by prayer.

Progress towards our aspiration/ challenges
…
We place significant emphasis on relationships
and community, and the principal way in which
people mature in faith at St James’ is by
spending time with each other.
We continued the This Time Tomorrow slot
during Sunday services, approximately once per
month. This provides an opportunity for
congregation members at St James’ to share
something of their work, reflect on how their
work serves God’s kingdom and be prayed for.
Small groups at St James’ (called Bethlehem
Groups) gathered for three six-week studies
during 2024. In Lent the groups looked at
Mark’s Gospel. This was followed by a look at
the psalms in the company of John Bell (one of
his books not the person!) and by a study of
Luke part 1 in the autumn. In Advent members
of the worshipping community were encouraged
to read_Do not be afraid_, by Rachel Mann, or
Women of the Nativity, by Paula Gooder.
There was no enquirer’s course run at St James’
in 2024. At the time of writing a_Start Course_is
underway (February/ March 2025) and the
Bethlehem Groups have started Luke part 2.

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Goal 4. Building leadership pathways

Goal 4. Building leadership pathways	Goal 4. Building leadership pathways
Our aspiration by 2024 … We believe and behave as if everyone has a vocation to serve God in the world and in the Church. People at St James’ are motivated to take responsibility for their own vocational development and are provided with diverse opportunities for doing so. Leadership potential and capacity for people of all ages is being identified and developed.	Progress towards our aspiration/ challenges … It is encouraging when people at St James’ make connections between their daily work and their faith through the This Time Tomorrow interviews. It is also encouraging to have a full complement of lay representatives on the PCC at St James’ as people bring their gifts and skills to the service of God’s Church. Several St James’ people also offer their time and talent to serve as board members/ trustees for charities, including the Horsforth Shed. The Bethlehem Groups have provided opportunities for new people to lead small group discipleship. It is now some years since a vocation to ordained or licensed lay ministry was discerned from within the worshipping congregation and this is an area that may need to be approached with more intentionality.

Our aspiration by 2024 …
We believe and behave as if
everyone has a vocation to
serve God in the world and
in the Church. People at St
James’ are motivated to
take responsibility for their
own vocational
development and are
provided with diverse
opportunities for doing so.
Leadership potential and
capacity for people of all
ages is being identified and
developed.

Progress towards our aspiration/ challenges
…
It is encouraging when people at St James’
make connections between their daily work and
their faith through the This Time Tomorrow
interviews.
It is also encouraging to have a full complement
of lay representatives on the PCC at St James’
as people bring their gifts and skills to the
service of God’s Church. Several St James’
people also offer their time and talent to serve
as board members/ trustees for charities,
including the Horsforth Shed.
The Bethlehem Groups have provided
opportunities for new people to lead small
group discipleship.
It is now some years since a vocation to
ordained or licensed lay ministry was discerned
from within the worshipping congregation and
this is an area that may need to be approached
with more intentionality.

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Goal 5. Growing young people as Christians	Goal 5. Growing young people as Christians
Our aspiration by 2024 … Children and young people are part of the welcoming, enriching and safe worshipping community at St James’. They are provided with a supportive context for maturing in their faith and living out that faith in practice. We regularly review the needs of children and young people in our community and adapt provision for them as they grow. Through Horsforth Churches Together, St James’ continues active participation in taking Christian faith into primary schools in the town. St James’ has strong links with Broadgate Primary School and the Horsforth Children’s Centre.	Progress towards our aspiration/ challenges … Our regular provision of Kid’s Church and Messy Church continued during 2024, and the integration of this into Sunday worship is appreciated by all. It is encouraging to see more children stepping forward to take their turn to lead part of the liturgy. We have continued to deepen our relationships with Ducklings Nursery and Broadgate Primary School by offering opportunities for the children and their families to visit/ worship at St James’. Members of the St James’ worshipping community take a lead in the witness of Horsforth Churches Together in local primary schools (Open the Book and Rewind).

Goal 5. Growing young people as Christians

Our aspiration by 2024 …
Children and young people
are part of the welcoming,
enriching and safe
worshipping community at
St James’. They are
provided with a supportive
context for maturing in their
faith and living out that faith
in practice. We regularly
review the needs of children
and young people in our
community and adapt
provision for them as they
grow.
Through Horsforth
Churches Together, St
James’ continues active
participation in taking
Christian faith into primary
schools in the town. St
James’ has strong links with
Broadgate Primary School
and the Horsforth
Children’s Centre.

Progress towards our aspiration/ challenges
…
Our regular provision of Kid’s Church and Messy
Church continued during 2024, and the
integration of this into Sunday worship is
appreciated by all. It is encouraging to see more
children stepping forward to take their turn to
lead part of the liturgy.
We have continued to deepen our relationships
with Ducklings Nursery and Broadgate Primary
School by offering opportunities for the children
and their families to visit/ worship at St James’.
Members of the St James’ worshipping
community take a lead in the witness of
Horsforth Churches Together in local primary
schools (Open the Book and Rewind).

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4. Financial Review

a. Financial position

St James’ policy with regard to its money is to fund the costs of the church through the giving of the regular worshipping community; and to run the Parish Centre at a modest surplus, giving away the surplus to community projects. In addition, we aim to keep suitable reserves to manage any future loss of income as well as possible; and to build a Church Project Fund capable of enabling us to ensure our listed church building meets our current and future needs as we worship God and serve the community together.

In 2024, we are pleased to record a surplus on our regular church costs of £1,511; and a surplus on Parish Centre operations of £1980. Alongside depreciation of the sound equipment and Parish Centre, this accounts for most of the surplus on unrestricted funds of £11,827. We will be giving the Parish Centre surplus this year to the Horsforth Shed.

In addition, we have raised funds for the construction and operation of the Food Pantry. We had raised £3,592 in 2023, and a further £15,769 in 2024 to match the construction cost of £19,361. Operationally, the Pantry has received £9,193 and spent £1,491 up to year end. After depreciation, this accounts for the rise in our Restricted Funds this year of £15,818.

We have made progress on the major church refurbishment project in 2024, spending £65,109 on the east end of the church roof and walls, and on the churchyard south wall. We received some specific income from grants for this work, a legacy of £10,000, and some interest income on past legacies. These together add up to the movement on our Designated Funds which show a net deficit in the year of £38,608.

After the surpluses described above, and items like the Flower Fund to remember people who have died, the overall deficit on the year is £10,862.

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b. Reserves and investment policy

An important question for every organisation is whether it has the resources to continue. In financial language, this is to ask: Are we a Going Concern? While we can never be certain that people will continue to support God’s work at St James’ financially, our balance sheet at the end of 2024 remains strong despite the deficit in the year. We continue to keep 4 months of normal running costs with fund managers CCLA as a reserve, where it earns interest. This can be seen on the Balance Sheet.

The church has no other investments, except for a small endowment donated many years ago for the purposes of maintaining the churchyard, in the form of shares in the Church of England Investment Fund. These receive a small dividend and have grown slightly in value during the year.

c. Sources of funding

Other than the appeal for the new Food Pantry construction, our funding comes primarily from the regular monthly gifts of the regular worshipping congregation via the Parish Giving Scheme and standing orders. We will be organising a Stewardship Campaign in 2025 to renew our commitments, the last being in 2023.

A small proportion of income is from interest on savings not needed for immediate use, from fees for weddings and funerals, and from events like Granny’s Attic and the Easter Egg Hunt which make a surplus.

For our Church Re-ordering Project, for which we have Church Project Fund, a team has been established to seek funding from outside the church through grants and similar. In 2026, it is likely that we make an appeal to church members for specific donations.

It will be clear that St James’ relies on the regular worshipping congregation for funding. As Treasurer, it is wonderful to see the generosity of church members, and to serve God together in this way among others, seeking God’s blessing for the Woodside community.

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d. Risk management

The primary financial risks we face are the inability of the regular worshipping congregation to continue funding the ongoing use of the church; and the deterioration of our buildings. As a result, we hold Stewardship Campaigns, and make great efforts to maintain our buildings well, and to ensure they remain useful in future, through the efforts of the Fabric and Re-development Committees

e. Financial support offered by St James’

The church has long supported Horsforth Churches Together, and its staff, with gifts to fund operations from our income.

In 2024 we supported the Christmas Hampers for members of the Food Pantry, in addition to gifts directly from the worshipping congregation.

The PCC has approved the donation of the 2024 Parish Centre surplus to the Horsforth Shed, and this has been accrued in these accounts, to be given in 2025. This is a change on the plan proposed in the 2023 accounts.

Modest support is donated to a Safe House for girls at risk of FGM in Mara, Tanzania, and to the Church of England Children’s Society from our annual Christingle services and Box Collection. These sums are donations from the congregation, which may come via the church or may be given directly.

Our Parish Share is calculated to be a fair allocation of costs across the Diocese, taking into account the average incomes of people in our area, compared to elsewhere in the Diocese. We pay more than our actual cost as a result. We are pleased to be able do this and have paid our Share in full for many years. These sums are not included in the figures below.

Total charitable giving from church funds in 2024 was £4,242 (2023: £4,019) excluding the gifts for Mara and CofE Children’s Society

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f. Self-assessed carbon footprint

Organisation name: St James Woodside

Data entered by: Cal Bailey

Data period : 01 January 2024 to 31 December 2024

Our scope 1 and 2 carbon footprint in 2024 was 11.6 tonnes CO2e

Comparator period: 2023 footprint is 10.7 tonnes CO2e

The main reason for the rise is that we used more gas and electricity in 2024, mainly due to the construction and operation of the Food Pantry and the work on the church roof. The church was in use for a similar number of days in each year: the 175 events in 2023 being roughly balanced by fewer events but additional visits by Broadgate Lane Primary School and Ducklings in 2024.

The biggest single contributors to our footprint by far are the two gas boilers.

This calculation is for our direct footprint, plus the footprint of our electricity. It ignores the indirect footprint of, for example, manufacturing our copier and computers, pumping our water, and the construction products we have purchased or bought through builders. In 2024 we had multiple projects – Food Pantry construction, churchyard wall repair and Chancel roof and wall works. Cement and concrete both have a huge footprint, and other products like roof materials and electrical cables have a high footprint too.

If we are to permanently reduce our church carbon footprint, then we need to reduce the need for gas heating – without being cold! This can be done by reducing draughts (e.g. keeping the door shut), improving insulation (difficult in a church), and installing other, lower carbon, forms of heating. An example might be underfloor heating, with a ground source heat pump. It looks like this may be a feasible solution for our church – if we dig boreholes along the road to the east and south of the building. Low carbon heating is one element of our church masterplan.

Our footprint has been calculated using www.carbonfootprint.com – Small Business Calculator.

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g. Independent examiner’s report

To the PCC of St James, Woodside

I report on the financial statements of the PCC for the year ended 31st December 2024, which are included in this Annual Report.

Respective Responsibilities of the PCC as Trustees and the Independent Examiner

As trustees of the charity, the members of the PCC are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements. They consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (“the 2011 Act”) and that an independent examination is needed.

It is my responsibility to:

Examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act;
Follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners in section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act; and
State whether particular matters have come to my attention.

Basis of the Independent Examiner’s Statement

My examination was carried out in accordance 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 with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking consideration from the management committee concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair’ view and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.

Independent Examiner’s Statement

In connection with my examination, no matters have come to my attention:

which give me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements to keep accounting records in

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accordance with s.130 of the 2011 Act, or to prepare accounts which accord with these accounting records, have not been met;

to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Professor Charles Taylor 99, Southway Horsforth LS18 5RW

Wednesday 15 April 2025

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5. Structure, Governance and Management

The Parochial Church Council is a corporate body established by the Church of England. The PCC operates under the Parochial Church Council Powers Measure and is a Registered Charity.

The method of appointment of PCC members is set out in the Church Representation Rules. At St James’ the membership of the PCC consists of the incumbent (our vicar), churchwardens, two readers and members elected by those members of the congregation who are on the electoral roll of the church. All those who attend our services/members of the congregation are encouraged to register on the electoral roll and stand for election to the PCC.

The PCC members are responsible for making decisions on all matters of general concern and importance to the parish, including deciding on how the funds of the PCC are to be spent. New members receive initial training into the workings of the PCC.

The full PCC met six times during the year with an average level of attendance of 86%. Given its wide responsibilities the PCC has three permanent committees:

The Standing Committee.
The Finance Committee.
The Fabric Committee.

These committees are all responsible to the PCC and report back to it regularly, minutes of their decisions being received by the full PCC and discussed as necessary. At the end of the year, the PCC established an additional committee for the management of the Horsforth Community Pantry.

a. Safeguarding

At St James’ we have put measures in place to protect vulnerable adults and children. These measures include numerous legal, moral and spiritual obligations on the Church to ensure that everyone is safe and prospers. Our aim is to promote an environment which is welcoming

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and respectful and that enables safeguarding concerns to be raised and responded to openly, promptly and consistently.

We use ‘A safer church’ as our safeguarding policy which can be found at:

- https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2017 11/cofe - policy statement.pdf

The Church of England requires that its parish churches adopt a number of processes and policies around Safeguarding. The instructions from the National Safeguarding Team are made with the support and approval of the House of Bishops and are designed to make sure that parish churches are able to understand and comply with increasingly complicated legal requirements while also ensuring that the church properly fulfils our spiritual and moral obligations.

It is a statutory requirement for the PCC to state that it “has complied with the duty under section 5 of the Safeguarding and clergy discipline measure 2016 (duty to have due regard to House of Bishops guidance on safeguarding children and vulnerable adults)”.

The Parish Safeguarding Officer (PSO) continues to use the parish safeguarding dashboard which is an invaluable source of guidance and prompts to action. As in previous years the following actions have been completed:

Followed safer recruitment practice including regular DBS applications.
Committed to keeping up to date with training. The PSO renewed her safeguarding leadership training in December.
Provided appropriate insurance cover for all activities undertaken in the name of the PCC which involve children and vulnerable adults.
Reviewed the list of activities undertaken in the name of the church which involve children and vulnerable adults.
Reviewed risk assessments and training requirements for activities undertaken by the church.
Reviewed the list of non-church activities in the Parish Centre. Hirers are required to sign a safeguarding addendum as a condition of hire.

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Displayed contact details for the PSO, vicar and churchwardens, plus the Diocesan Safeguarding Team in church and on our website. Displayed other posters for information.
Followed the procedure when concerns have been raised.
Reviewed our procedure for dealing with allegations and safeguarding concerns.

The PCC also adopted a policy for recruiting ex-offenders. In order to raise awareness about safeguarding we kept Safeguarding Sunday on 17 November and plan to make this an annual event.

In the January meeting of the PCC we held a discussion on how we can promote a healthy and safe church culture. There was general agreement that procedures and policies are in place. However, we want to make sure our church is an inclusive place where people feel safe and listened to and are cared for. Going forward we will continue to monitor this and welcome any feedback from the congregation and other stakeholders on how we can improve this.

We recognize that we cannot be complacent – abuse of some form or other could happen in our church community. It is important that everyone remains vigilant, that we hold each other accountable, and remember that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.

If anyone has any concerns about safeguarding, they should in the first instance either raise these with the Vicar or with the PSO. The procedure for dealing with allegations or concerns is displayed in church and in the Parish Centre.

b. The Diocese of Leeds and the Northwest Leeds Deanery

St James’ is part of the Anglican Diocese of Leeds and sits within the Northwest Deanery in the Leeds Episcopal Area. The incumbent and three lay representatives sit on the Northwest Leeds Deanery Synod. The lay representatives, who are all ex-officio PCC members are: Tracey Greig, Christine Lazenby and Ryan Smith-Farthing.

Central to the vocation of the Church of England is the Parish system, which provides a Christian presence in every community. Ministry is funded by the Diocese through the collection of Parish Share. In 2024 St

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James’ met its Parish Share commitment in full, with a contribution of £71,493 towards a total of £11.7m for the Diocese of Leeds as a whole.

The Diocese of Leeds supports a worshipping community of 32,000 with 310 stipendiary clergy and curates in 440 parishes.

c. The Horsforth Shed (Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), registration no. 1184672)

The Horsforth Shed operates from the repurposed former Scout Hut at St James’, providing community workshop facilities with a purpose to promote social inclusion. The St James’ Woodside PCC regard the Shed as an important element of the church’s outreach to the local community, and contribute to the Shed’s activities in the following ways:

Lease of the building at a peppercorn rent.
The Incumbent and other PCC/ worshipping community members at St James’ serve alongside others as trustees and workshop volunteers;
Financial support – the PCC regularly allocates a proportion of the surplus from Parish Centre lettings to the Horsforth Shed;
▪ Prayer.

The PCC are delighted with the ministry of the Horsforth Shed to vulnerable children and adults. More information can be found online (https://www.horsforthshed.co.uk/) and in the trustees’ annual report for The Horsforth Shed.

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6. Reference and administrative details

Charity name	THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST JAMES' WOODSIDE LEEDS
Other name the charity uses	Woodside St James’ PCC
Registered charity number	1206564
Charity’s principal address	Church Office, Low Lane, Horsforth LS18 5QW

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7. Trustees

Trustees
Name of Trustee	Office (if any)
Cal Bailey	Reader, treasurer
Jo Bailey	Parish Safeguarding Officer
Sophie Baker
Christine Barraclough		Re-appointed April 2024
Revd Canon Jonathan Cain	Incumbent, Chair
Rebecca Cain
Ruth Dent
John Evans	Deanery Synod Representative	Resigned April 2024
Lynne Gillions	Churchwarden	Re-appointed April 2024
Pete Gillions	Reader
Tracey Greig	Vice chair, Deanery Synod Representative
Glenda Ingham	Churchwarden	Re-appointed April 2024
Christine Lazenby	Deanery Synod Representative
Joe Minton		Re-appointed April 2024
Alison Pickford	Secretary	Re-appointed April 2024
Ryan Smith-Farthing	Deanery Synod Representative	Appointed April 2024*
Becky Woodward
Jonathan Woodward

*Ryan was only eligible to join the Electoral Roll in April 2024 and so served in a coopted capacity until his position was confirmed in November after a period of six months.

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8. Who’s who at St James’

Permanent Committees of the PCC

Standing Committee : Cal Bailey, Jonathan Cain (chair), Lynne Gillions, Tracey Greig, Glenda Ingham, Alison Pickford.

Fabric Committee : Jonathan Cain, Ruth Dent, Lynne Gillions, Pete Gillions, Trevor Greig, Derek Plummer, David Thrussell (chair).

Finance Committee : Cal Bailey (chair), Sophie Baker (resigned October 2024), Malcolm Barraclough, Jonathan Cain, Glenda Ingham, John Pickford, Jonathan Woodward (appointed February 2025).

In addition to these permanent committees the following project committees were established in 2024

Project Committees of the PCC

Church Masterplan Committee : Cal Bailey, Jonathan Cain (chair), Pete Gillions, Tracey Greig, David Thrussell.

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Project Committees of the PCC

Pantry Management Committee : Jonathan Cain, Ruth Dent, Becky Woodward, Jonathan Woodward.

Coopted from the community: Ann Bossingham, Claire Evans, Sharon Moss, Maria Russell.

The following tables names those who contribute to and enhance the life of St James’ by performing specific roles.

Music team : Sophie Baker, Rebecca Cain, Ruth Dent, Lynne Gillions, Vix Hargreaves, Brian Lipscombe, Yvonne Lipscombe, Mel Nightingale, Joe Minton, David Parkinson, Alison Pickford, Eleanor Pickford, Jill Ramsden, Katie Tither.

Readers : Cal Bailey, Jo Bailey, Chris Baker (snr), Rebecca Cain, Chris Davis, Karen Evans, Lynne Gillions, Tracey Greig, Andy Hoye, Glenda Ingham, Joe Minton, Ann Muggeridge, Mel Nightingale, Beth Parkinson, Alison Pickford, Jill Ramsden, Cathy Thrussell, David Thrussell, Katie Tither, Phil Toepritz, Sue Toepritz, Lynda Wightman. Intercessors : Cal Bailey, Jo Bailey, Christine Barraclough, Malcolm Barraclough, Chris Davis, Alison Pickford, Becky Woodward.

PA : Chris Davis, Lynne Gillions, Pete Gillions, Glenda Ingham, Andrew Nightingale, Alison Pickford, Ryan Smith-Farthing, Cathy Thrussell, David Thrussell, Jonathan Woodward. Flowers : Christine Barraclough, Helen Davis, Ruth Dent, Lynne Gillions, Tracey Greig, Glenda Ingham.

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Work with children and families : Jo Bailey, Jonathan Cain, Rebecca Cain, Emma Connell, Jo Howes, Lynne Gillions, Pete Gillions, Christine Lazenby, Brian Lipscombe, Yvonne Lipscombe, Hannah Mason (leader), Harriet Mason, Isobel Mason, Ann Muggeridge, Alison Pickford, John Pickford, Ryan Smith-Farthing, David Thrussell, Lynda Wightman. Horsforth Community Pantry: Jonathan Cain, Rebecca Cain, Ruth Dent, Lynne Gillions, Mel Nightingale, Jose Richards, Pam Walker, Lynda Wightmans, Fiona Wright. Finance Team : Cal Bailey (treasurer), Chris Baker (snr), Eileen Barraclough, Malcolm Barraclough, Chris Davis, Lynne Gillions, Christine Lazenby, Mel Nightingale, Beth Parkinson, Alison Pickford, Cathy Thrussell, Sue Toepritz, Lynda Wightman. Fundraising : Rebecca Cain, Ruth Dent, Tracey Greig, Glenda Ingham, Alison Pickford. Churchyard maintenance : Jonathan Ash, Christine Lazenby, Andrew Nightingale, John Pickford, David Thrussell, Mike Counsell. The Horsforth Shed : Chris Baker (jnr), Jonathan Cain, Pete Gillions (leader), Tracey Greig, Joe Minton. Food Bank : Christine Lazenby. Horsforth Churches Together : Lynne Gillions.

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Sidespeople : Jose Ashbee, Chris Baker (snr), Chris Davis, Helen Davis, John Evans, Karen Evans, Lynne Gillions, Tracey Greig, Fiona Hockin, Glenda Ingham, Christine Lazenby, Beth Parkinson, John Pickford, Gill Smith, David Thrussell. Coffee rota : Jose Ashbee, Helen Davis, Ruth Dent, John Evans, Karen Evans, Lynne Gillions, Tracey Greig, Glenda Ingham, Christine Lazenby, Andy Nightingale, Mel Nightingale, Beth Parkinson, David Parkinson, Alison Pickford, John Pickford, Gill Smith, Katie Tither, Pam Walker, Linda Williamson, Fiona Wright. Pastoral visiting : Cal Bailey, Jo Bailey, Jonathan Cain, Lynne Gillions, Pete Gillions, Glenda Ingham, Brian Lipscombe, John Pickford. Prayer chain : Sophie Baker, Beryl Egan, Fiona Hockin, Ann Muggeridge, John Pickford. Pop-up Café : Ruth Dent, Mel Nightingale, Alison Pickford, Katie Tither. Catering : Rebecca Cain, Ruth Dent, Tracey Greig, Glenda Ingham, Alison Pickford, Katie Tither.

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9. Declarations

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above Signed on behalf of the trustees Signature Full name Position Date

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Annex – Detailed Financial Statements

Total funds
2023
£
Total
funds 2024
£
Endowment
funds
£
Designated
funds
£
Restricted
funds
£
Unrestricted
funds
£
Notes
Statement of Financial Activities
for the year ended 31 December 2024

182,813
28,776
2,175
2,714
9,083
225,561
107,436
19,404
9,023
135,863
89,698
378
90,076
184,262
274,338
140,860
26,934
5,662
2,754
-
176,210
168,293
18,880
-
187,173
(10,963)
101
(10,862)
274,338
274,338
263,476
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
101
101
4,362
4,362
4,463
24,400
-
2,100
-
-
26,500
65,108
-
-
65,108
(38,608)
-
(38,608)
120,441
(3,592)
116,849
78,241
26,156
-
-
-
-
26,156
8,076
2,262
-
10,338
15,818
-
15,818
121,248
3,592
124,840
140,658
90,304
26,934
3,562
2,754
-
123,554
95,109
16,618
-
111,727
11,827
-
11,827
28,287
28,287
40,114
2(a)
2(b)
2©
2(d)
2(e)
3(a)
3(b)
3©
Income and endowments
Voluntary income
Activities for generating funds
Income from investments
Income from Church activities
Other income
Expenditure
Church activities
Fund raising trading
Other expenditure
Net incoming resources before other
recognised gains and losses
Unrealised (losses)/gains on investment
Surplus/ (deficit) on funds in year
Balances b/fwd 01 January 2024
Prior year adjustment: reclassification of Pantry
Fund b/fwd (previously classified as designated
fund)
B/fwd after prior year adjustment
Balances c/fwd 31 December 2024

Charity Registration no. 1206564

Page 42 of 56

Total funds
2023
£
Total
funds 2024
£
Endowmen
t funds
£
Designated
funds
£
Restricted
funds
£
Unrestricted
funds
£
Notes
Balance Sheet
for the year ended 31 December 2024

124,089
4,362
128,451
7,566
32,503
118,839
120,534
279,442
(13,021)
(120,534)
145,887
274,338
28,287
121,248
120,441
4,362
274,338
134,559
4,463
139,022
20,807
32,503
88,772
86,902
228,984
(17,628)
(86,902)
(104,530)
263,476
40,114
140,658
78,241
4,463
263,476
-
4,463
4,463
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
4,463
4,463
4,463
-
-
-
-
-
-
78,241
78,241
-
-
-
78,241
78,241
78,241
131,997
-
131,997
-
-
-
8,661
8,661
-
-
-
140,658
140,658
140,658
2,562
-
2,562
20,807
32,503
88,772
-
142,082
(17,628)
(86,902)
(104,530)
40,114
40,114
40,114
5(a)
5(b)
6
7
8(a)
8(c)
8(b)
Fixed assets
Tangible
Investments
Current assets
Debtors
Reserve fund at CCLA
Cash at bank and in hand
Owed from funds
Liabilities
Creditors (amounts falling due in one year)
Owed to funds
Net current assets
Total Net Assets
Parish funds
Unrestricted
Restricted
Designated
Endowment

Charity Registration no. 1206564

Page 43 of 56

Approval of and notes to the Financial Statements

Approved by the Parochial Church Council on 11 March 2024 and signed on its behalf:

Glenda Ingham Churchwarden

Jonathan Cain Vicar and PCC Chair

The notes that follow form part of these accounts.

Note 1

Accounting Policies . The financial statements have been prepared under the Charities Act 2011 and in accordance with the Church Accounting Regulations 2006 with the Regulations' "true and fair view" provisions, together with applicable accounting standards and the Charities SORP 2015 (FRS 102).

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention except for the valuation of investment assets, which are shown at market value. The financial statements include all transactions, assets and liabilities for which the PCC is responsible in law. They do not include the accounts of church groups that owe their main affiliation to another body, nor those that are informal gatherings of church members.

Funds . Endowment Funds are funds, the capital of which must be maintained; only the income arising from investment of the endowment may be used either as restricted or unrestricted funds depending upon the purpose for which the endowment was established.

Restricted Funds represent either income from trusts or endowments which may be expended only on those restricted objects provided in the terms of the trust or bequest or donations and grants received for a specific object or invited by the PCC for a specific object. The funds may only be expended on the specific object for which they were given. Any balance remaining unspent at the end of each year must be carried forward as a balance on that fund. Where there is no separate investment and it is material, interest is apportioned to individual funds on an average balance basis.

Bank interest received into the CCLA deposit account is pro-rated between designated and unrestricted funds.

Designated Funds are funds available as Unrestricted Funds but designated for particular purposes at the discretion of the PCC.

Unrestricted funds are general funds which can be used for PCC ordinary purposes.

Charity Registration no. 1206564

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Incoming resources. Planned giving, collections and donations are recognized when received. Tax refunds are recognized when the incoming resource to which they relate is received. Grants and legacies are accounted for when the PCC is legally entitled to the amounts due. Dividends are accounted for when receivable, interest is accrued. All other income is recognized when receivable. All incoming resources are accounted for gross.

Trading activities are accounted for gross. Parochial fees are accounted for on receipt and assigned fees payable to the Diocese of Leeds are dealt with as agency payments not affecting turnover.

Resources expended . Grants and donations are accounted for when paid over, or when awarded, if that award creates a binding or constructive obligation to the PCC. The Diocesan Parish Share is accounted for (monthly) when due. Amounts received specifically for mission are dealt with as Restricted Funds. All other expenditure is generally recognized when it is incurred and is accounted for gross.

Fixed assets . Consecrated and benefice property is not included in the accounts in accordance with section 10(2) (a & c) of the Charities Act 2011.

Moveable church furnishings held by the Vicar and churchwardens on special trust for the PCC and which require a faculty for disposal are inalienable property, listed in the church inventory, which can be inspected. For anything acquired prior to 2000 there is insufficient cost information available and therefore such assets are not valued in the financial statements. No individual items have cost more than £1,000 so all such expenditure has been written off when incurred.

Land owned by the PCC is not depreciated. The Parish Centre is depreciated on a straight-line basis over 50 years.

Investments are valued at market value on 31 December.

Depreciation on other fixed assets is charged as follows:

Church assets – Sound Equipment: straight line over 4 years.
Food Pantry Building and Parish Centre assets (Kitchen Equipment): straight line over 10 years.

Cash balances and transfers . For day-to-day transactions the PCC maintains a current account with CAF Bank. In addition to this a deposit account with CAF Bank is used to hold surplus funds. These are transferred to and from the current account as required.

The PCC holds a designated reserve fund that is calculated to cover the cost of operations for 4 months. Whilst this figure is shown separately in the balance sheet it is not represented by an underlying bank account. Long term cash deposits are held in an interest bearing CCLA deposit account. These are the only bank accounts held by the PCC. At the year end the total balances are reflected as unrestricted funds. As a result, at the year end, cash balances are owed to restricted funds and designated funds.

Charity Registration no. 1206564

Page 45 of 56

Note 2 – Incoming resources

Total funds
2023
£
Total
funds 2024
£
Endowment
funds
£
Designated
funds
£
Restricted
funds
£
Unrestricted
funds
£
Incoming resources
for the year ended 31 December 2024
Note

88,372
3,235
90,706
500
182,813
21,800
6,976
28,776
2,056
119
2,175
2,714
2,714
9,083
225,561
103,358
3,102
10,400
24,000
140,860
20,860
6,074
26,934
5,541
-
121
5,662
2,754
2,754
-
176,210
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
10,400
14,000
24,400
-
-
-
2,100
-
-
2,100
-
-
-
26,500
16,156
-
-
10,000
26,156
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
26,156
87,202
3,102
-
-
90,304
20,860
6,074
26,934
3,441
-
121
3,562
2,754
2,754
-
123,554
Voluntary income – Planned giving
Donations and tax recoverable
Cash collections
Legacies
Grants and other income
Activities for generating funds
Parish Centre lettings
Other events (4 for 175 in 2023; 3 in 2024)
Income from investments
Bank interest
Other interest
Dividends
Income from church activities
Fees for weddings and funerals
Other income
Church residential (Cober Hill)
Total income
2(a)
2(b)
2©
2(d)
2(e)

Charity Registration no. 1206564

Page 46 of 56

Note 3 – Expenditure

Total funds
2023
£
Total
funds 2024
£
Endowmen
t funds
£
Designated
funds
£
Restricted
funds
£
Unrestricted
funds
£
Expenditure
for the year ended 31 December 2024
Note

2,935
4,019
69,383
2,785
-
676
72,844
3,514
9,812
4,996
2,744
287
21,353
355
3,472
1,800
658
6,285
107,436
1,916
4,242
71,493
1,966
1,491
443
75,393
3,234
67,244
6,257
2,838
587
80,160
930
3,822
1,578
252
6,582
168,293
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
65,108
-
-
-
65,108
-
-
-
-
-
65,108
-
-
-
93
1,491
-
1,584
-
-
6,257
-
235
6,492
-
-
-
-
-
8,076
1,916
4,242
71,493
1,873
-
443
73,809
3,234
2,136
-
2,838
352
8,560
930
3,822
1,578
252
6,582
95,109
Church Activities
Cost of raising funds
Charitable giving
Ministry
Diocesan Parish Share
Other ministry costs
Horsforth Pantry
Organ, organist & music group
Church running and maintenance
Light, heat & water
Repairs & maintenance
Depreciation
Insurance
Sundry expenses
Administration and fees payable
Fees payable to the Diocese of Leeds
Salary: Parish Administrator
Church office costs
Legal and professional
Total Expenses C/FWD to next page
3(a)

Charity Registration no. 1206564

Page 47 of 56

Note 3 – Expenditure (continued)

Total funds
2023
£
Total
funds 2024
£
Endowmen
t funds
£
Designated
funds
£
Restricted
funds
£
Unrestricted
funds
£
Expenditure
for the year ended 31 December 2024
Note

2,809
5,748
1,372
3,473
555
2,803
2,644
19,404
9,023
135,863
3,328
4,738
1,419
3,822
-
2,939
2,634
18,880
-
187,173
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
65,108
-
-
-
-
-
-
2,262
2,262
-
10,338
3,328
4,738
1,419
3,822
-
2,939
372
16,618
-
111,727
Fundraising trading
Light, heat & water
Repairs & maintenance
Insurance
Wages and salaries
Irrecoverable debtors
Cleaning & sundries
Depreciation
Other expenditure
Church residential (Cober Hill)
Total expenses
3(b)
3©

Charity Registration no. 1206564

Page 48 of 56

Note 4 – Staff costs and Trustee payments

4(a) Wages and salaries

During the year the PCC employed Mrs A Pickford as an Administrator. Wages and salaries paid during 2024 amounted to £7,644 (2023: £6,945). The figure for wages and salaries is apportioned equally between church activities and the costs of the Parish Centre.

4(b) Trustee payments

The following PCC members were reimbursed in respect of expenses incurred on the church's behalf.

Name	2024		2023		Year-end creditor
	£		£		£
Revd J Cain		1,131		1,066		-
JK & NC Bailey		738		81		-
R Dent		588		-		-
G Ingham		-		78		-
P & L Gillions		8,299		-		-
A Pickford		-		-		-
C Barraclough		77		-		-
J Woodward		130		-		-
J Minton		236		-		-

Donations from trustees amounted to £60,322 (2023: £43,109), including Gift Aid. This includes the combined giving of partners, where only one is a PCC member.

Payments represents amounts spent by individual PCC members and are for out-ofpocket expenses that are directly related to our ministry.

The amounts reimbursed to P&L Gillions represent one-off payments in respect of construction of the Food Pantry. This expenditure is not anticipated to recur.

All payments are subject to independent authorisation by unconnected members.

Charity Registration no. 1206564

Page 49 of 56

Note 5 – Fixed Assets

Total
£
Equipment
unrestricted
£
Equipment
restricted
£
Buildings
restricted
£
Land
restricted
£
Fixed Assets
for the year ended 31 December 2024
Note

148,925
19,361
-
168,296
24,846
8,891
-
33,737
134,559
124,089
3,826
-
-
3,826
892
372
-
1,264
2,562
2,934
19,982
-
-
19,982
14,432
5,450
19,882
100
5,550
113,127
19,361
-
132,488
9,522
3,069
-
12,591
119,897
103,605
12,000
-
-
12,000
-
-
-
-
12,000
12,000
Tangible fixed assets
Cost
Balance b/fwd
Additions (Food Pantry)
Disposals
Balance c/fwd
Depreciation
Balance b/fwd
Charge for the year
Disposals
Balance c/fwd
Net book value 31.12.2024
Net book value 31.12.2023
5(a)

Charity Registration no. 1206564

Page 50 of 56

Note 5 – Fixed Assets (continued)

5(b) Investment assets

The church has investments which are held on behalf of the PCC by the Diocese of Leeds and are managed by CCLA Investment Management Ltd.

The values represent the market value at 31 December 2024.

	31.12.2024 £ 31.12.2023 £
Church and churchyard capital 193 Church Board of Finance Shares	4,463 4,362
	4,463 4,362

Note 6 – Debtors

	31.12.2024 £ 31.12.2023 £
Debtors Parish Centre debtors Other debtors Prepayments & accrued income Income tax recoverable on Gift Aid donations & recoverable VAT	1,782 2,316 - - - - 19,025 5,250
	20,807 7,566

Note 7 – Liabilities: amounts falling due within one year

	31.12.2024 £ 31.12.2023 £
Creditors Creditors for goods and services Fees due to the Diocese of Leeds Accruals	- 424 676 355 16,918 12,242 34 -
	17,628 13,021

Charity Registration no. 1206564

Page 51 of 56

Note 8 – Funds

	31.12.2024 £ 31.12.2023 £
(a) Restricted Funds Glebe Land Fund1 Parish Centre2 Food Pantry – Capital Fund3 Food Pantry – Operating Fund3 Fabric fund assets Mara Safe House Tanzania Flower Fund (b) Endowment Funds4 Investments © Designated Funds Reserve account Food Pantry (transferred to restricted funds) Church Project Fund	12,000 12,000 101,343 103,605 18,553 - 7,702 - 100 5,550 524 93 436 -
	140,658 121,248

	4,463 4,362
	32,503 32,503 - 3,592 45,738 84,346
	78,241 120,441

1 Glebe Land Fund represents the cost of the land used for the church car park.

2 Parish Centre Fund represents the cost of the Parish Centre less depreciation.

3 The Food Pantry Capital Fund represents the cost of the building less depreciation. The Food Pantry Operating fund represents specific amounts received, less costs, for running the Pantry.

None of these funds represent realisable assets which can be converted into cash.

4 This fund is held in the form of investments given to maintain the churchyard. Income generated is disbursed through the Churchyard fund which, together with additional unrestricted funds, is used to maintain the churchyard.

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Page 52 of 56

Note 9 – Commitments and contingent liabilities

The PCC has approved creation of a new website for St James at a cost of £1,500.

No detailed approvals for further works on the church were approved in 2024 which hadn't been completed by the year end: however, there is a plan to consider a major re-ordering of the church, including replacing the roof, for which a Church Project Fund has been established. Work on the east end of the roof was begun and completed in 2024.

Charity Registration no. 1206564

Page 53 of 56

The Church Finances Explained

Unrestricted funds. This is money that can be spent on anything provided it is within our objectives – which is why it is called Unrestricted. This includes Designated funds, money which the PCC has earmarked for a particular project such as a new carpet. However if circumstances change, e.g. if a new boiler is needed, the PCC can decide to spend the funds differently. Restricted funds. Restricted funds can only be spent for the particular purpose that the money was given for, e.g. to construct the Community Pantry or for the Mara Safe House in Tanzania. Our Endowment Fund, is a specific type of Restricted Fund, whereby a gift of shares - given with the specific purpose of enabling the church to maintain the churchyard – enables us to use the dividend to service the lawnmower. We may not spend the capital. Funds brought forward. The total of Funds brought forward is the total of all that we have at the start of the year. This will include all the above funds: Unrestricted, Designated, Restricted and Endowment funds. Income. This is money that comes in during the year. It can come from donations or fundraising activities like the 175 events or to pay for our weekend away. Expenditure. This is money that we spend during the year. It can be spent on a wide range of things provided they are for the benefit of the church - such as heating or boiler maintenance or what is paid to the Diocese of Leeds each year. This latter item is called Parish Share and it represents our gift to fund our share of the cost of vicars in this region. Because we are a wealthier parish than average, we pay more than the costs of our own vicar – and we are pleased to do so. Depreciation. This is a way of spreading the cost of a long-life item, like a building or item of equipment, over its useful life. Our sound equipment will last less time than our Parish Centre – so the useful lives vary. Exclusions. Not everything is included in the accounts – in particular the value of the graveyard and Church building. We cannot sell the church, so it would be meaningless to value it. Funds carried forward. This is the total of Funds brought forward, plus income less expenditure. If we make a surplus, our funds carried forward will have grown during the year. It is not a simple snapshot of the balance in the bank at the end of the year but includes the Parish Centre property and money we know is owed to us as well as deducting money we know we owe others – e.g. for bills we haven’t yet paid.

Charity Registration no. 1206564

Page 54 of 56

S*JAMES WooDSIDE HORSFORTH FAITH HOPE LOVE Sharing God's blessing in Horsforth for 175 years

Trustees’ Annual Report for the period

Contents

1. Welcome from the Vicar

3. Achievements and Performance

4. Financial Review

5. Structure, governance and management

6. Reference and administrative details

8. Who’s who at St James’

9. Declarations

1. Welcome from the Vicar

2. Objectives and Activities

a. Our Purpose

b. Our Main Activities

c. Keeping the Church Maintained

d. Parish Centre

e. Pop-up Café

f. The Horsforth Pantry

g. Kids’ Church & Messy Church

h. St James’ Justice Team

i. Open the Book and Rewind

j. Church Flowers Report

k. Horsforth Churches Together

l. Statement on Public Benefit

m.Contribution made by Volunteers

3. Achievements and Performance

a. Our main activities

Worshipping Community

Attendance at major festivals

Pastoral Offices

b. Sharing God’s Blessing

Goal 1. Thriving as an Anglican Parish Church with a clear vision and values

Goal 3. Nurturing lay discipleship

4. Financial Review

a. Financial position

b. Reserves and investment policy

c. Sources of funding

d. Risk management

e. Financial support offered by St James’

f. Self-assessed carbon footprint

g. Independent examiner’s report

Respective Responsibilities of the PCC as Trustees and the Independent Examiner

Basis of the Independent Examiner’s Statement

Independent Examiner’s Statement

5. Structure, Governance and Management

a. Safeguarding

b. The Diocese of Leeds and the Northwest Leeds Deanery

c. The Horsforth Shed (Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), registration no. 1184672)

6. Reference and administrative details

7. Trustees

8. Who’s who at St James’

Permanent Committees of the PCC

Project Committees of the PCC

Project Committees of the PCC

9. Declarations

Annex – Detailed Financial Statements

Approval of and notes to the Financial Statements

Note 1

Note 2 – Incoming resources

Note 3 – Expenditure

Note 3 – Expenditure (continued)

4(a) Wages and salaries

4(b) Trustee payments

Note 5 – Fixed Assets

Note 5 – Fixed Assets (continued)

5(b) Investment assets

Note 6 – Debtors

Note 7 – Liabilities: amounts falling due within one year

Note 8 – Funds

Note 9 – Commitments and contingent liabilities

The Church Finances Explained