DIOCESE of Oxford, Deanery of Sonning
AGENDA Annual Meeting of Parishioners 28[th] April 2025
Opening Prayer Apologies for absence
Items to be raised under any other business
-
Opening Remarks – Revd Patrick Mukholi
-
Election of Church Wardens
Annual Parochial Church Meeting
-
Appointment of Lay Chair
-
Appointment of Secretary
-
Minutes of last meeting
-
Financial Statement – Treasurer
-
Reports – see attached
-
i) PCC Annual Report
-
ii) Churchwarden Report St Catherine, Bearwood iii) Churchwarden’s Report St Mary’s – Anne Warner iv) Electoral Roll – Samantha Robson-Hurst
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v) Deanery Synod Report – Area Dean
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vi) Fabric & Churchyard Report – Mark Rendle vii) Hall Committee Report – Alison Vacher viii) Social Committee Report – Debbie Brunt ix) St Mary’s Explorers Report – Alison Vacher x) Fellowship
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Election to Deanery Synod
-
Election of PCC members
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Safeguarding – Emma-Jean Wells
-
Data Protection – Alison Vacher
-
Terrier and inventory
-
Appointment of Independent Examiner
-
Any other business
Winnersh PCC
Finance report for year ended 31-Dec-2024
Page 1 of 31
DIOCESE of Oxford, Deanery of Sonning
3. Minutes of last meeting
Minutes of the Annual Meeting of Parishioners, held on 15[th] April 2024 In attendance:
Jinny Rendle, Eve Wynn-Jones, Geoff Marsden, Mark Rendle, Anne Warner, Sue Laney, , Gerry Creighton, Jon Robson-Hurst, Alan Hall, Derek Manning, Roberta Tweedy, Debbie Brunt, Richard Turner, Emma-Jean Wells, Christine Ransom, Alison Vacher.
The meeting was chaired by Revd Richard Lamey, Area Dean
Opening Prayers by Richard Lamey
Opening Remarks
Congratulations were offered to Richard Lamey on his appointment as Director of Mission and Ministry in Norwich diocese.
Apologies for absence
Apologies for absence were received from Brenda Bowring and Clifford Smith.
Election of Churchwardens
Nominations had been received for Debbie Brunt (St Catherine’s) and Anne Warner (St Mary’s) and they were elected unopposed.
Minutes of the APCM held on 15[th] April 2024
In attendance: as above
The meeting was chaired by Revd Richard Lamey, Area Dean
Apologies for absence: as above
1. Appointment of Lay Chair
Jinny Rendle was appointed as Lay Chair.
Proposed by Roberta Tweedy, seconded by Debbie Brunt. All in favour
2. Appointment of Secretary
Alison Vacher was appointed as secretary .
Proposed by Mark Rendle, seconded by Debbie Brunt. All in favour
3. Minutes of last meeting
The minutes of the last meeting held on 23[rd] April were approved.
Proposed by Mark Rendle, seconded by Debbie Brunt. All in favour.
Winnersh PCC
Finance report for year ended 31-Dec-2024
Page 2 of 31
DIOCESE of Oxford, Deanery of Sonning
4 . Finance Report
Thanks were expressed to Derek Manning for all his work as Treasurer. Approval of the
accounts was proposed by Debbie Brunt, seconded by Emma-Jean Wells. All in favour.
5 . Reports
Copies of the following reports were circulated prior to the meeting
PCC Annual Report
Churchwarden’s Report – St Catherine’s
Derek advised that there had been 1 wedding, 4 funerals, 6 interments and 6 baptisms.
Churchwarden’s Report – St Mary’s
St Catherine’s Churchyard Report
Thanks were expressed to Mark Rendle for all his work.
Electoral Roll Report
The number on the Electoral Roll is 66
Deanery Synod
A summary had been provided by the Area Dean.
Hall Committee Report
It was noted that this committee is currently without a chair.
Social Committee Report
Fellowship Report
St Mary’s Explorers Report
6 . Election to Deanery Synod
Alan Hall will continue to represent the Parish. There remains a vacancy, but no nominations had been received. Debbie Brunt agreed to fill the vacancy.
7. Election of PCC members
Geoff Marsden confirmed that he is not standing for re-election. No nomination forms have been received. Jinny advised that Karina Smith is willing to stand, and this will be dealt with at the next PCC.
8. Safeguarding
Emma-Jean advised that Levels 1 and 2 of the safeguarding dashboards are now complete and we are on level 3. The PCC needs to attend to policies on social
media, known offenders, data protection and non-church activities.
Emma also confirmed that it is advisable for all PCC members to have a basic DBS check.
The Churchwardens and those working with children should have an enhanced check.
Jinny queried why Churchwardens require an enhanced check.
Richard Lamey advised that this is due to the fact that the role is a core leadership role.
Anne, Debbie and Jinny are currently undertaking leadership training.
9. Data Protection Officer
Alison confirmed that we are fully compliant and not aware of any breaches.
Winnersh PCC
Finance report for year ended 31-Dec-2024
Page 3 of 31
DIOCESE of Oxford, Deanery of Sonning
10. Terrier and inventory
St Mary’s is up to date. St Catherine’s is to be checked. Richard advised that this should be confirmed at the next PCC meeting.
11. Appointment of Independent Examiner
Vince Pearson has indicated that he will continue for a further year. Alison is to send a letter of thanks.
Proposed by Derek Manning, seconded by Roberta Tweedy. All in favour.
12. Any other business
12.1 Vacancy
The advert will be in the Church Times shortly. It is difficult to predict what the response will be.
12.2 Hong Kong Community
Richard Lamey advised that it has been deliberate not to address the long-term financial situation. The desire is to ensure that the parish is not financially disadvantaged.
Roberta asked that as the Hong Kong community wish to have services is their own language will there be a requirement for the parish to fund Cantonese speaking priest as well. Richard does not think this question has arisen.
At Earley, the parish funds 1 priest and the Hong Kong community pay 1/3 of outgoings. The Cantonese leaders are financed by a grant from the Diocese.
Alison advised that the relationship is deepening and some of them have attended our Social Saturdays.
Anne pointed out that they are not CofE trained.
12.3 Derek Manning requested that the meeting notes the PCC’s heartfelt
appreciation and thanks to Joanna Brown for over 40 years of continuous service to the Parishes of both Catherine’s and, subsequently, Winnersh. At various times over this period Joanna has filled all the positions on the PCC, giving her an in-depth knowledge of how a PCC works and with this experience she had been able to guide newcomers and give considered views on any situation that arose.
12.4 St Catherine’s Insurance
Catherine Whittaker has been looking after this for the last 5 years but no longer has the time to deal with this going forward. Mark Rendle will talk to Catherine about what is involved, and the matter will be reviewed at the next PCC meeting.
12.5 Alison expressed, on behalf of the Parish, grateful thanks to Richard Lamey for all his support.
The next PCC meeting will be on 24[th] June.
The Meeting concluded with prayer and the Grace at 8:53pm
Winnersh PCC
Finance report for year ended 31-Dec-2024
Page 4 of 31
DIOCESE of Oxford, Deanery of Sonning
4. Financial Statement
Finance Report for the year ended 31-December-2024
The Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA) is presented in the required standard format in Appendix 1. This report presents more detail and explanation of the income and expenditure of the various funds.
The continued, and increasing, use of the Parish Hall, and the continuation of a reduced Parish share allocation during the vacancy has meant the state of the parish finances has improved slightly over the year.
2024 Year End Fund Totals
The end of year figure for each of the funds is shown in the following table.
----- Start of picture text -----
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
General Fund 29,475 13,613 19,899 21,411 25,591 22,254 16,921 22,796 39,956 52,964 75,296
Incumbent 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 163,300
Buildings 5,897 5,955 5,996 15,246 6,094 6,094 6,094 6,094 6,094 6,094 6,094
St Catherine's Development 5,398 6,014 6,589 7,414 8,259 7,523 7,748 17,313 17,101 17,329 12,171
St Catherine's Churchyard 956 711 1,134 1,696 1,210 1,763 2,158 2,234 2,597 2,701 4
St Catherine's Organ 0 0 0 400 588 0 40 230 227 3 78
St Catherine's Choir 961 311 390 616 784 912 912 922 1,022 1,022 1,022
St Mary's Development 24,492 24,598 1,894 185 274 538 450 274 274 274 274
Parish Hall 7,957 20,525 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Hall Investment 0 0 2,500 3,872 5,611 7,126 5,445 4,301 4,676 6,578 8,117
Parish Office 6,968 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Depreciation 0 0 150 80 230 380 530 680 830 980 900
Totals 82,104 71,728 38,551 50,920 48,642 46,591 40,298 54,844 72,777 87,946 267,256
----- End of picture text -----
1.General Fund
The General fund is unrestricted and provides for the day to day running expenses of St Catherine's and St Mary's. Income to this fund is from a variety of sources, such as collections, wedding and funeral fees, and fund-raising events, where no restriction is attached.
Income:
Overall income for 2024 increased by 12.9%
The various headings contributed to this as follows:
Income tax recoverable on gift aid up 2.8%, planned-giving up 3.7% , wedding and funeral fees up 20% , collections and donations up 32% . Fund raising down 28% .
Fund raising:
| Epiphany gifts | £244 |
|---|---|
| Spring Fayre | £1,516 |
| Winnersh lights | £101 |
| Bingo | £205 |
| Ride & Stride | £77 |
Advent Market £641 Carolothon £545 Gratis Choir £463
Winnersh PCC
Finance report for year ended 31-Dec-2024
Page 5 of 31
DIOCESE of Oxford, Deanery of Sonning
Expenditure:
Regular expenditure each year covers the parish share; church insurance payments; a proportion of the utility, fire extinguisher maintenance, boiler maintenance and electrical testing costs; deanery levies; security alarm maintenance contract; copyright licencing; software licencing; and altar requisites. This was down 0.8% in 2024 .
Non-regular expenditure during the year covered a proportion of the ramp replacement at St Mary’s (£1,730 ); the provision of priests during the parish vacancy; and minor repairs & maintainance.
Overall expenditure in 2024 was 8.5% up on last year.
Transfers in:
-
£24,647 the residue from the Parish Hall fund.
-
£203 from the Depreciation fund
Transfers out:
-
£150 to the Depreciation Fund.
-
£9,949 to the Parish Office Fund.
-
£1,685 to the Churchyard fund .
The excess of General fund income over expenditure for the year was £22,200 making the balance carried forward £75,296 .
a) Parish Share allocation
The Parish Share allocation, which pays for the provision of the priest, is by far the largest item of expenditure each year. However, a decision was made during the interegnum that the Parish could no longer support a full time priest, and the post should be advertised as House for Duty.
This post was not filled during the year, and the Parish Share allocation was adjusted
accordingly. So, for 2024, the allocation for the Parish was £15,846 . The PCC agreed to pay this by direct debit over twelve months, thus receiving 1% discount. This reduced the amount to £15,687.54 or £1,307.30 per month. In addition, a 10% discount for each month that the parish was in vacancy (£132.05) was applied, therefore reducing the monthly payment to £1,175.25 , and the total for the year to £14,102.94 . This amount was paid in full, with the final instalment in December.
In addition, the Diocese received, £1,239 from the ODBF element of the statutory fees charged for weddings, funerals, and monuments.
b) Reserves Policy
The Reserve calculated for 2024 was £20,820. This money, held in reserve within the General Fund, is the equivalent of two months running costs, and £10,000 towards the costs of any repair work highlighted in the quinquennial inspection reports, and for unforeseen emergencies.
DIOCESE of Oxford, Deanery of Sonning
2.Incumbent fund
This is a restricted fund created from four large donations specifically given to assist with financing a fulltime incumbent for four years. The money is held in a CCLA deposit account with all interest being credited to the fund.
At the beginning of the year the parish was informed it would be receiving two large anonymous donations to assist with the cost of a full-time priest. The two donations, £40,000 and £25,000 were received in April via the Parish Giving Scheme (PGS) and attracted £10,000 and £6,250 in gift aid. Once the PGS deducted its 1.5% handling fee the total donation amounted to £80,275 .
The donations were conditional on the Parish advertising and appointing a full-time priest.
The donations were placed in a CBF Church of England Deposit Fund with Churches, Charities and Local Authorities (CCLA) Investment Management Limited. This was ring fenced with all interest being reinvested in the fund.
At the end of 2024 the parish was delighted to appoint the Rev’d Patrick Mukholi as Priest in Charge for a period of four years.
Then following this appointment, the December Parish Giving Scheme monthly report recorded two further anonymous large donations, £40,600 and £25,375 with corresponding gift aid amounts of £10,150 and £6,343.75 .
Following the deduction of the PGS 1.5% handling fee this the total amounted to £81,479.13.
It is assumed these donations were from the same two people who donated the original amounts earlier in the year and were therefore intended to support the cost of the new priest.
The money was immediately placed in the CCLA Church of England Deposit Fund.
The CCLA July ( £430.59 ) and October (£1,016.51 ) quarterly interest amounts were added to the account as was £98.89 NatWest interest, making the end of year total for the fund £163,300.12.
3.Buildings Fund
Money is held in this fund for the future maintenance of the church buildings.
----- Start of picture text -----
Buildings Fund
SOY Balance 6,094
Income 0
Expenditure 0
Transfer in 0
Transfer out 0
EOY Balance 6,094
----- End of picture text -----
Income:
There was no income during the year.
Expenditure: There was no expenditure during the year.
DIOCESE of Oxford, Deanery of Sonning
4.Parish Hall Fund
The Parish Hall fund separately records the income and expenditure directly related to the Hall. At the end of each year, the PCC has agreed that 10% of the net surplus will be transferred to the Hall Investment fund and the remainder, to the General Fund.
| Income: The hall continued to be well used during 2024 with the the number of regular users maintained at 22 and generating income of£33,295. A major contributor to this continues to be the Hong Kong Group who hire both the hall and the church twice a month on Saturdays and also every Sunday. The Saturday and Sunday single bookings generated income of£3,336 Expenditure: Regular expenditure,down 14 %, consists of a proportion of the utility, fire extinguisher maintenance, boiler maintenance |
SOY Balance 0 Hire of Hall: Costs: Regular users 33,295 Cleaning 4,075 Single users 3,336 Utility 2,537 Maintenance 2,633 Fund transfers: Hall Investmen 24,647 General 2,739 36,631 36,631 EOY Balance 0 Income Expenditure |
SOY Balance 0 Hire of Hall: Costs: Regular users 33,295 Cleaning 4,075 Single users 3,336 Utility 2,537 Maintenance 2,633 Fund transfers: Hall Investmen 24,647 General 2,739 36,631 36,631 EOY Balance 0 Income Expenditure |
|---|---|---|
| 36,631 | ||
Regular expenditure, down 14 % , consists of a proportion of the utility, fire extinguisher maintenance, boiler maintenance EOY Balance 0 and electrical testing costs. It also covers the cleaner, cleaning materials, and grass cutting. Non-regular expense up 73% , included a proportion of the ramp replacement, the adjustment and replacement of various locks, and a new clock.
Transfers out:
-
£2,739 was transferred to the Hall Investment fund for ongoing maintenance and improvements to the
-
Hall.
-
£24,647 the residue, transferred to the General fund.
5.Hall Investment Fund
This fund has been created to carry the expenses of maintaining and improving the fabric and facilities of the Hall, following the refurbishment. The PCC agreed to set up the fund initially with £2,500, and thereafter to transfer in, annually, 10% of the net surplus from the Parish Hall fund.
----- Start of picture text -----
Income:
Hall Investment Fund
There was no income
SOY Balance 6,578
during the year.
Income 0
Expenditure 1,200
Expenditure:
Transfer in 2,739
The entrance area of the
Transfer out 0
building was redecorated
EOY Balance 8,117 at a cost of £1,200
----- End of picture text -----
Transfer in:
The sum of £ 2,739 was transferred in from the Parish Hall fund .
DIOCESE of Oxford, Deanery of Sonning
6.Parish Office Fund
The Parish Office is funded solely from the General Fund.
Expenditure:
During the year the running costs of the Parish Office increased by 15% .
However, this also included £650 for the redecoration of the office, and £207 to replace the old printer with a new one
Transfers in:
£9,949 from the General Fund.
----- Start of picture text -----
Income Expenditure
SOY balance 0
Transfer from 9,949 Salaries 7,850
General Fund Telephone 503
Software 159
Website 394
Printing 62
Hardware 207
Consumables 54
Decoration 650
Security System 69
Other 0
9,949 9,949
EOY balance 0
----- End of picture text -----
7.St Mary’s Development Fund
The St Mary's Development fund is restricted. Its source of income is money from donations, legacies and fund-raising events given specifically for the redevelopment of facilities at St Mary's.
Income:
----- Start of picture text -----
There was no income
St Mary's Development
SOY Balance 274 during the year.
Income 0
Transfer in 0
Transfer out 0
Expenditure 0
EOY Balance 274 Expenditure:
----- End of picture text -----
Expenditure: There was no
expenditure during 2024.
DIOCESE of Oxford, Deanery of Sonning
8. St Catherine’s Development Fund
The St Catherine's Development fund is restricted. Its source of income is money from donations, legacies and fund-raising events given specifically for the redevelopment of facilities at St Catherine's.
| St C Development Fund | St C Development Fund | Income: |
|---|---|---|
| SOY Balance | 17,329 | During 2024 the fund |
| Income | 1,186 | increased by£251from |
| Expenditure | 5,144 | donations; and£77 |
| Transfer in | 0 | from Ride and Stride, |
| Transfer out | 1,200 | and£857from the |
| EOY Balance | 12,171 | return of VAT via a |
| Listed Buildings VAT |
grant.
Expenditure:
There was expenditure of £5,144 for repairs to
the lead guttering that sits on the top of church walls to stop the water leaking into the church, and at the same time all the down pipes were removed and flushed.
However, it was possible to reclaim the VAT (see above)
Transfer out:
£1,200 was transferred to the Organ fund to pay for the tuning, and for the investigation and repair of the organ.
9. St Catherine’s Churchyard Fund
The St Catherine's Churchyard fund is restricted and carries the expenses of grass cutting, machinery repair and replacement at St Catherine's. It derives its income from grants, and donations made specifically for this purpose.
| Churchyard Fund | Churchyard Fund | Income: During the year there was a grant of£237from Wokingham Town Council. |
|---|---|---|
| SOY Balance Income Expenditure Transfer in Transfer out |
2,701 237 4,619 1,685 0 |
|
| EOY Balance | 4 |
Expenditure:
In 2023, following the fall of some substantial limbs from the large cedar tree by the main gate at St Catherine’s, it was agreed a safety survey needed to be carried out. This finally took place
in August 2024 at a cost of £240. The results indicated some major surgery was required to make the tree safe and this work was carried out in November 2024 at a cost of £3,984 . Other expenditure included £ 223 for strimmer and mower repairs, £ 35 for petrol and £ 136 for materials.
Transfer in:
As the Churchyard fund had insufficient monies to cover this expense at the time, £1,685 was transferred in from the General fund.
DIOCESE of Oxford, Deanery of Sonning
10. St Catherine’s Organ Fund
The St Catherine's Organ fund carries the expense of organ tuning and minor repairs to the organ. It derives its income from fees charged for the use of the organ at weddings and funerals.
| SOY Balance 3 Income 75 Expenditure 1,200 Transfer in 1,200 EOY Balance 78 Organ Fund |
Annual income is variable, being dependent on the number of weddings and funerals taking place each year. |
|---|---|
Income:
There were four funerals during the year, one of which required use of the organ, and two weddings which didn’t need the organ. This generated income of £75 for 2024.
Expenditure:
There was expenditure of £1,200 during the year for tuning, and for the investigation and repair of the organ.
Transfer in:
As the Organ fund had insufficient monies to cover this expense at the time, £1,200 was transferred in from the St Catherine’s development fund.
11.St Catherine’s Choir Fund
The St Catherine's Choir fund carries the expense of the purchase of music and Choir expenses such as the cleaning of robes. It derives its income from fees charged for the choir at weddings and funerals.
| Choir Fund | Choir Fund |
|---|---|
| SOY Balance Income Expenditure |
1,022 0 0 |
| EOY Balance | 1,022 |
Annual income is variable, being dependent on the number of weddings and funerals taking place each year. A set fee is charged for providing a Choir, and income to the choir fund is the surplus after payment
of the choristers.
Income:
There were four funerals and two weddings during the year, none of which required a choir.
Expenditure:
There was no expenditure during 2024
DIOCESE of Oxford, Deanery of Sonning
12. Depreciation Fund
This fund was created initially to cover the cost of replacing office computing equipment. The PCC has agreed to transfer in £150 a year from the General Fund towards future replacement costs.
----- Start of picture text -----
Depreciation Fund Transfer in:
SOY Balance 980
Income 0 At the end of the year the
Expenditure 0 agreed annual sum of £150
Transfer in 150 was transferred in from the
Transfer out 230 General Fund.
EOY Balance 900
----- End of picture text -----
Transfer out:
During the year £230 was transferred to the General fund, for the purchase of a new printer for the Parish Office.
DIOCESE of Oxford, Deanery ot Sonning 'riiF PARIS11 1)F Winnersh THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND .%-i' IMARY Examiner's unqualified report (for a non-company charity preparing receipts and payments accounts) wlth a gross Income of £250,000 or less in the relevant financial year. Independent examiner's report to the trustees of the PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF WINNERSH I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF WINNERSH {the Trust) for the year ended 31st December 2024. Responsibilities and basis of report as the charity trustees of the Trust YOU are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Att 20111'the Act'l. I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5llbl of the Act. Independent examiner's statement I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect: l. accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act; or 2. the accounts do not accord with those records. I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Signed: Name: V.R.D. Pearson Address". 15 Sadlers Lane Winnersh Wokingham Berks RG415AJ th Date:6 March 2025
DIOCESE of Oxford, Deanery of Sonning
Appendix 1
PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF WINNERSH
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES For the year ended 31 DECEMBER 2024
| Note INCOMING RESOURCES Incoming resources from donors 2[a] Other voluntary incoming resources 2[b] Income from charitable and ancillary trading 2[c] Other ordinary incoming resources 2[d] Income from investments 2[e] TOTAL INCOMING RESOURCES RESOURCES USED Grants 3[a] Activities directly relating to the work of the church 3[b] Fund-raising and publicity 3[c] Church management and administration 3[d] TOTAL RESOURCES USED NET INCOMING/(OUTGOING) RESOURCES GAINS AND LOSSES ON INVESTMENTS - realised - unrealised NET MOVEMENT IN FUNDS BALANCE BROUGHT FORWARD AT 1 JAN 2024 (2023) BALANCES CARRIED FORWARD at 31 DEC 2024 (2023) |
Unrestricted Restricted Designated TOTAL FUNDS Funds Funds Funds 2024 2023 £ £ £ £ £ 26,469 162,940 0 189,409 24,007 7,461 237 0 7,698 5,523 41,568 0 1,981 43,549 34,313 0 0 0 0 0 2,825 1,546 0 4,371 404 78,324 164,723 1,981 245,028 64,247 20 0 0 20 20 260 10,963 48,266 59,489 42,736 0 0 30 30 356 0 0 6,178 6,178 5,967 |
|---|---|
| 280 10,963 54,474 65,717 49,079 78,044 153,760 -52,493 179,310 15,168 - - - - - - - - - - |
|
| 78,044 153,760 -52,493 179,310 15,168 -38,167 -42,561 168,674 87,946 72,777 |
|
| 39,876 111,199 116,181 267,256 87,946 |
Page 1 of 7
DIOCESE of Oxford, Deanery ot Sonning 'riiF PARIS11 1)F Winnersh THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND .%-i' IMARY DIOCESE ol Oxknd. Deanery of Sonnlng (Winrier'sh THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND r NIARY UND4 174 274 17 &117 571 7fJJ
DIOCESE of Oxford, Deanery of Sonning
PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF WINNERSH
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS For the year ended 31 DECEMBER 2024
1 ACCOUNTING POLICIES
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Church of England Accounting Regulations 2006 together with applicable accounting standards and the SORP 2005. They have been prepared on the accruals basis using the model set of accounting policies from Chapter 14 of the Church of England's guidance for PCCs (Third edition)
| 2 INCOMING RESOURCES 2[a] Incoming resources from donors Gift Aided planned giving 1u Other planned giving 1au Income Tax recoverable on Gift Aid 6u Collections 3u Gift days 4u Donations 5u 2[b] Other voluntary incoming resources Grants (Local Authority & Deanery) 8u Legacies 7u Fund-raising events 9u 2[c] Income from charitable and ancillary trading Magazine advertising & sale of items 12u Hire of Hall 12a Verger,Organist,Choir fees 11a ODBF Fees 11b Wedding, Funeral Fees 11u 2[d] Other ordinary incoming resources Insurance claims 13u 2[e] Income from investments Interest on deposits 10u TOTAL INCOMING RESOURCES |
Unrestricted Restricted Designated Funds Funds Funds 13,061 1r 0 1d 0 920 1ar 0 1ad 0 5,030 6r 32,744 6d 0 6,552 3r 0 3d 0 245 4r 0 4d 0 662 5r 130,196 5d 0 26,469 162,940 0 3,959 8r 237 8d 0 0 7r 0 7d 0 3,502 9r 0 9d 0 7,461 237 0 0 12r 0 12d 0 u 36,631 12ar 0 12ad 0 u 529 11ar 0 11ad 0 u 0 11br 0 11bd 1,981 4,409 11r 0 11d 0 41,568 0 1,981 0 13r 0 13d 0 0 0 0 2,825 10r 1,546 10d 0 2,825 1,546 0 78,324 164,723 1,981 |
TOTAL FUNDS 2024 2023 13,061 12,212 920 1,270 37,773 4,893 6,552 4,718 245 402 130,858 513 |
|---|---|---|
| 189,409 24,007 |
||
| 4,196 655 0 0 3,502 4,868 |
||
| 7,698 5,523 |
||
| 0 14 36,631 28,846 529 350 1,981 1,418 4,409 3,685 |
||
| 43,549 34,313 |
||
| 0 0 |
||
| 0 0 |
||
| 4,371 404 |
||
| 4,371 404 |
||
| 245,028 64,247 |
Page 3 of 7
DIOCESE of Oxford, Deanery of Sonning
PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF WINNERSH
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued) For the year ended 31 DECEMBER 2024
| 3 RESOURCES USED 3[a] Grants Donations to Charities 18u 3[b] Activities directly relating to church work Diocesan quota 19u Clergy expenses 21u Church - running expenses 23u Upkeep of churchyard 23c ODBF fees 20a Office - running expenses 23b Verger,Organist,Choir fees 20u Utility costs - Church 24u Utility costs - Hall 24a Major works - Church 27u Major works - Hall 28u New works - Church 29u New works - Hall 29a Honoraria 20b 3[c] Fund-raising and publicity Cost of fund raising etc 17u 3[d] Church Management and administration Governance costs 26u Costs of Trading - Hall 25u Costs of Trading - Other 25a TOTAL RESOURCES USED |
Unrestricted Restricted Designated Funds Funds Funds 20 18r 0 18d 0 20 0 0 0 19r 0 19d 14,103 0 21r 0 21d 5,880 260 23r 1,200 23d 7,308 u 0 23cr 4,619 23cd 0 u 0 20ar 0 20ad 1,030 u 0 23br 0 23bd 9,949 0 20r 0 20d 75 0 24r 0 24d 3,925 u 0 24ar 0 24ad 2,537 0 27r 5,144 27d 1,730 0 28r 0 28d 1,730 0 29r 0 29d 0 u 0 29ar 0 29ad 0 u 0 20br 0 20bd 0 260 10,963 48,266 0 17r 0 17d 30 0 0 30 0 26r 0 26d 0 0 25r 0 25d 6,178 u 0 25ar 0 25ad 0 0 0 6,178 280 10,963 54,474 |
TOTAL FUNDS 2024 2023 20 20 |
|---|---|---|
| 20 20 |
||
| 14,103 12,342 5,880 1,651 8,768 9,336 4,619 551 1,030 846 9,949 8,671 75 150 3,925 5,335 2,537 3,854 6,874 0 1,730 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
||
| 59,489 42,736 |
||
| 30 356 |
||
| 30 356 |
||
| 0 0 6,178 5,967 0 0 |
||
| 6,178 5,967 |
||
| 65,717 49,079 |
Page 4 of 7
DIOCESE of Oxford, Deanery of Sonning
PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF WINNERSH
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued) For the year ended 31 DECEMBER 2024
| 5 FIXED ASSETS FOR USE BY THE PCC 5[a] Tangible Fixed Assets GROSS BOOK VALUE DEPRECIATION NET BOOK VALUE |
At 1 January 2024 At 31 December 2024 At 1 January 2024 Charge for the year At 31 December 2024 At 31 December 2024 At 31 December 2024 |
Land 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 |
Total 1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |||
| 0 0 0 |
|||
| 1 | |||
| 1 |
| 6 ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS BY FUND Fixed Assets Current Assets Current Liabilities Fund balance 7 DEBTORS Income tax recoverable Prepayments and accrued interest Other debtors 8 LIABILITIES: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR Accruals and deferred income Creditors for goods and services Other creditors |
Unrestricted Restricted Designated TOTAL FUNDS Funds Funds Funds 2024 2023 1 0 0 1 1 75,396 175,749 16,211 267,356 88,346 100 0 0 100 400 |
|---|---|
| 75,297 175,749 16,211 267,257 87,947 |
|
| 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 |
|
| 0 0 0 0 0 |
|
| 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 100 400 |
|
| 100 0 0 100 400 |
Page 5 of 7
DIOCESE of Oxford, Deanery of Sonning
PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF WINNERSH
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued) For the year ended 31 DECEMBER 2024
9 MOVEMENT BY FUND
| General | Buildings | St Mary's | Parish Hall | Hall | Parish Office | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Development | Investment | |||||||||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |||||||
| (i) | (iii) | (x) | (xi) | (xii) | (v) | |||||||
| SOY Balance | 52,964 | 6,094 | 274 | 0 | 6,578 | 0 | ||||||
| Income | 261 | 44,848 | 265 | 0 | 267 | 0 | 281 | 38,463 | 250 | 0 | 278 | 23 |
| Expenditure | 262 | 40,753 | 266 | 0 | 271 | 0 | 282 | 11,077 | 252 | 1,200 | 280 | 9,972 |
| Transfers in | 161 | 30,021 | 165 | 0 | 167 | 0 | 181 | 0 | 150 | 2,739 | 178 | 9,949 |
| Transfers out | 162 | 11,784 | 166 | 0 | 171 | 0 | 182 | 27,386 | 152 | 0 | 180 | 0 |
| EOY Balance | 75,296 | 6,094 | 274 | 0 | 8,117 | 0 |
| St Catherine's | St Catherine's | St Catherine's | St Catherine's | Depreciation | Incumbent | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Development | Churchyard | Organ | Choir | ||||||||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |||||||
| (vi) | (vii) | (viii) | (ix) | (iv) | (ii) | ||||||||
| SOY Balance | 17,329 | 2,701 | 3 | 1,022 | 980 | 0.00 | 87,946 | ||||||
| Income | 263 | 1,186 | 268 | 237 | 269 | 75 | 270 | 0 | 289 | 0 | 253 | 163,300 | 248,131 |
| Expenditure | 264 | 0 | 272 | 4,619 | 273 | 1,200 | 274 | 0 | 298 | 0 | 254 | 0 | 68,821 |
| Transfers in | 163 | 0 | 168 | 1,685 | 169 | 1,200 | 170 | 0 | 189 | 150 | 183 | 0 | 45,744 |
| Transfers out | 164 | 6,344 | 172 | 0 | 173 | 0 | 174 | 0 | 198 | 230 | 184 | 0 | 45,744 |
| EOY Balance | 12,171 | 4 | 78 | 1,022 | 900 | 163,300 | 267,256 |
Page 6 of 7
DIOCESE of Oxford, Deanery of Sonning
PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF WINNERSH
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued) For the year ended 31 DECEMBER 2024
| (i) | General fund |
|---|---|
| This fund is unrestricted and provides for the day to day running expenses of St Catherine's and St Mary's. Income to this fund is from a variety of | |
| sources, such as collections, wedding and funeral fees, and fund raisng events, where no restriction is attached. | |
| (ii) | Incumbent fund |
| This is a restricted fund created from four large donations specifically given to assist with financing a full time incumbent for four years. | |
| The money is held in a CCLA deposit account with all interest being credited to the fund. | |
| (iii) | Buildings fund |
| Money is held in this fund for the future maintenance of the church buildings. | |
| (iv) | Depreciation fund |
| This fund was created initially to cover the cost of replacing office computing equipment. | |
| The PCC has agreed to designate £150 a year to the fund. | |
| (v) | Parish Office fund |
| The Parish Office fund was created to record the set up and running costs of the Parish Office, funded for the first two years by grants from the Deanery. | |
| It is funded each year by an amount transferred from the General fund to be agreed by the PCC. | |
| (vi) | St Catherine's Development fund |
| The St Catherine's Development fund is restricted. Its source of income is money from donations, legacies and fund raising events given | |
| specifically for the redevelopment of facilities at St Catherine's. | |
| (vii) | St Catherine's Churchyard fund |
| The St Catherine's Churchyard fund is restricted and carries the expenses of grass cutting, machinery repair and replacement at St Catherine's. | |
| It derives its income from grants, and donations made specifically for this purpose. | |
| (viii) | St Catherine's Organ fund |
| The St Catherine's Organ fund carries the expense of organ tuning and minor repairs to the organ. | |
| It derives its income from fees charged for the use of the organ at weddings and funerals. | |
| (ix) | St Catherine's Choir fund |
| The St Catherine's Choir fund carries the expense of the purchase of music and Choir expenses such as the cleaning of robes. | |
| It derives its income from fees charged for the choir at weddings funerals. | |
| (x) | St Mary's Development fund |
| The St Mary's Development fund is restricted. Its source of income is money from donations, legacies and fund raising events given specifically for | |
| the redevelopment of facilities at St Mary's. | |
| (xi) | Parish Hall fund |
| The Parish Hall fund separately records the income and expenditure directly related to the running of the Hall. At the end of each year the PCC has | |
| agreed that 10% of the net surplus will be transferred to the Hall investment fund and the remainder to the General fund. | |
| (xii) | Hall Investment fund |
| This fund has been created to carry the expenses of maintaining and improving the fabric and facilities of the Hall following the reburbishment. | |
| The PCC agreed to set up the fund initially with £2,500, and thereafter to transfer in 10% of the net surplus from the Parish Hall fund. |
Page 7 of 7
DIOCESE of Oxford, Deanery of Sonning
5. REPORTS
i) PCC ANNUAL REPORT - 2024
The PCC met 5 times during 2024 and passed the following resolutions:
PCC Meeting held on 22[nd] January 2024
That the policy for the recruitment of ex-offenders be adopted by the parish.
That the proposed Fellowship and Fun activity (subsequently renamed Social Saturdays) at St Mary’s be approved by the PCC.
PCC Meeting held on 5[th] March 2024
That the audited accounts be accepted by the PCC for presentation to the APCM.
That the PCC Annual Report be accepted by the PCC for presentation to the APCM.
PCC Meeting held 11[th] March 2024 (s11 and s12)
That the PCC agrees to ring-fence the donations (including Gift Aid) and any interest arising therefrom made to support a full-time appointment for that purpose and only that purpose for as long as there is a full-time appointment.
The money should be considered a contribution to Parish Share and the donations are made and received for that purpose.
Once a full-time appointment comes to an end, the PCC may use any residual money which had been donated for whatever purpose they decide in consultation with the donors.
That the amended Parish Profile be adopted.
That the parish representatives for the interview process are Alison Vacher and Jinny Rendle
PCC Meeting held on 24[th] June 2024
No resolutions passed
PCC Meeting held on 23[rd] September 2024
That new banners to advertise the Spring Fair and the Advent Market be purchased at a cost of £45 each
In addition to the above meetings, the PCC approved the replacement of the disabled access ramp at St Mary’s by email confirmations 27[th] August 2024 to enable the work to commence in early September
DIOCESE of Oxford, Deanery of Sonning
Parish of Winnersh PCC Members 2024
Debbie Brunt - ex officio (Church Warden St Catherine’s) elected 2024 Anne Warner - ex officio (Church Warden St Mary’s) elected 2024 Alan Hall - ex officio (Deanery Synod representative) elected 2022 for 3 years Christine Ransom - elected 2023 for 3 years Derek Manning - elected 2022 for 3 years Eve Wynn-Jones - elected 2023 for 3 years Roberta Tweedy - elected 2022 for 3 years Alison Vacher - elected 2023 for 3 years Jon Robson-Hurst - elected 2022 for 3 years Emma-Jean Wells - elected 2022 for 3 years Jinny Rendle - elected 2022 for 3 years Brenda Bowring - elected 2023 for 3 years Peter Lewis - elected 2023 for 3 years Geoff Marsden - elected September 2023 resigned April 2024
DIOCESE of Oxford, Deanery of Sonning
ii) CHURCHWARDEN REPORT ST CATHERINE, BEARWOOD
2024 was another “Interregnum” year and it was a case of ‘business as usual’ for the folk at St Catherine’s.
Bolstered by the availability and willingness of retired clergy, we were able to offer regular, weekly services of Holy Communion at 11.00. This provision has been of great benefit in ensuring a viable future for The Parish as well as comfort to the congregation and local community. We are particularly grateful to The Reverends Colin Bass, Keith Knee Robinson and Graham Theobald for their reliable support, sometimes at short notice. They have become firm friends. Other clergy have stepped in to bridge any gaps, namely The Reverend Marina Braine and The Reverend Dr. Vincent Perricone who, later in the year, was introduced to us just in time to officiate at The Remembrance Day Service. It was a pleasure to have The Reverend Becky Medlicott conduct a Wedding on 1[st] August as this was to be her last official service before taking up a new position at Shiplake College as School Chaplain at the end of the month as her Curacy completed at All Saints.
Canon Richard Lamey who had been so supportive throughout our ‘Vacancy’ led a final service at St Catherine on 7[th] July before leaving to take up a new position as Director of Mission and Ministry for the Diocese of Norwich. We wished him well and presented him with a bottle of champagne.
Thanks to Alan Hall for sourcing clergy throughout the year.
Jinny Rendle has worked consistently to produce monthly rotas for services. The information on types of services, readings and Readers, has been invaluable to those responsible for preparation of the service and for its execution.
There were 12 baptisms, 2 Weddings, 4 funerals and 6 Interments of Ashes.
We were very fortunate to be chosen as the recipient of funds raised from a concert given by The Gratis Choir on 25[th] May with the proceeds going towards works necessary for the repair of the damage to the south wall.
Following a service of Baptism on 1[st] September, a Parish Picnic took place in the churchyard. The congregation brought along their lunch and as a bonus, Geoff Marsden set up a barbecue. Geoff had also devised some outdoor games which were enthusiastically played. Reverend Keith Knee Robinson who took the service stayed, along with Ann, his wife and both joined in the fun. The glorious weather added to the enjoyment.
On 22[nd] September the Reverend Colin Bass conducted a service of Harvest Thanksgiving.
Reverend Keith presided at an All-Souls Memorial Service which was as usual, very well attended.
A Candlelit Carol Service on 22[nd] December was very popular. It was heartwarming to see the church so full and to enjoy singing traditional carols. Many thanks to all who helped.
A Crib Service held in the afternoon of Christmas Eve was very popular. Many thanks to Paula Seddon for playing the organ.
Christmas Night Holy Communion was led by The Reverend Keith Knee Robinson. It was a perfect opportunity to welcome ‘the newborn king’.
DIOCESE of Oxford, Deanery of Sonning
That the churchyard is so well maintained is largely due to the hard work of Mark Rendle. Mark manages to keep a watchful eye on the grounds which, with the help of Geoff Marsden and Ian, a volunteer, are kept ordered and presentable. It attracts many compliments and provides much comfort to visitors of graves. Matters pertaining to the fabric of the church are also dealt with by Mark. From arranging meetings with trades people to ‘fixing things’ himself, he is a huge help in keeping the church ‘ship shape’ and he is warmly thanked.
Eve Wynn – Jones is deserving of thanks for all she does in preparation for services. She ensures that all is ready for Eucharistic requirements and organises an Epiphany Gift List for the congregation to contribute to. The correct vestments are provided and cloths which require laundering will be taken care of. Eve also writes and delivers the Intercessions. Thankyou Eve.
Roberta Tweedy can always be relied upon to sing in the choir regularly and occasionally to enlist help from singing groups when needed. She regularly attends Open Church and often adds to debates and discussions. Thanks are offered to her.
Peter Lewis is much valued as a member of the church and for his skilful playing of the flute for our services and thus enhancing our enjoyment. Pete has raised a lot of money for the church by playing non-stop for 24 hrs (and once for 48) and by doing this has helped charities also. He is always willing to help if he can and we are so grateful. Thankyou Pete.
Jinny Rendle has been a great support to the Churchwarden who was unable to focus on church matters for a time last year. Her assistance continues to be called upon and she is warmly thanked for that.
Derek Manning must also be thanked for continuing the work of Treasurer to the Parish. Thank you, Derek.
Encouragingly, there have been visits from various schools throughout the year and Ruth Giles and Debbie have continued to attend Bearwood Primary School for assemblies with the younger children.
Ruth Giles has been extremely generous in supplying and preparing a buffet lunch for the two interviews which were held. She is a valued supporter of St. Catherine’s and is always interested in the life of the church.
In September we learned that subject to satisfactory references, the Reverend Patrick Mukholi would be appointed to The Parish of Winnersh. The news was very welcome and a boost to morale. Some of us had met Patrick at his interview and were hopeful of a positive outcome. Once assured of his position we were able to realistically think positively about our future.
Finally, we thank Muriel Sheehan for ensuring that the church is open for Interments. It was always indicated that upon the appointment of a Priest she would step down. Thank you, Muriel.
Debbie Brunt Churchwarden
DIOCESE of Oxford, Deanery of Sonning
iii) CHURCHWARDEN REPORT ST MARY’S
Still being in Vacancy, services continued regularly with the occasional joint services with St Catherine’s. Average attendance of 22. The Wednesday morning quiet personal prayer time took place with an average of 8. Many thanks go to Alan for the work involved in finding Clergy cover and a huge thank you to them for their continued support, particularly the Rev Colin Bass, Rev Keith Knee-Robinson, Rev Graham Theobald, Rev Jane Kraft and Rev Vincent Perricone. Also, to Alison for leading the children’s work, and flowers, Richard Whitaker and Richard Turner for their support with the music, Brenda for rotas and hymns and the congregation who help in many ways.
The initiative from the Diocese to support the Hong Kong community in the area to use our church for their services continues, worshiping in their own language of Cantonese. It is under the leadership of Pastor William under the umbrella of Trinity Church Earley. They hire the premises on the 2[nd] and 4[th] Saturdays, and on all Sundays. With the agreement of the congregation, we had changed our 9.30am to 9.00am Sunday services to make it possible for them with their other commitment at Trinity Church, Earley. The Hong Kong congregation is large, usually about 130 - 150. There is a slow integration with us where they have helped with grounds tidy days. We appreciated their help. Storage is an issue. We have been able to accommodate some of their equipment, but we are a small church building, and they are outgrowing our space.
The traditional service of Harvest Festival was held with the congregation bringing items to be blessed and then taken to a food bank.
A Remembrance Service was observed in November and a Crib Service in December which was very successful. Many thanks to Alison and family for organising it.
A new initiative ‘Social Saturdays’, a once-a-month meeting was started in March. Fun-FellowshipFood-Fresh Expressions being the theme. Pastor William and a few other Hong Kong members joined. It was interesting to have discussions with them. Due to low numbers, it was decided to suspend the meeting in November with perhaps a different approach in the New Year.
Fund raising events included the Cheese and Wine Bingo Evening in March, the Spring Fayre in May and the Advent Market in November. A huge thank you to Samantha and Jon for their organising of those events. In May and November, the Gratis Choir gave concerts with donations going to St Catherine’s towards the Window repairs and to SalGOAssist for Mosquito net frames for the boys Orphanage. There was enough to pay for 4 frames. which was very much appreciated. A 24 hour ‘Carolathon’ played by Peter Lewis on his flute took place in December. We also supported ‘CRISIS AT CHRISTMAS’ with the Christmas Card scheme.
The Kingfisher Social Group was started in December 2023 for people to drop in for tea and chat, and board games, etc. meeting fortnightly on a Wednesday. This continues to be well supported.
Anne Warner
Church Warden
DIOCESE of Oxford, Deanery of Sonning
iv) ELECTORAL ROLL
There are 44 on the Electoral Roll
v) DEANERY SYNOD REPORT
It has certainly been a year of significant change in Sonning Deanery.
In July 2024, Revd Richard Lamey moved on, after serving for as Area Dean for six years (and five years before that as Associate Area Dean). We continue to give thanks for how generously and fairly Richard served all the churches in our Deanery. He was warmly thanked and given a gift at his final Synod meeting in June 24.
The Bishop of Reading asked Revd Julian Bidgood (Barkham) to serve as Deanery Coordinator from July 24 and he has been working alongside John Sutton, Leigh Welham, and Lynne Paine (who thankfully continued in their posts as Lay Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer respectively). Revd Jane Kraft, Anna Pearce, Revd Laura Wheatley-Downes, Revd Andy Kearns, and David Horrocks have also continued to serve as members of the Deanery Standing Committee and Mission and Pastoral Committee.
It has also been a year of change in many of our churches. At the time of 2024 APCMs, there were incumbent vacancies in five of our then twelve (now thirteen) benefices: Arborfield and Barkham, All Saints Wokingham, Finchampstead and California, Hurst, Ruscombe and Twyford, and Winnersh and Bearwood. Revd Laura Wheatley-Downes (St John’s Crowthorne) was also on maternity leave from April 24-January 25. Since then, we have also said farewell to Revd John Cook (who retired as Rector of Wargrave and Knowl Hill in June), Revd Richard Lamey (who also moved on from his role at St Paul’s and Woosehill in July), and Revd Catherine Vaughan (who moved on from Owlsmoor in September).
But it hasn’t all been farewells! We are glad to have welcomed Revd Hannah Higginson into her new role as Rector of all Saints Wokingham (July), Revd Andy Kearns into his new role as Rector of Arborfield and Barkham (October), Revd Mark Gould as Vicar of Ruscombe and Twyford (September), Revd Patrick Mukholi as Vicar of Winnersh and Bearwood (February), Revd Hugh Thomas as Vicar (House for Duty) of Hurst (March), and Revd Gemma Donnell as Rector of Finchampstead and California (April). So, we end the year with just three incumbent vacancies, at St Paul’s and Woosehill, Wargrave and Knowl Hill, and Owlsmoor (see below). It’s possible that there may be further news on some of these posts before the time of the APCMs.
With so many changes taking place, there has understandably been a limit to the amount that the Deanery has been able to do over this last year.
One particular focus has been the future of Owlsmoor. A small group from the Mission and Pastoral Committee worked closely with Wardens, the PCC and the Diocese, to look at possible options for the future staffing of that church family following Catherine’s departure. This work continues and the vacancy there has now been suspended for five years to enable further consideration of these options.
DIOCESE of Oxford, Deanery of Sonning
We have also spent time considering our churches’ and other local ministry among Children and Young People (following Bishop Stephen’s lead), Parish Share (as we continue to implement the new ways of calculating what different benefices should pay), and environmental matters (with the Standing Committee agreeing a number of grants to churches who have applied to the increasingly-used Deanery Green Fund). In September 24, we were also joined by Revd Liz Jackson (Associate Archdeacon) who led a very thought-provoking session on ‘Welcoming the Stranger’ (informed particularly by her significant experience in leading and helping churches in welcoming and supporting refugees, including from Hong Kong and Ukraine).
In November 24, we took note of the (inevitably limited) progress that we had made on our 2024 Deanery Plan. We agreed to continue with this same plan in 2025, as well as continuing the ongoing work on the Plan for Children and Young People and (for obvious reasons) focusing on settling new clergy into the Deanery. The Standing Committee will also begin to consider what might be included in a potentially more ambitious plan for subsequent years and will be seeking suggestions from PCCs about this too.
In summary, it’s been an interesting year. We give thanks to the Lord for the way he has grown relationships across the Deanery and between our churches through so many changes and we look forward to a little more stability in 2025.
Julian Bidgood (Sonning Deanery Coordinator)
DIOCESE of Oxford, Deanery of Sonning
vi) ST CATHERINE BEARWOOD CHURCHYARD AND FABRIC TEAM
The Quinquennial Inspection took place in May and was the main event of the year. The inspector was on site for the whole day, not leaving until 9.30 in the evening. It was a fascinating day to be involved in, but, as the day went on, the list of repairs and improvements grew rather daunting. Although by the end of the year the report had not been received, some work has already been done, and other work planned. Some of the recommended work falls in the ‘it would be nice category’ e.g. new lighting and heating; some of it will require long term and substantial fundraising. The first major piece of work done – to repair the gutters and downpipes which had been overflowing – should enable the walls to dry out. Unfortunately, with increasingly heavy rainfalls, this is only a temporary solution.
A wooden shed, gifted by the Churchwarden’s family, has been erected adjacent to the steel shed, on the foundations created the previous year from the excavations of the Walter graves. This will provide storage for non-gardening stuff.
The Walter grave was prepared for planting with a mixture of small shrubs, perennials and annuals. Further work is required to achieve a good all year-round effect.
During the autumn Ian Harvey planted 500 daffodil bulbs in the churchyard: we look forward to seeing the result in the spring.
Also in the autumn, a professional inspection was carried out on the cedar tree at the entrance, and consent was received to carry out maintenance on the tree by removing dead wood and carefully trimming branches to remove some weight.
Geoff Marsden has put a great deal of effort into clearing the beech hedge on the north boundary off from the adjacent graves. It will now be much easier to keep this area looking tidy.
Throughout the year routine maintenance of the grounds has taken place to keep the site looking welcoming to grave holders and visitors.
For the Christmas evening services, floodlights were erected to light the entrance by the cedar tree; over the steps at the east end of the churchyard; and from the tower to light the car park.
Once again, thanks are due to the small team of volunteers who do most of the work but augmented by others helping on specific tasks.
Mark Rendle for the Churchyard and Fabric Team
DIOCESE of Oxford, Deanery of Sonning
vii) HALL MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
The Hall Committee is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of St Mary’s Church and Hall and the church grounds. The Committee is currently without a chair and would welcome more volunteers to help with the tasks. We are pleased that 2 members of the Hong Kong congregation have joined the committee.
The Committee has reviewed the Health & Safety policy. PAT Testing and fire extinguisher checks are up to date.
Various working parties were held to tidy up the church grounds and to spring clean the church. A section of the carpet in the church has been cleaned and it is planned to clean further sections in 2025.
The Office and lobby have been redecorated.
The car park lines have been repainted, and the disabled access ramp has been replaced.
Alison Vacher
viii) SOCIAL COMMITTEE REPORT
The committee meets three or four times per year. It is usually held at Debbie’s house in the evening. Upcoming fundraising events are suggested/discussed. Members are currently Jon, Ani, Samantha, Debbie, Jinny and Eve. New members would be welcome.
Debbie
ix) ST. MARY’S EXPLORERS
Explorers meet every Sunday during the main service.
We generally follow the Lectionary and use Roots as our main source of teaching materials. Our usual format is to read the Gospel for the day and then undertake activities based on that.
Attendance is a little sporadic; we have 3 regular attendees.
Alison Vacher
DIOCESE of Oxford, Deanery of Sonning
x) FELLOWSHIP
The Fellowship Group meets monthly approximately ten times per year. The venue for the meeting is Debbie’s house or at Ruth Giles’s house.
A prayer is said at the beginning of the meeting and then conversation develops. Sometimes a topic is discussed which would have been decided at a previous meeting. Occasionally a member will talk about a holiday just taken or perhaps about a hobby. Ruth is very good at organizing a game.
Currently, the Hope to Link charity is a focus and members are donating useful items to be sent to needy families.
A summer outing is usually arranged and a winter afternoon tea/lunch. There are 12 members
Debbie
6. ELECTIONS TO DEANERY SYNOD
7. ELECTIONS TO PCC
8. SAFEGUARDING
All relevant staff and volunteers have undergone safeguarding training in accordance with Church of England guidelines.
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks have been completed or updated for those in regulated roles.
The Parish Safeguarding Officer (PSO) has worked closely with the PCC to ensure policies are current and followed. We are also working on completing and maintaining the Parish Dashboard, on online task list, that ensures the church is up to date with all aspects of safeguarding and training.
Our safeguarding policy has been reviewed and adopted by the PCC and is available on the church website.
There have been no concerns raised.
Emma-Jean Wells
DIOCESE of Oxford, Deanery of Sonning
9. DATA PROTECTION
There were no known data protection breaches.