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2025-12-31-accounts

Annual Report 2025

presented to the Annual Parochial Church Meeting St Augustine’s Church, South Croydon 17[th] May 2025 www.southcroydonbenefice.org.uk

Administrative Information

The PCC of St Augustine’s is a charity for the purposes of the Charity Act 2010.

Incumbent: Vacancy

St Augustine’s and St Peter’s, Croydon, form the “South Croydon Benefice of St Peter, Croydon and St Augustine, South Croydon”. The Benefice has adopted a Mission Statement as follows:

The South Croydon Benefice is a family of two parishes (St Peter’s and St Augustine’s) where everyone belongs, is valued, and can grow in faith. We exist to worship God, making Christ known through teaching and through care for our congregations, communities, and the wider world. Our churches offer traditional and modern worship in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

This report relates solely to the activities and financial statements of St Augustine’s, South Croydon.

ST AUGUSTINE’S PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL (PCC)

Membership: Licenced Ministers, Churchwardens, Deanery Synod Reps (ex-officio); up to 2 coopted members; up to 9 ordinary members elected at successive APCMs. Appointment: In accordance with the Church Representation Rules.

Remit: To co-operate with the Vicar in ‘promoting in the parish the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical’ (Parochial Church Councils [Powers] Measure 1956).

Meetings: Every two months.

Reporting: notes from meetings to be circulated within the PCC. Delegated authority: N/A.

BENEFICE TEAMS

Benefice Advisory Team

Membership: The standing committees of both parishes (ex-officio). Appointment: Other members may be co-opted as required.

Remit: To advise the PCCs on matters of shared concern; to assist the PCCs in making joint decisions where this is necessary or desirable.

Meetings: As required.

Reporting: To both PCCs.

Delegated authority: Authority may be granted by both PCCs for specific purposes.

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Ministry Team

Membership: Licenced and Authorised Ministers (ex-officio).

Appointment: Other members may be co-opted at the discretion of the Vicar. Remit: To facilitate worship, teaching the faith, and pastoral care.

Meetings: Weekly, with at least two ‘away days’ per year. Reporting: Notes from meeting to be circulated within group. Delegated authority: N/A.

Music Team

Membership: Incumbent and Directors of Music (ex-officio).

Appointment: Other members may be co-opted as required.

Remit: To facilitate the provision of music during worship, including joint services. Meetings: Quarterly.

Reporting: Notes from meeting to be circulated within group.

Delegated authority: N/A.

Safeguarding Team

Membership: Incumbent, PSOs and APSOs (ex-officio), one Churchwarden from

each parish.

Appointment: Other members may be co-opted as required.

Remit: To promote a safer church, ensuring that the parishes comply with safeguarding obligations and guidance.

Meetings: Quarterly.

Reporting: Notes from meetings to be circulated to both PCCs. Safeguarding incidents to be reported to PCC of applicable parish. Safer recruitment decisions to be made by PCC of applicable parish.

Delegated authority: Authority may be granted by both PCCs for specific purposes.

Children and Young People Team

Membership: Incumbent, those safely recruited by PCCs as CYP leaders for duration of appointment (ex-officio).

Appointment: Other members may be co-opted as required.

Remit: To plan and evaluate services and events for Children and Young People.

Meetings: Quarterly.

Reporting: Notes from meetings to be circulated to both PCCs.

Delegated authority: Authority may be granted by both PCCs for specific

purposes.

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Children and Young People Council

Membership: Incumbent (ex-officio), 2 elected representatives from each parish (under 18), 1 CYP leader from each parish.

Appointment: Elected representatives to be chosen by young people.

Remit: To provide a forum for children and young people.

Meetings: Termly.

Reporting: Notes from meetings to be circulated to both PCCs. Delegated authority: N/A.

Mission Action Planning Team

Membership: Incumbent (ex-officio); at least 3 representatives per parish, drawn from the electoral roll.

Appointment: Applications should be made to the Vicar at the start of each MAP cycle, with parish representatives approved by the appropriate PCC. Subgroups may be required to oversee individual projects, with others co-opted as necessary. Remit: To develop, implement and evaluate the Benefice Mission Action Plan. Meetings: Twice per year, with meetings of subgroups as required.

Reporting: Notes from meetings to be circulated to both PCCs. MAP goals to be ratified annually by both PCCs.

Delegated authority: Authority may be granted by both PCCs for specific purposes.

ST AUGUSTINE’S COMMITTEES

Standing Committee

Membership: Incumbent, Church Wardens, Treasurer, PCC Secretary (ex-officio). Appointment: Other members may be co-opted as required.

Remit: Has the power to transact any business of the PCC between its meetings, subject to any instructions of the PCC.

Meetings: As required.

Reporting: Notes from meetings to be circulated to the PCC.

Delegated authority: The standing committee may approve expenditure in accordance with the PCC Financial Policy. The standing committee may transact the PCC’s business between meetings of the PCC; but the standing committee (a) may not discharge a duty of the PCC, and (b) may not exercise a power of the PCC which is subject to the passing of a resolution by the PCC or compliance by the PCC with some other requirement. Further authority may be granted by the PCC for specific purposes.

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Finance Committee

Membership: Treasurer (ex-officio), other members appointed by PCC.

Appointment: Applications should be made to the Treasurer and are subject to annual PCC approval.

Remit: Responsible for assisting the Treasurer to monitor income and expenditure and for setting and monitoring the budget Meetings: As required.

Reporting: Report to be presented to PCC at each meeting.

Delegated authority: Authority may be granted by the PCC for specific purposes.

Centre Management Committee

Membership: Incumbent, Church Wardens, Treasurer, Centre Manager (ex-officio). Appointment: Other members may be co-opted as required.

Remit: Responsible for the running of the centre and building maintenance. Meetings: Bi-monthly.

Reporting: Report to be presented to PCC at each meeting.

Delegated authority: Authority may be granted the PCC for specific purposes.

Fundraising Committee

Membership: Treasurer (ex-officio), other members appointed by PCC.

Appointment: Applications should be made to the Treasurer and are subject to annual PCC approval.

Remit: Responsible for organising fund raising activities during the year including the Christmas and Summer Fairs

Meetings: As required.

Reporting: Report to be presented to PCC after each major fundraising event. Delegated authority: Authority may be granted by the PCC for specific purposes.

Eco-Church Committee

Membership: All members appointed by PCC.

Appointment: Applications to be made to the Chair and are subject to annual PCC approval. Remit: To consider the environmental impact of church activities and to promote better care of the environment. Meetings: Quarterly

Reporting: Report to be presented to PCC after each meeting.

Delegated authority: Authority may be granted by the PCC for specific purposes.

BANKERS

National Westminster Bank Plc, 1 High Street, Croydon, CR9 1PD (Current Account)

The CBF Church of England Funds, Senator House, 85 Queen Victoria Street, London, EC4V 4ET (Deposit Accounts)

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INDEPENDENT EXAMINER

Mr Gareth Saunders

INSPECTING ARCHITECT

Mr Daniel Benson, Ablett Architects Ltd, Kingfisher House, 21-23 Elmfield Road, Bromley, Kent BR1 1LT

PCC Lay Chair’s Report

I am pleased to introduce the Annual Report of St Augustine’s Parochial Church Council for 2025-6. I would like to begin by thanking everyone who has supported the church this year. Many have used their skills and times in the recruitment process following the Rev Dr Geoff Dumbreck’s promotion to Archdeacon of Reigate. We thank Geoff for his guidance and spiritual wisdom during the past six and a half years.

We are so fortunate to have Neil Hillier and Bill Luckhurst as our Churchwardens, both blessed with many and varied skills. Thanks also go to David Wilcox, our Treasurer, for navigating the many demands from the diocese and keeping a close eye on our finances. I would also like to thank Beverley Josephs who is our helpful and efficient PCC secretary as well as our PCC members. Our congregation is friendly, inclusive and welcoming to new members, and for this I thank God.

Keishea Aidoo, the Centre Manager, continues to provide continuity to our community lets and is a tremendous help to the Centre Management Team.

Julie Hillier has ensured that the Electoral Roll is kept up to date while also representing the parish at Deanery level; with myself, she is one of our two Deanery Synod representatives. Julie continues to lead on fundraising this year

I would like to thank Brian Dineen who has now come to the end of the term of office as PCC members.

We are greatly blessed that Fr Michael Nayagam has continued to tirelessly minister across the benefice, ably leading us during the interregnum. His warmth, experience and care for all of us is much appreciated as well as his spiritual lead.

Andrew Moncreiff (Licensed Lay Minister – Reader), Michael Brockett (Licensed Lay Minister – Pastoral) and Lucinda Stevens (Commissioned Pastoral Lay Minister) as well as the Rev Sue Thomas are part of St Augustine’s Ministry Team preparing and leading worship across the benefice. Rev Sue is with us for six months and we value her contribution during the vacancy.

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Licenced, Commissioned and Affirmed ministries are available within Southwark Diocese, and I would encourage anyone who would like to join our team to speak to Fr Michael or a member of the ministry team.

The Music Team is central to the worshipping life of our community, and I am grateful to David Wilcox at St Augustine’s and Paul Reynolds at St Peter’s for all their work with our choirs. The combined Benefice choir has sung at several Evensongs and other key services; they show what can be achieved when we work together.

Safeguarding has been overseen by the Benefice Safeguarding Team. I have continued as Parish Safeguarding Officer (PSO) at St Augustine’s along with Steve Moores the PSO at St Peter’s. We are joined by Neil Hillier and Lucy Dee, representing the Churchwardens of each parish.

We maintained the same pattern of Regular Services in 2025=6:

Sunday 8.00 am: Holy Communion (Book of Common Prayer) Sunday 9.30 am: Sung Eucharist (Common Worship) Monday 9.00 am: Morning Prayer (Common Worship) Wednesday 9.00 am: Morning Prayer (Common Worship) Thursday 10.00 am: Said Eucharist (Common Worship)

On the second Sunday of the month, the Sung Eucharist was usually replaced by a Parade Eucharist attended by and involving the Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Rainbows, Brownies and Guides. This service is the highlight of every month, and we are grateful to our Uniformed Leaders for encouraging attendance and taking part in the service. The main Sunday Eucharist is streamed on YouTube, providing access to church services for those who are housebound. On Tuesdays and Thursdays outside the interregnum, we hold Morning Prayer on Zoom, with participants from both parishes and further afield. We also continued to hold joint Benefice services, using both church buildings, including a monthly Sunday evening service and services on principal holy days.

Our services involve many people upfront and behind the scenes. I am grateful to everyone who has served, sung, played, led intercessions, greeted, arranged flowers, cleaned, administered the chalice, printed service books, served coffee – the list goes on, and requires the hard work and dedication of the whole community. I am particularly grateful to Stephanie Josephs and Neil Hillier for taking on the roles of Server and Sacristan.

We remain focused on the Mission Action Plan (MAP) and the Five Marks of Mission: Tell – Teach – Tend – Transform – Treasure. The committee meets regularly to report on progress against the agreed action points.

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We continue to face challenges around the recruitment of volunteers and the upkeep of our building and hope that the MAP will help inspire people to get involved in our mission and outreach, while the formulation of a Masterplan for the building will provide a programme of repairs and upgrades for the years ahead. We hope that we can build on the excellent work of Sue Lotsu in the community garden, and thank her and her helpers caring for the church grounds.

With our new vicar and our Ministry Team we will continue to work together as we face up to the challenges and embrace the opportunities that lie before us.

Dr Michael Brockett Lay Chair – St Augustine’s PCC

Deanery Synod

Your Deanery Synod members are Julie Hillier and Michael Brockett. Deanery Synods are the formal meetings of a deanery which focus on the mission and ministry in the area as well as providing a channel for the sharing of information. Occasionally Synods are required to take formal decisions, sometimes by means of a vote. All licensed Clergy in a deanery are automatically members of their Deanery Synod as well as lay members, i.e. those who are not Clergy. Every three years, churches elect deanery representatives at their Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM). As well as serving their deaneries, lay representatives on Deanery Synods form the electorate for the House of Laity on both the Diocesan Synod and the General Synod. Deanery Synod members report to the PCC at their committee meetings and minutes are made available. Our vicar, the Revd Dr Geoff Dumbreck, was Area Dean for Croydon Central Deanery and Chair of the Deanery Synod. Rev. Ruth Chapman (Vicar at St. Matthews) will replace Geoff in 2026.

The Deanery Synod met on three occasions. The first meeting was held in February, with Joseph Vambe from Christian Aid as the Guest speaker, who spoke about fundraising and engagement activities for Christian Aid. The second meeting in June with The Venerable Carol Ann Coslett (Director of Lay Minstry) and Michael Brockett (Diocesan Lay Ministry Consultant) as the main speakers. They explained about the different Lay minister roles – Affirmed, Commissioned or Licensed and what these roles could include and what is involved. Our final meeting of the year was held in September with Jason Perry, Mayor of Croydon, as the guest speaker, who discussed the improvements and plans for the future of Croydon and addressed the £1.4 billion debt the Council has had to deal with.

Michael Brockett is the Diocesan Lay Ministry Consultant. Anyone in our benefice or Deanery interested in any aspect of Lay Ministry can contact him at michael.brockett@southwark.anglican.org

Michael Brockett & Julie Hillier Deanery Synod Representatives

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PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL

The purpose of the PCC is to consult with the Vicar on the matters of general concern and importance to the benefice.

The PCC Committee have held and attended 5 meetings since the last Annual Parochial Church Meeting 2025.

The members were Revd Geoff Dumbreck (to December 2025), Dr Michael Brockett, William Luckhurst, Revd Michael Nayagam, Neil Hillier, Lucinda Stevens, David Wilcox, Julie Hillier, Brian Dineen, Kate Richards, Gwyneth Smith, Nikki Aduba, Wendy Boyce, Brenda Mansworth, Louise Vinicombe, Beverley Josephs

The decisions made at the PCC meeting were as follows:

Beverley Josephs PCC Secretary

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Churchwardens’ Report

The Churchwardens, Neil and I, can report that good progress has been made in finding a replacement Vicar since we entered the interregnum in December 2025. A working group was formed, representing St Augustine’s and St Peter’s, and tasked with creating a new Benefice Profile. The completed profile has now been approved by Bishop Rosemary and Archdeacon Greg Prior and, barring one or two minor tweaks and final proofreading, is due to be advertised in the Church Times and on the Church of England Pathways from the third week of April. It is expected that interviews will be conducted around the third week of June and, all being well, that a successful candidate will be appointed in late August or September.

The Centre Management Team (CMT) has met regularly during the past year and has oversight of the fabric of the church and grounds, centre activities, and building maintenance. The CMT provides reports and updates to the PCC and produces an annual report to the APCM.

The CMT consists of the Vicar, Churchwardens, Treasurer, and Centre Manager. We follow a formal agenda, take minutes, and report back on building and maintenance actions, preventative maintenance, centre usage, new hirers, and those departing. Of course, care for the church building and its fabric is always a standing agenda item, as without the building being watertight, in good repair, and safe, many of the activities we take for granted could be curtailed.

Keishea Aidoo (Centre Manager) keeps the team up to date with centre bookings, parties, new hirers, and any fabric or maintenance matters. Over the past year, with our proactive and people-focused Centre Manager, we have made good progress in attracting new hirers, as well as securing party bookings for weekend afternoons and evenings. We have also reviewed our hire rates and taken the decision to increase them slightly, although we believe they remain competitive locally. A further new initiative is the introduction of a regular newsletter for hirers, keeping them informed of church and centre news. Having withdrawn from contracted-out church and centre cleaning, we now have a directly employed church cleaning team of two. This new arrangement has settled in well and is working effectively.

The CMT works to ensure that all statutory fabric compliance is kept up to date, including PAT testing, insurance, lightning conductor testing, boiler certification, and fire extinguisher testing. These, along with other certificates of compliance, our chattels, silverware, and official records, are presented to the Archdeacon at our annual inspection, held each spring. We are due our Quinquennial Inspection (QI) in late 2026. This inspection is undertaken by our Inspecting Architect and involves a comprehensive assessment of all church fabric, internally and externally, and at high level where safe and practical. The resulting QI condition report will identify fabric concerns and rank them according to urgency of repair

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or replacement. In early April, our five-year electrical certificate expired, and we have contracted a new inspection to be carried out over two days. As with the QI, this will produce a condition report with ranked recommendations for modernisation and improvement.

The Churchwardens are pleased to report that the damaged stained-glass windows in the small hall have been removed, restored, and refitted. The cost of these works was met through a combination of fundraising, an insurance claim, and a small diocesan grant. All of the church’s windows have been surveyed and require attention and restoration. The small hall project provided the opportunity to achieve an excellent result on a modest scale and demonstrated that it is possible to undertake more manageable, “bite-sized” works in certain circumstances.

Recent years have seen investment in the church’s hot water and central heating systems. Reliability has improved this year, although there has been some downtime for both systems while minor faults were addressed. New taps have been installed in all toilets to replace leaking fittings, internal and external lighting electrical works have been completed, and an electrical fault affecting the external Christmas tree lights has been rectified.

St Augustine’s remains on the Heritage At Risk Register and is currently described as being in poor condition. The CMT is aware of this and, over the coming years, will work with the PCC, parishioners, and centre users to improve our standing and, ultimately, remove the church from the ‘At Risk’ category. Following the disappointment of not being awarded an NCT development grant in 2025, it was decided to take a short break from applications for major fabric grants. A period of reflection and a fresh approach to grant funding is needed. However, it is clear that significant grant-funded support will be essential if we are to stabilise and modernise the building fabric.

I concluded last year’s report by referencing stewardship and the role the CMT plays in overseeing the fabric of the building. This stewardship, and the responsibilities of the CMT and PCC, continue throughout the interregnum, as do all the functions of the church and centre. Personally, I am looking forward to being inspired by a new Vicar, as I hope you all are, and I very much look forward to the time when the Churchwardens can make that announcement.

Bill Luckhurst on behalf of the Churchwardens and Centre Management Committee

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Treasurer’s Report

FINANCE

2025 Financial Overview

Although 2025 brought its challenges, we have ended the year in a positive financial position. We have balanced the books and lived within our means, with income exceeding expenditure—something we have not achieved in the past few years.

This outcome was helped by two legacies received during 2025, along with some very generous donations. However, even without these, we would still have recorded a small surplus.

Notes on the Accounts

Income

Planned giving has remained fairly stable, with a slight overall increase. This is largely due to more members of the congregation using the ‘SumUp’ machine. We are very grateful to all our regular givers for their continued financial support.

Legacies

We are extremely grateful to two members of the congregation who left money to the church in their wills. These funds are designated for specific projects and are not used for general running costs.

Several members of the congregation have indicated that they intend to leave a legacy to the church. Over the years, such gifts have helped us through difficult financial periods. If you would like more information about leaving a legacy, please feel free to speak to me in confidence.

Energy Costs

Energy costs continue to be a significant challenge, particularly as we work to keep our Grade II listed building warm and welcoming. The outlook as we move into 2026 is not encouraging.

Buildings and Refurbishment

This year has been slightly less demanding in terms of refurbishment and major building works. However, these will remain a challenge as we prepare for the next phase of development. The Centre Management Team is actively seeking grants and other funding sources.

Church Centre Income

Income from the Church Centre has almost returned to pre-COVID levels. Thanks to Keishea’s hard work in promoting the centre and increasing long-term hires, we are now in a much stronger position moving forward.

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We are also very grateful to our loyal regular hirers, who have continued to support St Augustine’s despite the financial pressures many are facing.

Diocesan Support

Finally, we thank the Diocese for their ongoing support, particularly with our Parish Share costs.

Charitable Giving

We have had a successful year in our charitable giving. The Children’s Society benefited from our Christingle service collections and collection boxes, raising a total of £520.48.

We also supported the Toilet Twinning scheme, funding three toilets through the charity.

In addition, a number of our congregation continue to support the Night Watch Appeal by preparing sandwiches for people experiencing homelessness in Croydon.

STEWARDSHIP

I am pleased to report that, despite the current financial challenges, we have maintained our planned giving this year, with a small increase on the 2024 figures. We are very grateful to those members of the congregation who give so generously, both financially and through their time, to support our work across the benefice.

I am also delighted to report that the majority of our regular givers now use the Parish Giving Scheme. This allows us to claim Gift Aid on donations each month, rather than submitting a single annual claim. If you currently give by Direct Debit, I would encourage you to consider switching to this scheme. Please speak to me if you would like more information. For those who pay tax, we are able to claim an additional 25% in Gift Aid on donations at no extra cost to the donor.

We have also seen an increase in the number of people using the SumUp machine in the entrance area. This continues to provide a valuable source of income, both for regular giving and during fundraising events, as more people rely on card payments rather than cash. As a result, we have seen a slight decrease in the amounts received through the collection plate, as more members move to the Parish Giving Scheme or use card payments. Nevertheless, we remain very grateful to those who continue to give in this way.

Finally, it is important to recognise that supporting the church is not only about financial giving, but also about giving our time. We all have talents to share, and there are many opportunities within the church to support one another and the wider community. If you would like to get involved, please speak to me, the churchwardens, or a member of the clergy.

David Wilcox -Treasurer

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Fundraising

Firstly, we would like to thank everyone who helped at any of our events – helping set up, helping on the day, running stalls, making / selling refreshments, helping to clear / tidy up, the list is endless, but without a wonderful team of helpers, none of this could happen, so thank you everyone who contributed in any way, we really appreciate everything you do and these events could not happen with your help and support.

In April we held our first Afternoon tea event, this was a great success and make this a regular event moving

Tea/Cream we hope to forward. Community more and people May and

In May and September we held our Markets, which we are hoping will be more successful as word spreads and realise that these will always be held in September each year.

Our Summer Fair in July was a great success and well attended and it was wonderful to see so many people attending, and some even getting involved in the fantastic drumming session.

Our Christmas Fair held once again a little earlier, at the end of November, was also very well attended and the new earlier date, seems to be attracting good numbers, so we will continue to hold this in November instead of December.

On the last Saturday in November we held our first ever, Christmas Tree lights switch on, with carol singing and mince pies, outside the main church entrance. This is a new event, and we hope to build on this by having more lights next year, along with hopefully some hot chocolate and mince pies.

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As always, our fundraising isn’t just about raising much needed funds for the church. It is very much about bringing together our local community and having fun too.

We raised a wonderful total of £4,422 at these events. Let’s hope we can make 2026 just as much fun and successful.

Thank you

Julie Hillier David Wilcox Margaret Coleman Beverley Joseph

Fundraising Committee

Music

I would once again like to express my sincere gratitude to all choir members for their faithful attendance at weekly rehearsals and their continued commitment to

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leading worship each Sunday. Their dedication ensures a strong and confident musical foundation for the congregation.

The choir has developed an impressive and varied repertoire, enabling it to offer a wide range of anthems appropriate to the seasons and festivals of the Church year.

We have also strengthened our links with the uniformed organisations, and I am grateful for the opportunity to attend their meetings to teach songs for Parade Services. This has been a valuable way of involving young people in our worship and engaging their families with the life of the church.

Recruitment, however, remains a challenge, as it does for many church choirs nationwide. Encouraging both young people and adults to commit regularly is increasingly difficult, particularly given the wide range of weekend activities now available.

Our partnership with St Peter’s continues to flourish, providing both choirs with opportunities to perform more substantial and challenging works. The Benefice Choir comes together for major services throughout the year, including the Christmas Carol Service, Holy Week and Easter services, as well as regular Choral Evensong. Paul Reynolds (Music Director at St Peter’s) and I are delighted to be part of this collaboration and look forward to seeing the Benefice Choir continue to grow.

The church organ and blower remain in good condition and are regularly maintained and serviced.

Finally, I would like to thank the Ministry Team and congregation for their ongoing support. New members are always very welcome, and I warmly encourage anyone interested in joining the choir to speak to me after a service or make contact by telephone or email.

Organist and Choirmaster David Wilcox

Safeguarding

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Benefice report on Safeguarding to the St Augustine’s Church APCM 2025-26

The Safeguarding Committee, comprising of members from St Augustine’s ( Michael Brockett – PSO and Neil Hillier – Churchwarden and St Peter’s Church (Steve Moores – PSO and Lucy Dee - Churchwarden, met four times since the last A{CM. The team monitors the completion of actions arising from the

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safeguarding self-audit and other reviews, and encourages good practice prescribed by the Diocese.

Minutes of each meeting are circulated to both PCCs and safeguarding is a standing agenda item at every PCC meeting.

The Benefice has complied with the duty under section 5 of the Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure 2016 to have due regard to the House of Bishops’ guidance on safeguarding children and vulnerable adults. Any incidents are dealt with in line with the Diocese of Southwark’s safeguarding policies and procedures set out in “A Safe Church” which can be found online at

htttp://southwark.anglican.org/safeguarding. The parish safeguarding self-audit was completed in 2024.

The Diocese of Southwark’s safeguarding team has continued to be cooperative and helpful whenever we have encountered a possible safeguarding issue. Details for contacting the Parish Safeguarding Officers or a member of the Diocesan Safeguarding Team are listed on the Benefice website, on notices in the churches and on the weekly newsletters. Both PCCs review their policies and procedures annually in line with this guidance. Both churches have registered for the Diocesan Parish Safeguarding Dashboard which are now being used and supports us with policies, toolkits and e-manuals for safeguarding. We are currently at Level 2 in the Safeguarding Action Plan.

Church officers and volunteers are required to undertake a DBS check and relevant safeguarding training, and a record of uptake is maintained. All members of the Ministry Team have undertaken C2 safeguarding training; the Churchwardens, the Director of Music have also undertaken C2 safeguarding training. C1 training and Awareness of Domestic Abuse in-house training was given by the PSO in October 2025 at St Augustine’s Church.

External organisations that use the churches for their activities are required to sign a written consent form overseen by the Centre Manager agreeing to follow the benefice safeguarding policies.

Michael Brockett St Augustine’s Church Parish Safeguarding Officer

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Mission and Outreach

CHRISTINGLE

As part of our charity work each year we are proud to organise a Christingle Carol Service for the Children’s Society. This year we raised £222.20 from the collection at the service on Christmas Eve, which we forwarded to the Children’s Society to help fund their activities.

COMMUNITY SATURDAY COFFEE MORNINGS

The church is open every Saturday between 10 – 12 for people to come in for coffee or quiet prayer. On the last Saturday of the month, we hold a Community Coffee Morning inviting members of the local community to join us for coffee, cake and a chat.

The Knit, Crochet and Coffee Morning, continues to be held on the first Saturday of the month. Help and tuition is given to all non-knitters and crochet beginners. Everyone is welcome to these events. Items produced are given to a variety of deserving charities.

SANDWICHES FOR NIGHTWATCH

Together with help from St Peter's and the cubs/scouts, we were again able to help supply Croydon Nightwatch with 12 loaves’ worth of sandwiches every Saturday evening in November and December 2025. I am very grateful to all those who helped.

The work of Nightwatch is still unfortunately very needed and our contributions in this way make a real difference. As long as the need continues, I very much hope that we will continue to support this very worthwhile service although I do not know yet what difference, if any, the opening of the homeless shelter at St Michaels in West Croydon will have and whether we will be asked to assist there instead.

I will of course keep you informed but in the meantime please do let me know if you wish to get involved in this area of mission.

Kate Richards

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ECO-CHURCH

We have continued with the eco tips in the weekly pew sheet. A litter pick around the local streets was held in early summer.

We celebrated Climate Sunday in the autumn. We continued to complete the Bronze Eco Church Award questionnaire on our carbon footprint; which proved quite challenging. We have now achieved a Bronze level Eco Church Award! Now forward to the Silver.

We have twinned 3 toilets.

Lucinda Stevens

Garden

Over the last year the garden has fared very well and always produces colour and foliage throughout our regular dry periods and merging seasons. The browned grass we are all now used to seeing during the dry summer recovers well over winter and spring and now looks very lush.

The garden continues to benefit from the support of local community, we continue to see donations of plants and financial contributions, the later going into the garden fund managed by our church treasurer. We have seen a little turnover in volunteers, however the numbers helping are steady and with Sue’s mentoring and guidance of the volunteers we are able to sustain all year-round attention the garden needs. Due to some national restructuring the local branch of Good Gym Gardeners is no longer able to support targeted volunteer work in the church garden, however we have been very fortunate that David, a local resident has stepped up over the last year and with Sue’s guidance has taken a lead with garden activities. We all need to support and encourage David, and for my part I will be cutting the grass the grass regularly to compliment the work that David, Amira, Sue and other volunteers undertake.

The Church, our worshipping community, the hire centre, the garden, our volunteers and our outreach all important components of our new Benefice Profile, created as we seek to appoint a new Vicar in late 2026. All the above and more will hopefully attract potential candidates towards applying for the role of Vicar at the South Croydon Benefice.

Bill Luckhurst

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Statement of Receipts & Payments

Prepared for THE PCC OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST AUGUSTINE'S CHURCH, SOUTH CROYDON: 1/1/2025 to 31/12/2025 (compared with 1/1/2024 to 31/12/2024

Unrestricted Restricted Total 2024
Donations and Legacies
. . 01. Regular Giving
. . . . Planned Giving - PGS 15,808.89 15,808.89 15,776.92
. . . . Planned Giving - Standing Order 10,380.00 5,000.00 15,380.00 11,020.00
. . . . Planned Giving - SumUp 4,479.54 4,479.54 2,316.19
. . 03. Collections at Services
. . . . Plate Collection 4,864.80 4,864.80 5,291.60
. . . . Special Services 336.09 336.09
. . 04. All other giving and voluntary receipts, including special appeals
. . . . Donations - Candle Table 128.93 128.93 140.95
. . . . Donations - Garden 185.00 185.00 248.50
. . . . Donations - General 1,281.92 1,000.00 2,281.92 8,267.53
. . . . Donations - Knitting Group 72.38
. . . . Donations - Lent Lectures 24.73
. . . . Donations - Refreshments 155.96 155.96 60.90
. . . . Donations - Trips 230.00 230.00
. . 06. Gift aid recovered
. . . . Gift Aid - Direct 6,470.03 6,470.03
. . . . Gift Aid - PGS 3,568.83 3,568.83 3,803.13
. . 07. Legacies received 251.23 25,000.00 25,251.23
. . 08. Grants
. . . . Grants - Capital Projects 595.67 595.67 998.42
. . . . Grants - Mission 3,000.00 3,000.00 4,000.00
Charitable Activities
. . 11. Fees retained
. . . . Fees Retained - Funerals 2,387.00 2,387.00 690.00

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26-Apr-2026 15:01

Statement of Receipts & Payments

Prepared for THE PCC OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST AUGUSTINE'S CHURCH, SOUTH CROYDON: 1/1/2025 to 31/12/2025 (compared with 1/1/2024 to 31/12/2024

Unrestricted Restricted Total Prior Total*
. . 12. Trading activities
. . . . Centre Income 33,974.50 33,974.50 19,424.50
. . . . Guiding Groups Income 750.00 750.00 350.00
. . . . Scout Hut income 130.00 130.00
Investments
. . 10. Dividends, interest, income from property 1,232.42 1,232.42 1,372.59
Other Incoming Resources
. . 13. Other receipts/income
. . . . Benefice - Money Received 1,440.00 1,440.00 60.00
. . . . Charity - Appeals 594.59 594.59 183.36
. . . . Deanery - Clerical Support Grant 3,813.00 3,813.00 3,081.00
. . . . Deanery - General Expense Grant 1,000.00 1,000.00
Total income and endowments 96,837.36 35,813.00 132,650.36 81,155.05
. . . . Fees Retained - Weddings, Banns 170.00 170.00 105.00
Other Trading Activities
. . 09. Fundraising activities
. . . . Fundraising - Fairs 3,455.53 3,455.53 2,687.81
. . . . Fundraising - Quiz Nights etc 966.43 966.43 1,179.54

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26-Apr-2026 15:01

Prepared for THE PCC OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST AUGUSTINE'S CHURCH, SOUTH CROYDON: 1/1/2025 to 31/12/2025 (compared with 1/1/2024 to 31/12/2024

Statement of Receipts & Payments

17. Costs of fundraising activities 207.15 207.15 168.00
99. Other payments/expenditure
. . Charity - Donations Transferred 1,412.22 1,412.22
. . DBF - Fees Transferred 361.00 361.00 158.00
. . Deanery - General Expenses 3.96 557.32 561.28 414.61
. . Miscellaneous 1,528.00 1,528.00 697.24
Charitable Activities
. . 18. Mission giving and donations
. . . . Charity - Donations from PCC Funds 820.68 820.68 246.24
. . 19. Parish share contribution 25,863.14 25,863.14 25,607.00
. . 20. Salaries, wages and honoraria
. . . . Pension - Centre Manager 432.24 432.24 387.72
. . . . Salary - Centre Manager 13,831.61 13,831.61 11,730.24
. . 21. Clergy and staff expenses
. . . . Expenses - Clergy 816.71 816.71 477.35
. . . . Expenses - Readers and SPAs 20.70 20.70
Unrestricted Restricted Total 2024
. . . . Expenses - Visiting Clergy and speakers 133.73
. . 22. Mission and evangelism costs
. . . . Mission - Teaching Resources 212.76 212.76 273.22
. . . . Mission - Trips 37.50 37.50
. . 23. Church running expenses
. . . . Bank Charges 320.09 320.09
. . . . Running Costs - CCLI Fees 889.53 889.53 492.52
. . . . Running Costs - Cleaning 332.40 332.40 8,007.34
. . . . Running Costs - Flowers 106.68
. . . . Running Costs - Garden 51.88 51.88 114.20

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26-Apr-2026 15:01

Statement of Receipts & Payments

Prepared for THE PCC OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST AUGUSTINE'S CHURCH, SOUTH CROYDON: 1/1/2025 to 31/12/2025 (compared with 1/1/2024 to 31/12/2024

. . . . Running Costs - Insurance 4,100.20 4,100.20 4,113.64
. . . . Running Costs - Mailchimp 70.74 70.74 63.98
. . . . Running Costs - Minor Maintenance 3,603.28 3,603.28 2,615.60
. . . . Running Costs - Music 133.00
. . . . Running Costs - Organ and Piano 1,382.86 1,382.86 586.54
Maintenance
. . . . Running Costs - Organist 475.00 475.00 350.00
. . . . Running Costs - Other 1,571.22 1,571.22 307.99
. . . . Running Costs - Postage and Stationery 25.70 25.70 70.74
. . . . Running Costs - Printing 193.12 193.12 375.40
. . . . Running Costs - Refreshments 170.79 170.79 266.85
. . . . Running Costs - Sanctuary 167.02 167.02 146.29
. . . . Running Costs - Special Services 59.35
. . . . Running Costs - Subscriptions 236.48 236.48 220.94
. . . . Running Costs - ZOOM 79.04 79.04 77.96
. . 24. Church utility bills
. . . . Utilities - Electricity (Centre) 17.76 17.76 2,820.20
. . . . Utilities - Electricity (Church) 1,661.09 1,661.09 1,833.10
. . . . Utilities - Gas 10,565.34 10,565.34 10,264.05
. . . . Utilities - Telephone 2,235.70 2,235.70
. . . . Utilities - Water 189.92 189.92 144.92
. . 25. Costs of trading

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26-Apr-2026 15:01

Statement of Receipts & Payments

Prepared for THE PCC OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST AUGUSTINE'S CHURCH, SOUTH CROYDON: 1/1/2025 to 31/12/2025 (compared with 1/1/2024 to 31/12/2024

Unrestricted Restricted Total 2024
. . . . Centre - General Expenses 836.76
. . 27. Major repairs to the church building
. . . . Major Repairs - Architect's Fees 1,299.00 1,299.00 5,553.84
. . . . Major Repairs - Contractors 4,013.18 4,013.18 624.72
. . 29. New building work 2,263.20 2,263.20
. . . . New Building Work - Architect's Fees 2,280.00
. . . . New Building Work - Contractors 4,694.40
Total expenditure 81,462.21 557.32 82,019.53 87,454.36
All receipts 96,837.36 35,813.00 132,650.36 81,155.05
All payments 81,462.21 557.32 82,019.53 87,454.36
Transfers between funds 3,813.00 -3,813.00
-
Net movement in funds 19,188.15 31,442.68 50,630.83 6,299.31
Total funds brought forward 53,910.22 5,503.38 59,413.60 65,712.91
Total funds carried forward 73,098.37 36,946.06 110,044.43 59,413.60

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26-Apr-2026 15:01

Independent Examiner’s Report to the PCC of St. Augustine’s Church South Croydon

This report on the financial statements of the PCC for the year ended 31[st] December 2025, is in respect of an examination carried out in accordance with the Church Accounting Regulations 2006 (‘the Regulations’)and section 43 of the Charities Act 1993 (‘the Act’)

As members of the PCC you are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements. You consider that the audit requirements of the Regulations and section 43(2) of the Act do not apply. It is my responsibility to issue this report on those financial statements in accordance with the terms of the Regulations.

My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 43(7) (b) of the Act and to be found in the Church Guidance, 2006 edition, issued by the Finance Division of the Archbishops’ Council. That examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the PCC and a comparison of the accounts with those records. It also includes considering any unusual items or disclosures in the financial statements and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken to not provide all the evidence that would be require in an audit, and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the view given by the accounts.

In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention.

Have not been: or

Signed: ………………………………………………… Date: …………………………… Name: Gareth Saunders Address: 123 Upper Selsdon Road, South Croydon CR2 0DU