**Annual Parochial Church Meeting:**
## **St Mary’s Todmorden, with St Michael’s Cornholme and St Peter’s Walsden Sunday 10[th] May 2026**
## **A: Cross Benefce Reports:**
## **1: Vicar and Chair of PCCs of St Peter’s Walsden and St Mary’s Todmorden**
**Annual Report for 1[st] January to 31[st] December 2025 – St Mary’s Todmorden with St Michael, Cornholme and St Peter’s Walsden**
## **Charity Names:**
**The PCC of St Peter’s Walsden - Charity No. 1208728 and The PCC of St Mary’s Todmorden with St Michael’s Cornholme - 1208288**
## **Addresses: St Peter’s Church, Church Walk, Walsden OL14 6QU St Mary’s Church, White Hart Fold, Todmorden OL14 7BD**
**Constitution:** Both Charities were established under the PCC (Powers) Measure 1956[1] and governed according to the Church Representation Rules[2] as revised from time to time in accordance with the Synodical Governance Measure 1969.[3] Although at the start of 2025 they were each independent charities the PCCs have been working towards merger for most of the year. They were formally merged by scheme, with the Instrument bringing the scheme into operation dated February 2026, becoming a combined parish as well as a combined Benefice, sharing a vicar. Trustees are elected annually apart from the vicar who serves ex officio.
The parish is part of the Church of England Diocese of Leeds, with intermediate oversight by the Bishop of Huddersfield, the Archdeacon of Halifax and within the Deanery of Halifax and the Calder Valley.
**Trustees:** The trustees elected at their respective Annual meetings in April 2025 were:
**St Peter’s:** Mark Johnstone elected as Churchwarden, Rachel Grey, Kieran Turner, Andrea Parnell, Suzanne Oulton. The vicar is an ex officio member and chairs PCC meetings.
Rachel Grey was the PCC secretary for St Peter’s and Suzanne Oulton was St Peter’s Treasurer.
**St Mary’s with St Michael’s** : Jonathan Greenwood and Janette Murray elected as Churchwardens; Karen Evans, Janet Garner, Melissa Wells, Sarah Green, David Jackson, Wendy Green, Anne Barker, Derek Underwood and Les Marshall elected as PCC members. Jan Murray and Diana Tremayne were elected as Deanery Synod members, although Diana is also an ex officio member as a member of General Synod. Rev John Flood is also a co-opted PCC member as a PTO priest. Bronte Manning was co-opted as PCC Secretary. The Vicar is an ex officio member and Chairs all PCC meetings. Mike Tull was co-opted as PCC Treasurer.
Rev Dr Catherine Shelley was licensed as Vicar for both parishes in January 2024, meaning that she continued to chair PCC meetings for the whole of 2025.
It took some time to recruit a safeguarding officer as during the course of the year two different people volunteered but then withdrew, in one case because of the headlines about safeguarding from the February 2025 General Synod and in the other for family reasons and lack of time.
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However, by the Autumn of 2025 Bronte Manning had agreed to serve as DBS and admin officer for safeguarding and Janet Garner as PSO. Both have now completed their training.
**Neither PCC had any employees** but St Mary’s has continued to engage Calderdale Cleaners on a one session per week basis. Tim Benjamin played for most services at St Mary’s, with back-up when absent from Chris Sawer and Matthew Murray. St Peter’s has remained closed and therefore needed neither an organist nor cleaners.
The parishes also engaged Samantha Johnson as Volunteer Recruitment consultant from September 2024 to September 2025, initially for 16 hours per week and then from March 2025 for 8 hours per week. This has been funded by grants from the Bishops Development Fund and Youth resources as much of the work was aimed at increasing volunteering capacity with at least 1/3 of the funding for work with families and to kickstart Sunday School. This has led to the Family Meals project running from December 2024 into 2026 and a much-renewed Sunday School provision, now known as God’s Playground.
In addition to the parish priest, the Benefice has also been served by Rev John Flood and Rev Sandy White as retired clergy and Mark Johnstone and Jan Murray as Readers. Rev Nancy White resigned her licence to the Benefice at April 2025 and now has PTO more widely in the Diocese.
Richard Storah has continued to serve as **Quinquennial Architect** and has advised on a couple of building matters and repairs at St Mary’s.
## **Policies, Risk Assessments and Training:**
St Mary’s PCC continued a process of policy development and accompanying risk assessments during the year and policies are now in place for:
Safeguarding and Safer Recruitment Policy.
Food Safety procedures, particularly with reference to the Crypt Café and the newer Family Dinners project. Equal Opportunities Lone Working Finance and Risk Management Maintenance Volunteering Environment The Memorial Book Health and Safety
St Peter’s PCC has continued to deal with the aftermath of the closure of their building and have been working towards merger with Todmorden with Cornholme, so there has been no Policy Development but Safeguarding and Safer Recruitment policies remain in place.
In addition, both PCCs are aware of the need to develop policies for the management and maintenance of the churchyards for which they bear responsibility, namely St Peter’s, Walsden, Cross Stone, Christchurch and the area around St Mary’s. Work with the respective Friends organisations for St Peter’s and Christ Church is ongoing and there is also work continuing to establish a charity for Friends of Cross Stone. Meetings have been held to take this work forward. In the case of Christ Church complications are caused by the ongoing process of trying to regularise the Nursery building over the Churchyard which is now formally contested and with the Chancellor.
## **Training:**
PCC members at St Mary’s have been undertaking the relevant Safeguarding training for their roles and DBS checks are now complete for St Mary’s PCC, including PCC members elected in 2025. Crypt Café and Family Meals volunteers have also undertaken safeguarding and food safety training and family meals volunteers have DBS checks as well.
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## **Objects, Activities, Achievements and Partnerships:**
Each PCC is established for the benefit of the public both within its parochial area[4] and for any from further afield who wish to visit the churches or attend activities in the churches and ancillary areas eg the Crypt, the Churchyards and wider communities.
The purposes of both PCCs is Christian Mission as part of the Church of England and the worldwide Anglican Communion. We seek to live out the mission priorities of the Anglican communion by welcoming and baptizing new members; proclaiming and living out the Gospel, serving our community, seeking social justice and living sustainably in creation. Both parishes also aim to live out their mission through a commitment to inclusion and welcome for all who wish to attend worship, services (including baptisms, weddings, blessings and funerals) and a range of community activities.
St Peter’s has the bronze Eco-Church award as evidence of living out their commitment to sustainability. During the year St Mary’s has achieved an Eco-Church Silver Award. St Mary’s is also a member of the Inclusive Church network.
Regular weekly activities across the parishes include:
## **Normal Weekly Services in the Benefce:**
## **SUNDAY 8am – Quiet Communion**
**11am – Sung Communion at St Mary’s and online, +God’s Playground, Sunday School**
**MONDAY 8am - Morning Prayer online**
**12.00-2pm - Come and Play – meals and play for children and carers; food till 1.30**
## **TUESDAY**
**10am – Communion Service with BCP on the first Tuesday of the month**
**11am Bible study first Tuesday each month and each week in Lent and Advent**
**Church open 2-4pm Tuesday afternoons**
**WEDNESDAY 8am – Morning prayer at St Mary’s & online**
**2pm – Service at St Michael’s Cornholme**
**5.30-7.30 – Quiet space at St Mary’s, with compline at 7.15pm**
## **THURSDAY 8am - Morning Prayer online**
**11am to 2pm – Crypt Café, food and warm space; last orders at 1.30pm**
## **FRIDAY 8am – Morning prayer at St Mary’s & online**
The Mission Statistics for both parishes, as reported to the national church and Diocese, are included in this Annual Report.
## _**In addition, there have been further benefice activities as follows:**_
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- 9 Lessons and Carols
- Crib Services at St Mary’s and the Mill, Walsden
- The Town Carol Service
- Labyrinth for the town during Holy Week
- Oktoberfest, Hymns and Pimms, Ghostly Tales, Summer Fair and a Christmas Fair
- School services for St Peter’s School (at St Peter’s) and Todmorden Church of England School (aka National at St Mary’s) each term for Christmas, Easter, Ash Wednesday, Corpus Christi, Harvest etc
- R.E. visits by National, St Peter’s, Shade, Castle Hill and Ferney Lee
- Christmas services, performances and carols by National, St Peter’s, Shade, Ferney Lee and Castle Hill
- Weekly meetings of Narcotics Anonymous
- Monthly meetings of trustees of Incredible Edibles, the Foodbank and Tod Support
- Monthly meetings of the Trefoil Guild
- Concerts by the Folk Festival, Todmorden Choral Society, Music for the Many, Three Valleys Gospel Choir, the Summer Orchestra, Mel and C, Maud and Gregor Hodson
- Home Communion is taken to several parishioners when they are either ill or housebound for the longer term and Communion is also taken to residents of the Waterside Care Home and Mill Read Nursing Home
The commitment to developing the use of church buildings has borne fruit in St Mary’s and use of the space continues to grow as evidenced by new groups using the space for musical and other events and groups of trustees using the Crypt or the Annex for meetings.
A number of parishioners continue to exercise their ministry by volunteering in the wider town for example as school governors, with the foodbank, in local choirs and with Cancer Research UK. During August 2025 St Mary’s joined in the Cancer Research awareness raising campaign to Paint the Town Pink and received 3[rd] prize for its decoration.
There is still scope for greater use of the space for activities, both those run by the churches themselves and those run by other organisations, to generate increased revenue to sustain activities and maintain the buildings. There is increased appreciation in the town and wider community of what the building has to offer and willingness to work in partnership.
In addition, grant funding has been sought by both parishes, both from the Diocese and from other grant making trusts in the community. During the year grants have been received by St Mary’s from the Bishops Development Fund to develop the Crypt, install LED lighting throughout the building and to extend the wifi reach across the site.
Funding from the Household Support Fund and a Crowdfunder has helped to develop family meals and funds from Staying Well helped support the Crypt Café and Family Meals. Further funds were vired from St Peter’s to enable further development of the Crypt and BDF funding was used across the parishes to develop volunteering, a project which came to an end in September 2025.
Further fundraising from grant makers is also anticipated in the coming year, for environmental improvements including working towards solar, as well as continued project work such as developing an exhibition to celebrate St Mary’s 550[th] year.
St Mary’s continues to use the Parish Giving Scheme and more people have signed up either to that scheme or standing orders, so there is less cash given by way of collection and more donated electronically. However, the very mixed nature of the parish in terms of income, age and familiarity with technology means that giving will remain a mixed economy.
Fundraising events such as Ghostly Tales, the fairs, Oktoberfest and so on have been successful in terms of raising funds and raising the profile of the Church.
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St Peter’s is now being wound down but St Mary’s continues to maintain reserves of three months running costs and to manage their finances through monthly financial reporting at PCC meetings, with monitoring of income, expenditure, cashflow and restricted and designated funds. More work has been done, along with training for PCC members and others involved in handling funds, to ensure robust checks and balances.
## **The future:**
The formal closure of St Peter’s Church building is still awaited and is contingent on work to complete the land registration. The parish was closed by scheme and merged with St Mary’s, coming into effect on 26[th] February 2026 as the new parish of Todmorden, with Cornholme and Walsden. The Diocese will now meet the costs of St Peter’s Church, as well as St Michael’s.
## **Trustees Responsibilities:**
The Trustees are responsible for preparing the Report and Financial Statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
The law applicable to charities in England and Wales, the Charities Act 2011, Charity ( Accounts and Reports) Regulations and the provisions of the trust deed requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including income and expenditure, of the charity for that period. In preparing those Financial Statements, the trustees are required to:
- a) Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently
- b) Observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP
- c) Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent
- d) Prepare the Financial Statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the Church will continue in operation.
The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose, with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and to enables them to ensure that the Financial Statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charity 9 Accounts and Reports) Regulations and the provisions of the governing document. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the church and all financial information included on the website.
Rev Dr Catherine Shelley Vicar and Chair of Trustees 31[st] March 2026
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**St Mary's Annual Financial Report January to December 2025**
## **PCC of Todmorden, with Cornholme and Walsden - Registered Charity Number 1208288**
|**Receipts and Payments Account**
**Notes**
**RECEIPTS**
**Voluntary Receipts**
Parish Giving Scheme
Regular Giving
**(a)**
Collections at Services
All other giving and voluntary receipts
**(b)**
Gift Aid Recovered
Sum Up Digital (incl regular and fundraising)
LPoW Grant
Grants and restricted income
**(c)**
**Activities for generating funds**
100 club & fundraising events
**Income from investments**
Dividends, interest, income from property etc
**Church Acivities**
Fees retained by PCC (weddings/funerals)
Trading Activities (gross proceeds) NOT fundraising
**Other incoming resources**
Other receipts/income not already listed
**Total Receipts**
**PAYMENTS**
**Church Activities**
Parish Share
Clergy Costs
Running Expenses
Utility Bills
Mission Giving & donations
Major Repairs
Costs of generating funds
Staf costs,Vol Co-ord work
**Other payments: Restricted Funds, etc.**
**Total Payments**
**Excess of receipts over payments**
**Cash at bank and in hand 1st January**
**Cash at bank and in hand 31st December**|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
6,052
20,871
8,585
2,795
12,220
2,057
921
-
10,326
681
2,872
13,123
3,187
526
84,216
12,000
1,784
12,461
9,706
-
10,027
537
4,475
215
51,205
33,011
88,186
121,197|**Restricted**
**Funds**
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
21,705
-
-
-
-
-
-
21,705
-
-
-
-
-
11,148
1,210
8,955
11,418
32,731
(11,026)
28,818
17,792|**TOTAL**
**2025**
**£**
6,052
20,871
8,585
2,795
12,220
2,057
921
21,705
10,326
681
2,872
-
-
13,123
3,187
526
105,921
12,000
1,784
12,461
9,706
-
21,175
1,747
13,430
11,633
83,936
21,985
117,004|**TOTAL**
**2024**
**£**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||-
21,791
5,861
3,100
-
1,161
-
23,532
13,347
1,200
2,390
4,947
-
490|
|||||77,819|
|||||12,000
1,535
26,882
not
661
1,200
6,784
-
4,423|
|||||53,485|
|||||24,334
92,670|
||||138,989|117,004|
a. Standing Orders and Envelopes; not plate collection or Parish Giving Scheme
b. Includes coffee/tea and occasional collections
c. Includes income for Volunteers, Crypt Care, Family Meals etc
**St Mary's Annual Financial Report January to December 2025**
**PCC of Todmorden, with Cornholme and Walsden - Registered Charity Number 1208288**
## **Statement of Assets and Liabilities**
|**Cash Funds**
Bank Current Account
CCLA Deposit Account
Cash
**Other Monetary Assets**
**Liabilities**|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
52,880
66,325
1,992
121,197
-
-|**Restricted**
**Funds**
17,792
-
-
17,792
-
-|**TOTAL**
**2025**
**£**
70,672
66,325
1,992
138,989
-
-|**TOTAL**
**2024**
**£**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||51,652
63,453
1,899|
|||||117,004|
|||||-|
|||||-|
|**Notes**
**1**
The fnancial statements of the PCC have been prepared in ac
using the Receipts and Payments basis.
**2**
The movements in Restricted Funds during the year were:-
**Balance**
**b/f**
**Receipts**
**£**
**£**
Tod in Bloom
497
-
IET
-
500
Youth Funds
7,156
-
Crypt Café
1,887
3,565
Family Dinner
4,350
1,400
BDF2
-
4,000
BDF3
-
5,000
BDFSt P
3,600
-
Windfarm
-
1,500
Churchyard
-
600
Choir
3,288
-
Repairs
-
3,250
Flower Fund
488
160
Song to Celebrate Women
-
1,400
TH Legacy
1,000
-
Others
6,552
330
28,818
21,705|cordance with the Chu
**Payments**
**£**
(282)
(250)
(2,028)
(3,110)
(3,776)
(3,565)
(5,000)
(3,600)
(1,500)
-
(136)
(2,472)
(130)
-
-
(6,882)
(32,731)|rch Accounting Regulations 2006
**Balance**
**c/f**
**£**
215
250
5,128
2,342
1,974
435
-
-
-
600
3,152
778
518
1,400
1,000
-
17,792|
|---|---|---|
The main Restricted Funds were:-
**Youth Funds** - The balance of funds held from previous years' grants which were received in order to finance Youth and childrens' groups and projects **Crypt Café** - Funds received mostly from donations, from the operation of the Crypt Café to meet expenditure on food and equipment, etc. **Family Dinner** - Funds received, from grants and crowdfunding, in respect of the Family Dinner initiative. **BDF2** - Grants received to repair the Crypt ceiling and lighting. **BDF3** - Grants received towards Wifi, Cooker Hoods and Nave Lights. **BDFStP** - Grants received in respect of Volunteer Co-Ordinator costs. **Choir** - Funds held for the provision of hymn books and other musical resources and events following closure of the choir account.
## **THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF ST MARY’S TODMORDEN**
## **INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF**
## **THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF ST MARY’S TODMORDEN**
I report to the Trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above for the Year Ended 31[st] December 2025 set out on the attached pages.
## **Respective responsibilities of Trustees and Examiner**
The charity’s Trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”). The Charity’s Trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under Section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an Independent Examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to:-
- examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act ;
- to follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners (under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act; and
- to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
## **Basis of Independent Examiner’s Report**
My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the Charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as Trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a "true and fair view" and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
## **Independent Examiner’s Statement**
In connection with my examination, no matters have come to my attention which gives me reasonable cause to believe that, in any material respect:
- the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; or
- the accounts did not accord with the accounting records.
I have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
## **R.A. Prior, FCCA, FCIE, DChA**
W.H. Prior, Chartered Certified Accountants, 11 Railway Court, White Rose Way, Doncaster. DN4 5FB
Dated:- 10[th] May 2026