Parochial Church Council of St Mary & St George
Report and Accounts Year ended 31 December 2025
1 Lamb's Passage, London EC1Y 8AB www.stewardship.org.uk
PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF ST MARY & ST GEORGE
LEGAL & ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025
ADDRESS FOR CORRESPONDENCE Rutland Avenue High Wycombe HP12 3XA GOVERNING DOCUMENTS PCC Powers Measure 1956 and the Church Representation Rules 2011 CHARITY REGISTRATION NUMBER 1209138 MEMBERS OF THE PCC Ex Officio members: Rev Jonathan Dade (Incumbent) Paul Butcher (Church warden) Kate Caroe (resigned May 2025) (Church warden) Joy Bennett Elected members Richard Alston (Deanery Synod Rep) Michael Bird (Treasurer) Anthony Chok (appointed May 2025) Jeremy Hay (appointed May 2025) Clare Miller Penny Pears (resigned May 2025) Ricardo Webley (Church warden from May 2025) Magda Webley (Deputy treasurer) Laura Wilson INDEPENDENT EXAMINER Jaimée Young Stewardship 1 Lamb's Passage LONDON EC1Y 8AB INDEX Page 1 Legal & Administrative Details Pages 2-4 Trustees' Report Page 5 Independent Examiner's Report Page 6 Receipts and Payments Account Page 7 Statement of Assets & Liabilities Pages 8-10 Notes to the Accounts
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PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF ST MARY & ST GEORGE
REPORT OF THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025
Objects of the charity
The charity is responsible for promoting in the ecclesiastical parish the whole mission of the Church, be it pastoral, evangelistic, social or ecumenical. The PCC is also responsible for maintaining certain church property situated within the parish, namely the church hall.
Summary of the charity's main activities and achievements
The Vision of St Mary & St George Church is “To Make Christ’s Presence Known in our Community.” We seek to do this through:
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Worship (encountering Jesus in prayer, praise, word and sacrament)
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Shared Life (living as family across the generations)
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Mission (sharing the Good News of Jesus in word and deed)
To further the above objects and vision, the charity's main activities and achievements were as follows:
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The development of our 'Missional Communities' - volunteer-led small to mid-sized groups that meet across the parish and beyond, each with a particular remit to connect with geographical areas or groups of people.
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Developing varied patterns of worship aimed at all ages and generations. This has included a reimagining of intergenerational (all-age) worship services once a month and during school holidays.
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Developing provision for children and families, including a Sunday group (SMG Kids) and midweek groups.
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Running a community “Stay and Play” group for pre-school and Key Stage 1 aged children.
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Offering pastoral care to those in need, with a particular focus on the elderly.
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Preparing candidates for baptism and confirmation.
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Offering funeral ministry and caring for the bereaved.
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Developing a rhythm of prayer, including evening prayer gatherings and whole days of prayer.
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Growing a men’s ministry group aimed at engaging men both within and outside of the church for the purposes of community, friendship and discipleship.
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Partnering with local community stakeholders, including the running of a community litter-pick (Sands Litter Wombles) alongside the local residents association.
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The ongoing training of a Pioneer Curate and an Ordinand.
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Building upon our links with local schools including through educational visits, collective worship and assemblies and involvement in governance. The church’s school’s ministry includes a fruitful partnership with Wycombe Youth for Christ (YFC) to facilitate interactive Bible-based workshops for pupils during the Christmas and Easter seasons.
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Running discipleship programmes and courses such as Alpha and The Bible Course for those exploring faith or wanting to grow in spiritual maturity.
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Running a Vision Day for the PCC and Ministry Leadership Team to discern the church’s key priorities for the coming years.
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Coordinating a stewardship campaign for major building works and improvements.
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Continuing to develop links with mission partners in the UK and overseas through charitable giving, visits and campaigns. In 2025 the PCC donated £14,000 to our mission partners.
In planning the activities the PCC has applied the guidance on public benefit issued by the Charity Commission.
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Deanery Synod
Wycombe Deanery Synod provides the PCC with a link with the churches around us, and with the Diocese as a whole. The Deanery Synod representative for St Mary & St George Church is Richard Alston.
In 2025, Wycombe Deanery Synod discussed:
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The appointment of a new Area Dean, following Revd. Canon Dave Bull’s consecration as Bishop of
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Buckingham.
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The priority of wellness and church health.
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‘Sharing the Fire’ – stories of God at work from around the Deanery
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Developing a new Deanery Plan.
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Resourcing children and youth ministry.
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Parish Share allocations
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Clergy appointments and resignations
Church fabric
The two buildings – main Church and church Hall – are generally in good condition. The last formal quinquennial inspection of the Church in 2023 found no urgent items as they had been picked up after the 2018 inspection. The inspection of the Hall at the same time found it to be externally in good shape, but internally to require redecoration and all new light fittings. Both these have been done. In April 2025 the aged and failing 90 kW gas heating boiler was replaced with two duty / assist 30 kW boilers under faculty approval.
In December 2024 minor damage to the copper dome due to Storm Darragh had been noted. We have contacted ten specialist companies but have not yet found anyone to repair it. We are in discussions with our Quinquennial architect and the DAC as to how to get this done.
In June 2025 we submitted a faculty application for an accessible toilet within the Church. Formal approval is awaited but we have been advised by the DAC that the proposal is generally acceptable.
Financial review
Excluding the loan received during the year and the sale of minor asset, income increased by £53,100, to £150,500, and, excluding loan repayments, expenditure increased by £27,700, to £131,900. As a result the overall cash held by the charity increased by £30,600, to £79,900, of which £29,300 is unrestricted and can be used for any charitable purpose.
Reserves policy
The PCC has determined that the charity should aim to hold unrestricted cash of no less than £21,300 - £42,600 (which equates to about 3 - 6 months of unrestricted expenditure) so that the charity could continue to operate should income and / or expenditure vary adversely. At the year end, the charity held unrestricted cash of £29,300 and the charity is complying with its reserves policy.
Governance
The charity is registered with the Charity Commission and operates under the Charities Act 2011. The governing documents for the charity are the Parochial Church Councils (Powers) Measure 1956 (as amended) and the Church Representation Rules 2011.
The appointment of PCC members is governed by, and set out in, the Church Representation Rules. The PCC comprises ex-officio members (which includes clergy and churchwardens), elected members and coopted members. The PCC organises elections annually before the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) to fill vacancies. The members of the PCC are the charity's trustees for the purposes of charity law.
Responsibility for setting policy and for making operating decisions rests with the PCC which meets regularly to monitor the activities of the charity.
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Safeguarding
With regard to the PCC’s obligations to safeguard children and vulnerable adults, the members of the PCC confirm that they have complied with their duties under section 5 of the Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure 2016. Rhiannon Stokes is our Parish Safeguarding Officer. In 2025, the PCC designated Caroline Bird as the church’s Deputy Safeguarding Officer.
Other matters
The Diocese have assessed the PCC’s Parish Share to be £41,000 for the year to 31 December 2025; the members of the PCC have paid this in full (we receive a 1% discount for paying in full by direct debit, so this results in the actual amount paid being £40,590). A rebate of £1,137 was received in January 2026.
Responsibilities of trustees
Charity law requires the PCC to prepare financial statements for each accounting year which record the receipts and payments of the charity for the year.
The PCC is responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable us to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011.
We also have a responsibility to safeguard the assets of the charity and to take reasonable steps to prevent fraud or any other irregularities.
Approval
This report was approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf by:
_________ Rev Jonathan Dade
Date: ____
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INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT
TO THE TRUSTEES OF
PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF ST MARY & ST GEORGE
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of SMG Church ('the charity') for the year ended 31 December 2025 on pages 6 to 10 following.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the trustees of the charity, the members of the PCC are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the 2011 Act’).
I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 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:
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accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act; or
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the accounts do not accord with the accounting records.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Jaimée Young Stewardship 1 Lamb's Passage LONDON EC1Y 8AB
Date:
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PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF ST MARY & ST GEORGE
RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025
| Notes Income receipts Voluntary receipts 2(a) Church activities 2(c) Investment income 2(d) Capital and similar receipts Total receipts Payments Church activities Parish share Clergy and staffing costs 3(a) 3(b) 4 5 Total payments Transfers between funds 7 Net movement in funds Cash funds as at last year end Cash funds at this year end A Sale of fixed assets Loan received Church running expenses Fundraising expenses Net of receipts / (payments) before transfers Mission giving and donations Loan repayments |
General Designated Funds Funds £ £ 69,224 6,667 1,731 - 23,473 - 94,429 6,667 239 - - - 239 - 94,668 6,667 37,254 - 17,112 - 40,712 1,000 - - 8,160 - 103,238 1,000 4,329 - 4,329 - 107,568 1,000 (12,900) 5,667 (1,429) 866 (14,329) 6,532 36,095 1,000 21,766 7,532 Unrestricted Funds |
Restricted Funds £ 47,525 977 866 49,368 - 16,125 16,125 65,493 3,336 - 18,407 - 5,879 27,621 - - 27,621 37,872 563 38,435 12,152 50,588 |
Total 2025 £ 123,416 2,708 24,339 150,464 239 16,125 16,364 166,828 40,590 17,112 60,119 - 14,039 131,860 4,329 4,329 136,189 30,639 - 30,639 49,247 79,886 |
Total 2024 £ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 77,513 2,357 17,493 |
||||
| 97,364 | ||||
| - - |
||||
| - | ||||
| 97,364 | ||||
| 38,610 17,969 38,426 - 9,160 |
||||
| 104,165 | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| 104,165 | ||||
| (6,801) - |
||||
| (6,801) 56,049 |
||||
| 49,247 |
The notes on pages 8-10 form part of these accounts.
Page 6
PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF ST MARY & ST GEORGE
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025
| A Cash funds Cash at bank with immediate access Notice deposits B Other monetary assets Gift aid due to charity C Liabilities Falling due within one year Loans Fee for Independent Examination Accrued expenses NEST pension owed Falling due after one year: Loans Total |
General Designated funds funds £ £ 9,540 7,532 12,226 - 21,766 7,532 1,335 - 1,335 - 3,070 - 1,680 - 1,500 - 156 - 6,406 - 9,278 - 9,278 - 15,684 - Unrestricted Funds |
Restricted funds £ - 50,588 50,588 - - - - - - - - - - |
Total 2025 £ 17,073 62,814 79,886 1,335 1,335 3,070 1,680 1,500 156 6,406 9,278 9,278 15,684 |
Total 2024 £ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11,520 37,728 |
||||
| 49,247 | ||||
| 1,636 | ||||
| 1,636 | ||||
| - 1,200 - 152 |
||||
| 1,352 | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| 1,352 |
The above loan is repayable in six-monthly instalments and is expected to be paid in full by June 2030.
D Assets retained for charity's own use
| Hall Boiler Heating system |
Cost 2025 £ 32,000 32,000 |
Current value 2025 £ - - |
Current value 2024 £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 733 | |||
| 733 |
Current value of hall boiler has been estimated by the trustees. The new heating system installed during the year has been included at cost price.
Consecrated property, beneficed property and moveable church furnishings which require a special faculty for disposal are excluded from the above list of charity assets.
The accounts were approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf by:
_____Rev Jonathan Dade
Date: __
The notes on pages 8-10 form part of these accounts.
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PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF ST MARY & ST GEORGE
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025
1 Accounting policies
The accounts have been prepared on a receipts and payments basis and comprise a statement that shows the charity's receipts and payments, a statement that summarises the charity's assets and liabilities and related notes. The accountancy profession have determined that only accounts prepared in accordance with applicable accounting standards present a 'true and fair' view and, as these receipts and payments accounts have not (and cannot) be prepared in accordance with accounting standards, these accounts do not present (and are not intended to present) a 'true and fair' view of the charity's financial activities and state of affairs.
General funds are unrestricted funds which are available for use at the discretion of the PCC in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity. Designated funds comprise unrestricted funds that have been set aside by the PCC for particular purposes. Restricted funds are donations which are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors; they include donations received from appeals for specific activities or projects.
| 2 a) Voluntary income Regular donations & offerings (including Parish Giving Scheme) Collections at services Grants Other donations Gift aid recovered (including Parish Giving Scheme) Other income b) Church activities Fees for weddings and funerals Candles and teas Events c) Investment income Property rental income Interest income |
Unrestrict | Designated funds £ - - 6,667 - - 6,667 - - - - - - - ed Funds |
Restricted Funds £ - 62 26,856 16,373 4,234 - 47,525 - - 977 977 866 - 866 |
Total 2025 £ 49,777 1,019 26,856 28,353 17,411 - 123,416 943 30 1,736 2,708 22,589 1,750 24,339 |
Total 2024 £ |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General funds £ 49,777 957 - 5,313 13,177 - 69,224 943 30 758 1,731 21,724 1,750 23,473 |
||||||
| 51,329 1,033 6,333 5,700 12,292 826 |
||||||
| 77,513 | ||||||
| 420 - 1,937 |
||||||
| 2,357 | ||||||
| 16,348 1,146 |
||||||
| 17,493 |
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PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF ST MARY & ST GEORGE
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025
| General funds £ 3 a) Clergy and staffing costs Cost of payroll 15,610 Running costs for clergy accommodation 270 Clergy expenses 639 Cost of training 594 17,112 b) Church running costs Building Projects Note 7 14,881 Utilities 4,069 Insurance 4,371 Telephone/Internet 678 Maintenance and equipment rental 2,932 Cleaning 5,122 Hospitality 956 Publicity 439 Fees 50 Materials and Requisites 3,588 Administration 1,963 Governance Costs 1,662 Major Equipment - Events - Gifts - 40,712 4 Fundraising expenses - 5 Mission giving and donations Mission elsewhere in UK and overseas: Olsen Memorial Church - Tearfund 1,020 Wycombe Youth for Christ 1,020 Growing Hope 1,020 Lighthouse 1,020 European Christian Mission 1,020 Wycliffe 1,020 St Andrews - Love Wycombe - Open Doors - Blank Canvas - Mind & Soul - Relief of poverty: CAP 1,020 St Peter's Lifeline 1,020 The Children's Society - Other - Note 7 8,160 Unrestrict Rev Jonathan Dade (who is a clergy member of the PCC) receives a stipend from th cost however it should be noted that some of the Parish share is used to help pay customary for clergy). He also incurred expenses whilst serving as clergy and these co |
Unrestrict | Designated funds £ - - - - - 1,000 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1,000 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ed Funds e Diocese; the co the stipends. Rev sts are disclosed i |
Restricted Total Funds 2025 £ £ - 15,610 - 270 - 639 - 594 - 17,112 17,779 33,660 - 4,069 - 4,371 - 678 - 2,932 - 5,122 - 956 62 500 - 50 536 4,124 - 1,963 30 1,692 - - - - - - 18,407 60,119 - - 3,700 3,700 321 1,341 - 1,020 - 1,020 - 1,020 - 1,020 - 1,020 141 141 - - - - - - - - - 1,020 - 1,020 1,354 1,354 363 363 5,879 14,039 st of this stipend is not included in th Dade was provided with accommod n the above note. |
Total 2024 £ |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16,984 - 546 439 |
|||||
| 17,969 | |||||
| 900 5,577 4,264 706 6,967 4,980 1,045 235 2,265 3,139 2,463 4,312 1,000 412 160 e above payroll ation (which is |
|||||
| 38,426 | |||||
| - | |||||
| - 920 920 920 920 - - - 300 920 1,500 920 920 920 - - |
|||||
| 9,160 |
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PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF ST MARY & ST GEORGE
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025
6 Transactions with related parties
As detailed in note 3(a) the arrangements for clergy support are through the normal Diocesan Parish Share.
R Webley served as a verger and was paid £50 for serving in that capacity, not for serving as a trustee.
Other than direct reimbursement of expenditure made on behalf of the church, no other amounts were paid or are payable to any PCC Member or to any person connected to them.
7 Movement on designated, restricted and endowment funds
| ement on designated, restricted and endowment funds | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General funds Designated funds Toilet fund Boiler fund Restricted funds Boiler fund Children, Families & Youth Missional Giving Capital projects Toilet Fund Flowers Parish Share grant Total funds |
Opening balance £ 36,095 - 1,000 1,000 - 1,194 876 - 10,034 49 - 12,152 49,247 |
Receipts £ 94,668 6,667 - 6,667 17,779 2,033 4,440 13,066 2,782 137 25,256 65,493 166,828 |
Payments £ (107,568) - (1,000) (1,000) (17,779) (462) (5,879) (30) - (135) (3,336) (27,621) (136,189) |
Transfers £ (1,429) 866 - 866 - - 563 - - - - 563 - |
Closing balance £ 21,766 7,532 - |
| 7,532 | |||||
| - 2,764 - 13,036 12,816 51 21,920 |
|||||
| 50,588 | |||||
| 79,886 |
The Boiler fund relates to fund provided specifically for the replacement boiler. This has been fully spent this year.
The Children, Families and Youth fund is for the purpose of the employment children's worker and for Children and Families ministries. Missional giving relates to appeals for specific charities supported by the church. All funds were spent in 2025.
The Capital projects fund relates to donations and grants given for large capital expenditure projects, outside of the usual monthly expenditure. The Toilet Fund was set up to raise funds for installing a toilet in the church. The work is awaiting formal approval.
The flower fund relates to donations given specifically for this ministry.
The Parish Share grant was given to help the parish fund an increase in Parish Share contributions, enabling the church to sustainably support the cost of ministry received. This grant is spread over 6 years.
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