## **Parish of Stowey** ## **Annual Report of the Parochial Church Council for 2025** ## **Aims and Purpose** The PCC had the responsibility of promoting the whole mission of the Church, (pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical), in the ecclesiastical Parish of Stowey and the promotion of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to the doctrines and practices of the Church of England. The PCC is a charity and was registered with the Charity Commission in 2024. Its main activities are reflected in this report which it considers furthered its aims for the public benefit. The PCC has had regard for the Charity Commission guidance on public benefit and is committed to enabling as many people as possible to join in its activities and to receive its benefits. Sunday and other services are widely advertised and all are welcomed. Pastoral care is available to those who request it and its social activities are for the whole community. Throughout 2024 and 2025, the Parish was in Vacancy, but, although not formally appointed, Rev’d Dr Ian Mills acted as our Rector; we effectively joined with the Benefice of Chew Valley West while retaining our autonomy. The Rector was appointed formally on 1[st] February 2026. We have benefitted greatly from Ian’s ministry. We were also fortunate that one service of Evensong per month was taken by a retired priest, to whom we are truly indebted. Our offering is traditional with good music. We use the Book of Common Prayer and the King James Bible for all our services, with only the occasional exception, one such being the much-loved Plough Sunday service. ## **Structure, Governance and Management** The PCC operates under the Parochial Church Councils (Powers) Measure 1956 (as modified) and the current Church Representation Rules. It is a corporate body established by the Church of England. The PCC consists of the Rector, (unless the parish is in Vacancy), the Churchwarden and other members who are appointed from, and by, those on the Parish Church Electoral Roll. There were 23 people on the Parish Church Electoral Roll. Specific responsibilities are set out below under “Administrative information”. All business of the PCC is conducted at its meetings. Our services put faith into practice through prayer, the Bible, music and sacrament. We enable Parishioners to live out their faith as part of our church community. To facilitate this work, it is important that the PCC 1 maintains the fabric of the church of St. Nicholas and the Blessed Virgin Mary, Stowey. The PCC meets at least five times a year, plus a meeting after the Annual Parochial Church Meeting to elect officers other than the Churchwarden, who is elected at the preceding Annual Meeting of Parishioners. ## **Administrative Information.** Correspondence address: Dormers, Stowey Bottom, Stowey, Bristol, BS39 5TL Membership of the PCC in 2025 Chairman Jill FH Nicol (Churchwarden) Rector: In Vacancy Secretary: Sue Skinner Deanery Synod Rep: Helen Glen Electoral Roll Officer: Richard Lovern Treasurer: Graham Nicol Other Members: Neil Skinner Elaine Daly Additional Support Safeguarding Officer: Sandra Edgerton Huge thanks are due to all our many volunteers, (about 60), who give their time, skill and experience to making our church community what it is by cleaning, flower arranging, grass cutting, cake baking, reading, bellringing, stewarding or helping in many other ways at any events. We are also indebted to the members of our Stowey Revived Project Steering Group, who advise the PCC on various proposals and initiatives forming part of the Project. We love and care for our beautiful Church building; but we know that the Church is nothing without its people. And we are attracting new people to become involved. ## **Safeguarding** Our Safeguarding Policy is reviewed on an annual basis and the appropriate Safeguarding notices are displayed in and outside the Church and the information is on our website. 2 Safeguarding is the responsibility of all within the Church. The appropriate level of training is undertaken by members of the PCC and other relevant persons and is updated every three years. ## **Achievement and Performance** We generally hold two services of Evensong and one early morning Holy Communion per month. Lay members of our community are encouraged to participate in services by reading the appointed Bible readings for that service, or by taking the Offertory and we ensure that everyone attending receives a warm welcome. Various special services are held including services of Holy Communion at the great Festivals, but also our well-attended Plough Sunday service and two Choral Evensongs with a visiting Choir. These all prove very popular and attract new people to the Church. As a result of our Stowey Revived Project we have held educational activities for both children and adults such as “Meet the Stonemasons” (who did the specialist stone repairs to the Church Tower) and “Meet the Conservators” (who conserved our nationally important Day of Judgement mural by Henry Strachey). Additional outreach activities included a BioBlitz run by the Bristol Zoological Society, a Christmas Coffee Morning and Bazaar, an organ recital and an annual Burns Night Supper and Dance. New regular volunteers have been recruited. Elaine Daly, a member of the PCC, was also appointed Activities Co-ordinator in 2024. ## **Developing Resources** We have disseminated information to several Churches regarding the management of, and fundraising for, our Stowey Revived Project which included a grant from the NLHF. Discussions like these are a two-way learning process from which both parties gain information and benefit from the experience of others. ## **Deanery Synod** One of our PCC Members sits on the Deanery Synod and feeds back information to the PCC providing an important link with the wider Church. ## **Other Resources** Traditional music is very important in the life of our church and we are very fortunate to retain the services of 2 talented organists, Mrs Jean Routley and Mrs Tricia Rees-Jones, together with other able organists when neither is available. The liturgy is supported and enhanced by excellent sacred music. 3 We also benefit from talented bell-ringers, who ring our 6 bells prior to services of Evensong throughout the year. ## **Our Church Building** St. Nicholas and the Blessed Virgin Mary, Stowey is a Grade II listed building dating back to 1235. It has a nationally important scheme of murals by local artist Henry Strachey dating from 1900 – 1915 and a rare and very fine Royal Arms of James I dated 1624. Specialist stonework repairs to the tower and conservation of The Day of Judgement mural over the Chancel arch were both successfully completed in 2025. The works recommended in our last Quinquennial have all been done or are in hand. The conservation of the Royal Arms has now been completed in 2026 and the conservation of the mural scheme in the Chancel will be completed in 2027. Our Stowey Revived Project, of which the above works are part, is supported by the NLHF and many other Grant Funders to whom we are extremely grateful. ## **A fnal word** It is the _people_ who make our Church what it is and who offer a welcome to all who wish to participate. We work so that this Church, first dedicated in 1235, continues to provide a place of Christian witness and worship for generations to come. ## **Financial Review** This is covered in the financial statement. 4 CHARITY COMMISSION Independent Examiner's Report on the Accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Repoft Report to the t¥uStees/fnetnb￿S ol Owlity fftloc4iAL CiitrACA op SfQ&v6Y on accwnis lor the yeaf ended EaFa (hafity no (Il any> Sel out on pages e5pedive responsibilities of trnslees and examiner The tharitvs trustee5 ale responsible for the Pfeparation ol the accouftts. The chaiity'5 trustees consideF that ao audil is Trot requifed toi thi5 yeai under se(tion 144 01 the Charities Act 2011 (the (haribes A(t) at¥J thèi an independenl examination is needed. It IS tny responsibility lo- examine the a￿o￿nts utKlei section 145 01 the Charities A(t. to follow the pioteduies down in the geneial Oiiections given by the (harity lotntnissioTr (undei $￿tion 145(51{b) ol the Charilies Act), and 10 stste whether particulai matlefs h￿e come to tny attentiorL Basis of Independent eyami*erfs statement My examination was carried out in a(iordaMe genefal 01￿ctIonS glven by the Chaitly (ommissiofi. An examina¢ion includes a ieview of the accounting recoids kept by ihe chaiily and a compaiison ol the accounts piesented with those records. It also includes COt15ideratiofi ol any unusual items or dis(losures ifi the accounts, aF5d seeking explanation5 from the tTUStees conceining any such mattels. The procedures un¢JeFiaken do nol piovide all the evidence that would be required in an audii, and consequentty no opinion is given as to Wheth￿ ihe accounts piesent a 'tiue atkd lair. view and the report is liffliied to ihose mattels set out in the statement below. Independent exarnlnrfs stslement In connection wth my examination. no matter has come to my attention (Dther than that disclosed below.).. (i) whith gives me ieasonable (ause to believe that in, any mateiial iespect, the reQ￿1reMents= to keep accounting re(oid5 in accordance with sertion 130 01 the Chèrilies ACL- to piepaie aCCOLEnts which aCCOfd with the a￿oUnting records and iompfy with the accounting iequirements of the chaiities Act have not been rneL. or {2) to which. in my opinion. attention should be drawn in older to enable a pioper unde15tandiTh3 01 the accounts to be reached. "Pleose delete Ihe words in rhe bffockets if they do notopply. Signed Date N6tne Relevant professional qualif￿ation{s) 01 body (Il any) Addie55 Afjr70- Syl IER March 2012 ZLOZ 4)JÈW 01)SIP 01 SO45IM ièuiwex èw ieyi swèji Aue 10 5IIEI4P lauq èjay èAIg 5woiqoid ieijaww Ju6iiubiy oi spaau Jauiwoxa aui11313idwo) Aiuo Jnsoi)s!a 8 UO!i)as STOWEY PCC CHURCH OFSTNICHOLASANDTHE BLESSEDVIRGIN MARY. STOWEY Recelpts Voluntary Receipts RegularGI￿ng PLa1u￿￿ Gth"r Cothecti¢y 6,955 3.550 3427 IIY)17 10,505 OtherVoLuntsry Recelpis Don*ws 70 J270 7,941 7.941 Receiptslrom actiwfties generaiingfiJnd5 Burn5 Night 2026 Bums Nlght2025 Bums Night2024 Open Gardens Organ Recital Coffee Morning Sumrneisupper Bloblitz 1470 175 3.397 2.114 1.085 2267 i￿0 327 1709 47 IC676 7,037 Receipt5 from Church ActNities Parochial Fees Bells Incow VacancyFees Recovered Cheoueswritten 8act Grarrts 617 1,881 774 see note I 135554 185.697 188364 Receiptsfrom Investments see note2 Inte￿$tReCÈNed D*4h1end Income 2.957 718 3.675 GfftAid Reclaimed 2.790 Totsl Recelpts 166159 220.312 Expendlture P￿ents 2024 Activitiesforgeneratingfunds Bufns Night Open Gardens Recitsl Summersupper 1508 2.354 20 200 27 2574 Church Attivities Diocesan Parish Share Church RunningExpenses CLe[￿expenSeS Repairs & maintenance Heatirbgl electricity Donations BeLiAssoc. Sub Parochialfees to Diocese Stowey Revived Project see note 3 3700 2.027 952 3641 3.100 2,189 see note 4 20 20 140 699 see note 5 128ts8 187.071 144103 199,941 Total Payments 145866 202,515 Exeess of receipts over payts 20293 17,797 Totallunds Istjanuary 134465 116.668 Total funds 31st December 154758 134,465 Stowey PCC Church of St. Mlcholas and the BlessadVlrOn Mary 2025 2024 Statement of A$set$ Cash Funds CurrentAccourtat Naiwest Project Account at Natwest Post Office Deposit CCLA Deposit CCLA Deposit LovellTrust IncomeAJC 9747 I¢X661 221 11318 2811 13,218 see note 6 221 1.255 1,726 see note 7 Investment see note 8 Loveliyrust Fund Caprtal 19.194 units CBF C of Eshort Duratt"on Bond Fund at cost Imttvalue 31112125 ￿9322 Mktvaiue 31112124£28.6221 Jooo 30,000 Total Funds 154758 134.465 Slowey PCCChur¢h olst. Nkholasand The8l*SsedVl￿n Mary NQtei Grantsrec&WJln2025frNTr NLHF 7,5UQ 124,750 SJbffl3Suthutsrrtl 21 3.247 TL Note2 OJr(wrtkcoLm L117.23 6325 624.10 1957AS CBFDe￿51r 64 1915.53 Toiai N(rt¢3 Insurarte Mu$t 31 850.14 39S.67 1026.81 Total 179.05 179.05 Trrtai 34&tYJ Note5 DanLb51Nvwtt￿SJ SKCfjnsw*wJnlDryPff•Jfir SKCOns￿lkn)n￿7ry**) Aclryitles H8rrtS0n&Hths￿ (organ￿ets 2L07U4 21A&66 4723107 408&5S 6.792.04 37,8ZJ.40 9.418. SxcLY￿e￿0t￿1TC*ystOr￿rt) C￿￿￿￿¢￿*{A[chIIeCts) T2.87 3.5ty).QO PSKHI￿ne([reeeO￿SUl￿w> dansatha5re￿a￿ Tes 7& &i*J.78 1629.3& &3&7 SI￿.00 laiHobbsT¥hnic*lOamDI I￿H(l•STe¢hrfcal1￿Wm￿1llj lESI￿￿￿￿￿KFeej 215_00 .00 7,07L31 Tmai IrA NQtÈ6 Note7 Note8 LoktllTrLSt1rKo￿￿FV￿s￿1estr￿dft￿L￿ertyInrYISMaint￿￿eOfthUrCh&(￿￿￿ryO LU¥ellTIL¢tFu￿jCaWa1orIYrokW1I0gwv*¥tt￿ AtKhxcru2&th1Krffl*fio*eNthe7 ADDITIONAL NOTES AND APPROVAL OFACCOUNTS i) The financlal statements ofthe PCC have been prepared in accordance with the Accounting Regulations 2006 usingthe Receipts and pa￿nents basis. The following assets are recognised birt not nece5sariLyvalued in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities: Moveable church furnishlngs held bythe Chuichwarden on special tnjst for the PCC andwhich require afacultyfordisposal 2} 3) The expenses paid to cler￿ may include a small immaterial proportion which ￿ ktes to their function as PCC mernbers 4} Approved by the PCC on 2026 and signed on their behalf by MrsJillFH Ni¢ollPCC Lay Chairman) and Mr Graham Nicol IPCCTreasurerl PCC Annual Treasurers Report year to 3111212025 The reorganisation of our old Benefice has been completed and we are now in the Benefice of Chewvalleywest. We are delighted to have as our Rector the Rev'd Dr lan Mills. who is inspirational. The National Lottery Heritage Fund awarded us a grantof £249,500 towards our Stowey Revived Project, and several othergrantfunders have supported us as detailed in Note 1 to these accounts. Thanks are dueto Neil Skinner. who has put in a huge effortto achieve these grants. The hospitality unit, now known asThe Pavilion. was completed in 2024 and is provingvery beneficial. In 2025. we have achieved extensive specialist stonework repairsto the tower. and damp alleviation work inside the tower. New doors have been fitted which have been much admired and which let in more light and less draughts. The Day of Judgement over the chancel arch has been conserved and rehabilitated by Rickerbyand Shekede and the improvement is remarkable. R8cèipts Planned giving and collection income was slightly down which is disappointing at £10.017 against £10,505 the previous year. Donations were down as expected at £1270. against £7941 in 2024. which included an exceptional one-off donation of £5000. Fundraisingwas verysuccessful in 2025 and at £10.676 showed a welcome increase against £7037 in 2024, with Burns Night. NGS Open Gardens. organ recital. Midsummer Supper and Coffee Moming 811 contributing significant surns. Fund-raising events take time. effort and organisation to get off the ground. butthese are crucialtothe financial wellbeing of ourchurch. In 2026, we have already held a successful Burns Nightwhich raised £1910. The NGS Open Gardens will be on the 19th July. Interest received amounted to £2354, ((£2957 in 2024). largely due to the level of funds held in the project account. Gift aid has been reclaimed as usual and at £3856 is a very usefvl sum. We have been able to effectively recoverVATthrough the Listed Places ofworship Grant Scheme1£21.654 in 2025 and £3,247 in 20241. but this Scheme has been withdrawn before the advertised date ofthe end of March 2026 and this will have severe financial implications forfutureworks. Exponditur• Diocesan demand for Parish Share increased again to £3665 from £3604. Insurance Costs rose to £1.231 from £850 largely due to the increased coverforThe Pavilion. Heating and electricity cost rose significantlyto 23,499from £2.289 in 2024. We hope that it may b8 possible to instalL a more efficient and effective system sometime in the future. The other signtticant figure is expenditure of £128.138 (£187.071} on the Stowey Revived Project whlGh is analysod at Note 5. The overall result is an excess of receipts overexpenditure of £20.293 and totalfunds at 3111212025 amounted to £154.758 against £134,465 in 2024. see notes 6,7.&8. Stow8y Revivod ProJ8rt In 2024 we drew down 50% of the NLHF grant of £249.500, a further 40% was drawn down in 2025. and the remaining 10% is to be released on finalcompletion ofthe project. It is likely that W8 will have to approach the ljiocesan Board of Finance for a cash flow loan to bridge all or part of the final 10%. The project is proceedingwell and within budget. We are aware that we will also need to install a new heating system. improved lighting and screen and projectorfaciiities for future talks, presentations and organ recitals. Preliminary investigations have begun. We have reported in detail on a quarterly b8SlS tothe N8tional Lottery Heritage Fund. We are very grateful indeed to the National Lottery Heriiage Fund for its support of our Stowey Revived Project. Without this support we would not have been able to proceed. GenoraL The Diocese has changed the way it raises the Common Fund frorn being Parlsh based to Benefic8 based. It will. of course, mean th8t our Parish Share will increase over time. It is now up to our Benefice to produce the whole amount of the demand. All Benefices and local Parishes are not the same. 8nd I suspect that the new system will causethe Diocesejust as many problems asthe old one did. We aretold that underthe old system 20% of Parishes were subsidising the remaining 80%; the Diocese hopesthat will change under this new regime. I have my doubts. l congratulate Dame Sarah Mullallyon herappointment as Archbishop of Canterbury and hope that she will focus on the needs of parishes and not on ill-conceived and costly vanity projects which do nothing to advance the interests of the Church.. Parishes like Stowey. and others in our Benefice, are the bedrock of the Church of England, and they need to be cherished and encouraged. not simply treated as milk cows to be squeezed ever harderto provide cash forthe hierarchyto squander. I will Glarify here and nowthat my complaint is notwith Bath and Wells. butwith Canterbury and the Church Commissioners who could do so much to help struggling Parishes and Dioceses but have so farfailed to do so. We hope our new Archbishop will be willingand able to force the Church Commissioners to change direction and see the benefit of investing resources in the grass roots of the Church trom which real growth can come. With our ancient building, the workgoes on. and God willing. we will see our Stowey Revived Projectthrough to a successful conclusion. and we will be able to secure the future of ourwonderful and unique little church ofsaint Nicholas and The Blessed Virgin Mary for generations to come. Graham Nicol, Treasurer . CHARITY COMMISSION Independent Examiner's Report on the Accounts Seclion A Independent Examiner's Report Repoit to the tlllStees/mefflbews ol f41oc¢41AL CAu/Qc4 CQuMciu of Sr0￿&y On accounts Iof the yeai ended FJWllUFJFJ (harity no (il aty> Set out on pages ttespecti¥e re4JonsibililiÈs ol trustees and examin The charitys trustees a￿ Fe5ponsible for the pieparation of the 3tcounts. The charity's tsu5tee5 considei that an audit is nol iequited for this year undei section 144 01 the Ihaiities Act 2011 (the (haiities Act) and thar an independeni examination is needed. It rs my reSpo￿51b11IlY to= examine the ac(ounts under seciion 145 01 the Chaiitie5 Atl, to tollow the proceduces taid down in the geneial DTiections given by the charity Iofflffti55ion (under wtion 145{5}Ibl of the Chaiities A(t}. aTrd 10 state whethei Palii(ulai mattels have come to my attention. Basis of independent examinerfs Statement My examination was caTfied out in a((ordance with general Oirections given by the chaElty Commission. An exatnination ittiludes a review ol the accouniing iecoid5 kept by the chaiity a￿j o comparison ol Ihe accounts piesented with those records. 11 also itKludes consideKalion ol any unusual items or disc105uies in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the Irustees co￿e[ning any such mèlters. The proceduies undertaken rto not piovide all the evidence that would be Fequiied in an audit, and consequentty no ophnion is 9iven as 10 whethei the ￿COUnt5 present a'tiue and laiT' view Ènd ihe ieport is limtted to those matters sel out in the 5t8lernent below. Independent eyaminer's staternent In connection ￿ryth my examination. no tnattei hos (ome to my attenlion {oiher than thai disclosed below").. {1) which gives tne reasonable cause to believe thd in, any mateiial respeci, the iequiremenl&- to keep accwnting Fe(otds in accordance with se(tion 130 01 the Charities A(L to piepaTe accounts which accorit with the accounting re(oids and comply with Ihe accounting requifements ol the Charities Act have not beell met,. or 12) to whiih. ift my opinion. atlenlioTh should be drawn in older to enable a pioper undeislanding ol the a(countS to be reached. ' Please delete the words in thebruckets til they do not opply. Signed Date 27. Naffle C4 •RvpoJ Relevanl professional qualihcalionls) OT body (il any) Addiess 2li&TaL IER Maiih 2012 Section B Disclosure Onty complele if the exafflineT needs to highlight material piobletn5 Give here brief details ol any items that the examiner wishes to disclose IER 2012