The Diocese of St Edmundsbury & Ipswich St. Peter Stoke Park Annual Report and Financial Statements of the Parochial Church Councll of the Parish of Ipswich St. Peter Stoke Park For the Year Ended 31st December 2025 Reg Charity number 1210501 I-lpage Report of the Parochial Church Council 2025 Index Page Trustee report PCC membership Treasurers report Report of Independent Examiner Statement of Financial activities 10 11 Balance Sheet 12 Notes to the accounts 13-15 TRUSTEES REPORT For the year 1st JANUARY to 31st DECEMBER 2025 The trustees present their report and the examined financial statements of the charity for the Year 1st January 2025 to 31st December 2025. The financial statements have been p￿pared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note I to the accounts and comply with the Charities Act 2011 and the Ststement of Recommended Prattice applicable to Charities preparing their accounts in accordan￿ with the Financial Reporting Stsndard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective l January 2015). AIMS AND OBJEcfIvES: The Parochial Church Council has the responsibility of co-operating with the ministers in promoting, in the ecclesiastical parish, the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. PUBLIC BENEFrr The Trustees are aware of the Charity Commission's guidan￿ in relation to delivering public benefit. The Trustees consider that they are fulfilling the requirements to dellver a public benefit. PCC Review of the year 1st January 2025 to 31st December 2025 The PCC continued discussions to develop the church s relationship with Bright Sparks Nursery, including re-assessment of the rental charges. A new rental agreement has been reached; we are pleased this was able to happen. The PCC met 10 times through the year. We had a wonderful celebration of 50 years of St Peters in February with a visit from Revd John Hayden a prevlous vicar and many who have known St Peter's over the years. St Peter's has seen a growth in faith and in the number of people attending the church services throughout the year. The average Sunday serrfices attendan￿ is now 55 people. We have many wonderful projects during the week which the focus of this year has been to strengthen those groups, to enable them to work well and flourish. I Page Emma Richards has continued as our part time Child￿n,5 and Families, worker she was Licensed at a wonderful ￿lebratIon *rvice at the cathedral in September. Our relationship with Gusford school thanks to the work of Alicia, Sue and the team has grown from strength to strength. December sadly saw Alicia finish her employment for inspiring Ipswich. Sue is now spearheading the Gusft)rd school project with a focus on transition and wellbeing. Emma and Sue together have started an after-sch￿1 youth cafe. We a￿ excited about how this will grow. Paul will talk about the building in his report, but I want to note that we have made great strides forward in sorting out the many difficulties presented to us in the failure of the gas heaters two years ago. In De￿mber Emily was made Rector, this is key to the church having a solid footing and assurance for the future, knowing we will have stability for a good while. Praise God for all he has done and is doing in, with and through us It is such a pleasure to learn more of God's goodness and gra￿ from each person who joins us at St Peter's as we learn to live in fellowship with one another. Reverend Emily Swinerd Fabric Report This year has been more challenging with the fabric as we have seen a number of issues arise which are probably due to the buildings now being 50 years old at the stsge where major components need replacing. On the positive side we have been fortunate to receive two significant grants meaning the new heating, lighting and Solar Panels can go ahead, and this is scheduled for April / May 26. We have also been able to get the'roof foliage, removed from the low front roof which should reduce the amount of water which can ingress into that roof. We have also been able to repla￿ the Soffits and an area of roofing felt on this same roof. However, both the Soffits and the felting identified further work which will be needed in the relatively short term. Leaks have also occurred in some other areas. The state of the driveway and Car Parks has also been a con￿rn and the PCC had allocated a sum of money potentially towards this. We have been awaiting costings for the other work however before moving ahead with this- the N ursery with whom the relationship has improved are potentially happy to work with us on this. We would also like to replace much of the guttering when we are able as the current guttering is not sufficient to deal with heavy rain. Finally, we have been looking at our fire safety needs to ensure we are fully covered and will be having a Fire Risk Assessment in the coming weeks. It has also been brought to our attention that our water facilities should have a Legionnaires report, and this is being looked into. There is a lot to do as we move forward and as we get prepared for the next Quinquennial inspettion due in 2027. St Peter's engage a Cleaner to help maintain a good standard of cleanliness in the church focusing on the toilets and the kitchen. A gardener has continued with gardening work during the year, with good effect. St Peter's Church benefited from some core volunteers who have helped undertake rna1ntenan￿, repairs and cleaning during the year. We are very grateful to these and to the wider Church Community who have helped with some work party afternoons helping clean the church and surrounds to keep it looking good. Paul Daley - Church Warden Sunday Services Eucharistic 9am serrfice every week. Monthly sepiice pattern for the 10.15am 1st Sunday- Communion & 3pm Communion at Avocet Court Care Home 2. Sunday -'All In, an all-age service 3 Sunday- Communion & 3pm Communion at AVo￿t Court Care Home 4 Sunday - Service of the Word 5th Sunday - variable Activities: Regular activities across the week include.. Mondays.. Wellsprings Wellbeing Meals Tuesdays: Bubbles Baby and Toddler Group Wednesdays: Top-up Shop; Men's night on￿ a month Thursdays: Morning Prayers Fridays: Messy Church - l Friday of each month. Saturdays: Saturday Socials approximately On￿ a month St Peter's had four Parade Services with the Scouts throughout the year and a special Christingle Service for the Scouts, Rainbows and Brownies. MEMBERSHIP OF THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL: Members of the PCC, as of 31 December 2025, are either ex officio or elected by the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) in accordance with the Church Representation Rules. Tr Cle Reverend Emily Swinerd (Chair) Reverend Mervyn Dye Church Warden Paul Daley Secrets to PCC Helen Moore Ele Re resent tives Clive Usmar-Darley Susan North Sue Bridges James Swinerd Rachel Forsdike Emma Richards - appointed Iith May 2025 Wendy Alston - appointed Ilth May 2025 ne Alicia Holmes - Resigned 31st December 2025 Christine Findlay Invited in Treasurer Robert Fleming -6-IPage Appolntnmnt of n•w m•mb•rn ol th• PCC Trustees When a vaca￿￿ (ML￿1￿￿ 011 tlie PCC". v.Ilull)li! (,¢iiidl(liJli*!• Iiii Ilii, lili*J liJl41 rill iiili i nominated and *LniMlcxl by Cliurch mp.mbijrs dnd h Vl)ti,. IAb•fi ol 110: meettng. During the year, members may be Co opted to the PCC until rtxfr. hifts%g1 meetrng. All full members of the PCC are also Trustees of the Charlty arKI mu*. fultd tr eligibility requirements of that role. PCC members are required to undertake at least baslc safpguarding trdiniro, ar are enLx)uraged to attend other seminars or training sessions rele￿dnt trJ ltrJr position. Signed: Dated.. On behalf of the PCC Paul Daley Churchwarden Treasurers report For a smallish, newish Church, tucked away that is very easy to drive past without noticing, (I normally do when going to meetings!) the activity in Church finance has been quite remarkable. The Church is situated in an area where the majority of folk are not financially wealthyi but it is encouraging to see increases in the numbers attending worship. Planned Giving was £18.6k and other casual giving £4k. This means that we were only able to able to pay £22k of our Parish share allocation of £35k. However, the DI0￿Se are aware of our issues and the fact we have a building needing significant investment are content that we are striving to increase our payment year on year as the Church grows. Much time was occupied during the year over negotiations with the Nursery for a fair rent on the hall. Negotiations were completed in the autumn, with a fair settlement that we can live with albeit not as high as we hoped. Additional legal fees were incurred and this was one of the reasons our unrestricted reserve fell by £4k to just under £26k. We received Grants totalling £45k towards the cost of the building works and these are spent as re￿ived, £69k in total being reinvested back into the building. Additional grants have been re￿iVed to enable us to retain our part tlme Youth worker and she has contributed in a big way to the influx of families and children to the Church on a Sunday. The Top up Shop, very ably coordinated by John North continues to flourish and provides much needed help to families putting food in their children's mouths, not only does John lead the operations, he spends much time sourcing food at minimum cost and knows which shop has the best deal on cereal tins of soup and all the other items he sells and still has time to source grants to be able to k￿p the operation going. When he was away, Emily saw at first hand how much time the "TUS, consumes, thank you John and your team. Similarly, Wellsprings continues to provide a Servi￿ the community wants and needs, thanks to the hard work and devotion of Alicia and now Wendy and team. The Church retains adequate finances for at least 4 months to keep going if income dried up and is very much a going concern. Under the leadership of Emily and the team, the Church is set for the future and this is borne out by Emily being made Rertor and having the term of her licen￿ extended to 10 year5(congratulations Emily!) giving assurance that we can plan for the mid and long term, not just for the next week... The range of activities undertaken, show that we are not just open on a Sunday. With lots of Grant applications pending, the building work should be able to continue apace and the work of God will continue to be promoted within the Stoke Park Community Robert Fleming Treasurer Reserves Polic/ The Church aims to hold sufficient funds to cover at least 4 months running cost in its unrestricted fund. This has been achieved, although at accost of not paying the full allocation of Parish Share. The Trustees have a plan to develop and improve the fabric of the building whilst growing the Church family. Both projects are working well and new fa￿S are joining us and welcome. It is acknowledged that the Church is not In an area of great affluence but as more people come through the door, receive Christian teaching and give what they can towards the work of the Church, it is expected that the defaulted Parish share will fall and we strive for the day when through the wonder of God, we can pay our share in full. Other projects are primarily funded by grant andf as such are shown as separate restricted funds. Much of the building work Is also grant funded and as such must be prO￿SSed through restritted funds. Subject to the above the Trustees see the Charity as a going concern and see no reason why all attivities should be on going. The demand continues and currently the grants are also on-going. INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF ST. PEfER STOKE PARK I report to the trustees on my examinatlon of the accounts of the St. Petsr Stoke Park for the Period 1st January 2025 to 31st December 2025 Responsibilities and basis of report AS the charity trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordan￿ with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 Cthe ACY). I report in respect of my oxaminauon of the Charity's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Att and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under settion 145(5)(b) of the Act. Independent Examinerfs Statement I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connettion with the examination giving me cause to believe that In any material respect: l. accounting records were not kept in respect of the Charity as required by section 130 of the Act. or 2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or 3. the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any ￿quIrernent that the accounts give a 'true and fairf view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination. I have no concerns and have come across no other matters In connettion 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. Signed: Name: Mrs Ann Clarke Relevant professional quallfication or membership of professional bodies {if any): Address: kji Iko kv CM 8 Date: JS- 3- ioag St. Peter Stoke Park Statement of Financial Activities for the year 1st January 2025 to 31" December 2025 Unrestrl