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2025-12-31-accounts

2025

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS

for the

Church of St Edward King & Martyr

in the Benefice of

Castle Donington with Lockington-cum-Hemington

Contents
Page		 Contents
Page
Background
3
Introduction from the PCC
3
Overview & Key Highlights
5
Impact & Outcomes
Warm Welcome Space
6
Little Sunbeam Club
8
Collective Worship with School
10
Special Occasions
11
Pancake Party
11
Download
12
Community Engagement
12
People
15
Our Worshipping Life
18
**Life Events **
Funerals, Baptisms
21
Confirmations & Weddings
22
Engagement & Participation
Action Groups
22
Ecumenical Partnerships
24
St Edward’s Church of England Primary School
25
Book & Jumble Sale
26
Responding to Need
26
Governance, Finance and Fabric
Churchwardens’ Fabric Report
28
Treasurer’s Financial Report
31
Financial Statements
34
Independent Examiner’s Report
36
Structure, Governance and Management
37
Safeguarding Report
37
Deanery Synod Report
40
Electoral Roll & Policies
41
PCC Secretary’s Report
41
PCC Trustees
43

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Background

The period covered by this Report is 1[st] January 2025 to 31[st] December 2025. It gives an overview of the visible life of the Church, including how its mission, ministry, governance and finances relate together. It reviews the past year and provides a framework for the direction of travel for the year ahead.

What’s really special about this Report is how it once again evidences the impact and outcomes of our mission and ministry as we have sought to widen and deepen our relationships, grow community and respond to need. It also evidences the hard work, dedication and passion of what it means in an increasingly polarised world to “love your neighbour as yourself” (Matthew 22vs39). Thank you!

Come, see. God is doing something new!

Introduction from the PCC

2025 has continued to be a challenging year for the National Church as it navigates its way through the ongoing safeguarding issues at a senior level within the Church of England, and the process to find a replacement for Justin Welby who resigned in 2024. Dame Sarah Mullaley, the Bishop of London, was elected as the New Archbishop of Canterbury and will take up her appointment in January 2026. Set against a backdrop of significant financial challenge, as well as more clergy retiring than being recruited, our diocese along with many others has had to make some tough decisions affecting staff, clergy and congregations alike. We are all having to reconsider the shape of ministry, and the extent to which inherited structures, paradigms and practices are now fit for purpose in a spiritually hungry, post-secular age.

The Shaped By God Together process that our diocese has embarked upon gives us all an opportunity to re-visit and re-imagine what is important, what matters, as we co-create our way towards the formation of Minster Communities. There is no question that the journey so far has been a complex process of listening and learning, as well as trying to discern what God is up to. The Coordinating Group representing Parishes in our allocated geographical area wrote a proposal for how the Minster Community would work together. This has had its challenges given the very diverse nature of the geographical area and the parishes involved but continues to work towards a solution that will work for all.

In June of this year Rev Andrew Race announced that he was leaving to take up the post of Vicar of Grimsby Minster. He and Lois moved to Grimsby in October and whilst we were very sad to see them go, we were also pleased and excited for what God has planned for them in this new season of life and we wish them every blessing. We then came together to shape how the PCC could manage the interregnum and continue with the work of God in our community.

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Change is always unsettling, and sometimes it is a cause for grief and for letting go. That is seldom easy. However, as you read this Report, we hope very much that you will see glimpses of glory, of God at work, to encourage and inspire you, whether God is doing something new or whether He is gently keeping the coals of your faith aglow.

This Report seeks, among other things, to evidence and demonstrate the impact and outcomes of our mission and ministry in this Parish, as we seek to pay attention to God’s purposes, as we try to grow teams and leaders, as we faithfully demonstrate the love of God to those around us, and as we seek to attend to our own relationship with God. This Report is a living account that recognises that each of us is valued and loved, and that we each have a vital part to play.

So… THANK YOU so much for your contribution to this remarkable story of our life together and with God here in Castle Donington.

Thank you also to our ministry colleagues, Catherine Stray, Revd Sue Forshaw and Bishop Peter Fox, as well as colleagues in the Diocesan central teams. Thank you also to Ruth Salt for her ministry of administration and communication to support us in the Parishes.

With every blessing Maria Laxton PCC Secretary

On behalf of the PCC

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Overview

This Annual Report is presented in two sections: the first gives a snapshot of the life of the parish, and the second contains specific reports required by charity law. Together, they are intended to reflect the priorities of the PCC. The reports are written by different people with different voices, reflecting the life of our Church and its place in the community. We are very grateful to all who have contributed, and trust that together they provide an inspiring glimpse into our collective life.

Key Highlights

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IMPACT & OUTCOMES

We live in a part of the world where trust in institutions remains low, and it seems that trust in organised religion is no exception. The ongoing crises in the National Church with regard to safeguarding have been uncomfortable and deeply distressing, especially for victims and survivors of abuse and their families. Yet, at a local level, on the whole, there is huge goodwill towards, and appreciation for, the local church. Building on last year’s Annual Report, as a church community and with increasing partnership with colleagues and friends in the wider community, we have sought this year to deepen and widen relationships, respond to need and continue to do all that we can to grow and nurture a sense of community and belonging. Hopefully, the impact and outcomes of all this good work is evidenced in this year’s Annual Report.

Warm Welcome Space

Warm Welcome Space continues to grow as people spread the word and more people discover and find the space useful. We offer a free friendly space for people to meet, have a light lunch, and stay warm. All are in line with the values of the national Warm Welcome Space initiative with whom we are registered.

Our opening hours changed from 10am-3pm to 10am-2pm each Friday. There are activities going on each week which vary across the seasons – these include jigsaws, mindful colouring, and crocheting amongst others. Whilst some come for the 'warmth', others come for the company. Most new guests are by word of mouth but we also work with the social prescribers from the local GP surgery.

We have regular visits from the Year 5 pupils of St Edward's CofE Primary School who are learning about 'courageous advocacy' and how to live in a community. They serve guests with refreshments and chat to

them or join in activities. We have a regular volunteer Benefits Advisor. We also have visits from National Grid, Social Prescribers, and the Mental Health Support team.

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They are all helping to provide information and support to everyone who makes use of our service.

On Good Friday, we hosted everyone who came along to Experience Easter. We had around 72 people that day, and served 60 hot cross buns. In September we hosted a Macmillan coffee morning. 54 people supported us on the day and we raised £233.71 . Thank you to everybody who supplied and/or bought cake.

During the year, our craft club worked on crocheting and knitting angels, and in October they started crafting angels from various other mediums, so that those who can't crochet or knit can still be involved with the project in other ways. There was also a 7ft angel made entirely of recycled items by John Fox. This was to display in our Festival of Angels, that ran alongside the village Christmas Cheer. Little Sunbeam Club, the local primary schools (St. Edwards, Orchard, and Foxbridge), the Guides and Brownies, and quite a few of the businesses in Borough street, all got involved too and made angels to display. It is absolutely heart warming to see the community coming together like this. Over 300 of these little angels were given out at all of our Christmas

services, so that every person who attended could take home an angel. Thanks to Lois Race who came up with the idea back in January and to Angie Fox who helped bring it to life.

In November, we did the Christmas Shoebox Appeal again and some children from St. Edward's

Primary school came and helped us pack all the boxes. We managed to send off 56 boxes.

We have continued to provide a free sandwich lunch. These are kindly supplied to us by Cafe2U Castle Donington at a discounted rate. (They changed their suppliers, and stopped supplying us at the end of the year so we will use a new supplier in 2026). During the year, a total number of 1108 sandwiches have been consumed, along with a plethora of biscuits and copious amounts of tea and coffee. This averages out to 22 sandwiches each week! (up from 18 last year).

Accessing grant funds to support this kind of work in a church context is always hugely challenging. Among applications to many sources, we received grants from Yorkshire Building Society of £2500 and £100 from Love Castle Donington; both towards heating, lighting, cleaning, and refreshment costs, for which we are extremely grateful.

All our sessions are run by volunteers, both from the church and the wider community. Every volunteer is selected using the Church of England Safer Recruitment process. They also have to read and understand our risk assessment. We set up “In Case of Emergency”

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documents that we encourage all our visitors and volunteers to complete so that if anything should happen, we would know who to contact.

We keep a written record of our numbers. In 2025 we had a total of 1855 people - 1625 adults and 230 children - use our Warm Welcome Space during the 51 weeks we were open. The only week we were closed was 26th December . This gives an average of 36 people per week. Our quietest week was 4th July with only 21 people and our busiest "normal" week was 11th April with 50 people.

Shirley Swanepoel, on behalf of the Warm Welcome Team

The Little Sunbeam Club

The Little Sunbeam Club continues to be a popular parent and toddler group in the village. It was re-established following the Covid lockdown, beginning in October 2021. It has a Facebook page which posts weekly about the theme and timings of the Club, including photographs.

An anonymous questionnaire was offered out to parents/carers at The Little Sunbeam Club during summer term 2025 - there was no pressure for them to complete these. 15 questionnaires were completed with the following feedback:

Overall, the responses were very positive about the group and some suggestions for improvements, such as an outside area for sand/water play were taken on board.

The Little Sunbeam Club runs from 10am to 11.30am every Thursday during the Leicestershire schools’ term time. It is

good to see parents, grandparents, carers and childminders using the group. New mothers and their babies are welcomed, and the ‘sofa’ area is set up with appropriate baby

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equipment and toys. St Edward’s Church Hall has an excellent kitchen where hot drinks are served and fruit is prepared. There are good toilet and baby change facilities.

Each session follows similar timings as follows:

Themes in 2025 have included: snow, vegetables, rainbows, Chinese New Year, love, daffodils, pancakes, spring, Mothers’ Day, Easter, sunflowers, emotions, transport, senses, children

around the world, Fathers’ Day, space, summer, autumn, shapes, spiders, recycling, harvest, foxes, names, pumpkins, Bonfire Night, Remembrance, angels, Christmas.

The Little Sunbeamers made angels for the Festival of Angels in December and decorations for the Christmas Tree at The Hub. Small posies of spring flowers were kindly put together by some of the church congregation so the children could give them to a parent on Mothers’ Day. At Easter, chocolate eggs are given out

and Santa visits at Christmas, with a present for each child. Our last session before the summer holidays was a Teddy Bear’s picnic where we enjoyed getting out in the church grounds.

The Sunbeam team consists of Zoe Musgrove, Emma Crofts, April Sly and Linda Adcock, with occasional help from Dianne Marriott in the kitchen. The leaders have up-to-date safeguarding training and DBS in place, with Zoe and April having undertaken Paediatric First Aid training.

Numbers this year were:

April Sly, on behalf of The Little Sunbeam Club

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Collective Worship and RE with Schools

We are enormously blessed to have a fantastic relationship with our church school, St Edward’s Church of England Primary School. The children come to church each half term to sing songs, say prayers, and hear a Bible story and short reflection. At Easter and Christmas, the children are joined by their parents/carers, grandparents and pre-school siblings, who all take part.

The Collective Worship Team at school prepares and leads the prayers at Collective Worship. One of the real joys is how much the children love being in church. They listen, they engage and they ask questions, often afterwards when out and about. A particularly special occasion was Ash Wednesday, when the children were invited to receive traditional “ashing” of their forehead or hand.

Revd Andrew helped Year 6 with their RE topic of “How can faith

help us when life is hard?” in March when they learned all about funerals. He had even arranged to have an (empty) coffin present. The children were all very thoughtful and respectful and asked some amazing questions.

And in May, Year 2 visited the church as part of their topic on “Places of Worship”.

In June, we host the Year 6 Transition Day, where pupils reflect on their time at Primary School and think about their hopes and dreams as they prepare to move up to secondary school or college. Each pupil is given a Bible from St Edward’s Church at the final Collective Worship of the year.

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Our engagement with schools is resourced both by the clergy and the Intergenerational Action Group. We have been invited to facilitate Prayer Spaces and to contribute to RE lessons. We have engaged with the four primary schools in the village: St Edward’s, Hemington, Orchard and Foxbridge.

Special Occasions

One of the ways we have sought to deepen and widen relationships, and to grow community, is to organise or host or participate in a variety of events in the community. Some of these included:

The Pancake Party

Foxbridge Primary School were once again generous in offering us their facilities to hold our Pancake Party. Revd Andrew, along with members of the Intergenerational team, explained why we have pancakes and about Lent. The children made craft pancakes and practised running with them and tossing them. Then it was time for the real fun - eating the pancakes with a variety of toppings!

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Download Festival

Revd Andrew and a host of volunteers from St Edward’s were part of the 60 strong ecumenical Chaplaincy team at the 2025 Download Festival. The festival attracted over 80,000 delegates over three days (longer if you were camping), but thankfully this year it was not quite so wet.

Community Engagement Events Film NIghts, Secret Movie Nights and Quiz Nights

We hosted social events for the village such as a secret film night complete with drinks and popcorn, family discos and a very popular quiz night.

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Garden Party

In June we hosted a major event for the village - a Garden party with lots of entertainment for all. There was music from the Rolls Royce Ladies choir, and the Rolls Royce Band . There was a tea time disco for children followed by an 80’s adult disco. whilst the attendance numbers were lower than expected we acknowledge it is always challenging the first time a new idea is planned, and we were pleased that those who did come had a good time and we will certainly consider doing something similar in the future. The ‘flaming hot’ June weather was slightly against us. However, we were very grateful for the support from all of the local traders who contributed towards the raffle and supported us in many other ways. We engaged with local volunteer organisations such as the Royal British Legion, the Girl guiding organisation, the Local Police and Fire Service and the Museum to provide a platform for local engagement and promotion of their services. We also took the opportunity to engage with the public regarding our ideas for further developing the building as a resource for the Village on such issues as accessibility, comfort and suitability. The event raised just over £1000 towards church repairs, as well as providing a fun day out for all who could make it.

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A Festival of Angels in Castle Donington

On the last weekend in November 2025, the Church of St. Edward in Castle Donington became inundated with a Host of Heavenly Angels as part of the Christmas Cheer and Christmas Lights

switch on celebrations organised by the Parish Council.

Early in the year, the parish decided to bless the village with angels and so began a program of knitting and crocheting by members of the Warm Welcome Group which meets every Friday. During November, this extended to a craft table for sewing, sticking, folding and knitting angels of every form and resulted in a collection of over 300 angels.

We decorated the Church with these angels, and with angels created by local businesses and craftspeople and our 3 local schools, including two life-size willow angels by Maggie Cooper and a 7ft angel made entirely of recycled materials by John Fox. The Church was open all evening serving refreshments and we were delighted to welcome local people into their church.

To complete the plan, all of the hand-made angels were given to those who came to the Christmas Services at St Edward’s and at St. Nicholas’ Lockington to take home, or to give to a friend or neighbour, blessing our communities with Angels. There were stewards on the street handing out leaflets with information about Christmas services.

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People

Revd Matt Green

At our January Breakfast Church, we said farewell to Revd Matt Green and his family. Matt, Mary, Eli and Zeph had spent two and a half years with us, living in the village, where Matt was Curate at St Edward’s. The whole family were a delight to have within the St Edward’s Church Family and added much to our church life.

When Matt joined St Edward’s, he brought with him a fresh approach. His previous teaching career set him up to be able to preach in a way that was interactive and fun. I’m sure we all remember him producing a ladder from his bag (Mary Poppins style!) at one of our Breakfast Church services! He led many of the Collective Worship services for our church school in unique ways, sometimes involving fire, and was a regular visitor to school to help with their RE lessons.

He set up the annual Pilgrimage for the Year 6 leavers too along with Experience Easter and Experience Christmas. Revd Matt was a blessing to Revd Andrew taking on more of a leadership role within the Parish,

enabling Andrew to spend time as Area Dean. Matt was active in all areas of worship, funerals, weddings and events. His love of the very old and young was evident in all that he did: kneeling to talk and listen with them.

Matt was called to finish his Curacy training at Emmanuel Church in Loughborough and so our 3 years with him was cut short. At our January Breakfast service we wished him and his family every blessing and thanked them deeply for their service to our church and community. Matt was presented with a good sum of money, collected from the congregation, showing his popularity and the love we all felt for him and his family.

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Bishop Peter - A celebration of 50 years of ordination

We are very blessed to have Bishop Peter Fox and Angie Fox living in our community. In June, we were delighted to be able to celebrate 50 years of ordination for Bishop Peter. We held a Joint Benefice service of Holy Communion at St Nicholas Lockington on Sunday 28th June with a celebration afterwards.

Rev Andrew Race

In June 2025, Rev Andrew announced that he was leaving St Edward’s and St Nicholas’ to take up the post of Vicar of Grimsby Minster. Whilst we were all initially a bit surprised at the announcement, we are very thankful that we have had the privilege of getting to know Andrew and his family during the 6 ½ years that they have been in Castle Donington and sharing ministry together. They will be very much missed by us all and by the community too.

Andrew worked so hard to encourage everyone to flourish in their own faith journeys including offering Alpha courses, the Bible Course and Confirmation classes. He helped us to make better connections with our community, even taking a turn

more than once in the stocks at the May Market!

He led Worship from home during Covid by

recording the services in his living room, led services for our community like Remembrance Day at the War memorial and the Light and Hope service for those who had lost someone, and even led our annual Carols in the Pub event wearing a Santa shirt and fairy lights as a tie! These were over and above all of the "usual" services that we have each month and all of the work that he did as both Vicar and Area Dean.

He helped build the connections with our school and the Download festival, and helped us to create teams to share the load and to learn from each other in many ways.

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At the end of September, Andrew and Lois moved to Grimsby. His licensing at Grimsby Minster was held on November 6[th] and a good number of people from St Edward’s Church were able to go along to support him and Lois. We are deeply grateful to Andrew and Lois for everything that they have given us. We miss them and will continue to pray for them in their new ministry.

Commissioning of Local Lay Worship Leaders

On Sunday 17[th]

Oaten, Liz Mandeville,Val Ellett, Ann Newton, April Sly and Angela Parkes.Some have been trained to lead “Services of the Word” (non-communion services) at St Edward’s, leading Morning Worship services during the week. Others are experienced in Breakfast Church and Collective Worship services in our church for our Church of England Primary School. Please continue to pray for the work that they do as they grow and flourish in this area of God’s calling for them and our church. We are very thankful for the hard work and preparation that goes into all of the services that they lead.

Engaging with our new Minster Community

As we started to build relationships with other parishes in our Minster Community, we wanted to begin to get to know others with whom we will be working with as time goes on.

We created “Light Jars” to give out to each parish in the new Minster Community , a total of 18 in all. This was done as a craft activity at one of our Breakfast Church gatherings early in the year. These were glass jars in which we put prayers that we had written for those parishes, and a set of fairy lights to light up the jars.

Over the course of the next few months, volunteers from St Edwards, led by our Associate Minister, Catherine Stray, visited each of the parishes and gave them a light jar from us

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Our Worshipping Life

One of the ways we grow in faith is through worship and prayer. But worship and prayer are not just for the benefit of those who come to church – we are called to pray for our community, our nation and the world. And in so doing, to make Jesus known in word and action.

Our pattern of worship changed in 2025 as Rev Andrew moved on to his new parish and the PCC voted to hold a joint benefice service of Holy Communion with St Nicholas Lockington when there was a fifth Sunday in the month - i.e. 4 times per year.

Breakfast Church

Breakfast Church continues to be very popular, especially with families, and is a great way to invite people to put their toe in the door of what it means to be part of the family of God. It is also a fantastic opportunity to actively participate in and experience what it means to be part of a diverse family of people, whether cooking in the kitchen, serving at table or enjoying good company and excellent food.

Up until end September, Sunday service times were at 8.30am for BCP Holy Communion and 10.30am with a varied pattern as follows:

1[st] Sunday 8.30 Holy Communion and 10.30 Breakfast Church, a 40-minute intergenerational service for all the family, including craft, stories, activities, songs and conversation. 2[nd] Sunday 8.30 and 10.30 Holy Communion 3[rd] Sunday Morning Worship (with Baptisms) 4[th] Sunday 8.30 and 10.30 Holy Communion 5[th] Sunday Joint Benefice Holy Communion

After Rev Andrew moved end September we altered the pattern of worship to the following: 1[st] Sunday 8.30 Holy Communion and 10.30 Breakfast Church

2[nd] Sunday 10.30 Holy Communion. 3[rd] Sunday 8.30 Holy Communion and 10.30 Morning Worship (with Baptisms). 4[th] Sunday 10.30 Holy Communion. 5[th] Sunday Joint Benefice Holy Communion

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Worship at the 10.30am services is supported by the Music Group. They are part of the team preparing and leading the worship, bringing a range of hymns and songs together each week, including introducing a few new ones along the way.

Apart from Breakfast Church and Morning Worship, most Sunday services were held in the church. However, during the winter months, with no heating in the church for the fourth year running, all our services were held in the church hall where it was warm.

A midweek Communion Service is offered on a Wednesday at 10.00am.

Holy Communion was taken to unwell people in their homes on request and at times convenient to them.

We continued to meet on the fourth Sunday of the month in the afternoon to worship, pray and listen to God as we journeyed towards the formation of Minster Communities in the Shaped By God Together process. The invitation was extended to all the churches in Minster Community 2A, and gradually more people have joined in. As the Minster Community process continued with the distribution of the report from the Coordinating group out to the various PCCs across the area, and with the impending interregnum, it was decided to pause the Rooted gathering and restart in 2026.

Special Services

Special services during the year included: Mothering Sunday where daffodils were given to children to give to their parents/carers; Good Friday where an interactive retelling of the Easter story through six “Experience Easter” stations was set out in the church; Easter celebrations that began outside in the churchyard, Harvest, the annual Light & Hope Bereavement Service, and Christmas, including over 300 people at the Crib Service, Carols in the Pub, and Carols in the Market Place.

Easter Day

It was a fantastic celebration that began in the churchyard with the lighting of the Easter candle. We then processed into church singing “Thine be the glory” until everyone was seated. During the service, baptismal vows were renewed.

Harvest

Donations of tinned and dry food products were once again collected to support the Castle Donington Foodbank, along with Foxbridge and St Edward’s schools.

This year, our Harvest Appeal went to support the work of Unicef as they feed and care for thousands of displaced and orphaned children in Gaza. £281.00 was generously donated.

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Remembrance Sunday

The village came together at the War Memorial on the morning of Remembrance Sunday to commemorate and give thanks for those who have given their life in service to our nation. That evening in St Edward’s Church, we had our annual Light & Hope Bereavement Service in partnership with the Royal British Legion.

Carols in the Pub

A highlight as we approached the end of the year was to be invited again to host “Carols in the Pub” at The Castle Inn. It was a wonderful way to share the Christmas story in the heart of the community. Children had the

opportunity to make Christingles.

Crib Service

Once again, on Christmas Eve the church was full to bursting at the 3pm Crib service, with children and families, to hear and re-enact the Christmas story which involved glow sticks, carols and lots of processions around the church. Little Sunbeams took part this year bringing some tiny angels delivering messages from God.

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Carols in the Market Place at 6pm on Christmas Eve with the Salvation Army Band was led by the ministers of the Churches Together in Donington.

LIFE EVENTS

It is an enormous privilege to be present and alongside people as they cross significant thresholds in life, whether the birth of a child, a baptism, a wedding or a funeral.

Funerals

During the year, there were 21 funerals, 14 of which were in the Church and 7 at Crematoria, with 2 interments of ashes.

In November we held our annual Light and Hope Bereavement Service , a special candlelit service where we remembered all who had died in the previous year. As this service takes place on Remembrance Sunday, we also remembered those who had laid down their lives in service to our nation in two World Wars by calling the British Legion Roll of Honour.

In the week before Christmas, the Church was opened for people to come and light a candle in memory of a loved one.

Baptisms

There were eleven Baptisms at St Edward’s in 2025, three of which were adult Baptisms.

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Confirmations

A Deanery Confirmation service was held in May at Holy Trinity, Barrow on Soar, where Zoe from St Edward’s was confirmed by Bishop Saju. Clare Higgins from St Nicholas, Lockington, was baptised and confirmed with Zoe. April Sly re-affirmed her confirmation promises.

A further Confirmation service was held at St Edward’s in August where Sarah and Natalie were also confirmed by Bishop Saju.

Weddings

There was one wedding in St Edward’s Church in 2025:

Katie Annice Blundell Cooper and Alexander Robert Mazzilli

ENGAGEMENT & PARTICIPATION

Integral to our collective life together is participation as the body of Christ. We do things together. And we do things in partnership with others. To facilitate our doing things together, seven Action Groups function as a way of organising and shaping our mission and ministry so that we work as teams – four of them report below.

Action Groups

Welcome & Hospitality Action Group

The Welcome and Hospitality Action has 10 volunteers and is coordinated by Jacky Oaten. The volunteers provide a welcome and serve refreshments to those visiting St Edward’s for church services or social events.

During 2025, the team have provided refreshments for the following events: May Market, Community Garden Party in June, Benefice Baptism and Confirmation Services with special cakes in August, a September visit from U3a Parish Churches Interest Group, Revd. Andrew Race’s Farewell Service also in September with special cake; Remembrance Light & Hope Service and the Festival of Angels weekend, both in November.

We continue to serve refreshments after the Sunday 10.30am and the 10am Wednesday services due to a small team who generously give their time week after week. Thank you, ladies! We would welcome more helpers on the rota!

The regular team greatly appreciates the volunteers who offer their assistance for the large events. Help is especially welcome when the refreshments are being served in church as it involves

transporting tables and equipment over to the church from the church hall and back again after the event. We are very grateful to all the people who generously provide food and those who assist our regular team with serving the

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refreshments at these events, which can be very busy; we couldn’t do it without your help! Thanks to you all!

The Royal British Legion generously provides the food for the tea after the annual Light & Hope Service every year and they have been thanked on behalf of the PCC. We purchased the food for Revd Andrew’s Farewell Service from Tyler’s take-away and they were kind enough to prepare and deliver the food to us on the Sunday morning when they would not normally work. They were also thanked on behalf of the PCC. The food was very good, and we would recommend that we use them again for events where a lot of food will be required. Thanks to Angela Parkes for sourcing the three special cakes!

Jacky Oaten Val Ellett Welcome & Hospitality Action Group Coordinator Assistant Group Coordinator

Discipleship & Worship and Intergenerational Communities Action Group

The Worship and Discipleship group is now integrated within the Intergenerational Worship group, but the Clergy and the Associate Minister continue to look after our pattern of weekly services and any ‘once a year’ main services like Christmas and Easter, including sourcing Priests to preside at services of Holy Communion when we are unable to fulfil our rota from our own staff. Worship patterns have changed a little after Rev Andrew left but we continue to offer different styles of worship each week to suit our different congregations.

Bible Course – we held the Bible Course this year starting in late January for eight weeks to help us increase our confidence and equip us to be able to read the Bible better and help us to understand its relevance to our daily lives. It was a very well attended course.

Our Breakfast and Breakfast Church keep on helping us to link our community and fellowship together around the table with great breakfasts, fun activities, conversation, singing (including occasional actions songs!), Bible stories and prayers!

Rooted – our prayer and worship gathering - continued throughout the year where we continue to pray together to seek where God might be leading us or what he might be saying to us, to each other, our proposed Minster Community and to the church. It took a break from Sept 2025 for a few months, but it has now restarted as we feel this is such an important time that we have together.

Our weekly life group started in 2024 and continues to meet on a Wednesday night in a local home. We have looked at several themes including a deep dive into the Lord’s Prayer, a series on the Holy Spirit and a six week Lent course based on the film Les Miserables. The group is attended by 10 people who are able to come as family and work commitments allow.

The Intergenerational team met seven times during 2025 to discuss Collective Worship for St Edward’s School, as well as communication with the other schools in the village. They planned the Pancake Party, Experience Easter, the Year 6 Pilgrimage and helped with the planning of May Day celebrations, the summer Garden Party and the Festival of Angels. Uptake for Experience Christmas was low so it was decided this year to postpone with a note to contact schools by phone next year. The team works very hard to encourage and provide for the children and young people within the school, church and community.

Making Connections Action Group

The Making Connections Action Group seeks to plan and organize events that connect the church community

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with the wider community, with the primary focus of being in the community not the church.

We participated in the annual village May Day celebrations, opening the church and serving refreshments.

As part of our desire to upgrade and develop the building to be a resource for the community, we put together a programme of events to engage with the village including a very successful quiz night, family disco and film nights. Great fun was had by all.

Our main community event was a Garden party in June, with children’s games, bouncy castle , BBQ, and entertainment both in the Church and the Church grounds. We were entertained by the Rolls Royce Brass Band and the Rolls Royce Ladies Choir, and Jane Ford, a local Concert pianist. There was a tea

time family disco followed by an 80’s disco in the church hall. Refreshments were served throughout and the church provided a place of cool on a very hot day.

The group is very grateful for the support from the Intergenerational Communities and Welcome & Hospitality Action Groups and many other willing volunteers in order to make these events happen.

Maria Laxton Making Connections Action Group Coordinator

Ecumenical Partnerships

Our ecumenical partners include the Methodists, Baptists, the Castle Donington Community Church and the Roman Catholic Church.

As “Churches Together in Donington” we have blessed the community and local businesses on Borough Street with free hot cross buns on Good Friday, run the Chaplaincy Team at the Download Festival, led the annual town Act of Remembrance and hosted Carols in the Market Place on Christmas Eve in the company of the Salvation Army Band.

The Download Festival in June absorbs a considerable amount of time in the planning and preparation, not least because this year we adopted the Church of England Safer Recruitment process to select chaplains. Attended by over 80,000 festival goers, the 60-strong chaplaincy team was blessed with some remarkable conversations and many opportunities to pray with people.

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St Edward’s Church of England Primary School

Our school vision is based on Galatians 5:22 – But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Our vision is to be fruitful in all that we do.

We continue to work closely with St Edward’s church, especially now through the fantastic intergenerational team while we are interregnum. April Sly is a fantastic support as our foundation governor and also our chair of governors.

We are also very grateful to the many volunteers from church who give up their time to support us. Sue Forshaw visits weekly to listen to our children read and Shirley Swanepoel has been a great support in RE lessons and supporting Collective Worship. There are also a number of helpers who welcome us to Collective Worship at church and help us to cross the roads safely – thank you for this.

We continue to hold daily Collective Worship in school throughout the past year and particularly enjoy our whole school monthly visits to church for Collective Worship. Last Easter we celebrated Easter in church and invited parents to join us. We also celebrated Harvest and Christmas with parents in church. We held a lovely Prayer Space during Advent that our Collective Worship Leaders ran.

At the end of the last academic year, our Year 6 leavers enjoyed a special Year 6 pilgrimage in the local area, reflecting on their time at school and making plans for the future. Thanks to Rev’d Andrew and the intergenerational team who organised this. We also held a Leavers’ service in church for our Year 6s and presented them all with a Youth Bible bought by the church as they moved onto Secondary School. These were lovely gifts for the children.

Shirley Swanepoel and Sue Forshaw have visited school to support our RE lessons in years 3 and 6. It has been lovely for the children to ask questions about Christianity and they gave them lots to think about.

We try to post our visits on our school Facebook and Instagram pages to engage the local community too. Do follow us and share with friends. www.facebook.com/StEdwardsCEPrimarySchool www.instagram.com/stedwards.ce.primaryschool

We work closely with Leicestershire Diocese who are very grateful for the support St Edward’s Church gives us.

Thank you to everyone who has supported the school over the past year. It is lovely to work in partnership with you. Your time and prayers are very much appreciated.

Rachel Lacey, Headteacher

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Book & Jumble Sale

The monthly jumble sale continues to be well supported with the addition of a few new volunteers helping to raise the sum of over £2,000 and also gave a donation of £211.50 to the Castle Donington Community Library.

Delia Astle-Haigh

Responding to Need

At the heart of the Christian faith is an imperative to respond to those who are in need in whatever way - to quote the Prophet Isaiah, “to clothe the naked and to feed the hungry.” One of the deeply embedded and inspiring qualities of our worshipping community is the generosity afforded when appeals are made. People in our nation and around the world can find themselves in crisis out of no fault of their own. In 2025, we had four appeals:

Castle Donington Branch of the Long Eaton and Sawley Foodbank

The foodbank continues to be busy with numbers slightly increasing from last year with 157 referrals to date with a month still to go. Regular donations have continued to drop however we are very grateful for St Edward’s Church which provides a large annual donation to the local foodbank - 120kg. It was extremely busy over the Christmas period with both clients and events. Thanks goes to Richard Stroud who coordinated a collection in conjunction with the Parish Council which brought in 470kg of supplies, with many local people supported.

St Anne’s Room and the Church Office continue to be useful as it is easily accessible to local people, being in the centre of the village. Thank you for the continuing support.

Rona Gidlow, Branch Manager Long Eaton and Sawley Foodbank, Castle Donington Branch

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GOVERNANCE, FINANCE AND FABRIC

Church of St Edward King & Martyr

in the Benefice of

Castle Donington with Lockington-cum-Hemington

Statutory Reports and Accounts for the Annual Parochial Church Meeting for the year ended 31[st] December 2025

Incumbent

Reverend Andrew Race Vicar of the Benefice from 5[th] February 2019 to 28th September 2025 Colin Resch, Area Dean for Akeley East Deanery

Churchwardens

Mrs Linda Jacqueline Oaten, elected 11[th] May 2025 for a first term

Independent Examiner

Mr Colin Wood 16 Wordsworth Road Loughborough Leicestershire

Honorary Treasurer

Mrs Angela Parkes

Banks

The Co-Operative Bank CCLA- CBF Church of England Fund accounts.

Honorary Secretary

Mrs Maria Laxton

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Aims and Purposes of the PCC Trustees

When planning our activities over the year, we have considered the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit and, in particular, the supplementary guidance on charities for the advancement of religion. This planning, along with the pastoral implications, has evolved through the year.

St Edward’s Parochial Church Council (PCC) has the responsibility of co-operating with the Incumbent (Vicar) in promoting in the ecclesiastical parish, the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. The PCC is also specifically responsible for the maintenance of the Church and Church Hall.

Churchwarden’s Fabric Report 1[st] January 2025 – 31[st] December 2025

The Church of St Edward King and Martyr is a Grade II* Listed Building with a history of approximately 900 years. It was placed on the Heritage at Risk Register by Historic England in 2020 because of the theft of lead from the South Aisle roof in 2019. The final Completion Certificate for the re-roofing work was received in January 2022. The Church currently remains on the Heritage at Risk Register.

Together with the Parish Priest, Churchwardens are generally responsible for the day-to-day functioning of a parish. Today the role is very varied, but generally involves matters to do with the Fabric of the Church; governance, worship and all aspects of our Church Hall.

The Churchwardens are required to provide the annual Fabric Report under Section 50 of the Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction and Care and Care of Churches Measure 2018. This Report details the practical improvements plus progress of work relating to the Church and Hall carried out during 2025. Work undertaken is subject to approvals from the PCC and/or required by the Diocesan Advisory Committee for the Care of Churches.

Churchwarden for the year has been Jacky Oaten (elected in May 2025 and co-opted into the Parochial Church Council (PCC) with Elizabeth Mandeville as Churchwarden Emeritus. Assistant Churchwardens have been Val Ellett and Richard Laxton who are also on the PCC. We are very grateful to them for their dedication, help and support.

The Churchwardens have worked to:

Details of work undertaken in the Church and Hall are listed in the Church Logbook. The Churchwarden is required to prepare a Report for meetings of the PCC. Matters relating to the Church and Hall have been considered at meetings of the PCC Standing Committee and the main PCC throughout the year.

Fabric items

It has been important to balance the preservation of the fabric of the Church of St Edward King & Martyr, and at the same time respond to the legal requirements placed on a public building.

A Fabric Working Party has met as required to respond to the challenges we face. Key priorities relating to the Church fabric during 2025 have included:

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Church Hall

The Church Hall is an integral part of the life of the Church, and has to be managed in compliance with the Charity Commissioners’ definition of public benefit. The Hall was awarded a 5-star rating by the NWLDC Environment Department in 2021, and this rating is still current. We have a team of volunteers who are qualified in level 2 or Level 3 Food Hygiene provision. It is a welcoming building for all to enjoy following the extensive modernisation undertaken in 2020. A Hall Hire Agreement is in place for all who wish to hire the premises.

Risk Assessments and Policies

Our Risk Assessments and Policies are reviewed, and updated as required, by the PCC every January, as follows:

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Health & Safety and Maintenance Tests

We are required by law to carry out inspections and keep a record of the outcomes. The tests are:

Supporting Church Services

On 28/9/25 Revd Andrew Race conducted his last church service before transferring to his new parish in Grimsby. Since his departure it has been necessary to review our service provision. We are pleased to report that we are still able to provide a service of Holy Communion weekly and have been able to continue to hold services for all sectors of the community as in previous years. Grateful thanks to Bishop Peter, Rev Sue Forshaw and our Associate Minister Catherine Stray. We are also grateful for the help of visiting clergy where required.

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There have been Duty Wardens present at Services on Sundays during the year and at special Services, e.g. the Annual Light and Hope Service, Christmas and Easter Services. It has been a privilege to welcome people to our Services. Thanks to all who help and thanks to those who kindly provide refreshments at the end of our Services. Thanks to all who support our monthly Breakfast Service.

The Churchyard

The Churchyard is closed by Statute, the responsibility for its care and maintenance rests with Castle Donington Parish Council (CDPC) with whom we have a good and close working relationship.

The grass is mowed by an external contractor every two weeks between March and October. CDPC kindly keep the church path to Borough Street clear and the yew trees on the same approach to Borough Street are regularly trimmed. The Churchyard is kept very neat and tidy. In addition to usual maintenance, work is being done on tidying the edges of the gravestones to make them more visible. Permission has been granted by the Archdeacon for repairs to the churchyard walls and entrance arch to Borough Street and this work had been scheduled for 2026.

CDPC also kindly provide an annual grant towards the costs of external floodlighting, and the servicing and maintenance of the church clock, a key feature in the life of the village. The Churchyard is well maintained and welcoming to all who visit.

Jacky Oaten Churchwarden

Treasurer’s Financial Report 1[st] January 2025 – 31[st] December 2025

A huge thank you to all who have contributed so generously to our Church’s upkeep and mission this year; either through the Parish Giving Scheme, church envelopes, online giving or the good old-fashioned plate! However you chose to give, we are grateful as our Church is entirely funded by your weekly or monthly gifts.

We now hold a savings account with the Churches, Charities and Local Authorities (CCLA) in addition to our bank account with the Cooperative Bank. The investment with CCLA generates interest adding to our funds.

Income

During the financial year, to 31 December 2025, the total income was £137,148 compared to £112,464 in the previous year. £3200 of the 2025 income was received in grant awards. We are grateful to Castle Donington Parish Council for £600, Love Castle Donington for £100 and to the Yorkshire Building Society for £2500 awarded towards running our Warm Space.

We continue to raise money for our church heating and a further £31,018 was generated enabling us to currently hold £75,280 in our repair fund. A further £10,000 was awarded by East Midlands Airport as a grant, which can be claimed once installed. We are extremely grateful to the airport for their support. We are about to apply to the National Lotteries Heritage Fund for a grant to help with the costs of the heating and to further scope for money for repairs and improvements in the future. This has been a lengthy, and very time-consuming piece of work for the PCC, who have worked alongside two professional fundraisers: Mrs Philippa Ouvry-Johns and Ms Vicki Thompson. It is to be hoped that in the near future our efforts will be successful.

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The Church Hall forms part of the Church and generates income through lettings to other organisations and clubs. The fees charged help us to offset some of the running costs and repairs. This year the hall generated an income of £10, 943 whilst expenditure amounted to £11,935. We must also add our thanks to the Jumble Sale team, as their fundraising supports the hall.

As a Church, we also collected money for charities, and your generosity enabled us to make the following donations this financial year:

Charity jumble sale: Castle Donington Community Library £211.50 Harvest: UNICEF - Gaza Appeal £281 Shoeboxes: Teams 4 You £82.88 Christmas Appeal: Forever Angels £360 and Bundles of Hope £360.

Amazing, thank you.

Expenditure

Expenditure amounted to £101,089 compared to £97,233 in the previous year. In 2025, we paid a total of £38,750 to the Leicester Diocesan Board of Finance (LDBF) for our Parish Contribution This year, we have reduced our commitment to £30, 000 as this seemed a realistic amount, bearing in mind we have lost our Vicar, and our regular monthly giving has fallen. It is now estimated that the cost of a Vicar in a parish is around £66, 500 and we, therefore, still fall short of what the Diocese would hope for, should it be possible to have a Vicar.

The Church itself cost £17,111 to run compared to £14,678 in the previous year. This figure includes heating, lighting, water, insurance, equipment, resources for services and children’s activities together, with administration costs. As we have no heating in Church, and we do not use it in the winter, our energy costs remain relatively low at £1,485. However, once a new system is installed, and the Church used all year, we will pay significantly more.

We continue to employ two members of staff; a hall cleaner and an administrator and pay them through the PAYE scheme. We are enrolled with the NEST pension scheme and pay employer’s contributions.

Observations/Concerns

The year ended with a balance of £151,748 in the bank, compared with £115,689 last year. Much of the balance, as previously stated, is earmarked for our heating installation but we also have essential drainage work due to take place later this year. The work will cost around £16,000. We obtained a Minor Improvement Grant of £5000 from the Diocese, which will be paid on completion of the work. In addition, we were left a generous legacy of £14,955 from the estate of the late Mr Geoff Boardman, giving us a budget of £20,000. We hold some trepidation, as some of this work is exploratory and it could lead to further works and expenses, but without the groundwork, we cannot ascertain the full extent of the issues or costs.

As a Church we must continue to budget wisely and to enable our church to remain financially secure, whilst making essential repairs. It is hoped that we have a successful NLHF grant awarded to further improve our finances.

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As we move towards Minster Communities, there is some uncertainty as to what the future of our Church may look like as a worshipping body, together with any effects on the finances of our parish. We know we are unlikely to have our own Vicar again. But I am sure that God has a plan.

It is essential that we continue in our mission and outreach, raising our profile further in the community and in sharing our love of Jesus. For, what use is a much-improved church, with heating, without people using it or worshipping in it?

Love and prayers and thank you for all financial gifts - your money keeps us open and running day to day.

Angela Parkes, Treasurer

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St Edward King & Martyrthur(￿ Financial Statementfor Year End 31 December 2025 St EdwardKit¥ & MartTrT-cast￿ Doniryton Recelpts & Payrnents UnrewirtedFundJ s￿r￿al Chvrch Lwa•sW&D Wwrn Admin (knrth Enda¥N TKh thild B•ll TOTAL Fur￿ 5weSdFW￿F•brk Ri•)f Fund Fund Fw ZOZ5 Tot•1 ZOZ4 R•c•pts. ￿lUrrt FlannedGlvlng Collecti￿Sat servKe5 l other g￿lr¥I￿lU￿aryr￿dI GiftAid Rec￿ErEd sub total 37668 37n 2475 40264 4140 42792 14327 101523 419 45 27573 29 31018 112 16744 350 13 53193 A￿¥￿11fOrf￿smrI￿￿ Fuftdè Grants Churth 3200 14789 14955 2681 35 1>7U8 U24 1(84a 1419 2267 14955 Statutory Fees Totsl Reuipts 4ffjn 4ts1 16144 61 hyM￿ts Parish Contrib￿knn ergy and 5tsff costs Church runn￿$ expenses Hall wnningcosrs MI551(￿ andBiwns thnations Churth Repalr5 Costaf Benerated lund5 Governan￿ co￿5 Totsl Paym• 38750 38750 16269 17111 9283 8472 169 146 ll95 871 9283 95 65 J9a3 1045 725 2312 8709 183 lo1￿9 125 a61 183 5tt27 Its35 5494 11748 725 95 1916 972 .ty87 .3477 -992 3456 36924 -1363 46 -72S 72 .156S Y6659 152 Transfer between funds St E4￿4rd & Mirtyr Donington R¢￿Pt &Paym4nt G4n•tsl (hurth R•MtW• Lyl•s￿m&D Warn? T•th third B•ll VklhtTotaT li)fAL Fund fun Fund Sp•Le S•lFwNFabri¢ kwf F￿d W Fund Fund 2025 2024 ¢•th in b•nk lJ4n 2025 In hnk31D•e 1125 30593 25129 3671 17873 t￿6 17873 38355 4329 1110 1895 4274 2￿ 4862 1157 5070 115689 752J ￿56 lir• 4174 25)J 5934 lJ57 39)4 251748 BankAttounts- CO-OP crèunt nurrknr 67231796 CcLA¥iny•￿oUnt numkor CB IiW76 Ye4r erd JI De(ember20Z5 unre#rfrtedfvndstots1£127.4Lbl.lth re•trk*￿1Unth of£Z4y4 Nc¢es Th2hnancial 5tstEmefitsofthe PCChavebeEn we￿1 inaCcar&r￿￿ith Ihe ChwthknUM￿in￿Re8datKjn5Dtx U5Ingthe re￿IPtS and paymeTris ba￿% M & D lit￿R•Pl1ra. AParkesTrea5wer ta StEdward'5PCQ Casde DDnirryiL 29Jaw 2WL6 34

31f12fth25 31M2r2w24 Cash14&nkthd 151,747 117,11901 151.747.60 117,119.04 1,43) 19 1,430.19 151.747 I15￿￿5 151,747A) I15￿￿5 151,747AI 115N825 25,128A8 ,W2.78 8.CthA8 17,872J)J 75279.10 3.0ffi61 3,￿2.[ 17,872.81 38,355.( 4,￿ &8 1,1CIa, 1,157.27 4,&1. 1,￿.18 1,15727 SJ33.70 1,1￿52 Z5D)D) Restrl(*d. F#xthJTrJ 35(A22 5,W,82 4274.13 4274.13 151,747AI 115,6B835 14 2Y￿ 11..35 an) Pap l of1

Independent Examiner's Report CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examinerfs Report Report to the trusteesl members of Sl Edwards Church. Castle Donington Le On accounts for the year ended 31 December 2025 Charity no 1210731 (If any) Sot out on pag08 jtremter lo w￿." de i pa9e strÈis! I reFK)rt to the trustees on my exarnination of the accounts of the #tove chartty {-the Tnjst") f￿ the year ended 31112r2025 Responsibllities and basis of r•port As the chariws trustees. a￿ responsible for the preparab'on of the acc¢)Jnts in accordan￿ with the requirements of the Charllies Act 2011 Ilh8 Act"}. l ￿P)rt in resFEd of my examinatirrt crf the Trust's accounts ￿TrIed out under section 145 of the 2011 Acl and in carrying out my examination, I have fdlowed all Ihe apFdicable DirecADns given by the Charity Cc*nmission under Secti(￿ 14515llbl of the Act. Independenl •xamlnor's slatement I have ttJmplel8d my examination. I confirm that no maleiial mattér8 hav to my atten￿n In conrEGb"on Ihe examination I have no C(￿CeM$ and hava c(xne across no other matters in connection with Ihe examination lo which attentKJn should be drawn in this report in ot(ler io enab￿ a Proper understan(Ing of Ihe ac(x)unts lo be reached. Data: 4l￿. March 2026 Signed- Name: Colin Vvood Relevanl professional qualrficationls) or body Irf any): Member of the AsSOCHt1￿ of A￿AxI￿lIng Tethnicia Addre8b: 16 Wordsworth Rd Loughborough Lacestershire LEI 14LQ IER Oct 2018 36

Structure, Governance and Management

Since 2024 St Edward’s has become a Registered Charity, Charity Number 1210731, and as such St Edward’s charitable purposes must demonstrate public benefit.

PCC Members are Charity Trustees. They must be able to evidence good governance by having robust systems and processes in place to ensure the overall direction, effectiveness, supervision and accountability of the Charity. The PCC also has to follow the Parochial Church Councils (Powers) Measure 1956 and the Church Representation Rules 2020. All PCC members are required to complete a Trustee Eligibility Declaration and an HMRC Fit and Proper Persons Declaration, and complete Safeguarding training.

The PCC consists of the Incumbent, Churchwardens, Deanery Synod representatives and members elected by the Parishioners who are on the Church Electoral Roll. All those who attend Public Worship regularly are encouraged to register on the Electoral Roll and to stand for election to the PCC.

PCC members are responsible for making decisions on all matters of general concern and importance to the Parish including deciding on how the funds of the PCC are to be spent. New members receive initial training into the workings of the PCC.

Our PCC fulfils its charitable purposes through seven Action Groups: Finance & Fabric (which acts as the Standing Committee), Discipleship & Worship, Intergenerational Communities, Making Connections, Welcome & Hospitality, Pastoral Care & Visiting and Governance. Each Action Group is responsible to the PCC and reports to it via Action Group minutes which detail the Group’s “actions” and also “decisions required by the PCC”.

Safeguarding

The PCC has complied with the duty under Section 5 of the Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure 2016 (duty to have due regard to the House of Bishops’ Guidance on safeguarding children and vulnerable adults).

We would like to place on record our thanks to our Safeguarding Officer and Lead Recruiter/DBS Administrator, April Sly, for her dedication to ensuring that the processes in place for the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults in our Benefice are in place and comply with National Safeguarding standards, requirements and best practice, and for regularly updating the Safeguarding Dashboard.

Reporting of all “Safeguarding Serious Incidents” must by law be reported by PCCs to the Charity Commission in addition to the Diocese. Safeguarding Serious Incidents have been delegated to a small sub-group of Trustees – Incumbent, Safeguarding Co-ordinator and Churchwardens.

“Non-Safeguarding Serious Incidents” have been delegated to a separate sub-group of Trustees – Incumbent, Churchwardens, PCC Treasurer and PCC Secretary. These resolutions were reviewed and unanimously accepted by the PCC.

The church website contains a Safeguarding statement, as required by the House of Bishops.

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Safeguarding Culture

The Church of England is called to share the good news of God’s salvation through Jesus Christ. The good news speaks of a welcome to all, with a particular regard for those who are most vulnerable. Being faithful to the gospel therefore compels us to take up the challenge of preventing abuse from happening and responding well where it has.

The PCC has adopted the Church of England ‘Promoting a Safer Church’ Safeguarding Policy of 2017. The policy is supplemented by the safeguarding e-manual which is updated regularly. This e-manual is the ‘first port of call’ for current actionable procedures rather than the 2017 document alone.

The Benefice Policy was updated, presented to and adopted by the PCC on 28th January 2025. Each member of the PCC signed the Policy to confirm that they had read it.

Safeguarding Coordinators

April Sly, Parish Safeguarding Officer (PSO) and Lead Recruiter/DBS Administrator. Safeguarding Telephone Number: 07783 089262. PSO Telephone Number: 07702 758453.

The Independent Person and Children’s Advocate, appointed by the PCC, to whom children or adults can contact about worries or concerns is Julie Logan on 01332 810756.

Church Groups

The following activities with children and young people under the age of eighteen are run under the auspices of the PCC. Children in both groups attend with their parent/carer. A risk assessment is completed for each group.

Group Little Sunbeam Club

Location Leader Church Hall April Sly Zoe Musgrove Emma Crofts

Warm Welcome Space runs on a Friday in the Church Hall from 10am to 2pm. Vulnerable adults may attend. A risk assessment is completed.

Warm Welcome Space

Church Hall Shirley Swanepoel Lois Race (to end of Sep ’25)

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Safeguarding Notice Boards

Posters with updated contact details and updated copies of the Church of England policy document ‘Promoting a Safer Church’ are displayed in the Church Hall and the church. Safe Spaces, Childline and domestic abuse posters are continually updated and displayed on noticeboards and in discrete places, such as the back of toilet doors. An updated copy of our Parish Safeguarding Policy is available for perusal on request. A noticeboard is on display in church showing a photograph of all PCC members.

First Aid

The following people have Emergency First Aid at Work training: Richard Laxton, Richard Stroud, Angela Parkes, Shirley Swanepoel. This was completed in April 2024 and will run until April 2027. Additionally the following people have a Paediatric First Aid certificate: Zoe Musgrove (2024), April Sly (2023). These certificates run for 3 years.

Training

Safeguarding training and DBS checks continue to be ongoing. Most training still takes place online but face-to-face training is also now offered.

All PCC members, churchwardens and volunteer group leaders are required to undertake Basic Awareness and Foundation training. Raising Awareness of Domestic Abuse training is no longer mandatory but it is encouraged. Online courses have been updated recently. Certificates are issued at the end of each course and are valid for 3 years. The PSO continually monitors the dates of DBS and training certification and sends reminders out to those needing to be updated. The Safeguarding Action Plan, available through the Diocesan Safeguarding Dashboard, is continually monitored and updated and an Action Summary produced for each PCC meeting, showing outstanding actions.

Lockington PCC

Lockington Church was opened up again in 2024. There are 6 PCC members, all of whom have undertaken their safeguarding training and acquired their DBS certificates.

Safeguarding Dashboards

The Diocese has updated the safeguarding dashboard to include the 5 Safeguarding Standards. This upgrade is to help clergy and PCCs evaluate the progress our parish has made towards these standards. A recommended 3-year cycle for implementing and reviewing the Safeguarding Standards is in place.

April Sly Parish Safeguarding Officer

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Deanery Synod Report

The first meeting of 2025, held on 12th February 2025 at St Edward’s Church Castle Donington was attended by Revd Andrew Race, Area Dean, and Jacky Oaten, Deanery Synod Representative. The main focus of the evening was Intergenerational Worshipping Communities. Kat Marjoribanks, Curate of Emmanuel Church Loughborough, described a trip taken by a small group from Emmanuel Church to Tanzania. This fascinating talk, illustrated with slides and video clips, was followed by questions and comments from the floor. A Shaped by God Together update then followed, with comments and questions invited from the floor. The Diocesan Synod Report concerned Safeguarding and the Diocesan financial situation. Comments were invited from the floor.

The second meeting of the year was held on 19th June 2025 at St Peter and St Paul’s Church Hathern. The focus of the meeting was Net Zero and Eco Communities and was to have been led by Aidan Clarke, Diocesan Net Carbon Manager, but, unfortunately, he was unable to attend due to illness. Instead, Synod members were invited to chat with neighbours about how their own church had approached becoming an Echo Church, then John Dodson reconvened the meeting, inviting members to share their experiences with the group as a whole. Many good ideas and differing strategies were mentioned. Shaped by God Together, the following item on the agenda raised no questions. The Diocesan Synod Report featured the Annual Report and Accounts from the Diocesan Board of Finance, Safeguarding, and the importance of Intergenerational Outreach.

The final meeting of 2025 was held on Tuesday 7th October at St Bartholomew's Church, Quorn and was attended by Jacky Oaten and Catherine Stray (visitor). The focus of the meeting was Leicester Cathedral. Dean Karen Rooms invited questions from the floor which she answered very informatively. Synod members were keen to know what the Cathedral is like now that renovations are complete, how the Cathedral balances being a place of worship with being a centre for tourism, how volunteers are recruited and equipped, how the relationship between the Cathedral and the Diocese worked and how the Cathedral worked with its city neighbours in mission. The session ended with synod members asking what large churches could learn from the Cathedral and how members could pray for the Cathedral.

At this meeting it was announced that the Area Dean of Akeley East Deanery Synod, Revd Andrew Race, having been appointed Vicar of Grimsby Minster has transferred to the Diocese of Lincoln, and that John Dodson, Lay Chair of Akeley East Deanery Synod has stepped down with immediate effect. Elections for a new Area Dean and Lay Chair will take place early in 2026. Our parish is allowed two Deanery Synod Reps and nominations will take place in 2026. All parishioners are entitled to attend Deanery Synod Meetings as visitors.

Jacky Oaten Deanery Synod Representative

Parish Administration

The Parish Office is located on the right-hand side of the St Anne’s Room in the Church Hall and is equipped with a computer, printer, telephone and broadband. The PCC employs an Administrator, Mrs Ruth Salt, who makes a significant contribution to the

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communication and administration of the Parish. The office was reconfigured during 2024 to accommodate a second workspace for those doing parish-related work.

Electoral Roll

Throughout 2024, the Electoral Roll remained at about 79 people. For the purposes of the 2025 Annual Parochial Church Meeting, in a year when the Roll has been dissolved and a completely new one formed, the number on the Electoral Roll currently stands at 53. Nine new people have joined the Roll, while 35 people have not yet re-applied.

Policies

During 2025 the PCC reviewed the following Benefice Policies:

The Benefice Safeguarding Policy Lone Working Policy The Health & Safety Policy Fire Evacuation procedure Bullying & Harassment Policy Privacy Policy.

PCC Secretary’s Report

The PCC held 10 meetings during 2025. The average attendance was 9 members. The Standing Committee, meeting as the Fabric & Finance Action Group , did not hold any meetings, but the whole of the PCC was invited to meet instead. This was because of the significant issues with the building and the interregnum that needed full PCC input. Each meeting started with an opening prayer and a shared reflection on a passage of Scripture. The summary of proceedings is as follows:

28th January PCC Meeting

It was noted that everybody in the PCC is very stretched at the moment and there was a discussion on how we manage our priorities. There were discussions on the building upgrade - heating and drainage projects, and removing paper archives to more suitable storage because of the damp in the building. National safeguarding standards were reviewed and there was a review of policies. There were discussions about moving forward with Minster communities.

25th March PCC Meeting

The meeting opened by welcoming two representatives from St Nicolas Lockington to discuss how we could collaborate better together as a Benefice. It was agreed that there would be a joint Holy Communion gathering at St Nicolas where there was a 5th Sunday in the month. There was an update on how we are implementing safeguarding priorities with little sunbeams and warm welcome space. The PCC once again approved the inclusion of Chaplaincy at the Download Festival as an activity for St Edwards so that it is covered on our insurance. Dewald Swanepoel resigned as Churchwarden because of the workload whilst still trying to run his own business.

24th April PCC Meeting

This should have been a standing committee meeting, but it was changed to a full PCC in order to be able to approve the annual report and accounts. The PCC approved appointing external grant fundraisers to apply for a national heritage lottery grant to upgrade the heating and drainage, plus the exploratory phase to develop the building

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further. There were some discussions about the risk assessment for the Church Hall roof because of some teenagers who had intruded recently.

11[th] May Annual Parochial Church Meeting

17th June PCC Meeting

Andrew Race informed the PCC that he would be leaving to take up a post in Grimsby, possibly at the end of August. The faculty for the drainage improvements was acknowledged and the conditions noted. A community survey had been prepared to go alongside the national lottery Heritage fund grant application to gather community interest in the building. The PCC had been asked to begin to gather letters of support from community groups who have traditionally used the church for the grant application. The PCC approved a pastoral care initiative collaborating with a local group called linking lives. There were further discussions about implementation of the safeguarding dashboard..

12th August PCC Meeting

This should have been a standing committee meeting, but it was changed to a full PCC meeting in order to plan for the interregnum. The details that were discussed included; care of the vicarage, plans to cover services, line management of staff, lay worship leaders, and points of contact for connecting with the community. There were also further discussions on the heating project, and a comprehensive discussion on the future of Minster communities following the publication of the first report from the coordinating group.

9th September PCC Meeting

There was a discussion to put together a project team for the National Lottery Heritage fund grant application. Four people agreed to form that working party, to work alongside the fundraisers and all the other stakeholders. It was noted that the faculty for the heating system could now go forward to the Chancellor because there had been an agreement on the wiring from the National Church. It was agreed to continue the drainage project as a separate priority from the grant application because the work needed doing urgently and we received a donation that will cover some of the costs. There was a conversation about contribution to Parish share because a number of people in the church had commented that they would be reducing giving once the vicar had left.

14th October PCC Meeting This meeting should have been a standing committee meeting, but it was opened up to the full PCC in order to plan for Christmas.

It was agreed that April would attend the PCC meeting at St Nicholas’ Church, Lockington to provide safeguarding support. There was discussion about the services that were planned for Christmas and the way that they were being covered and resourced.

There were a number of financial decisions that were made, including the use of a donation towards the cost of the drainage project, and approval of the fee for the archaeological oversight. The PCC approved the renewal of the annual insurance policy with Ecclesiastical. There was agreement to pursue the pastoral care initiative with linking lives.

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18th November PCC Meeting

The PCC agreed an appropriate level of funding to go towards the national lottery heritage fund grant application. It was noted that the faculty for heating and for drainage had been granted and the PCC noted the conditions and requirements. A structural survey has been conducted in the Bell tower which was satisfactory. There was a planning discussion for Christmas outreach services including festival of angels at Christmas Cheer, and the Christmas Carol services. There was a discussion on the next stage of Minster communities as Bishop Martin had called a meeting for January.

PCC Trustees

The Church of St Edward King & Martyr is within the Benefice of Castle Donington with Lockington-cum-Hemington, in the Diocese of Leicester in the Church of England. The Parochial Church Council (PCC) is a body corporate established by the Church of England. It operates under the Parochial Church Powers Measure 1956, and the Church Representation Rules 2020 (and subsequent revisions). St Edward’s Church is duly constituted under the above measures, with Registered Charity Number 1210731.

The Church Representation Rules 2022 set out the method of appointment of PCC members. PCC members who have served at any time from the 1[st] January 2025 until 31[st] December 2025 are:

Ex Officio Members :

Revd Andrew Race, Vicar until 8th September 2025 Revd Matthew Green, Curate until 5th Jan 2025 Catherine Stray Associate Minister Elizabeth Mandeville, Churchwarden (Vice-Chair to 19th May) Dewald Swanepoel Churchwarden until 25th March Jacqueline Oaten, Church Warden From 19th May and Deanery Synod Representative

Elected Members:

Angela Parkes (Treasurer) Ann Newton Valerie Ellett (Assistant Church Warden) April Sly (Vice Lay Chair from 19th May, Lay Chair from 28th September) Richard Laxton (Assistant Church Warden) Maria Laxton (Secretary) Shirley Swanepoel Janet Laing (Resigned November 2025 due to ill health)

Approved by the PCC on 17th March 2026 and signed on their behalf by April Sly, Lay Chair of the PCC.

Signed

Date: 17th March 2026

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