The Parochial Church Council Of The Ecclesiastical Parish Of St Peter & St Paul, Great Bowden, In The Diocese of Leicestershire Trustees Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2025
The Paroehlal Church Councll Of The Eccleslastlcal Parlsh Of St.Peter & St Paul, Great Bowden, In Thè Dlocese of Leicestershire Annual report for the year ending 310ecember 2025 The Trustees of The Parochial Church Council Of The Ecclesiastscal Parish Of St Peter & St Paul, Great Bowden, In The Diocese Of Leicestershire Ithe "PCC") present their report and the fi'nancial statements of the parish for the year ended 31" December 2025. Adrnlnlstratlve Informatlon The Parish of St Peter & St Paul, Great Bowden consists of the St Peter & St Paul Church, situated in Great Bowden, Market HarboroLsgh. The parish is part of the Harborough Anglican Team in the Deanery of Gartree and the Diocese of Leicester. The Charity Registration Number is 1212693. Correspondence with regard to the business of the parish is welcomed and should be addressed to.. Mrs Margaret Powell The Secretary ofthe PCC 61 Great Bowden Road Market Harborou8h Leicestershire LE16 7DF The following persons have served as members of the PCC during the year endin8 31, Decernber 2025 and to date. Ex Officio members Elected Members Rev Hilary (Hilsl Corcoran Mr P Crowe Vicar, Chair Mrs M Powell PCC Secretary Church Warden Prof M Lund Ms C 5ilcott Church Warden Mr Sjones Mr K Wilson Treasurer MrA Smith Mr L Webb Deanery Synod Rep Deanery Synod Rep Resigned 1815125 Mrs CTreanor Mr P Rhodes Mr D Storey Appointed 1815125 Appointed 1815125 Dr Q Appleton Ms J Mason Mr A Trotter Mrs H Trotter Resigned 1815125 Resigned 1815125 Resigned 1815/25 Ms M Reinhard Mrs I Wilson Page I
The Independent Examiner is Mr Adrian Bentley A.C.A. of Edward Thomas Peirson & Sons, 21 The Point, Rockingham Road, Market Harborough, Leicestershire LE16 7NU. The affairs of the church are managèd by the Parochial Church Council IPCCI comprising elected representatives of the laity and representatives of the laity elected to the Deanery Synod, co-opted members and ex-offi'cio members Iclergy, readers, wardens and officers). Thi5 Council has delegated some of its responsibilitie5 for the day-to-day business of the church to the Standing Committee ISCI. The Standing Committee consists of the Vicar, Church Wardens, PCC Secretary and Church Treasurer. Together the PCC and SC are responsible for the organisats'on of worship, ministry and mission with the parish community and for the care, maintenance and development of its buildings, all subject to the PCC retaining linancial responsibility. The Church buildin8, Churchyard and Vicarage are vested in the name of the Leicester Diocesan Board of Finance as custodian trustees for the parish. The church hall is vested in the name of the PCC. Strurture, governance and management The role of the PCC is that of an accountable executive body with the responsibility to review and regulate the affairs of the parish. It is supported in this role by the SC. A Building Committee deals with all building matters. A Safeguarding representative oversees all safegLJarding in conjunction with the vicar, reports'ng to each PCC meeting. All PCC members are safely recruited. as are all volunteers involved in any area of ministry within the church, partr'cularly those involving children, young people and vulnerable adults. The method of appointment of PCC members is set out in the Church Representation Rules. All Church attendees are encouraged to register on the Electoral Roll and stand for election to the PCC. Reverend Hillary IHi1s1 Corcoran is the part-time vicar of the Parish, and also part-time Team Vicar with the Harborough Anglican Team. Aim and purposes The primary object of the PCC is the promotion of the Gospel our Lord jesus Christ according to the doctrines and practices of the Church of England. The PCC are required, as stated in the Parochial Church Councils IPowers1 Measure 1956, to cooperate with the incumbent in promoting in the parish the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. Objectives and activities The PCC is committed to enablin8 as many people as possible to worship at our church and to become part of the parish community. We strive to be welcoming, accessible and inclusive, enabling everyone. whatever their background. to experience the love of God. The main acts'vits'es that have been adopted to achieve these objecrives are the provision of regular Page 2
worship services, provision of pastoral care for people living in the parish as well as the organisation of and participats'on in community events. The church is open during worship service5 and the grounds are open to the public to always provide space for private reflection and remembrance. The PCC members have complied with the duty in Section 4 of the Charities Act to have due regard to the public benefi.t guidance published by the Charity Commission. The Parish has adopted Promoting a Safer Church, the Church of England's Safeguarding Policy for children, young people and adults. Church Attendance A range of different services are provided, each aimed at different congregatr'ons, as detailed below.. Servlce No. Avg. Attendance Child 15 1 Adult 70 Child 7 1 Adult 55 Child 51 Adult 10 I 20 Child I/Adult 51 41 Chlld 261 Adult 21 io Child 4 1 Adult 54 Adult 9 Child 3 1 Adult 170 Child 4 1 Adult 90 Child 511 Adult 150 8aptlsm Café Church Faith Explorers Holy Communlon Messy Church Servlce of the Word Soul Space ify41": kJg'.Y.-:- Funeral Weddln8- Xmas Special Easter Speclal School Services li Child 641 Adult 66 Adult 33 Review of the Year rhe church continues to provide a strong witness to Jesus within the Great Bowden community. We are viewed positively within the wider community, often participating in community activities. We rnaintain a strong connection with great Bowden Academy, our local church school. This involves conversations Wlth the other families by our church families, 2 church members acting as governors on the school board lin addition to the Vicar) and a weekly Open the Book assembly with the children. The church was utilised in 91 different services during the year. Whilst we saw 3 small growth in new attendees. we also lost some dear members to death. The cafe style church conts.nues to be a popular service, especially with local families where we are seekin8 some growth in those attending. A strong steady core of members forms the regular community at Holy Communion, though this does tend to skew towards those who are 60 plus. Our Page 3
worship director departed in the year and has yet to be replaced. Our choir remain5 a strong component of our church worship. A Monday evening Bible and discussion group has proven very successful. Our new congregation, Faith Explorers has struggled to grow numbers and finding the right time slot seems to be critical. The PCC met regularly throughout the year to oversee our activities. A Quinquennial inspection was conducted on our church building in 2024. Whilst no major items were identr.fied for attention, several items were raised that do require work which have been actioned and are in the process of being dealt with. Financial Review Like many smaller village churches, finance continue5 to be a challenge to provide for all the activits'es that we have underway. We continue to work with the Parish Giving Scheme to develop our regular giving, as well as undertaking a number of fundraising activikn.es during the year to raise additr.onal funds. Aside from the quarterly contribution made to the diocese, energy bills continue to represent a substantial portion of our ongoing costs. Where possible we applied for grants to assist, including the Listed Places of Worship Grants scheme and we remain grateful to the Market Harborough & Bowden Charity (which covers maintenance costs to the fabric of the listed church building.) Total income for the year amounted to £104,229 of which £101,074 had no restrictions on how they were to be spent and of the remainder £1,211 was designated unrestricted and £1,944 was restricted. This consisted of £81,455 voluntary donations and other operating receipts, £7,692 from one-off grants, £14,442 f rom renting of our church hall and £640 bank interest. Overall income was down by Il% on 2024. Total expenditure for the year amounted to £97,658, of which £40,008 was the contribution to the diocesan parish share. Other major expenses were utility bills £9,981, Harborough Anglican Team Expenses £6796, insurance £6496, maintenance £10,068 and Church Hall expenses of £8,631. It is always concerning to see how much of our income is spent on the building and wider team/diocese commitments, £81,980, leaving just £15,678 being ath.vely used for the core ministry of the church. Allowing for the purchase of the Sound System last year, expenses were stt'll down 14% on last year which indicates careful spending in line with the reduced income. The Church Hall provided a small Surplus of Income over Expenditure of around £5000, allowing for insurance. Whilst this is great, it is also noted that there are a number of areas of maintenance outstandin8 on the building and so it's future remains under review. Page 4
Reserves Unrestricted general funds.. The PCC policy is to retain a minimum £25,000 expenditure as "free" reserveg, to meet future shortFalls in income or unexpected expense for the Church, and an amount of £5,000 is kept likewise for the Church Hall. The balance on 31 December 20251£30.0001 represents sufficient funds to meet this requirement, however given that a defi'cit is forecast for 2026, these sums will need to be reviewed. De51gnated Funds- The following funds are maintained for specific designated purposes= Church Hall Funds to be used specially in relats'on to £7,500 the Church Hall, overseen by the PCC A buffer fund for use within Me55y £362.12 Church, overseen by the PCC A Sum that is to be used specially with £200 ministry with youn8 people, overseen by the PCC Funds now derestricted by donors for £2,000 Use within worship, overseen by the pcc A sum that is to be used specifically £126.25 within the music area, overseen by the Music Director Formed primarily from legacies that £63,212.91 have been received less transfers to maintain general reserves. The PCC oversees the use of this fund for expenses. Messy Church Youth Plantsng Music Legacv Vicar Wellbeing A sum that the vicar us able to use for £453.53 their personal well being Restricted Funds: Youth A sum donated for teenage youth work, £1,146 overseen by the PCC Used for the Monday night study group £440.97 to study and explore the faith. Pays for Materials, foods, etc. Administered by Christine & Hils Fund5 materials for the Open the Book £141.58 ministry in schools. Administered bv Helen Foreman This comprises other small funds not yet spent a5 follows.. Monies raised for specific causes not yet spent/paid over, namely Bird Boxes £25.70 Faith Exploration Open The Book Other Page 5
Faith Explorers Balance of 2024 Faith Explorers grant £145.46 Approval This report was approved by the PCC on 22 March 2026 and Signed on their behalf by= c4 Rev H Corcoran MrP rowe Ms C Silcott Page 6
Indepi'iidLitht £iaDJincr'% KewTt to tbE TT115tL'eS 1)f Tbe Purochlal Church Co¥neil ofThe E£cle5iA%tl¢al Pllrish Of St Peter & St Paul. Ciregt B0din. ITr Th¢ Dlotese Of Lei¢esiorsbirc I repori lo th¢ charily tru&lL'L'S on my ¢xatninalion vf Ihe aLCVUlllS uf lh¢ ¥hgTily for the yLar LndLyJ 3151 t)ec¢mbcr Re5pon5ibilitit5 and bAs1s of report As the Lhariiv's IfLlSteeg, the members of rhc PCC are responsiblc fvr th¢ pr¢pHTaliDD uf thL aLLvuni& in accordaiicc I rcport sn r¢specl ofmy ¢xafftiiHlion of IhL' Lh&nly'S acLounls iatti¢d Qui uiideT SLClitsn 145 ofihL Aci and in LarryDbP OLII niy L'.%aminaiioii I liAv¢ ltillowed all Ilic applicabl¢ DiTe¢iion¥ biivL'n by Ihe C'hariiy CoiDTni55iOll linder beCEiOlI 1451illbl of th¢ Act. Ihdrp¢ndent examiDcf'$ 5tlemellt have Loinpl¢t¢d tny LX4iminaiion. I conlittn Ihai no maiLrial TnJii¢rs h3v¢ coniL lu itty diieniion in conncclion wilh acroiiniiii¥ rL'Lords WLre kepi In respeci ol. Ihl charilv 85 reqiiir¢d by seLlioii 130 of Ilie Aci. or the JciOIUll¥ du noi aicord willi 1htse records.. or Ihi aicoiiiits dv nLTrI Loniply with th¥ applicdble reqiiiM'niLiiis con¢¢rniii¥ the lomi and Lonieni of acLOUI)t¥ sei oui iii lh¢ C'haritie (Accounis and RL'purts1 Re¥uliiiions )n(IX oiher Ihan any i¢quir¢Tn¥nl Ihai Ilje acLoulllS give a 'lnie anJ fdir Yitw. Ivhich 1$ Dol u mailer considLr¢d d5 Part olan iDdcpcndLni exainiijalion. hae iio COnLniS and havL ¢ume L TOSS no oili¥r maiicrs in conncLiion wilh Iht ¢xqmiiiRIiuTJ tLTr 'hICh aiieniion sjioiild bL' dTaM'ii in Iliis report in order 10 ¢nabl¢ 3 proper undirs18ndiiig of Ili¢ a¢¢ounts lu b¢ re8Lhed. Adrian A Il¢y A.C Dated ?? March 211?6 oil bih Edwar oiiias P¢irsLbn & Sons CliarlerLd Aiiouniaiiis ?1. The Poini RkinbaM Road Markel HEirbtsroiigh L¢i¢5. LE16 7NU PaBe 7
The Parorhlolchuich CouTrcll OlTh• Etclwsla$tl¢41 PJr15h Of St Petei &5t P•ul,Gr•Bt Opwden, InTheO¢Ko5 Ot LIicEslershiie Recolpt5& P4Yrn•Ytt$Attountl•i th•Yur End•d31 Oeeernts•r2015 25 2024 UniE5trirt D•si¥nafod Ot1 Fund trd5 RECEIP7S 47.495 32 OVGifT AklGIfts GrftN Aeimry Le¥Jcr¢5 callertn5 I15erwl 416.55 30545 75000 12,56596 IQD.O 15JS491 5.%2. 11.70 6.1 41 441 85 3.756 171Sa 1.568.79 7.12961 Swialcaus WEddin¥ & Funeri U485 3.755 7.2Q4 84 l.568 79 14.44100 2.852 .981 75 L167.fy) tslPpws .-kel & Bow¢dqMCh•iiiV VATricowrod ufidtt LPOWSchemt Dioce5anGrafiiFatth 1.262.00 J.w)fy) 4.142 31 106 GrèntHOCrE hall¢q1pm•fft V45tMont A•c•w eanVfjuikhw5¢[• Interr51 TofALHECEIPTS S35Yg 639 99 101.129.19 1.797 9D 117.505.49 1.944. PAIMeNTS Q.W8. 6.79632 40.OD8 6,7% 32 L1$2.4d 52.624(N) TEam AdMI5tn fvlihiStryENpEn5È5 Explprer5<051y IbèBDok 73071 S22 42 1.8QO 41 121.6 12168 2.260.05 2.2W05 9.1 17 O.IY6 12 2.80594 rance •.D53.19 2.6Q5 94 10.(7 96 R.Ok5. .140 $6 We¢¢FnE5& Funer 63. 95401 994.01 203 547 99 ChterlngaispIS gD201 547.99 183 10 M45Eell?neoy5 & ctrn5vmabJ IDr GrEat AEadEmy 8.630 55 9455351 92.401.40 16È S7 1.983 In¢pmef& Telephr*ie 557.91 659. 557YE 659. 117 94 12DtyJ 1,560QO 3.IN92 360CQ 1.092 3.101 92 YOTALPAYME1115 15.106.JI 101.17 1.96J. 97ffj5843 1th47Z.59 NEfHECÈIPTVIPAYME1475i S.$6801 l.Q4l 17 6.57072 961 601 r4EfTIWN5FEH BEtWEENFUNDS 4.42 NÉrMO¥ÈMEt4rii4 CASH&4L•14fE5 5.347 59 57072 158.982 5MAfBANK&ifi MANP 26.2134¥ 6U.507.12 1.146 9$.705.11 ISS.667 71 17.495.9B 73.JS4.11 lo3.2.¥3 YE.705.11
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