St James the Less, Lower Tatham – Churchwardens’ Report May 2026
Churchwardens’ Report
St James the Less is located on Monk’s Gate, Lower Tatham, Lancaster LA2 8NH and is one of six churches within East Lonsdale Benefice in the Diocese of Blackburn.
The incumbent of the East Lonsdale Benefice is Rev Jane Lee, appointed in February 2022, .
The Parochial Church Council is exempted from registration with the Charity Commission. The Parochial Church Council is a Trustee of a small, registered charity: Tatham Charity – registered number 224735.
The following parishioners served as members of the PCC during 2025:
Linda Kirkby (churchwarden, bellringer), Paul Whatmough (treasurer, bell ringer), Lucy Leather, Helen Bramley, Stephen Robson (churchwarden, Deanery Synod representative), Margaret Wilson (secretary) and Kate Warburton (Vice Chair, sidesperson). Elizabeth Atkinson (sidesperson) resigned from PCC at the start of 2025, and Helen Bramley resigned from the PCC during the year due to relocation from the parish. We thank both for their time in the PCC.
Structure, Governance and Management
The method of appointment of PCC members is set out in the Church Representation Rules. The PCC have complied with the duty with regards to the Guidance on Safeguarding.
Objectives and Activities
The PCC supports the incumbent of the East Lonsdale Benefice (Reverend Jane Lee). The responsibility for the maintenance of the Church building, churchyard and car park remains with the PCC,
Achievements, performance, and attendance
There are 27 on the Electoral Roll which was fully renewed in May 2025. Average attendance at the 11.15 am fortnightly (non-festival) services is 16 (2024 - 14).
Services were regularly held in 2025 despite the continuing roof repair works. Special services were held for Plough Sunday, Mothering Sunday, Harvest Festival and Remembrance Sunday. There were three funerals with burials in the Churchyard. A packed church enjoyed Wenning Voices annual summer Open Evening and their Christmas concert.
Review of the year
The PCC provided catering on the first Sunday of Wray Festival week, generously supported by the Friends of St James the Less, with soups, baking and help on the day. The PCC bric-abrac and games stall on Wray Fair Field day was very successful, both events raising a total of £2,744. In June, the Friends held a second very busy Plant Sale and Coffee Morning in the church and churchyard. These events, together with the annual Grand Jumble Sale in September at Hornby (raising £1,452) provide valued financial support to the Church. The Friends’ 100 Club continues to raise money to maintain and enhance Church facilities. June’s Benefice Service was followed by picnic and games in the Old Rectory garden, by kind permission of Mrs Phyllis Holt. The year closed with the Friends’ second sold-out Christmas
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St James the Less, Lower Tatham – Churchwardens’ Report May 2026
Sparkle event at Wennington Hall, raising £800+ and helping to restore the Friends’ finances after their substantial donation to the PCC. The PCC are most grateful to the Friends of St James the Less and the wider community for their continued support.
The PCC held 3 meetings in 2025 (January, June and September), with an additional Extraordinary Meeting with the Friends in February,
Sparkle event at Wennington Hall, raising £800+ and helping to restore the Friends’ finances after their substantial donation to the PCC. The PCC are most grateful to the Friends of St James the Less and the wider community for their continued support.
The PCC held 3 meetings in 2025 (January, June and September), with an additional Extraordinary Meeting with the Friends in February, reporting on the progress of the roofing repairs and jointly deciding to extend the works to cover the south roof and chancel roofs. A further Extraordinary Meeting in September approved a Faculty application to replace corroded cast iron rainwater goods with powder coated aluminium. The churchwardens provide regular input to The Bell - a quarterly Benefice magazine – distributed in the parish and Wennington. The Church also has a website.
During 2025, the following actions have taken place:
The boiler and monitoring system required the replacement of some components and circuitry. Regular mowing, strimming, and tidying continued in the churchyard. Yews in the churchyard were re-shaped and ivy removed from the ‘Glastonbury’ Hawthorn near the vestry door. Bird feeders were regularly filled. The small wildflower meadow against the southern churchyard wall now includes a hedgehog house. Here the reduced mowing has increased the diversity of grasses and wildflowers and primroses have been planted.
The annual fire extinguisher check was undertaken in August and the tower lightning conductor earthing has been verified as satisfactory in 2025 (five yearly interval) .
A PCC sub-committee has overseen the major repair works to the roof, in conjunction with HPA architects. Work began in October 2024 with a tented scaffolding structure covering the main part of the nave, and the north roof was re-slated in January 2025. The roof timbers were in satisfactory condition, but the existing stone slates were poor and could not be reused, and buying replacements absorbed all the contract contingency sum. Despite the need to board over some windows for protection and covering the font and rood screen, regular services and community use of the church continued. The replacement of stone slates on the south roof was recommended and works halted in early 2025 to make grant applications to the Diocese. These were not successful, but the Harold and Alice Bridges charity awarded a grant of £4,000 and there were further gifts from past parishioners and the community.
Work restarted in May 2025 with extension of scaffolding over the full area of the nave and chancel and repairs to the south roof and full chancel roof were completed over the summer. A detailed description of the complete project is recorded in the Church Log Book.
In July the PCC organised a ‘ Three Peaks in A Week’ challenge and with over a dozen members of the Church, Friends and colleagues raising over £4,000 towards the cost of the repair works.
Community groups continued to meet in Church – Wenning Voices weekly, and Stitch and Chatter monthly. Wennington Parish Council meets bi-monthly and Tatham Parish Council
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St James the Less, Lower Tatham – Churchwardens’ Report May 2026
alternates their bi-monthly meetings between St James and the Church of the Good Shepherd at Tatham Fells. The daily Church opening to visitors was suspended in May as the lack of interior light due to the boarding over of the windows made this unsafe. Volunteers organise cleaning days and together with the PCC and the Friends, combine to ensure the church is well-decorated with flowers and foliage for special services including Easter, Harvest Festival and Christmas.
The end of year accounts are attached to this report.
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St. James the Less Tatham Parochial Church Council. Inde endent Examiner s Re ort t.or Lalcndar Year ?025. Having checked and i'erified Na('est bank slatement% abiain5t ihe Receipls and Paymenis Spreadsheets (log¢ihLr M ith che4u¢' Ixmik 51ubs. pa!'inb'_in counlcrlc)ils. electronic transfer Sheets. ini'oi¢L's and i'arbOUS rcyeipisl. l am lIlied Ih(It ihe infonnation submitted to me retl¢ets an accurate accouni of ihe PL'C activities Jurin the calendar Jear ?025. I have also inspecled the CL LA documenis and confinii Iliat Lcrtain inv¢siments haN' been realised during the y'ear. with lh¢ r¢suli Ihat only oiie fund remllins. Working-paper copies of various schedules / documen1&. as r¢ferred lo alK)ve. arc available for inspection. if required. Accordingly. l am not aware ol.anv irregiularilies lo w'hich aiiL'nlii)n shc)uld be druii'n. but if any ilems require further LlariliLalioii. m). conlaci dLiails arL': School House. Sch(x)l Lane. W'ra>'. l.aiic&%ler. LA? 8QF.' Tel: 01524-?21660. Derek Cookson Independent Examiner 12 January 2026.
St. James the Less Tatham Parochial Church Council. Inde endent Examiner's Re ort for Calcndar Year ?025. Having checked and i'erified Naill.'esl bank. siaiemenls agitsinsl lh¢ Receipts and Paymenls spreadshee15 Ilo&iethLr lIh LhequL Ixx)k slubs. paN'inbF_in counlcrli)ils. electronic Iransfer sheets. inOIcl5 and i'arivu% rL'L¢iplsl. l ain li11¢Xl Ihat IhL infomation submitted to me reflccls an accurate accouni ot.the PC'C aLliN'ilies Jurinb the calendar year 7025. I have also inspected ihe LL LA documenls and confiml thai Lertain inv¢simenls haiL been realised during the year. with thL result thal onl), oliv fund remains. Working-paper copies of various schedules / docum¢nls. as rL.reed to alx)ve. arc available for inspection. if requir¢d. Accordingly. l am nol aware ol. anv i¢TUlarItieS In 'hIch allLnlii)n shi)uld be drdii'n. bul if any ilems require further LlariliLalioii. m), coniaLi dc'iails arL-.- School House. School Lane. Wraj. l.aii¢&%ler. LA? 8QI.' Tel: 01524-?21660. Derek Cookson Independent Examiner 12 January 2026.