## **ST JOHN THE BAPTIST PARISH CHURCH OF BLISWORTH** ## **Annual Report** ## **And** ## **Financial Statements** ## **Of the Parochial Church Council** **For the year ended 31 December 2024** ## **Incumbent** _Canon Richard Stainer_ ## **Churchwarden** Mrs Fiona McKenzie **Treasurer** Mr Jonathan Murray **Bank** Co-operative bank plc 65/65a Abington St Northampton ## **Independent Examiner** Mr John Dorwood Barn Owl Close, E Hunsbury NN4 0UA ## **St John the Baptist** ## **PARISH CHURCH OF BLISWORTH** ## **Annual Report for 2024** ## **Background** St John’s PCC has the responsibility of co-operating with the incumbent in promoting in the ecclesiastical parish the whole mission of the church pastoral, evangelical, social and ecumenical. ## **PCC Membership** Members of the PCC are either ex-officio or elected by the Annual Church Meeting in accordance with the Church Representation Rules. Since the last Annual Meeting the following served as members of the PCC. **Chairman:** Canon Richard Stainer **Churchwarden:** Mrs Fiona McKenzie ## **Representative on the Deanery Synod:** Mrs Helen Halson ## **Elected Members:** Tina Alexandrou Fiona McKenzie Jenny Cahill Marian Paton Edith Green Maureen Smith Pat Masterman Carolyn Young ## **Electoral Roll:** There are 48 on the Electoral Roll. ## **Review of the year:** The PCC met 4 times in 2024, once in church and 3 times in a member’s home. Due to an increasing demand for burial of ashes, an area at the back of the church, adjacent to the shed housing the mower is now being used. The area was cleared, saplings removed and a pathway installed. We received a donation to offset the cost. A newly formed churchyard working party met most weeks to keep the area neat and welcoming. We have two volunteers to mow the grass on a regular basis. We plan to keep up occasional, open to all work-ins. We had a boiler leak, which could have proved disastrous, had not action been taken immediately. The boiler, fire extinguishers and organ have been serviced. Work to repair the roof has been done and rebuilding of cracked, external masonry is in hand, with help from a donation. The projects to remove pews at the back of the church, update the electrical system and install heating and lighting chandeliers are progressing slowly, with costs rising all the time. Fundraising events included the Christmas Bazaar, provision of refreshments at the scarecrow festival and our thriving monthly coffee mornings held at a parishioner’s home. Thanks to a cycling member of our congregation, a donation was received from the Historic Churches Trust. We enjoyed a harvest lunch, concerts by the Community choir and the annual Art Trail. Hilary Spurrier continued to open her home for lunches in aid of World Vision. Open the Book has a small, enthusiastic group of volunteers who take the word into schools in Milton Malsor, Stoke Bruerne and, hopefully Blisworth. ## **Accounts:** The accounts form part of this report and the following relates to them. The total income for 2024 was £32,443, a decrease of £4,683 on 2023 and expenditure was £30,905, giving an apparent surplus of £1,538 for the year. Direct Giving by the congregation totalled £20,068, £2,609 less than in 2023. Fundraising events generated £2,410 and interests and dividends raised £5,424. Service fees contributed £2,604 and we received Inland Revenue rebates and grants totalling £1,903. We paid 60% of our parish Share, £21,222 and essential costs of insurance. Utilities and maintenance were £6,351. Other costs totalled £3,332. Thanks are due to Helen Halson for administering the Gift Aid scheme and our very best wishes go with her as she leaves for her new adventure. Thanks go to Pat and Mason Masterman for their continued fundraising, to John Dorwood for auditing the accounts, but mostly to our congregation for their continued generosity. _Canon Richard Stainer Jonathan Murray (treasurer)_ 1111 r.iY.¢O I i. i !ItiiBI' Churc 2024 Bank A¢count Detalls Opening Balance 30321 Receipts Int* &1 Interest 314 Interest W7 Interest 2110 407 392 381 1578 Transfers Interest Cfyop DeFM)sit Ac£ount 311 Interest C¢>Op DeFK6it knx)unt 314 Interest C￿P tkpo%'l knnt 2 Interest Cfyop Dem. 2110 407 381 {15781 Closing Balance per Bank Ststmnt 31 Decwnbw 2023 30321 Bell Fund Restoralbn Fund General Fund 2457 20166 7698 o-op Dop unt Opening Balance per 2023 A£¢ounts 3603 Recelpts From Income Detail Transfer from CBF Depxit Paxunt 1578 Expense From Expendthre Detal Adju$trnents 1537 Cash in h*KI M 3111Z?3 Receipts not banked as at 31112r24 Debt due to PDBF ref fees 2024 Expenses owed ex Mifton Mal%)r &KI Stoke Bruen Debt ex 2023 paKI Milton Malsor Debt ex 2023 due from Milt1￿ Malsor and Stoke brueme Adjustment for rounding 258 (82) 79 (771 181 Closing Balan* per Bank Sktement 31 Dw)b8r 2024 5321 General Fund Debts out*anding Debts due 5145 -258 Church of SL John the BaplisL Blisworth 2024 Reslrfcted Funds Bell Fund Opening Balance 2023 2407 2422 Receipts 35 15 Transfer Contributkn to Gewal Fund (126) 1931 Expenses Nett Balance 2331 2329 PrOport￿n of CBF Dep)sit Interest11579x2422fJ0321) 126 93 Closin Balanr* (CBF D8POSit AL￿(￿jnI) 2457 2422 Restoratlon Fund Openlng Balance 2023 19205 19947 ExFenses 18201 Nett Ba￿ce 19127 19205 Proportk)n of CBF Deposrt Interest {1579x19947f30321) 1039 742 Closln B818r￿£ ICBF 201e6 19947 Church of SL John the BaptlsL BIIwrt>rth 2024 Unrestrkted Funds General Fund Opening Balance 2023 13948 11555 Receios Coll&bon General Gfft Aid DonatTh Covenant Fund Raising l R Refund Fees CBF DNklend Rectors Expenses Grant Transfwfrom B811 Fund 1534 820 5192 12S22 2410 1903 126 38130 Exp8n$es In8ufdnce Pafish Shwe Utilities 2106 21222 1634 2389 Organ￿t Maintenan( Se￿￿ Fees Organ Lovie5 & Sundry Fe85 Donalions Gifts Sundry Costs 1791 95 133 1fX) 152 130085) {38859} Nett Bakqnce 12425 11218 Balan¢a of CBF Depost InieTe81 414 337 Closing Balan 11555 CBF DeF#)Sit Account Co-op Deposit Account Balance in Hand Adjustment for roundiNJ 7698 5145 12839 Church of SL John the Baptlg( Bl18worth 2024 Summary General Fund 11555 31243 -30085 Restoration FurNJ 19947 1039 -820 Totsl Fund 2422 161 enin Income ense Transfer Ad'ustments Closing Balan¢e Balan 33924 32443 -30905 -126 839 CBF Dep Account 30321 1578 CLFOp Dep. Account ash in Hand Total enin Income Expense Transfer Ad'ustments Rounding osin Balance 3603 33924 32442 -30905 -30905 1578 93 -1578 93 ance lo,P. SL John the Baptlst Blisworth PCC Notes to the Recelpts and Payments Accounts for the year ending St 31 December 2024. Levies and Sundry Fees Analysls Copyright License Card Reader hire fees 189 273 Sundry Costs Analysls Gift Ald envelopes Communion wafers Christingle oranges 72 55 152 Llabilltfes Fees due to PDBF 175 Assets st a) Church Building and Land Insurance coverfrom 1 January 2023 £9,980.000 b) 6,127 shares in CBF Income units valued at 31" December 2024 £141,673 c) Handbells, Church Plate, Lawnmowers and other equipment Examine￿$ Report The Bllsworth Pxothlal Church c(￿nd1 Accounts For the Year Ended 31# December 2024 I have independently examined the accounts of SL John the Baptist, Bli5WOrth, Parish Church Council a5 set out on the following page The PCC has elected to prepare the accounts on the Re￿Ipts and Payments basis, and the requirement for independent examination all0v￿ me to report under Regulation 7 of the Churth Accountin8 Regulations instead of under Regulation 25. The examlner's responslbllltles are t¢Y Identlfy whether or not proper accountlng records forthe Blisworth Parish Church Council have been kept. Check that the Bli5WOrth Parish Church Coundl accounts agree with the accounting record5. Look for possible slgnfficant errors In the accounts of the Bllsworth Parfsh Church Council. Check that the Blisworth Parish Church Councll accounts have been properly prepared In accordance wlth the Church Accounting Regulations In so far as these apply to the Receipts and Payments basi& Where matters arlse from this examlnation that gfve cause for concem it is my duty to report it. The examIne￿S rewt No matters have arisen during the course of my examination where I have to give an adverse report. John Dorward 47 Barn Owl Close East Hunsbury Northampton NN4 OUA