## THE FRIENDS OF ST EADBURGHA’S
Minutes of the Annual General Meeting held in St Eadburgha’s Church after Evensong at 7.00pm on Sunday, 7th July 2024
_____________________________________________________________________________
## **Present**
Trustees: Phil Whatmough Chairman Robin Baker Treasurer Simon Williamson Secretary Gill Hammond Trustee Michael Ayshford Sanford Trustee Andrew Haslam Trustee Mike Davenport Trustee Parish Representatives: Revd. Shellie Ward Priest-in-Charge Revd. Jo Williamson Retired Associate Priest Kevin Beasley PCC Treasurer
Plus 17 Members
## **1** . **Welcome:**
Phil Whatmough welcomed those present.
## **2. Apologies for Absence:**
William and Margot Beaumont; Carole and Jim Leng; Jeff and Diana Vincent; Stephen and Diana Williams; Sue and Colin Enticknap; Nancy Blinkhorn; John and Jo Perkins; Tom Morris; Jo Love. Kenneth Grant sent his apologies and very best wishes to his friends at St. Eadburgha’s. He is now living in a care home in Chipping Campden and will not be able to attend future meetings.
## **3. Minutes of the AGM held on Sunday 2[nd] July 2023:**
The minutes of the meeting had been circulated.
**3a Approval of the minutes** was proposed by Margot James and seconded by Gill Haslam. They were agreed unanimously and were signed and dated by the chairman.
## **4. Matters Arising:**
There were no matters arising.
## **5. Chairman’s Report:**
Phil referred to his report, previously circulated.
The work recommended by the architects in their quinquennial review was continuing and scaffolding has been arranged for the cleaning of roof tiles during the summer. Thanks to a large anonymous donation, the finances of the Friends are looking quite healthy. Membership of the Friends is now standing at 130 but we must be aware that some members move away and our demographic is such that unfortunately some will die. In particular Stuart Bates, a great supporter of the Friends and an erstwhile Chairman had died in the last year and so had Margaret Wright, another great supporter.
Three events had been held within the year, each of which had achieved a surplus. A decision has been made to employ a company called Evergreen Marketing in an endeavour to increase membership and to spread information about the Friends and our events with a new website and new literature.
The Chairman has set himself a target of increasing membership by 50% to 200.
Phil thanked the volunteers who care for the churchyard and clean the church (Thursdays 10.30 – 12.00), Phil stressed the need for some volunteers (ladies or gentlemen!) to help clean the church. Two had been added to the flower arranging rota but Jonita Griffiths has retired and Phil thanked her for all her work over the years.
He also thanked Rev. Shellie Ward for her assistance and noted the Friends’ co-operative relationship with the PCC and churchwardens.
In giving thanks to the trustees for all their hard work Phil particularly mentioned the resignation of Michael Ayshford Sanford who has served the Friends for 41 years. His resignation meant that we would be down to seven trustees and he preferred to have eight.
Winding up his report, the chairman sincerely thanked the members for their continued support and hoped that he would see them at the future events that are planned:10[th] August at 2.30 – Cello Recital by Millie Hesketh.
7[th] September at 7.00 – Avon Singers
In July 2025 Michael Bochmann, the internationally acclaimed violinist, will be bringing a nine piece string orchestra. Watch out for future information.
## **6. Treasurer’s Report:**
## **6.1 Accounts for year ending 31[st] March 2024**
A draft report of the provisional accounts had been circulated. Robin apologised for not having arranged for them to be audited yet but he had been very tied up with a house move. The treasurer said that he was pleased to report that the Friends had received donations of £53,450 including a welcome anonymous donation of £50,000. Annual subscriptions from Friends had increased by approximately 15% to £3,250
The new Sum Up card reader had received donations of £1,614 and this was after set up costs. This is shared with the PCC.
By moving our deposits to higher earning accounts the interest received had been increased but will always depend on prevailing interest rates. Total assets now amount to £95,846.
**6.2 Approval of the accounts** - proposed by Janet Mason, seconded by Elizabeth Eyre, and carried.
## **7. Election of Trustees:**
## **7.1 Election of Trustees seeking re-election** (Phil Whatmough, Robin Baker, Simon
Williamson, Margot Beaumont, Gill Hammond, Andrew Haslam and Mike Davenport have all agreed to stand).
## **7.2 Election of New Trustee**
The nomination of Margot James as a proposed trustee is very welcome. Malcolm Rogers and Andrew Dakin proposed that all the above be elected and the proposal was agreed by all.
## **8. Election of Officers:**
## **8.1 Phil Whatmough to be confirmed as Chairman**
## **8.2 Robin Baker to be confirmed as Hon. Treasurer**
## **8.3 Simon Williamson to be confirmed as Hon. Secretary**
Their re-election en bloc, proposed by John Griffiths, seconded by Andrew Dakin, was carried unanimously.
## **9. Election of President**
At the Chairman’s suggestion, all the trustees had agreed to recommend the re-institution of the title of President, being an honorary non-voting role. He presented Michael Ayshford Sanford with a gift in thanks for all his help and proposed that Michael’s tremendous support for the Friends be recognised by making him President. All present agreed enthusiastically with this proposal and Michael accepted with a feeling of “great pride”
## **10. Any other business:**
There being no other business, Phil closed the meeting at 7.35 pm and a glass of wine was offered to all present.
## **Friends of St Eadburgha's**
## **Registered Charity No 502369**
**Statement of Income and Expenditure for the year ending 30th March 2024**
Final as at 11 11 2024
|**INCOME**
2022-2023
**2023-2024**||**APPLICATION OF INCOME**
2022-2023
**2023-2024**|
|---|---|---|
|Subscriptions
2,870.00
**3,250.00**
Ticket sales from concerts
528.00
**935.00**
**Donations:**
SumUP donations
20.98
1,614.17
Less PCC share
-
(341.17)
Primarily associated with concerts
1,120.00
-
Anonymous donations
20,000.00
50,000.00
Other
2,457.04
3,450.00
Total Donations
23,598.02
**54,723.00**
Gift Aid reclaim
1,070.62
1,482.83
Interest Received
NS&I
-
91.15
HSBC
-
333.30
Charity Bank
-
167.68
Total
-
**592.13**||**Concert Costs**
70.00
-
**Other costs**
Website maintenance
118.80
50.00
SumUp charges
103.30
Bank charges
72.80
66.00
AGM costs
91.00
Flowers at Stuart Bates' funeral
200.00
Other costs
38.51
5.10|
|||Subtotal
230.11
515.40|
|||**Total Costs**
300.11
**515.40**
**Depreciation of Choirmaster ***
259.80
259.80|
|||**Excess of Income over costs**
27,506.73
**60,207.76**|
|||**Contributions to PCC**
Annual contribution
1,800.00
1,800.00
Cleaning of Charles I panel and related
14,301.30
New speakers for organ
2,760.00
Tree planting and plaques for trees
479.95
1,047.00
Lighting for panel and socket for organ
655.20
Strimming Graves
160.00
Set up costs of CollecTin
729.17
Various other
1,331.50
99.70|
|||**Total Contribution to PCC**
**21,401.92**
**3,761.90**|
|**Gross Income**
28,066.64
**60,982.96**||**Increase in General Reserves**
6,104.81
**56,445.86**|
## **Balance Sheet as at 31st March 2024**
||**ASSETS**
2023
**2024**|**REPRESENTED BY**
2023
**2024**|
|---|---|---|
||HSBC current account
19,438.27
63,276.40
Instant Access Savings Accounts
19,155.06
32,550.98
Cash float
526.63
322.00|General Reserves brought forward
33,274.95
**39,379.76**
Increase in reserves in the year
6,104.81
**56,445.86**|
||Total Cash
39,119.96
**96,149.38**
less: PCC share of SumUp owing to PCC
(323.76)
Choirmaster
259.80
-||
||**Total**
39,379.76
**95,825.62**|**Total**
39,379.76
**95,825.62**|
CHARITY COMMISSION
FOR ENGLAND AND WALES
Independent examiner's
report on the accounts
Report to the trusteesl
members of
Friends of St Eadburgha's
On accounts for the year
ended
2024
Charity no
(if any)
502369
Set out on pages
I report to the trustees on my examinats'on of Ihe accounts of the above
charity (tthe Trust.) for the year ended 31103 12024.
Responsibilities and As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation
basis of report of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act
2011 (Ihe Act").
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out
under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examinats'on. I
have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commis*sion
under section 145(5){b) of the Act.
I have completed my examination. I confimi that no material matters have
come to my attention {other than that disclosed below ") in connection with
the exarnination which gives me cause to believe that in. any material
respect..
accounting records were not kept in accordan with section 130 of
the Act or
the accounts do not accord with the accounting records
Independent
examiner's statement
I have no concems and have come across no other matters in connection
with the examination to which attenlion should be drawn in order to enable a
proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
. Please delete the words in the brnckets if they do not apply.
Signed..
Date:
Name:
Relevant professional
qualification(s) or body
(If any):
Address:
QJ£cA ULJL I QI)
IER
October 2018