TRUSTEES'ANNUAL REPOR T
ST DONARD'S PAIUSH CHURCH, BLOOMFIELD, BELFAST (NIC 102121)
clo The Hon. Parochial Treasurer
Mr Micbael Carson
32 Holland Garden8
BELFAST BT5 6EG
l January 2022 until 31 December 2022
Trwlees
The Venerdble K Higgins, Heather Boyd, Michael carso￿ Kenneth Conlin. Fiona Duff. Caroline Fox, John
Gilmore, Trevor Matthews, Nev McCorn)ack, Nelson Morrow. William Moore, Rhonda Moroney. Irene Scott,
Graeme Smyth, Diann¢ Vaughan, Keith IVhit¢, and Hilary Ivhiteside.
Finance
St Donard's has successfully fA)me through the difficulties of Covid-19, with 2022 being a sound financial
year. Freewill envelope (and monthly standing orders) offerings, which fund the day to day running costs of
St Donard's Parish were however Si￿lfIcantlY down in 2022 to £92.596 (2021: £97,392), reflecting the death
of sev¢ral much loved elderly and generous parishioners. Many of the younger parishioners have significant
fllwicial commiknents at this stage of thetr lives and give as generously as they can. The £92.596 given in
2022 is below the average (£95,277) for the period 2012 to 2022, although more than the 2018 figure of
£91,271. There was a shift from envejopes to monthly standing orders from 2019 and this shift has been key
in helping the Parish through the Covid-19 crisis and providing a level of financial certainty going forward.
Those who continue to use FWO envelopes continued to give generously. FWO standing orders totalled
£51,037, exceeding the £41.559 given using FWO envelopes. Donations to the running costs of the Church
totsljed £13,464. up from £7.347 in 2021. Of critical importance, £18,320 (202 I: £14.630) of Gift Aid was
recovered in 2022 from HMRC for freewill and other offerings (in¢luding Ikvelopment Fund offerings). All
Gift Aid was therefore recovered promptly for 2022 and was in line with expectstions, subject to norn￿1
timing delays. In previous years, Gift Aid recovered was impacted by the timeliness of recovery, with a
significant increase in 2019 (£32,215), compared to 2018 (£17,137) and 2017 (£19,037). The high figure of
£32,215 in 2019 was due to the dedication of the new Gift Aid Secretary and the more timely recovery of gift
aid. The Parish is now recovering Glft Aid on a timely and regular basis.
In 2022. legacies totalling £1.830 were received by the Parish (2021: £21,247. 2020: £97.920). Legacy income
can vary significantly each year. These SI￿lfiCant legacies received over several years. will be used to fund
new and ongoing initiatives within the Parish.
Parishioners have also been very g¢n¢rous with their ongoing fllLqncial comrnitment to the costs of the new
Parish Centre - with £21,805 giving in 2022 (2021: £23.810: 2020: £26.330) by monthly standing orders and
a fjjrther £1,855 (202 I: £1.776) through the Envelope Sch¢me. Sadly, money received by standing Ord￿ has
fallen with the death of several highly committed elderly parishioners. Donations to the Development Fund
of £1,400 were received Im 2022 (2021: £1,974). Unfortunately. due to Covid-19, the highly successful car
boot sale nornially h¢ld from April to October, could not be run and is now unlikely to resum¢. In previous
years. the willing band of volunteers who ran the car boot sale enthusiastically rais￿ significant sums, with
£12,824 raised in 2019 (2018: £14,094).
Nonnal Church expenditure is up compared to the previous financial year. Remuneration remains the most
significant cosL £76,340 in 2022 (2020: £63.880). Remuneration includes the salary and locomotory
allowance paid to the Rector. the Clergy Pension Fund contribution paid by the Parish to the Diocese; any
payments made to other clergy: non-clergy superannuation costs. and the remuneration paid to the Church
Organist. Much of the remuneration increase in 2022 is due to higlier PAYE payments made to HMRC. Other
SI￿lficant Costs included the Parish's contribution to the Diocesan General Fund £I1,154 (2021: £11,484).
and scheduled interest and principal repayments of £18,986 (2021: £18,986) on the bank loan used to finance

the building of the new Parish Centre. These bank loan repayments were charged to the Development Fund.
All other significant Costs wer¢ broadly in line with 2021. although in 2022 £7,740 was spent on pew cushions.
£5,269 was spent on sound/video equipment; and our utility bills increased from £4,562 in 2021 to £6,517 in
2022. The Parish appointed a Family Worker in August 2021, WAth his remuneration £1 8,563 (2021- £7,927)
charged to the Development Fund. Thc Parish has agreed to part-fund the rent of a missionary family who
returned to Northern Ireland and who are undertaking work for the Diocese and also for this Parish. Our
contribution of £A25 per month commenced in October 2021 and this cost is met from the Development Fund.
In 2022 this contribution was £6,200 (2021: £1,700). Note that in both 2022 and 2021 additional loan
repayments (principal) of £50.000 were made from the Parish's Development Fund. The costs incurred
(between 2014 and 2018) in building the new Parish Centre totalled £957.814. with all but £361.535 of this
being fiuthd from investments: generous donations. and Parish income. Despite these significant costs, the
Parish still contributed £14.648 (2021: £20215) to other charities including, for example: £3,013 to Christian
Aid; £2.825 to CMS Ireland: £1,500 to the Maric Curie Hospice; £1,202 to the Leprosy Mission; and £1. l 00
to the Overseas Missionary Fellowship. During 2022, £2.418 was raised to support CMS Ireland in future
years - the closing CMS Ireland balance at 31 December 2022 now stands at £9.411. This money is held in
the St Donard's General Account.
During 2021, as a result of receiving Si￿lfiCant legacies in 2021 and 2020. £136.000 was tsansferred from the
General Fund to the Development Fund. This money has been used more generally by the Development Fund
and since 2021 has helped the Parish fund a Family Worker. assist with the rent of a Missionary family (who
are undertaking work for the Diocese and also this Parish). and repay an additional £1 00,000 (£50.000 in 2021
and the same in 2022) of the loan used io build the new Parish C¢ntre.
At 31 December 2022 we had an outstanding loan of £24,698 (2021: £91,663; 2020: £156,035: 2019 £165,943:
2018: £247.125; 2017: £296,143; 2016: £355.535) now with the Community Finance Ireland (Ulstcr
Community Investment Trust): £92,291 (2021: £98,191) in our General Bank account" £61,690 in our
Development Fund account (2021: £127,244): and £553 (2021: £553) in our Business Reserve account. In
addition, the market value of our Parish Endowment Funds totalled £50,789.11 (2021 . £57,530). These Funds
have fallen due to challenging stock market conditions during 2022.
In 2022 our financial statements included the individual accounts of OUT nonnally active Church Groups: The
Women's Focus Group; Parent & Toddl¢T Group; and Badminton Club. Other than the Parent & Toddler
Grnup, due to Covid-19 restrictions. these ￿0upS have not operated since the first I￿kdOWn in March 2020.
Du¢ to Covid-19, other than the Parent & Toddler Group, none of the remaining groups had any income or
expenditure. The Parent & Toddler Group's income and expenditure was less than £1,000. Re-establishing
the remaining Church Groups will be one of the areas of focus in 2023.
Looking forward to 2023. the financial position remains sound However, the income (FWO - envelopes and
Standing Orders) received from Parishioners will be kept under review given the si￿]ficant fall in 2022. Cash
balances held in ¢xc¢ss of our reserves policy and anticipated futsre routine ¢xpenditure. are now lo improve
our family outreach work and work with younger people. As noted above. our loan for th¢ new Parish Centre
has now been signifiwjtly reduced and in 2023 th¢ Parish will fully repay this loan in line with the nornjal
monthly ￿hedUl￿ repayments.
Management
The Finances are managed by the Treasurer who reports to the 16 Trustees at a Vestry meeting every two
months, or more frequently if necessary. Select Vesty members are elected each year at the Easter General
Vesty.
Purpose
The principal function of St Donard's Parish, Bloomfield. is to support the advancement of the Christian
religion by advancing the work of the Parish and th¢ whole mission of the Church. which includes pastoral,

social and ecumenical outreach. All the activities of the Parish relale to the promotion of religion through
holding regular Worship Services; caring for parishioners of all ages, especially the sick and elderlyg and also
working with around 150 young people within our community. To enhance our outreach work to families and
young people, the Parish appointed James Arnistrong as a Family Worker in August 2021.
The Parish Church is a historically Listed Grade 2 building and the Parish works to maintain this building to
a high standard.
Public Benefit
The TTUStees of St Donard's Parish have complied with all their duties in line with the Commission's Public
Benefit statutory guidanc¢.
Regular worship and reachAng out into the community. both to the elderly and the young, with very varied
activities, on a social and fundraising level. have been carried out throughout the year to fulfil our Statement
of Public Benefit.
The Parish h&8 regular Food Bank collections to help the needy within our are& Money has been raised
towards the work of the Barnabas Organisation. Christian Aid; Church Missionary Society Ireland. Leprosy
Mission. Overseas Missionary Fellowship. and South American Mission Society - all for the disadvantaged
in various countries of thc world. Some of the other charities supported by the Parish included the Christians
Against Poverty, Church Ministy of Healing. and Marie Curie Hospic¢. A total of £14,648 was donated to
charities in 2022 (2021: £20,215). In 2021, the Select Vesty further increased Parish donations due to the
impact of the Covid-19 crisis on those in need.
Our Church premises and halls are used regularly by the community and well in excess of 350 people would
norn]ally us¢ th¢ pr¢mises each week.
Hon. Parochlal Traasurer
on. Secretary to Select Ve8try
t4
2& October 2023
Lo
October 2023