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Church of Ireland Parish

of

Christ Church, Carrowdore Charity number: NIC 102375

Trustees’ Annual Report for year ended

31 December 2025

Contents

Structure, Governance & Management of Charity

3-4

Governing Document and Constitution of Charity
Recruitment & Appointment of Select Vestry (Trustees)
Organisational Structure
Principal Office bearers
Independent Auditor
Bankers

Trustees’ Report & Financial Review

5-11

Objectives and Activities
Achievement, Performance & Public Benefit
Public worship
Community involvement & outreach
Outreach & mission
Public Benefit
Compliance with Public Benefit
Financial Review
Going Concern

Pay and remuneration
Statement of Trustees’ Responsibilities

tru vernan nd Managementof Chari

Governing Document and Constitution of the Charity

Chapter III of the Constitution of the Church of Ireland governs Parishes and Parochial Organisation. The Select Vestry members are the Charity Trustees.

Recruitment and Appointment of Select Vestry (Trustees)

All members of the Church of Ireland who are over the age of 18 and are either resident within the parish or live elsewhere but have been accustomed members of the congregation for at least three months, may register as members of the General Vestry of the Parish, allowing them to attend and vote at meetings of the General Vestry and to stand for election to the Select Vestry.

Meetings of the General Vestry are held at least once a year.

The Select Vestry is elected as part of this General Vestry meeting. The Select Vestry will hold their positions for a period of one year. Select Vestry members may be re-elected annually and there is no limit on the number of terms which may be served.

From Easter Vestry 2025 the serving Select Vestry members were:

Revd. C. Davis, Mr D. Neville, Mr B. Armitage, Mr P. Adair, Mrs S. Gibson, Mr J. Goudy, Mr G. Morris, Mrs H. Brown, Miss E. Irwin, Mr P. Craig, Miss L. Goudy, Mr S. Gibson

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Organisational Structure

The Select Vestry is responsible for the day to day management of the parish and consists of the serving member of the clergy (Rector), the Churchwardens, the glebe wardens and usually not more than ten other members of the General Vestry, elected at the annual meeting of the General Vestry - known as the Easter Vestry.

The Select Vestry is chaired by the incumbent or other member of the clergy officiating in the parish. Select Vestry members are responsible for making decisions on matters of general concern and importance to the parish including issues of fabric and finance. The select Vestry meets at times fixed by members or by the Diocesan Synod. special meetings may be convened at any time by the Chairperson or the Churchwardens. In 2024 the Select Vestry met 6 times with an average attendance of approx 75%.

Principal Office-bearers

Independent Auditor

Stanley Woods & Company, Alexander House, 49-51 Church St, Newtownards, BT23 4AN

Bankers

(1) Danske Bank, High Street, Newtownards, Co Down, BT23 2HS

Trustees’ Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2025

The trustees present the annual report for Newtownards/Carrowdore & Millisle/Christ

Church, Carrowdore/Down & Dromore/Church of Ireland for the year ended 31

December 2024

Objectives and Activities (the wording supplied for charitable Objectives and Activities were approved by General synod in 2015)

The charitable purpose of the Church of Ireland is the advancement of religion.

The principal function of the Parish of Carrowdore is to support the advancement of the Christian religion by promoting through the work of Christ Church Parish Church, Carrowdore, the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social, and ecumenical. Being open to and engaging with the whole society, offering support for those needing help are fundamental to the practical delivery of the benefits of Christianity.

As a result of activity in the pursuit of the advancement of the Christian religion, the Parish of Carrowdore has custody of property and of records, materials and artefacts of significance to the cultural and religious heritage and maintenance of which is undertaken by the select vestry of the Parish of Carrowdore.

Achievements, Performance & Public Benefit

There is the one church building within the parish of Carrowdore, namely Christ Church, which was built in 1842, consecrated in 1843 and set on a hill about 1 mile outside the village of Carrowdore just off the Woburn Road between Carrowdore and Millisle.

At the bottom of the hill, on Woburn Road is the Woburn Hall which is the Parish Hall shared between the parishes of Christ Church, Carrowdore and St. Patrick’s, Millisle. The Woburn Hall was built in c 1855.

The Rector is also shared with the parish of St. Patrick’s, Millisle and there are a number of shared of services and activities.

The objective for Carrowdore Parish is to be a worshipping community, being God’s people where we live and seeking to help others to know the love of God. this is summed up in a motto: Christ Centred - Spirit Led - Family Focused

This is achieved through regular public worship, community outreach and involvement at local, national, and international level

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Public Worship

The normal service pattern consists of Morning Worship each Sunday at 11.30am, with Holy Communion on the first Sunday each month. We continue using the ‘Common Cup’ for the wine, although since COVID individual cups are available, as is a non-alcoholic alternative.

The music is a mix of organ led traditional style and more contemporary hymns and songs using video or audio tracks, as well as occasional guitar led songs.

Whilst there is no evening service held in Christ Church, we started coming together twice a month with Holy Trinity Ballywalter for their HTB6 informal worship service and now share in leading this.

The Church Wardens are committed to helping people feel welcome as they come into Church. The tea, coffee, squash, and biscuits provided before services was re-introduced in early 2025

In addition to normal Sunday worship there is a United Service of Lessons and Carols (usually the Sunday before Christmas), midnight Communion on Christmas Eve, Christmas Morning Worship, a service of Holy Communion on Ash Wednesday, services of Compline on Monday and Wednesday evenings of Holy Week, an hour of reflection on Good Friday afternoon and a joint Dawn Service in Millisle on Easter Sunday.

Harvest is celebrated on the first Sunday in October and Mothering Sunday (on the fourth Sunday of Lent). There is a service of Remembrance on Remembrance Sunday and a wreath is laid at the memorial in church of those who served in the two World Wars.

Church members occasionally participate in services with Bible Readings and the leading prayers of intercession. Services are also mostly led by the Rector in conjunction with the active Parish Reader.

The Sunday school continues for primary school aged children for 3 Sundays out of 4 each month and we have about 11 children on the books split between an older and a younger class.

For those who feel they would like it, a trained and commissioned Prayer Ministry Team is also available after services of worship to pray for anyone should they wish to ask for specific prayer either for themselves or another person or issue.

Community involvement and outreach

Our monthly Messy Church (in collaboration with carrowdore & Ballyfrenis Presbyterian Church) continues and is held 6 times a year

The Rector of Carrowdore is involved with the Primary School in terms of assemblies and other activities and alternate years (with Presbyterian Church) Christ church hosts the Primary School Carol service.

The Rector is also a Governor and Chaplain to Strangford integrated College, located in the village. The Church has played host to the College’s multiple carol services in the past, but with increasing numbers at the school this has now becomea bit too difficult. However the Church does host a special evening Carol Service/Christmas Concert for the College.

Each Sunday there is a collection for the Food Bank in Newtownards and bags of food are taken every week to help in this vital social ministry.

There is a fortnightly coffee morning in collaboration with the Presbyterian church in Carrowdore and Peninsular Healthy Living under the name of ‘Coffee in Carrowdore’ and this meets in the Carrowdore Presbyterian Church Minor Hall.

Throughout the year there have been midweek meetings, held in the Woburn Hall, looking at Bible passages and specifically Christian themes. During the Christian season of Lent, these midweek meetings take on a Lenten theme - giving opportunity to reflect on what it means to believe in and follow Christ. In the autumn of 2025 we ran a ‘Freedom In Christ’ discipleship course as our midweek Wednesday evening meetings.

Outreach and mission

Each year the giving of the Parish is divided between local, national, and international organisations and charities to help support specific issues and alleviate suffering, both at home and abroad.

Each Lent a weekly bucket collection is made for an appropriate charity, in 2025 this was to provide food and clean water for children in South Sudan via a joint project through the Church of Ireland Youth Dept, The Church of Ireland Bishops’ Appeal and Fields of Life

One of two individuals in the parish support Crosslinks and we have a personal connection with the Eggshell Cambodia charity. Other local, national, and international charities are also supported. The parish also sponsors a young girl in Nepal through World Vision.

There has also been involvement with Youth for Christ and supporting their workers who are involved in outreach and mission specifically on the Ards Peninsula, where the Parish is located.

The seeker friendly Christianity Explored Course didn’t take place in the autumn of 2025 as it usually would, but post Christmas in early 2026 This gives anyone an opportunity to come and find out more about the Christian faith and the Christian life. Alongside this, the ‘Freedom in Christ’ discipleship course complements and helps for look at how they follow Jesus in their day to day lives.

On the last Saturday of each month a Men’s Breakfast is held, open to anyone and giving an opportunity for social gathering in relaxed atmosphere, a good Ulster Fry and often a guest speaker will come and share their story or talk about a topic of interest, generally with a Christian theme.

Public Benefit

The charitable purpose of the Parish of Christ Church, Carrowdore is the advancement of religion and this is achieved through Christian witness and outreach and an encouragement to be a caring and loving Christian community and fellowship, trying to be true to our object of being Christ Centred, Spirit Led, Family Focused.

This is delivered through the provision of public worship and the various activities as described above and is of benefit to all in the community who wish to participate from the very young to the elderly.

There is pastoral support and visits for those in need and would like them or cannot make it to public worship or other activities.

Our support of the local Foodbank charity benefits numerous families in the local area as does our support of various charities for those locally, nationally, and internationally.

Services at specific times of year, such as Christmas, Easter, Harvest and Remembrance also enable those who wish to celebrate and think about these events to do so in an appropriate and beneficial way.

Being a locally based church set in a rural and scenic location it is often used for marriages by those with a connection to the church and community.

Christ Church has a large and open graveyard and so is often used for funeral services and burials, but also is available for burials for those from another church or non-church background. The Graveyard also includes a Garden of Remembrance specifically set aside for the burial of ashes if required.

Restrictions in respect of burials are necessary and are twofold:

(i) there is a two-tier system for subscribing church members and those who do not re costs of graves and burials which follows a similar system in place in Local Authority cemeteries for residents and non-residents.

(ii) there are Guidelines for Headstones which need to be followed and new headstones approved in order to keep them appropriate to the churchyard and for ease of maintenance of the same.

Health & Safety and Safeguarding Trust

Health and safety checks are regularly made, the Woburn hall is inspected and has an authorised Entertainment Licence issued by the Local Authority.

The Parish complies with the Church of Ireland Safeguarding Trust Child Protection Policy (also covering vulnerable adults) and also those involved in working with children either through Creche, Junior Church, Messy Church and also the Prayer Ministry Team have been through Enhanced checks with Access NI.

Compliance with Public Benefit

The Parish has given careful consideration to the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland’s guidance on public benefit to ensure that the activities entered into during the year have helped to achieve the Parish’s objectives and activities, as well as providing public benefit.

Financial Review

Full detail of the receipts and expenditure can be found in the charity accounts submitted.

Although total income was lower than the previous year, this decrease is attributable to the significant donations received in the prior period. Adjusted for these exceptional contributions, income levels are otherwise comparable. Notably, Free Will Offerings have increased year-on-year, and income from the Young Fund has also improved following a change in investment manager.

Expenditure for 2025 was reduced relative to 2024 and aligned with expectations, as no major outlays were incurred, resulting in a decrease totalling just over £10k. This reduction effectively offset the overall drop in income.

However, expenditure did surpass income for the financial year, leading to a further decline in the bank balance at year-end. It is anticipated that continued improvement in income from the Young Fund and an increase in Free Will Offerings may contribute to a recovery in the bank balance in the coming year.

Going Concern

The Trustees have reviewed the budgets for the year ahead and are satisfied that there are adequate funds in place to ensure that the Parish can continue its activities and the financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2025 can be signed off as a going concern.

Pay and remuneration

The stipend of the Incumbent is paid directly by the Parish with remuneration for their portion of Incumbent costs coming from St. Patrick’s, Millisle who share the Incumbent. The stipend is in accordance with figures approved by the General Synod of the Church of Ireland for Group D parishes. In 2025 was £39,399 per annum. The office allowance of £800 per annum and the locomotory allowance of £6,591 per annum for the Incumbent also followed approved guidelines.

Statement of Trustee’s Responsibilities

The Trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustee’s Report and the statement of receipts and payments and statement of assets and liabilities in accordance with applicable law and regulations.

The law applicable to charities in Northern Ireland with income of less than £250,000 requires the trustees to prepare a statement of receipts and payments and a statement of assets and liabilities for each financial year.

The Trustees are responsible for keeping accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the Parish’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the assets and liabilities of the Parish. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Parish and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

Signed on behalf of the Trustees

Trustee: Rev Colin A.J. Davis Chair

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Trustee: Mrs Sian Gibson
Secretry
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23'd March 2026

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