2023-12-31-annual-report

Kilskeery Parish Church Trustees’ Annual report for the year ended 31 December 2023

The trustees present the annual report and accounts for Kilskeery Parish Church for the year ended 31 December 2023.

Objectives and Activities

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

The principle function of Kilskeery Parish is to support the advancement of the Christian religion by promoting, through the work of Kilskeery Parish the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. Being open to and engaging with society as a whole and 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, Kilskeery Parish 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 Kilskeery Parish.

Achievements, Performance & Public Benefit

Kilskeery Parish Church plays a prominent role in local community life as it seeks to reach out and engage with the community of which it is part of, as well as welcome in those who connect with any of our Sunday services, organizations, and community events. Kilskeery Parish Church gathers each Sunday for morning worship which throughout the year provides opportunities to celebrate the times and seasons including Harvest Thanksgiving, Remembrance Sunday, Advent, Christmas and Easter. Services of infant baptism, funeral services and wedding services also feature in our schedule and practice throughout the year.

Kilskeery Parish seeks to engage with the needs of the surrounding community which include spiritual, physical, emotional, social and pastoral. Through pastoral care and visitation, whether that be at home or in hospital, we endeavour to look after and serve our parishioners through the good times and the difficult. There are always a variety of needs to meet and engage with, whether that be bereavement, illness, isolation, organizing a baptism, or a mental health issue.

Through our organizations we endeavour to provide opportunities for people of all ages, young and old and all in between, to socialize and support one another in what can be in rural areas a socially disadvantaged setting. Organizations such as our Senior Citizen’s Group addresses such needs by offering a time and space for that older generation to meet up around an activity of two and spend time out of the house and together with others. This group seeks to address many social issues with the surrounding community, particularly among the elderly and more isolated. The social interaction and activities contribute to the physical and mental well-being of this age group across the community divide.

Our children’s and youth organizations, which include, Sunday School, Girls’ Brigade, Boys’ Club, Youth Group, and Messy Kids, all seek to provide our children and young people with the chance to meet away from school and learn new skills, socialize with friends, enjoy recreational activities, and grow spiritually, socially, and educationally together. We organized a week-long Children’s Summer Club in August for primary school age children with included fun and games, sports and crafts, stories and singing and drew in many children from across the community and further afield.

There are faithful teams of helpers from our Kilskeery Parish community who give freely of their time, energy and expertise to make all of our organizations run well and in accordance with good Safeguarding policies.

Mother’s Union meets monthly enjoying a variety of activities and guest speakers of local and foreign interest. The group provides an opportunity to meet socially around a cup of tea and supper and share life experiences together.

The Midweek Fellowship Group meet weekly to learn about and discuss Bible themes and consider the practical outworking of the Christian faith. This is framed with tea and coffee and good company.

The Bowling Club meets each Friday evening, with interest and attendance from the younger and older generations, both for fun as well as practice and competitions. During the year the club organized a successful competition with teams coming from across Northern Ireland to participate.

During the autumn we offered a 10 week Guitar Course for Beginners in the community which was taken up by a good group of budding guitarists.

All of our community celebrations which are open to everyone, over the year included:- Lenten Services, Easter and Holy Week Celebrations, Harvest Thanksgiving Services, Service of Remembrance, Advent and Carol Services as well as our Community Christmas Switching on of the Christmas Lights, with participation from Kilskeery Silver Band. The parish also engages with the community via different events including Community Barbeques, Messy Kids events, Special Event Food Nights, Christmas Concerts and Carol Services in partnership with the local primary school, providing and serving funeral teas, and more. We were also pleased to organize a special Coronation Tea to celebrate the coronation of King Charles.

As well as all of the above, members of the Kilskeery Parish are additionally actively involved in other aspects of wider community life e.g. serving on the committee of the Fermanagh Farming Society, the Board of Governors of the local Primary School, Youth Work provision for the diocese and on an all-Ireland level, Young Farmers, Cross-Community local Business Development Groups, participation in local sports clubs and in a variety of other capacities.

Kilskeery Parish also seeks to be outward looking in not just the local sense but also supports charities such as Operation Christmas Child each year with families and individuals filling their shoeboxes to send off to foreign climes in time for Christmas.

The regular activities of Kilskeery Parish demonstrate that it is engaging with all age groups within the parish itself and also within the wider community. It seeks to meet people where they are and serve the community in which it is placed in whatever way it can. Its organizations and programmes demonstrate that it meets social needs, addresses issues of rural isolation and poverty, provides a selection of opportunities for children and young people and families and endeavours to do so with kindness and generosity.

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

Kilskeery Parish Church continues to be in a healthy financial state with income reflecting the generous financial support of the parishioners who enable the life and ministry to continue. The principle source of income continues to be from donations and plate collections, together with receipts from occasional legacies. Kilskeery Parish Church aims to retain sufficient reserves to meet its expected future expenditure requirement as well as potential future capital projects.

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 end 31 December 2023 can be signed off as a going concern.

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

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

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

Pay and remuneration

The incumbent receives a stipend in accordance with figures approved by the General Synod of the Church of Ireland.

Organisational Structure

The select vestry is responsible for the day-to-day management of the parish. The select vestry consists of the member of the clergy serving in the parish, the churchwardens, the glebe wardens and generally not more than twelve other members of the general vestry elected at the General 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 deciding how parish funds are to be applied.

The select vestry meets at times fixed by the members or by the diocesan synod. Special meetings may be convened at any time by the chairperson or the churchwardens.

Statement of Trustees' Responsibilities

The trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations.

The law applicable to charities in the Northern Ireland requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law, the trustees have prepared the financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting practice in the United Kingdom (accounting standards issued by the Financial Reporting Council in the UK, including Charities SORP (FRS 102). “Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)” and promulgated by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in the United Kingdom and United Kingdom Law) Under that law the trustees must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of the affairs of the charity and of the statement of financial activities of the charity for that period.

In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:

• select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;

• make judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent

• state whether the financial statements have been prepared in accordance with applicable Accounting Standards and identify the standards in question, subject to any material departures being disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and

• prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the Parish will continue as a going concern.

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 financial position of the Parish and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008, the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008 and the provision of the Constitution of the Church of Ireland. 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.

Statement as to disclosure to our auditors / examiners

In so far as the trustees are aware at the time of approving our trustees’ annual report:

• there is no relevant audit information of which the charitable company’s auditor is unaware; and

• the trustees have taken all steps that they ought to have taken to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the company’s auditor is aware of that information.