of the Episcopal Church
Good Shepherd, Murrayfield
Report and Financial Statements
for the year ended 30 September 2025
The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, Murrayfield is a registered Scottish Charity, charity number SC000357
Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, Murrayfield
Reference and administrative information
| Charity Name | Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, Murrayfield |
|---|---|
| Principal address | 13a Murrayfield Avenue, Edinburgh Edinburgh EH12 6AU |
| Website | https://www.goodshepherdmurrayfield.org.uk |
| Registered Charity number | SC000357 |
| Trustees as at the date of this report. (There were no changes in vestry membership during the year and to date.) |
Rev’d Canon Dean Fostekew, Rector (Chairman) Jane Shurmer, Secretary Ian Spence, Rector’s Warden Avril Henney, Peoples’ Warden Ian Lawson, Treasurer Pat Gordon, Lay Representative Norma Macdonald May Lindsay Jim Paterson Anna Buxton Heather Duque |
| Independent Examiner | Hugh Craig FCCA |
| Bankers | Bank of Scotland Virgin Bank |
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Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, Murrayfield
REPORT OF THE VESTRY (TRUSTEES’ REPORT) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2025
The trustees are pleased to present their report together with the financial statements and independent examiner’s report for the year to 30 September 2025.
1. Structure, governance and management
The Church is an unincorporated association governed by a Constitution and managed by the Vestry. As a member congregation of the Diocese of Edinburgh in the Scottish Episcopal Church, it is also governed by Canon law of the Scottish Episcopal Church. The Church is a registered charity and, for the purposes of Charity Law, the members of the Vestry are its Trustees.
Vestry membership
Ex officio members of the Vestry include the Rector, appointed by the Vestry (in consultation with the Bishop of the Diocese), and the Rector's Churchwarden, appointed by the Rector. Other Vestry members are elected by the congregation in annual meeting or failing that may be co-opted by the Vestry. The Lay Representative and People's Churchwarden are annual appointments; two other ordinary members retire each year but may be re-elected. There is no formal induction programme, but ongoing guidance is given to ensure that Vestry members are familiar with the Church’s values and aims, and with their responsibilities as the trustees of a charity.
The Rector and the Lay Representative represent the Congregation at Diocesan Synod.
The current members of the Vestry are listed on page 2. There were no changes to vestry membership during the year ended 30 September 2025 or to date.
Administrative structure
The Vestry is responsible for managing and safeguarding the assets of the Church and assisting the Rector in matters affecting the spiritual welfare of the congregation. It is also responsible for looking after the finances of the church, for keeping proper accounting records and ensuring that the annual accounts are prepared in accordance with the terms of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006. New members are elected to the Vestry at Annual General Meetings via a nomination procedure that is well advertised to the congregation.
The Vestry conducts its business through regular advertised meetings and through the Finance, Property and Social Committees that report to it. The Vestry, at its regular meetings, considers any risks facing the Church, particularly in connection with potential changes in operations, and establishes procedures to mitigate risks that are identified. Quinquennial property reviews are carried out to give assurance in relation to property risks.
2. Reference and administrative information
Reference and administrative details are presented on page 2.
3. Objectives and activities
The primary charitable purpose of the Church is the advancement of religion and to provide public benefit. The Vestry’s objectives are to advance the mission of the Christian Church, through worship, service, and fellowship. These objectives are met through mission and pastoral activities.
The principal activities of the church are public worship in word, sacrament and prayer; Christian education; charitable work and fund-raising for local, national and international needs; and social meetings.
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Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, Murrayfield
Trustees’ Report (continued)
4. Achievements and performance
Please see the Rector’s Report on pages 5 and 6.
5. Financial review
The year to 30 September 2025 saw increases in both donations and assets values. Total receipts fell by £14k, but that was due to an exceptional recovery in 2024 of over £20k of gift aid relating to prior years. Expenditure fell by £15.5k, largely due to different costs of special property maintenance works in the two years. Net receipts of £10.6k and a gain in the value of our investment holdings increased total funds to £339k (2024 £312k).
Receipts
Ignoring the exceptional receipt in 2024 of prior years’ Gift Aid, general fund income rose by 4.7%, driven by increases in regular contributions in the first full year following our 2023 ‘renewal of giving’ appeal. In addition, we received some £12k of restricted donations and gift aid for the new storage units, which together with a generous grant from the Diocese’s St Hilda’s Fund for mission, fully covered their cost.
Rental income benefitted from an improvement in hourly rates. Investment income suffered from a fall in bank interest rates, offset by a further 13% increase in UTP distributions. Royalty income, from literary rights bequeathed to the church by the author Lucilla Andrews, continues to fall off now all her work has been published in e-book format, but at a much slower rate than expected.
Payments
There were three large items of expenditure in the year: oak storage units costing £14,250, a new hall boiler (£8,000) and the sanding of the church and hall floors (£8,568). Grants totaling £4,948 (included in income) offset these costs. Other costs held steady. An increase in stipend was mitigated by lower pension contributions, thanks to the strong performance of the SEC UTP. Costs relating to the hall, including the new boiler, were fully covered by rental income, generating a surplus of £6,000 for Church funds (2024: £15,000).
Investments
Long term funds are invested in the Unit Trust Pool (“UTP”) of the Scottish Episcopal Church. The investment objective of the UTP, which accords with that of the Vestry, is to earn a return on the assets, over the long term, sufficient at least to maintain the real value of the distribution to unit holders. The Provincial Investment Committee who manage the UTP have determined an ethical investment policy which stresses certain 'positive' ethical criteria, as well as certain strict 'negative' criteria that include no direct investment in companies whose main business is in restricted categories such as armaments, gambling or tobacco.
Reserves policy
The Vestry aims to maintain an amount in general reserves equal to the net book value of tangible fixed assets plus at least one year’s anticipated future expenditure. Currently this target is well exceeded, but the vestry is conscious of the need to spend on significant projects in the short-to-medium term so as to secure a sustainable future for the activities and presence of the Good Shepherd in Murrayfield in the decades to come.
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Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, Murrayfield
Trustees’ Report (continued)
6. Future plans
The Vestry aims to continue at least the present level of service provision in terms of worship, pastoral care and community support. In the coming year urgent roof repairs will be carried out, as recommended in the recent quinquennial property review for the maintenance of the church and hall. Further moves towards carbon neutrality will be considered.
7. Conclusion
The vestry is hugely grateful to Rev’d Canon Dean Fostekew, our Rector, for his hard work and commitment to the Good Shepherd; to Rev’d Russell Duncan, Rev’d David Warnes, Rev’d Lewis Shand Smith and lay reader Judy Wedderspoon for supporting him in his ministry; and to all our members for their continued and continual support and prayers.
Approved by the Vestry on 13 November 2025 and signed on their behalf by:
Rector’s Report on the year to 30 September 2025
During the past year I have come to realise that three words describe our mission and ministry in this bit of God’s Kingdom we call Murrayfield: Presence, Welcome and Hospitality
Presence
The congregation has been worshipping in this area for well over 12 decades. Recent research has found that the presence of a Church and its congregation is greatly valued by the communities in which they exist. The Good Shepherd has this ministry of presence. Many in the community tell me they value what we do, appreciate that we pray for them, and enjoy our garden and porch chapel as places of sanctuary and peace.
Welcome
A warm and genuine welcome supports the ministry of presence, and our stewards and members are very good at making visitors and new members feel at home. Over the past year we have welcomed new members into fellowship both at our Wednesday and Sunday services and at the bi-monthly services offered at Murrayfield House Nursing Home. We also welcome ‘on-line’ visitors from around the world to regular Zoom services and Lectio studies in Advent and Lent. As a congregation we enjoy a welcoming fellowship, inviting friends to join us in theatre trips and lunches. And we hosted an Indian evening, showing slides from the early 20[th] century and hearing of what it is to be a Christian in India today.
In February, we formally welcomed Judy Wedderspoon as our Lay Reader at a service conducted by Bishop John Armes. This was also an opportunity to thank him, just before he retired as bishop, for his ministry in the Diocese and to us. Then in March we welcomed well over 70 alumni of Lansdowne House to a special service at the Good Shepherd. They were saddened that their school buildings had been sold but rejoiced in the fact that what was effectively their beloved chapel is still going strong.
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Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, Murrayfield
Hospitality
In any congregation, the practice of hospitality lies at the heart of the ministry of presence and welcome. Coming out of Covid, the Vestry discerned that God was calling us to a vigorous ministry of hospitality and we have been exploring what that means ever since. Welcoming AA groups into our community has been an important part of this. AA now meets five times a week in The Good Shepherd – a sacred space which is now both theirs and ours. Part of the outworking of hospitality this year has been the renovation of the floor and the commissioning of new cupboards for our use and the use of AA - truly making them feel welcome in the Good Shepherd.
Worship is also a vital part of the ministry of hospitality, for it shows us the ways of Christ, challenging us to love our neighbours as ourselves. In worship, we have been fortunate in the support of my ministerial colleagues: the Rev’d David Warnes, the Rev’d Russell Duncan, the Rev’d Lewis Shand Smith, and Judy Wedderspoon our Lay Reader. We are also blessed in having a dedicated and growing choir of excellent musicians, with two regular organists and even a talented lute player. Their music has added wonderfully to the worship we offer God.
Murrayfield Churches Together (MCT)
Our ministry in Murrayfield is not carried out alone, and we enjoy close collaboration in a long-standing ecumenical partnership with Murrayfield Parish Church and Saughtonhall United Reformed Church.
Over the past year we have met as three congregations to worship together: on Advent Sunday for a Carol Service; during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity; for the World Day of Prayer in March and for a eucharistic service on Good Shepherd Sunday. In other joint activities, the MCT Discussion Group has continued to meet for Bible study. There have been collections for Fresh Start and Christian Aid, and fundraising for the Kenyan charity, ECUDARE. Through MCT, we continued to support the Murrayfield Club, for dementia sufferers and their carers, and its offshoot, the Memory Lane Café which meets regularly at Saughtonhall URC.
Beyond Murrayfield
This coming year will see changes in the Diocese with the election of a new bishop. With the vestry’s support, I will continue my roles in the Diocese as both Bishop’s Chaplain and as a working Canon. During the episcopal vacancy, both roles have gained an extra dimension, helping the Diocese in the absence of a resident bishop and supporting clergy colleagues in their ministries.
Concluding remarks
I would like express my thanks to Vestry members for the time and energy they give to the governance of our church – especially those who take on important roles as Rector’s Warden, Peoples’ Warden, Vestry Secretary and Treasurers – but also to all of our members who have so faithfully supported the church through the year: making the coffee, pouring the fizz, sorting the sacristy, acting as stewards, decorating the church with beautiful flowers and keeping our garden looking glorious and inviting. We are very much a congregation in which willing hands help when needed and do so many ‘unseen’ things to make sure the Good Shepherd is the truly welcoming and hospitable congregation it seeks to be.
The Rev’d Canon Dean J B Fostekew Rector and Chaplain to the Bishop of Edinburgh 13 November 2025
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Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, Murrayfield
Independent Examiner’s Report to the trustees of The Church of the Good Shepherd, Murrayfield
I report on the accounts of the charity for the year ended 30 September 2025 which are set out on pages 8 to 13.
Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner
The charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the terms of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended). The charity trustees consider that the audit requirement of Regulation 10(1) (d) of the Accounts Regulations does not apply. It is my responsibility to examine the accounts as required under section 44(1) (c) of the Act and to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of independent examiner’s report
My examination is carried out in accordance with Regulation 11 of the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended). An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeks explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the view given by the accounts.
Independent examiner’s statement
In the course of my examination, no matter has come to my attention
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which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements:
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to keep accounting records in accordance with section 44(1) (a) of the 2005 Act and Regulation 4 of the 2006 Accounts Regulations, and
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to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with Regulation 9 of the 2006 Accounts Regulations have not been met, or
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to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Signed
HUGH R CRAIG FCCA
Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants 25 Traquair Park West Edinburgh EH12 7AN
Date: 13 November 2025
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Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, Murrayfield
Statement of Receipts and Payments
for the year ended 30 September 2025
The notes on pages 10 to 13 form an integral part of these financial statements
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Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, Murrayfield
Statement of Balances
As at 30 September 2025
Approved by the Vestry and signed on their behalf:
Rev’d Canon Dean J B Fostekew, Rector
13 November 2025
The notes on pages 10 to 13 form an integral part of these financial statements
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Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, Murrayfield
Notes to the accounts for the year ended 30 September 2025
1 Basis of preparation of accounts
These accounts have been prepared on the Receipts and Payments basis in accordance with the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended).
2 Funds
Unrestricted funds are those that may be used at the discretion of the Vestry in furtherance of the Church’s objectives. The General Fund is unrestricted and maintained for the day-to-day running of the Church.
Designated Funds are also unrestricted but have been set aside by the Vestry for particular purposes. In recent years, the Vestry has credited legacy receipts to a designated fund for improving the amenity and energy efficiency of our buildings.
Restricted funds may only be used for specific purposes. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or in fund-raising appeal literature. The purposes of current restricted funds are shown in note 15.
3 Donations
4 Gift Aid
5 Grants
A generous grant of £4,000 was received from the Diocese of Edinburgh towards the project to create a more welcoming and useable space at the rear of the church (see note 10). A grant of £948 was received from the Listed Places of Worship Scheme, effectively refunding the VAT element of the cost of refurbishing the church floor. The grant in 2024 was stipend support from the Diocese.
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Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, Murrayfield
Notes to the accounts (continued)
6 Investment income
7 Quota
Quota is the amount paid to the Diocese of Edinburgh to help meet the costs of the Diocese and the Scottish Episcopal Church. These costs include the provision of pastoral support by the Bishop and Dean and grants to support the ministry of less well funded congregations.
8 Payments to charities
Payments to charities (see also note 15) represent (a) restricted donations to the church in response to collections or appeals for specific charities, including related gift aid; and (b) any sums authorised by the vestry to be paid from church funds. They exclude cash collections for charities where the cash donated is passed directly to the charity concerned. These amounts, which are often not counted before being passed on, cannot be quantified and are excluded from the accounts.
9 Trustee remuneration, benefits and expenses
The Rector, Rev’d Canon Dean Fostekew, is ex officio a member of the Vestry and therefore a trustee. He receives remuneration, benefits, and reimbursement of expenses in respect of services as a stipendiary cleric in line with scales determined by General Synod of the Scottish Episcopal Church. Payment of remuneration is authorised under article 22 of the Constitution.
Amounts paid to the Rector during the year comprised stipend of £33,978 (2024 – £32,391) and pension contributions of £8,316 (2024 – £10,430). Travel, training and subsistence expenses refunded amounted to £754 (2024 – £754).
Ian Lawson, Director of Music, is a member of the Vestry. During the year, he received organist’s fees totalling £1,880 (2024 - £1,381), including £440 that was due but unpaid at 1 October 2024.
No other member of the vestry received any remuneration or reimbursement of expenses during the year or previous year, other than reimbursement of purchases made on behalf of the church.
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Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, Murrayfield
Notes to the accounts (continued)
10 Analysis of property management costs
11 Cash balances
12 Property and fixed assets
All the heritable property of the church, comprising the church building, the hall and the rectory, are vested in the Bishop of Edinburgh, together with the Dean, Chancellor and Registrar of the Diocese ( ex officio), who hold the properties in trust for the congregation. The properties are registered under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2016 and separately listed in the Register of Controlled Interests in Land in the names of the four Diocesan trustees as legal owners and three representative members of the vestry as ‘associate owners’, because the Vestry has effective control of the properties.
Given the nature of the property ownership, the Vestry believes it highly unlikely that the proceeds of any future sale would flow to the Good Shepherd and they have accordingly been excluded from the Statement of Balances. The original cost of heritable property is unknown, and no market valuation has been sought as, in the opinion of the vestry, the cost of doing so would outweigh any benefit.
The church also owns a small triptych by Phoebe Traquair, which has been on loan to the National Museum of Scotland for many years. It was valued at £25,000 in 2003, but the Church has no intention to sell and its current value is unknown, so no value has been placed upon it in the Statement of Balances.
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Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, Murrayfield
Notes to the accounts (continued)
13 Investments
Investments consist of units in the Scottish Episcopal Church Unit Trust Pool.
14 Debtors
15 Restricted Funds
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