## **Abercorn Pardovan Kingscavil and Winchburgh Parish Church of Scotland**
## **Congregational Accounts**
## **Year Ended 31 December 2025**
**Congregation No: 010131**
**Charity No: SC026230**
## **Receipts and Payments**
1
## **Reference and Administrative Information**
**Charity Name** : Abercorn Pardovan Kingscavil and Winchburgh Parish Church of Scotland
**Charity Registration No** : SC026230 **Congregation Reference No** : 010131 **Contact Address** : 104 Tippetknowes Road Winchburgh West Lothian EH52 6UL
**Principal Office Bearers**
**Minister and** Rev Derek R Henderson (Locum Minister, OLM) **Interim Moderator:**
**Session Clerk** : William Taylor **Treasurer:** George Taylor
**Independent Examiner** : Shona M Binning BA (Hons) CA **Bankers** : Bank of Scotland, Regent Square, Blackness Road, Linlithgow
## **Trustees: Kirk Session.**
Rev Derek Henderson (Appointed 28 April 2022) OLM Interim Moderator, Mr W Taylor, (Session Clerk), Mr P Anderson, Mrs E Bryce, Mr A Carruthers (Property Convenor), Mrs M Conlon, Mr G Ferguson, Mr G Forbes, Mrs J Harvey, Lord Hopetoun, Lord Linlithgow, Miss K Jack, Mrs L Jones, Mr R King, Mrs H Newton, Mr T Nimmo, Mr M Raeburn, Mr G Taylor (Treasurer), Mrs G Treadwell, and Mrs J Wight.
Mrs J Kershaw, Mr P Kershaw (from 15 July 24) and Mrs K Paterson (from 21 May 24) are currently on Sabbatical, consequently, have no responsibility for Kirk Session decisions.
2
## **Trustees’ Annual Report Year Ended 31 December 2025**
## **Structure, Governance and Management**
## **Governing Document**
The Parishes of Abercorn and Pardovan Kingscavil and Winchburgh were formally united on 1[st] February 2024.
The legal name of the United congregation is ‘Abercorn Pardovan Kingscavil and Winchburgh Parish (Church of Scotland)’ and the Scottish Charity number is ‘SC026230’. From the 1[st] of February 2024, the Parish is administered in accordance with the terms of the **Unitary Constitution.**
## **Recruitment and Appointment of Trustees**
Members of the Kirk Session are the charity trustees. The Kirk Session consists of the minister and the elders. The minister is elected by the congregation and inducted by the Presbytery. The elders are chosen from those members of the congregation who are considered to have the appropriate gifts and skills. The Kirk Session is chaired by a Moderator and this position is occupied by the Rev Derek R Henderson who was appointed Interim Moderator on 28 April 2022 by Presbytery. The Rev Derek R Henderson was appointed locum Minster in the parish serving two days per week and each Sunday.
## **Organisational Structure**
Normally the minister, currently the Interim Moderator, is Moderator of the Kirk Session, the Kirk Session is responsible for all matters, spiritual affairs, finance and property of the Church. The Kirk Session agreed to have regular meetings on the 2nd Tuesday of January, February, March, April, May, June, October, November and December and the 1st Tuesday in September; to commence at 7.30pm unless otherwise stated; It does not meet in July and August unless required.
The minutes of these meetings are in the Kirk Session minute book (loose leaf format and bound when required). The Annual Meeting of the Congregation was held in Winchburgh Church on Sunday 27[th] April 2025 after divine worship.
The process for releasing Abercorn Church was started late 2024 and was sold to Hopetoun Estates on 17[th] March 2025.
Our right to Call a Minister was extended by six months by Presbytery effective from 5th December 2025. At the Kirk Session meeting on 9[th] December a Working Group was set up to take forward the Parish Profile.
On 13[th] May 2025, the Kirk Session elected Mr George Ferguson a _bona fide_ Elder of the Congregation of Abercorn Pardovan Kingscavil and Winchburgh Parish to represent them in the Presbytery of Edinburgh and West Lothian from 1[st] July 2025 to 30[th] June 2026.
## **Objectives and Activities**
The Church of Scotland is Trinitarian in doctrine, Reformed in tradition and Presbyterian in polity. It exists to glorify God and to work for the advancement of Christ’s Kingdom throughout the world. As a national Church, it acknowledges a distinctive call and duty to bring the ordinances of religion to the people in every parish of Scotland through a territorial ministry. It co-operates with other Churches in various ecumenical bodies in Scotland and beyond.
3
## **Trustees’ Annual Report Year Ended 31 December 2025 cont’d**
Worship was held in Winchburgh Church every Sunday at 11.30am, in Kingscavil Church on the first and third Sundays and in Abercorn Church on the second and fourth Sundays of the month at 10.00am. Abercorn Church was released and the last service in Abercorn Church was on the 20[th] April 2025. With agreement with Hopetoun Estates there will be some services held in Abercorn Church on special occasions. During 2025 there were funerals services in the church. The watchnight service was also held in Abercorn Church where more that 80 people attended. From the 4[th] May 2025 the Kirk Session decided to hold services in Kingscavil Church every Sunday at 10.00am. On occasions there were united services in one place, these were intimated over the pulpit, in the written notices and on our website.
A car rota is in place to enable older and less able members to attend Sunday Worship. The congregation is served by an Ordained Local Minister, the Rev Derek R Henderson, who was appointed Locum Minister by the Kirk Session on the 25[th] May 2021, to work each Sunday and two days per week and from 28 April 2022 as Interim Moderator.
Again, much effort has gone into improving Winchburgh Church to serve the needs of the worshipping congregation and the wider community.
Our objective remains to raise sufficient funding to have the welfare facilities upgraded in Winchburgh Church. Plans have been produced and tenders for the work went out early in 2024. Our aim is to add a small kitchen and accessible toilets within the sanctuary of Winchburgh Church, to allow for a wider range of use of the church and for community use.
Unfortunately, this plan was put on hold during 2025 as our efforts needed to be focussed on upgrading the Manse at Winchburgh to bring it up to an acceptable standard to enable us to Call a minister. The Kirk Session continues to use the services of an architect first engaged in October 2021 to supervise the project. Decoration of the areas where structural work was completed in 2022 will be done when the new internal welfare facilities have been completed.
At the end of 2024, approval was given by the Presbytery of Edinburgh and West Lothian to allow application to be made to the local authority for planning consent and building warrant for necessary improvements to the manse. Such consent was granted and following a grant from the General Trustees, the works went out to tender at the end of 2025.
After the repairs to Winchburgh Church were completed, it was decided that the interior needed to be decorated. An appeal was made to the Congregation, a substantial amount of money was raised, paint was bought and the work to decorate the church was carried out in 2025 by a member, free of charge.
The marquee has been a valuable resource for church and community activities and remains a useful space for various activities throughout the year.
## **Achievements and Performance**
Holy Communion was celebrated in-person during 2025. In 2025 there were 269 members on the Communion Roll and 33 on the Supplementary Roll. Children attend worship with parents or grandparents occasionally.
4
## **Trustees’ Annual Report Year Ended 31 December 2025 cont’d**
## **Children and Young People.**
We have co-operated with Linlithgow Young People’s Project (Youthspace) in the past, however, because of their issues with staffing we have had no involvement with them in Winchburgh Church during this year.
The Mission Hall in Bridgend however has been used by Youthspace for family café style activities linked to their youth club in Bridgend Community Centre. We also provided premises in the Mission Hall for a Scottish Government funded tutoring service for S4-6 pupils in need of support in the academic year 2024-5.
We have developed a strong link with a local private nursery whose children attend the weekly “Coffee and Chat” in Winchburgh Church. Winchburgh Guides and Winchburgh Rainbows meet weekly in Winchburgh Church. Winchburgh Sports and Activity Group, (toddlers) meet Monday to Thursday, during school term time, in the Marquee and/or Winchburgh Church.
The Kirk Session approved the re-establishment of the 1st Winchburgh Boys Brigade. Applications from volunteers and the necessary administrative processes have been completed and are currently under review by the Boys Brigade.
Hawkhill Primary School held a service in Winchburgh Church on 17 December with more than 100 pupils, teachers and parents attending. The school have indicated that they would like this to be an annual event.
We support the West Lothian Foodbank by donating food items and a special donation of collections from events leading up to Christmas was much appreciated. We also support Winchburgh Food Store, who have a distribution point for surplus items in the grounds of Winchburgh Church.
Winchburgh Church supports Gala week by installing a display within the grounds that is highly visible on the Gala procession route.
The church website is active, the website (www.pkwla.co.uk) and the Facebook page are updated regularly, services are live streamed on Facebook every Sunday from Winchburgh Church.
Over the past few years, an enormous number of new houses have been built in Winchburgh with further development to come.
The village is growing considerably and is served by Winchburgh Academy, Sinclair Academy, Holy Family RC Primary School, Winchburgh Primary School, and Hawkhill Primary School (opened August 2025). There are sports facilities and swimming pool available to the public so communication will be more important and challenging in the future.
An invitation was extended to all the schools to attend an Act of Remembrance, which was held on 11[th] November 2025. The head teachers and several pupils from all four schools attended with wreaths laid by them and many organisations in the community. The act of worship was led by our interim moderator and Fr Paul Henderson. A short service of remembrance at the Shale Miners memorial in the church grounds was held on Remembrance Sunday.
5
## **Trustees’ Annual Report Year Ended 31 December 2025 cont’d**
The Christmas celebrations events and services were well received by the congregation and others; Christmas events were organised including a Santa sleigh visit around the Parish.
A special all-age service for children and families was held on Christmas Eve in Winchburgh Church and was attended by 55 people, including 14 children. The Watchnight service at Abercorn was attended by around 80 people and the Christmas Day service at Winchburgh by 18.
## **Fundraising events and opportunities.**
The Craft Club has met throughout the year, meeting in the Session House or the Church. Some people did work on plastic canvas making Easter, Hallowe’en and Christmas novelties; others were knitting baby blankets, baby and children’s cardigans / jumpers and clothes to dress teddies, all profits for church funds.
A Fundraising team was set up to coordinate events. Fundraising events were held in the marquee and Winchburgh Church. Easter Craft sale, Silent Action in May, Summer Fair in June, Destash sale in September, Craft Fair in October, Christmas Fayre in Winchburgh Church. It’s the efforts of the fundraising team and the income generated from those events that keeps our finances in the black.
The windows in Winchburgh Church were decorated In December by the Coffee and Chat, the Gardeners and Church members. Holly wreaths were made and sold for church funds.
The Friday Coffee and Chat (coffee mornings) is a hub for social gathering of the community; at times there are events - Carers of West Lothian (CoWL) meet regularly at the Friday Coffee and Chat. Where any individual who is an unpaid carer or disabled adult living in West Lothian can then book into one of the weekly advice sessions and have a chat with a member of the team for help and advice There is a monthly Dementia Friendly Support Group also present on Friday mornings.
Winchburgh church is used for public meetings.
Warm Space initiatives in conjunction with Winchburgh Community Development Trust were held during the year in Winchburgh Church.
All these events were well supported by the wider community and were financially very successful. As ever, we are grateful to the office bearers, members and the many volunteers who give their time, talents and money in furthering the work of the Church, both here and abroad. We also appreciate the support of the people in our community.
A donation of £3650 received from the North Merchiston Fund at the Presbytery has been used to create a new restricted fund for Youth Development in the parish. The initial call on this funding will be the re-establishment of a Boys Brigade Company within the church.
6
## **Trustees’ Annual Report Year Ended 31 December 2025 cont’d**
## **Financial Review**
The Church end of year figures showed that there was a deficit in year of £2,171 in the General Fund (2024: Surplus of £3,800), overall considering the Designated and Restricted Funds, there was a total surplus of £27,233 (2024: Surplus of £3,234).
The principal source of regular income is by way of freewill envelopes, monthly standing orders and open plate. The regular giving by church members was slightly up when compared to 2024, however the running costs of the properties and Giving to Grow Contributions have increased at a greater rate and accounts for the deficit in the General Fund. During the year, tax of £8,832 was recovered on Gift Aid donations, this makes a considerable contribution to the church’s finances.
The income includes a release of investments of £22,056 for repairs to the Manse. There is further work to be carried out to the manse, including necessary repairs and upgrading, before a new minister is called, this will have a direct effect on cashflow.
Fundraising remains a challenge but one that is regularly discussed at the Session with a small but active group coordinating a number of well attended events during the year. Many of the events have a social aspect and bring the community together as well as raising much needed funds.
The Parish has run at a deficit for some years now and has been sustained by General Reserves, which remain above the required level as noted below but are being depleted year on year. Our biggest ongoing cost pressure is heating and lighting, with an ongoing programme of activities and actions being undertaken to try and reduce this cost.
## **Reserves Policy**
It is the Trustees’ policy to hold general reserves of at least £15,000. At the year end the Church held unrestricted cash funds of £20,967 (2024: £23,078). The higher cash balance currently being held is in anticipation of the planned redevelopment work at Winchburgh Church and manse. The Church also held £51,233 of restricted funds (2024: £21,889) which have been provided for the purposes specified in Note 2.
7
Trustees, Annual Report
Year Ended 31 December 2025 confd
Statement of Trustees, Responslbilities
The members of the Klrk Sesslon must prepare financlal siatements whlch give sufflclent detall
to enable an appreciation of the transactions of Ihe Church during the financial year. The
members of the Kirk Session are responsible for keeping proper accounting records vthich, on
requ8St, must reflect the financial p05ition of the Church at Ihal Ilme. This must be done to
ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland)
Act 2005. the Charities Accounts (SCoand) Regulations 2006 and the Regulations Anent
Congregational FinanGe approved by the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland In 2007.
They are also resFM)nsible for safeguarding the assets of the Church and must take reasonable
steps for the prevention and l or detection of fraud and other irregularities.
pproved by the Trustees and signed on their behalf,
Willlam Taylor (Sesslon Ckrk)
Date: 13 January 2026
Independent Examinerfs Report to the Trustees of Abercorn Pardovan
Kingscavil and Winchburgh Parish Church of Scotland
I report on the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31 December 2025 which are
set out on pages 10 to 14.
Respective responslbllltles of trustee8 and examiner
The charty'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.
The charity trustees consider that the audit requirement of Regulation 10(1) (d) of the
Accounts Regulations does not apply. It is my responsibilty 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 examinerfs statement
An examination is carried out in accordance with Regulation 11 of the Charities Accounts
(Scotland) Regulations 2006. 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 conceming any such matters. The produreS undertaken
do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audÉt, and consequently I do
not express an audit opinion on the view given by the accounts.
Independent examiner's ststsment
In the course of my examination, no matter has come to my attenlion
Text
which gives me reasonabte cause to believe that in any material respect the requiremei
to keep accounting records in accordance with Section 44 (1){a) of the 2005 Act and
Regulation 4 of the 2006 Accounts Regulations, and
to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with
Regulation 9 of the 2006 Accounts Regulations have not been met, or
to which. in my opinion, attention should be dravm in order to enable a proper
understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Name
Miss Shona Binning
Address:
13, Muirfield Drive, Uphall, West Lothian, EH52 6BU
Date
12 February 2026
## **Abercorn Pardovan Kingscavil and Winchburgh Parish Church of Scotland Receipts and Payments Account Year ended 31 December 2025**
|**Receipts**
**Note**
Donations
**3**
Legacies
Activities for Generating Funds
Bank & Deposit interest
Investment income
Rental of premises
Insurance Claim
Transfer of Union Balance
Grants
Receipts from General Trustees
Other Receipts
**Total Receipts**
**Payments**
**4**
Costs of generating funds
Charitable activities
Purchase of Assets
Governance costs
**Total Payments**
**Transfers**
**(Deficit)/Excess**
**of**
**Receipts**
**over**
**Payments**
**for the year**
**(Deficit)/Excess**
**of**
**Receipts**
**over**
**Payments**
**for the year before gains &**
**losses on investments**|**Unrestricted Funds**
**General**
**Other**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**£**
**£**
49,175
247
0
11,308
4
4,803
65,290
247
3,430
0
0
0
22,056
690
**91,466**
**247**
103
187
93,444
0
90
0
**93,637**
**187**
**(2,171)**
**60**
0
0
**(2,171)**
**60**|**Restricted**
**Funds**
**Funds**
**£**
8,535
22,228
30,763
**30,763**
1,419
**1,419**
**29,344**
**29,344**|**Total**
**2025**
**£**
57,957
22,228
11,308
4
4,803
96,300
3,430
0
0
0
22,056
690
**122,476**
290
94,863
90
0
**95,243**
**27,233**
0
**27,233**|**Total**
**2024**
**£**
47,523
0
12,540
40
4,161|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||64,264
2,745
0
9,979
0
36,921
5,761|
|||||**119,670**|
|||||186
116,125
125
0|
|||||**116,436**|
|||||**3,234**
0|
|||||**3,234**|
10
Ab
nKln
vil an
tat
Winchbur h Parish Chur
f Balanc
1 Decemb r 2025
hof
Restricted
Funds
Unrestricted Funds
General
Other
Funds
Funds
2025
2024
Toial
Total
nk&D•
osit Balances
brought forward
23,006
72
21,889
44,967
41,733
Movement In year..
Excess/{Deflt1 ol Receipts over Payrrenls
for the y8ar
12,1711
60
29,344
27,233
3,234
Bank, deFJOSit & Investment balances
arried forward
132
Inves
ents at
arketvalue
for information
Church ol Scotland Investors, Trust Grovrth Units
Church ol Scotland Investors, Trusl InconE Unils
Total
At Cost
65,023
40,002
105 025
58,633
65,023
60297
38843
105 025
Assets
Gift Aid Recewab
Liabi
itles
The accounts were approved by the Kirk Session on 10 Febnjary 2026
For and on behalf of the Kirk Session
Session Clerk
Treasurar
Notes to Accounts - Cont’d
## **Abercorn Pardovan Kingscavil and Winchburgh Parish Church of Scotland Notes to the Accounts Year Ended 31 December 2025**
## **1. Trustee Remuneration and Related Party Transactions**
During the year two trustees received reimbursement of expenses incurred totalling £1,984. Payment of £860 was made in respect of phone/travel expenses to the Rev Derek Henderson.
## **2. Movements in Funds**
|**Unrestricted funds**
General Fund
Craft Club
**Restricted funds**
Winchburgh Redevelopment Fund
Collection for Third Parties
Special Projects Fund
Youth Development Fund
Investors Trust Fund
**Total funds**|**At 1 Jan**
**2025**
**£**
23,006
72
23,078
14,841
50
6,736
0
262
21,889
**44,967**|**£**
91,466
247
91,713
27,004
109
0
3,650
0
30,763
**122,476**
**Incoming**
**Resources**|**£**
(93,637)
(187)
(93,824)
(1,283)
(110)
(26)
0
0
(1,419)
**(95,243)**
**Outgoing**
**Resources**|**Transfers**
**£**
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
**0**|**At 31 Dec**
**2025**
**£**
20,835
132|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||20,967|
||||||40,562
49
6,710
3,650
262|
||||||51,233|
|||||||
||||||**72,200**|
## **Purposes of Designated Funds**
There are no designated funds at this time
## **Purposes of Restricted Funds**
**Investors Trust Fabric Fund:** The Trustees have set adide funds for the maintenance of Church Property **Special Projects Fund:** This fund provides financial asssistance to support migrants now residing in West Lothian. This was created as a result of a donation of the late Colin Thomson.
**Youth Development Fund** : The Trustees have set aside funds for the development of youth activities within the Parish
**Winchburgh Redevelopment Fund:** This restricted fund is for the development of the Winchburgh Church Building
**Collections for Third Parties:** This fund was created for the purpose of holding and dispersing donations made by the congregation for third parties.
12
Notes to Accounts - Cont’d
|**Other Funds**
**2025**
**2025**
**£**
**£**
**3.**
**Analysis of Donations**
FWO Scheme (non Gift Aid)
8,290
Gift Aid Donations
24,654
Tax Recovered on Gift Aid Donations
8,832
Ordinary Offerings (Open Plate)
4,146
Other Offerings, Donations etc
3,253
247
**49,175**
**247**
**4.**
**Analysis of Payments**
**Costs of generating funds**
Offering envelopes
103
0
Garden Fete Expenses
0
0
Craft Supplies
0
187
**103**
**187**
**Charitable activities**
Ministries & Mission allocation
39,104
Presbytery dues
884
Minister’s Phone/Travel expenses
860
Locum Costs
3,413
Pulpit supply
709
Fabric repairs & maintenance
24,025
Council Tax& Water Charges
2,841
Heat and light
12,053
Insurance
6,964
Church office expenses
947
Organ & music
0
Printing & stationery
43
Youth Ministry
0
Donations to Charities
0
Other expenses
1,601
**93,444**
**0**
**Other Payments**
Purchase of Assets
**90**
0
**Urestricted Fund**
**General Fund**|**Restricted**
**Funds**
**2025**
**£**
2,240
6,295
**8,535**
**0**
1,283
110
26
**1,419**
0|**Total**
**2025**
**£**
8,290
26,894
8,832
4,146
9,795
**57,957**
103
0
187
**290**
39,104
884
860
3,413
709
25,308
2,841
12,053
6,964
947
0
43
0
110
1,627
**94,863**
**90**|**Total**
**2024**
**£**
10,449
22,277
8,550
2,792
3,455|
|---|---|---|---|
||||**47,523**|
||||103
0
83|
||||**186**|
||||30,904
660
1,062
16,552
1,365
42,810
2,622
12,175
4,599
1,425
0
0
0
1,156
796|
||||**116,126**|
||||**125**|
13
## **5. Minister’s Stipend**
All Church of Scotland congregations contribute to the National Stipend Fund which bears the costs of all ministers' stipends and employer's contributions for national insurance, pension and housing and loan fund. Ministers' stipends are paid in accordance with the National Stipend Scale which is related to years of service. For the year under review the minimum stipend was £32,433 and the maximum stipend (in the fifth and subsequent years of service) was £39,856.
|**Other Funds**
**2025**
**2025**
**6.**
**Collections for Third Parties**
Christian Aid
0
0
Mulanje Hospitan, Malawi
0
0
Earl Haig Fund
0
Donation made by Church to:-
B.U.S.Y. Project
500
0
500
0
**Urestricted Fund**
**General Fund**|**Restricted**
**Funds**
**2025**
110
0
0
110|**Total**
**2025**
110
0
0
500
610|**Total**
**2024**
0
56
100
500|
|---|---|---|---|
||||656|
14
## **APPENDIX**
## **FUNDS HELD ON BEHALF OF THE CONGREGATION**
## **BY THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND GENERAL TRUSTEES**
||**2025**|**2024**||
|---|---|---|---|
||**£**|**£**||
|**CAPITAL ACCOUNT**||||
|Credit Balances held at 31 December at cost|56,256|23,652||
|Market Value of Balances at 31 December|62,910|35,758||
|**REVENUE ACCOUNT**||||
|Credit Balance at 31 December|2,213||543|
15