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2024-03-31-accounts

The Friends of St John’s Kirk of Perth (SCIO)

Charity Number SC 047919

Trustees’ Report to OSCR for Year Ending 31st March 2024

Reference and Administrative Information

Charity Name: The Friends of St. John’s Kirk of Perth (SCIO)

Charity Registration Number: SC 047919 Contact Address:

Trustees:

Independent Examiner a Morris & Young, 6 Atholl Crescent, Perth. PH1 5JN

Banker:

Virgin Money, St. John’s Centre, 158/162 High Street,Perth. PH1 5UH

The Governing Document:

The Governing Document of the organisation is its Constitution, as amended on the 16th of June 2021.

The Purposes of the organisation:

1 To ensure that the sacred environment that has existed in St. John’s Kirk for over 800 years is appropriately maintained and to promote the advancement of the arts, heritage and culture of Scotland and the advancement of religion.

2 To provide a Christian mission for the thousands of tourists who visit St. John’s Kirk every year and so to promote the advancement of religion

3 To enhance the public’s experience of Scotland’s architectural, cultural, religious and artistic heritage that is exemplified in St. John’s Kirk of Perth, and so to promote the advancement of the arts, heritage and culture of Scotland.

4 To advance the knowledge of the history of St. John’s Kirk, and the religious community associated with it, and so to promote the advancement of education.

General structure of the organisation:

Members:

The Friends of St. John’s Kirk is a membership organisation. Membership is open to anyone over the age of 16 who subscribes to the purposes of the organisation. Members may attend members’ meetings, in particular the AGM, and appoint people to serve on the Board. .

The annual membership subscription is £10 for single membership, £15 for a couple.

The financial year for the Friends runs from the 1st of April to 31st of March. The AGM of the Friends is held at a convenient date after the end of the financial year

Board:

The Board holds meetings, determines the activities of the organisation and monitors and controls its financial position. Those serving on the Board are referred to as Charity Trustees. All the charity trustees retire at each AGM, but may be available for re-election.

The minimum membership of the Board is nine and the maximum is twelve. Three of the trustees may be nominated by the Session of St. John’s Kirk of Perth, and one by the Trust for St. John’s Kirk, the others are elected at the AGM. As from the AGM on 16th August 2022 there are 12 trustees. The Charity Trustees elect (from their number) the office bearers of the organisation.

Context:

The Friends forms one of the three organisational and financial pillars of St. John’s Kirk. These are:

  1. The Kirk Session, to which the Trust and Friends both report, is responsible for all the outreach and religious work of, and activities within the Parish Church, and to which (through Perth Presbytery and the General Trustees of the Church of Scotland) is devolved responsibility for the upkeep of the building.

  2. The Trust for St. John’s Kirk, which undertakes major financial appeals on behalf of the Session.

  3. The remit of Friends of St. John’s Kirk (SCIO) is to promote St. John’s as a tourist attraction, to assist (in conjunction with the Session) in managing the visitors who come to the Kirk, and to assume some of the financial responsibilities associated with making the Kirk a welcoming place for people to visit and to worship. To promote these ends it was decided to register the Friends with OSCR as a separate charity with a new model constitution. This was achieved in November 2017.

In pre-Covid years St. John’s Kirk was open for visitors from Easter until the end of September, on Remembrance Day, at Advent, on Door’s Open Day, and irregularly on other occasions during the year. In those times the Kirk welcomed between 10,000 and 12,000 visitors annually. Although the Covid pandemic has abated, footfall around the Kirk has been seriously affected by the disruption caused by the reconstruction of the City Hall, and the closure of some major shops in St John’s Street. Visitor numbers were approximately 3,000 in the year to March 2023. When the City Hall opens as a museum dedicated to mediaeval Perth in April 2024, visitor numbers to the kirk are expected to increase dramatically, perhaps to as many as 30,000 annually. Entry for visitors is free, but donations are requested.

St John’s Kirk is also used approximately 50 times each year for concerts and other activities. These include:

Around 14 carillon recitals;

A number of events each year during the Perth Festival of the Arts;

Exceptionally, in October 2022, several events during the Gaelic Mod;

And irregular externally organised events such as for the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, visiting choirs etc.

Report for the year to 31st March 2024

Trustees:

T here were no changes in the Board of Trustees during the year.

Statutory and other meetings held during the year 2023 - 2024

Open Day. 24 June 2023

This was held in conjunction with the Session. Invitations were sent to the City Centre churches, other religious organisations, YMCA, etc. Its main purpose was to increase recruitment of Stewards, and to prepare for the opening of the new Perth Museum in 2024. Before Covid around 10,000 - 12,000 visited the Kirk annually. It is predicted that the opening of the Museum will increase the numbers three fold. The attendance was encouraging, and a significant number of new stewards were recruited.

The AGM was held in person on August 16th 2023.

Board meetings were held on April 5th, 2023, after the AGM on August 16th 2023, and after the general meeting of the Friends on 14th February 2024 (see below).

General Meeting of the Friends, 14 February 2024. This meeting, addressed by the general manager of Perth Museum, is reported below under the heading ‘Perth Museum’.

Overview of the year

The Coronavirus pandemic had a lasting effect on the activities of the Friends of St John’s Kirk. Shop closures in the centre of Perth, and the resulting drop in footfall in the vicinity, were compounded by the building work being undertaken on the conversion of the City Hall to the new Perth Museum, and the fact that several of our stewards felt unable to resume their duties, when the covid restrictions were lifted.

VisitScotland:

An incognito inspection of St John’s Kirk took place on 21st September 2022 and St John’s was successful in retaining its Four Star status in the Quality Assurance Scheme.

However, VisitScotland is discontinuing the Quality Assurance Scheme in 2025. There will be one last incognito inspection later this year. Thereafter the scheme will be replaced by specialist advice given directly to participants. How this will work out for St John’s is difficult to gauge.

Current activities:

The Cockerel is Back!

The cockerel was returned to St John’s on 28th February 2024. Shining in its new coat of gold leaf, and mounted on a neat stand it will be displayed in the kirk until the time is right to replace it on its historic place atop the spire. Then it can resume its 500 year long watching brief over the City of Perth, its people and St John’s Kirk.

Ratho Byres Forge, near Edinburgh. where it was refurbished, has done a marvellous job - repairing the splits and dents in the cockerel, applying the gold leaf, and restoring the heavy 10 foot shaft on which it is mounted.

A video record of the restoration has been made by Ratho Byres Forge for Perth & Kinross Heritage Trust, and a Master Class in gilding organised by Perth & Kinross Heritage Trust, and facilitated by Ratho Byres Forge took place on the 24th of April 2024 (after the peri9d to which this report refers).

The cost of the project was £ 9,552 including the cost of creating the video and VAT (which we are hoping to recover). We received a grant of £ 2,930 from the Perth Common Good fund, and £ 5,000 from Perth & Kinross Heritage Trust which includes £ 720 for the cost of creating the video. We also received a generous donation of £ 1,000 from a member of the Friends, which left just £ 622 to be met from the resources of the Friends.

The replacement of the cockerel on the top of the spire will have to await the essential repairs to the spire which has suffered from water penetration through leaks in the lead covering which is more than two and a half centuries old.

Perth Museum

The new Perth Museum opened as the year covered in this report ended. There has been considerable co-operation between the museum authorities and the Kirk with a view to

encouraging those attending the museum to visit the Kirk as well, and see the only mediaeval building still in use in Perth, and hear about the many important events which took place in it. This collaboration culminated in a General Meeting of the Friends of St. John's Kirk to which members of the congregation and representatives of the other ci centre churches were invited. It took pla￿ on 14th February and was addressed by the general managerof the museum. It proved to be a very interesting and informative meeting. It was clear that the Museum is keen to work with the kirk as much as possible to broaden its own appeal and expand the visitors, expenence of Perth. Brown Signs Some years ago the Friends was instrumental in persuading Perth & Kinross Council to include St John's Kirk on rts brown tourist signs erected on the six main roads entering the City. With the impending closure of the Visitscotland tourist information office, and the opening of the museum. these signs will all have to be changed. on￿ again the Council has done this without asking for the fee which would nomially be charged, for which The Friends is very grateful. Foi Perth Museum St John's Kirk Durist Information follow Canal Street rAr park Through a Glass Brightly In 1967 an illustrated booklet about the windows of St John's kirk was produced by a member of the kirk who sadly died in 1972. In 2000 an updated edition, edited by was published. This has long been sold-out. A new edition incorporating new p otographs of the windows is now being prodU￿d by , one of the Trustees of The Friends. It is expected that this will be published later this year. st William of Perth: In the reports to OSCR last year and in 2022, tt was noted that The Friends had commissioned a play about St William, the only citizen of Perth to be sanctified. In brief, the story is that William, a 12th century Perth baker adopted a baby boy abandoned on the steps of St John's kirk. Some 20 years laterwilliam and his adopted son embarked on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. As they passed through Rochester, William was murdered for his money by his adopted son. His body was found by a mad woman who plaited a garland of honeysuckle, and placed it on his forehead. She was immediately cured of her madness. other miracles followed and William was sanctffied by Pope Inno￿nt Iv. Although the play has been widety commended, to date we have not been able to find a group wiling to produce tt. Perth Theatre delayed a decision on it for a year. and then said that they would need a subsidy from the Kirk of £17,000 to put tt on. Clearly this was quite impossible. Very re￿ntlY Perth Drama Club has also said that they would not be able to put on the play (once again aftera delay of nearly a year). Atthe presenttime we are considering other options. Accounts A copy of the accounts is appended to this report. The accounts show a cash balan￿ on 31 st March of £9,660. However, the repair of the cockerel attracted a grant of £2.390 from the Perth Common Good fund, which had been approved, but had not been received by 31st March. It has since been re￿iVed and the loan of £9,552, has been repaid to the Session of St John's Kirk. Furthermore, we hope to be able to reclaim the VAT on the cockerel repair.

Looking forward to the year 2024 - 2025:

The kirk was opened for visitors for the summer of 2024 from Monday 25th of March, the beginning of Holy Week

Since the Museum opened, visitor numbers to the kirk have already increased very significantly, as the figures below show.

Visitor numbers to the Kirk and the Museum

St John's Kirk Visitor Numbers

2024 % Increase compared to Max for Month Pre-covid From 25[th] March 757 April 3,399 +200% (2015 was our best April) May 2,197 +40% (2018 was our best May) Total since opening 6,353 +132% (overall 2018 was our best year)

Museum Visitor Numbers

March (1.5 days) 4,404 April 42,710 May 28,071 Total since opening 75,185

Currently we seem to be attracting 8% of Museum visitors into the Kirk, but it is hoped that this can be increased.

x x x x x

The Stewards are now wearing a new colourful blue sash with the Kirk emblem (the Lamb of St John), which enables them to be clearly identified.

The Gilding Master Class which was held on 24th April 2024 in conjunction with Ratho Byres Forge and Perth & Kinross Heritage Trust, was very successful. There were fourteen participants, each of whom received very individual instruction. They were each provided with a small metal leaf by Ratho Byres Forge which they were able to gild and keep as a souvenir.

Conclusion:

The Board of Trustees believes that the Friends of St John’s Kirk of Perth is in good heart, and it is keen to tackle the challenges that will arise in the next few years.

,

Chairman.

26 June. 2024.

Enter SC No. below SC047919

APPENDIX 2

Enter charity name below

Friends of St John's Kirk of Perth (SCIO)

Receipts andpayments accounts Receipts andpayments accounts Receipts andpayments accounts Receipts andpayments accounts Receipts andpayments accounts Receipts andpayments accounts Receipts andpayments accounts Receipts andpayments accounts Receipts andpayments accounts Receipts andpayments accounts Receipts andpayments accounts Receipts andpayments accounts Receipts andpayments accounts Receipts andpayments accounts Receipts andpayments accounts Receipts andpayments accounts
Period start date Period end date Period end date
For the period
from
01
Day
04
Month
2023
Year
to Day
31
Month
03
Year
2024
Section A Statement of receipts and payments
Unrestricted
funds
Restricted
funds
Expendable
endowment
funds
Permanent
endowment
funds
Total funds
current period
Total funds last
period
Total funds last
to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £
A1 Receipts
Donations 1 1,000 1 1 1,000
Legacies - - -
Grants 5 5,000 5 5 5,000 300 300
Receipts from fundraisingactivities - - - 982 982
Loans 9 9,552 9 9 9,552
Income from investments other than
land and buildings - - -
Rents from land & buildings - - -
Gross receipts from other charitable
activities- subscriptions 257 257 257 257 257 235 235
Gift aid repayment 350 350 350 350 350
A1 Sub total A1 Sub total 607 607 15,552 15,552 - - - - - - - - - 16,159 16,159 16,159 1,517
A2 Receipts from asset &
investment sales
Proceeds from sale of fixed assets
Proceeds from sale of investments
A2 Sub total -
-
-
Total receipts 607
15,552
-
~~SS~~
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
16,159
-
-
-
16,159
-
-
-
16,159
-
1,517
A3 Payments
Expenses for fundraising activities 1,146 1 1 1,146 1,016
Refurb.of Spire Cockerel on St.Johns 9 9,552 9 9 9,552
Investment management costs - - -
Payments relating directly to charitable Payments relating directly to charitable
activities - - -
Grants and donations
- - -
Governance costs:
- - -
Audit / independent examination - - -
Preparation of annual accounts - - -
Legal costs - - -
Posters for Goodbox in St John's Kirk - - - 107 107
Setting up QR in St John's Kirk 167 167 167 167 167
**A3 Sub total ** 1,313 9,552 9,552 - - - - - - - - - 10,865 10,865 10,865 1,123
A4 Payments relating to asset and
investment movements
Purchases of fixed assets
-
Purchase of investments
-
A4 Sub total -
-
-
-
-
-
Total payments 1,313
9,552
-
-
10,865
1,123
~~SSSSs~~
Net receipts / (payments)
A5 Transfers to / (from) funds
Surplus / (deficit) for year
706)
(
6,000
-
-
5,294
394
-
706)
(
6,000
-
-
5,294
394
~~==>>>>~~

APPENDIX 2

Friends of St John's Kirk of Perth (SCIO)

SC047919

Section B Statement of balances

Categories
Signed by one or two trustees
on behalf of all the trustees
B3 Other assets
B5 Contingent liabilities
B4 Liabilities
B1 Cash funds
B2 Investments
Details Unrestricted
funds
to nearest £
3,513
706)
(
Restricted funds
to nearest £
853
6,000
Expendable
endowment
funds
to nearest £
Permanent
endowment
funds
to nearest £
Total current
period
to nearest £
Total last period
to nearest £
Cash and bank balances at start of year 4,366 3,972
Surplus / (deficit) shown on receipts and
payments account
5,294 394
-
-
Cash and bank balances at end of year
(Agree balances with receipts and payments
account(s))
Details
2,807 6,853 - - 9,660 4,366
-
-

-
Fund to which

-
asset belongs

-

-
Market valuation
to nearest £
Last year
to nearest £
Details Fund to which asset belongs Total
Cost (if available)
to nearest £
-
-
Current value (if
available)
to nearest £
Last year
to nearest £
Details Total
Fund to which l
-
-

-
iability relates Amount due
to nearest £
Last year
to nearest £
Loan fromSt John'sKirkto enable Restricted t o Cokerel 9,552
refurbishment ofSpire Cockerel
Details Fund to which l Total
iability relates
9,552 -
Amount due
(estimate)
to nearest £
Last year
to nearest £
Signature Print Name Total -
-
Date of
approval
31 July2024

oscr receipts and payments friends 2024 / Statement of balances

2

December 2007

APPENDIX 2

Friends of St John's Kirk of Perth (SCIO)

SC047919

Section C Notes to the Accounts

C1 Nature and purpose of funds (may be stated on analysis of funds worksheets)

C3a Trustee remuneration
C4a Trustee expenses
C4b Trustee expenses -
details
C5 Transactions with trustees
and connected persons
C3b Trustee remuneration -
details
C2 Grants
Type of activity or project supported Type of activity or project supported Individual /
institution
Number of grants
made
£
Number of grants
made
£
Total -
If no remuneration was paid during the period to any charity trustee or person connected to a
trustee cross this box (otherwise complete section 3b)

x
Authority under which paid £
If no expenses were paid to any charity trustee during the period then cross
(otherwise complete section 4b)
this box x
Nature of transaction Number of
trustees
£
Nature of relationship
Transaction
amount (£)
Balance
outstanding at
period end (£)

C6 Other information

oscr receipts and payments friends 2024 / Notes

3

December 2007

APPENDIX 2

Friends of St John's Kirk of Perth (SCIO)

SC047919

Additional analysis (1)

Analysis of receipts and payments

1 Donations

1 Donations 1 Donations
Unrestricted
funds
to nearest £
Restricted funds
to nearest £
Expendable
endowment
funds
to nearest £
Permanent
endowment
funds
to nearest £
Total current
period
to nearest £
Total last period
to nearest £
Donation from Mrs Ogston towards cost of 1,000 1,000
refurbishingSpire Cockerel -
-
- -
Total
2 Grants
1,000 - - 1,000
-
Unrestricted
funds
to nearest £
-
Restricted funds
to nearest £
- - -
Total current
period
to nearest £
-
Total last period
to nearest £
Perth and Kinross Common Good Fund 5,000 5,000 300
- -
Total
3 Gross receipts from other charitable activities
- 5,000 5,000 300
-
Unrestricted
funds
to nearest £
-
Restricted funds
to nearest £
Expendable
endowment
funds
to nearest £
Permanent
endowment
funds
to nearest £
-
Total current
period
to nearest £
-
Total last period
to nearest £
Members Subscriptions 257 257 230
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Total
257
-
Unrestricted
funds
to nearest £
4 Payments relating directly to charitable activities
257 - - - 257 230
-
Restricted funds
to nearest £
-
Expendable
endowment
funds
to nearest £
-
Permanent
endowment
funds
to nearest £
-
Total current
period
to nearest £
reference error
Total last period
to nearest £
-









-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Total - - - - - -
- - - - - -

oscr receipts and payments friends 2024Additional notes (1)

December 2007

APPENDIX 2

SC047919

Additional analysis (2)

Additional analysis (2)
Receipts
5 Breakdown of unrestricted funds
Unrestricted
fund 1 - enter
name of fund
below
Unrestricted
fund 2 - enter
name of fund
below
Unrestricted
fund 3 - enter
name of fund
below
Unrestricted
fund 4 - enter
name of fund
below
Total
unrestricted
funds
Total
unrestricted
funds last period
Donations -
Legacies - -
Grants - 300
Receipts from fundraisingactivities-CD Sales - 982
Gross tradingreceipts -
buildings -
Gift aid repayment 350 350
Gross receipts from other charitable activities-subs. 257 257 235
Sub total
Receipts from asset & investment sales
607 - - - 607 1,517
-
Proceeds from sale of fixed assets -
Proceeds from sale of investments -
Sub total
Total receipts
Payments
- - - - - -
607 - - - 607 1,517
-
Expenses for fundraisingactivities-C.D. Costs - 1,016
Banners for advertising 672 672
Visit Scotland Membership 174 174
Payment Allan Laingreproposed Drama 300 300
Grants and donations -
Governance costs: -
Audit / independent examination -
Preparation of annual accounts -
Legal costs -
Posters for Goodbox in St John's Kirk - 107
SettingupQR in St Joh;s Kirk 167 167
Sub total
Payments relating to asset and investment
movements
1,313 - - - 1,313 1,123
-
Purchases of fixed assets -
Purchase of investments -
Sub total
Total payments
Net receipts / (payments)
Transfers to / (from) funds
Surplus / (deficit) for year
- - - - - -
-
1,313 - - - 1,313 1,123
-
706)
(
- - - 706)
(
394
-
706)
(
- - - 706)
(
394
-
Nature and purpose of funds

oscr receipts and payments friends 2024Additional notes (2)

December 2007

APPENDIX 2

Friends of St John's Kirk of Perth (SCIO)

SC047919

Additional analysis (3)

Additional analysis (3)
Receipts
6 Breakdown of restricted funds
Restricted fund
1 - enter name of
fund below
Kitchen
equipment St
John's Kirk
Restricted fund
2 - enter name of
fund below
Cockerel
refurbishment
Restricted fund
3 - enter name of
fund below
Restricted fund
4 - enter name of
fund below
Total restricted
funds
Total restricted
funds last
period
Donations 1,000 1,000 4,065
Legacies -
Grants 5,000 5,000
Receipts from fundraisingactivities -
Loan from St John's Kirk 9,552 9,552
Income from investments other than land and
buildings
-
Rents from land & buildings -
Gross receipts from other charitable activities -
Sub total
Receipts from asset & investment sales
- 15,552 - - 15,552 4,065
-
Proceeds from sale of fixed assets -
Proceeds from sale of investments -
Sub total
Total receipts
Payments
- - - - - -
- 15,552 - - 15,552 4,065
-
Expenses for fundraising activities -
Gross trading payments -
Investment management costs -
Payments relating directly to charitable activities -
Grants and donations - 3,212
Governance costs: -
Audit / independent examination -
Preparation of annual accounts -
Legal costs -
Refurbishment of Spire Cockerel 9,552 9,552
-
Sub total
Payments relating to asset and investment
movements
- 9,552 - - 9,552
3,212
-
Purchases of fixed assets -
Purchase of investments -
Sub total
Total payments
Net receipts / (payments)
Transfers to / (from) funds
Surplus / (deficit) for year
- - - - - -
-
- 9,552 - - 9,552 3,212
-
- 6,000 - - 6,000 853
-
- 6,000 - - 6,000 853
-
Nature andpurpose of funds

oscr receipts and payments friends 2024Additional notes (3)

December 2007