The Parish of Hollingbourne

THE PARISH OF HOLLINGBOURNE

ALL SAINTS CHURCH

ANNUAL REPORT

AND

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

OF THE

PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL

FOR THE YEAR ENDED

31 DECEMBER 2014

1

Reference and Administrative Information

All Saints Church is situated in Upper Street, Hollingbourne. It is part of the Diocese of Canterbury within the Church of England and part of a single benefice with the parishes of Leeds, Broomfield and Hucking.

The correspondence address is The Vicarage, Upper Street, Hollingbourne. ME17 1UJ

The Parochial Church Council is a charity excepted from registration with the Charity Commission. There are two

restricted associated funds: the Culpeper Chapel Fund, which exists to provide financial assistance with essential

maintenance of the Culpeper Chapel; and the Bell Fund, which has been opened in 2014 to hold monies for the

purchase and installation of two further bells at All Saints Church.

Priest-in-Charge:The Revd Nigel Fry

Assistant Priest:The Revd Canon Robin Gill

Authorised Lay MinisterMr Derek Bilbrough

ChurchwardensMr Jim Findlay

Pauline Stubbs (Deputy Warden)

Representatives on the Deanery Synod:

Mrs Paula Bilbrough

Mr Derek Bilbrough

Elected Members:

Mrs Paula BilbroughSecretary

Mr John Cobbett

Mr Jim Johnson Treasurer

Mrs Sue King

Mrs Shula Lee

Mrs Val Lurcock

Mr Peter Lurcock

Mr Philip Smith

Mrs Pauline Stubbs

Mrs Natalie Williams

Bankers:

National Westminster Bank plc

3 High Street

Maidstone ME14 1HJ

Independent Examiner:

Elizabeth M Jordan F.C.A.

UHY Hacker Young

Thames House

Roman Square

Sittingbourne ME10 4BJ

2

Structure, Governance and Management

The method of appointment of PCC members is set out in the Church Representation Rules. All Church attendees are encouraged to register on the Electoral Roll and stand for election to the PCC.

The PCC has the following four committees:-

Standing Committee

This committee is required by law. It has the power to transact the business of the PCC between its meetings, subject to any directions given by the Council. The members of the Standing Committee are the Priest-in-Charge and the Churchwardens.

Finance Committee

The committee meets as required to review income and expenditure and to suggest which charities and organisations should be the subject of the year’s outward giving and advises the PCC accordingly.

Fabric Committee

This committee meets as required to review the requirements of the Quinquennial inspection, undertake everyday maintenance of the church building and fabric and advise the PCC accordingly.

Social Committee

The social committee was chaired by Mrs Pauline Stubbs. Its membership is not confined to members of the PCC. This committee has relieved the PCC of the time required to arrange the various social and fund raising activities.

Objectives and Activities

All Saints is a parish church in a small village – the PCC makes sure that everyone is welcome to all of our services. Our church remains open for most of the day and provides a spiritual place of rest and refreshment for visitors and pilgrims travelling along the Pilgrims/North Downs Way.

When planning our activities for the year, the PCC has given consideration to the Charity Commission's guidance on charities and, in particular, the specific guidance on charities for the advancement of religion.

The Priest-in-Charge and the PCC try to enable ordinary people to live out their faith as part of our parish community through:-

Worship and prayer; learning about the Gospel and developing their knowledge and trust in Jesus.

Provision of pastoral care for people living in the parish.

Missionary and outreach work.

As well as our regular services, which are advertised on the Notice Board and Porch Board, we enable the community to celebrate and thank God at the milestones of the journey through life with Baptisms, Marriages and Funerals.

Hollingbourne PCC has the responsibility of co-operating with the Ministry Team in promoting in the Parish of Hollingbourne the whole mission of the church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. It has the responsibility for the maintenance of the fabric of the church,All Saints’, Upper Street, Hollingbourne and the furniture, furnishings etc. within it.

Electoral Roll

The Electoral Roll for 2014 has 51 persons(38 resident and 13 non-resident). Shula Lee

Finance

The report of the Independent Examiner and the Accounts for the year will be found later in this report.

Treasurer’s Report

Results for the year show a deficit of £4,122. In comparison with the previous year the major factors are :

· Receipts rose by £3700 with higher amounts in all the major types of income: Giving increased by £2000;

Fees by £850; Fundraising and Magazine by £500; and Donations by £300.

· Payments rose by £2000, due mainly to a Parish Share increase of £3300. This was offset by reductions in Charitable Giving and Fabric Maintenance

(these figures exclude various projects which were generously covered by the Friends of Hollingbourne’s Historic Church, including the cost of tree surgery work in the churchyard and a survey of the churchyard wall).

The major financial activity in 2014 was the completion of a successful TRIO (The Responsibility Is Ours) campaign. With guidance from the Diocesan stewardship team the PCC arranged this exercise which has broadened and deepened the Planned Giving scheme. The effects started to show in the 4thquarter and will come into full force in 2015. The number of regular givers has nearly doubled and the amount given, including the Gift Aid recovery, is expected to add £11,000 per year to church finances.

The forthcoming interregnum creates a degree of uncertainty when making forecasts for 2015. The additional TRIO income and a moderate Parish Share increase are positive factors. There is more to be spent on Fabric maintenance however, and this will determine whether a surplus can be generated.

Overall reserves stand at £32,725. Although this figure is almost the same as last year, it includes the £4,115 raised by the Bellringers towards two new bells.

Reserves Policy

The PCC seeks to maintain a level of reserves which is considered prudent with regards to the mission of the Church and its responsibility for the fabric of its historic building.

Jim Johnson

Children and Vulnerable Adults Protection and DBS

This year training has been undertaken in Child and Vulnerable Adult Protection. A Conference has taken place about the new DBS procedures with Canterbury Diocese. These changes reflect new legislation on old convictions and cautions. New forms are now in use for these checks for those working with children or vulnerable adults within our churches. The Canterbury Diocese Safeguarding Team are always available to support churches in these procedures.

At Hollingbourne, church members have updated checks this year, giving them authority to work in a voluntary capacity with children and vulnerable adults and to be available for “Meeting and Greeting” new members to the congregation. Members of other churches within The Benefice have also undergone checks.

Dawn Perry and Val Lurcock

Achievements and Performance

Church Attendance

The average weekly attendance, during October was 34 which includedour Harvest Festival service. The average attendance throughout the year was 40. Attendances at services for festivals, Carol services and the various Christmas services were significantly higher than this. Attendance at the Easter Eucharist was74 including 53 communicants.

PCC Report

Our PCC met on seven occasions in 2014predominately atthe Vicarage. Members also attendedtwo Benefice Council meetings.
The news that Nigel and Jan were to retire after Easter 2015 preoccupied our meetings in the latter part of theyear. Preliminary meetings took place, to discuss the way forward, within the Benefice and with the Archdeacon.

The fund raising campaign TRIO was another important topic that covered several meetings, until its successful conclusion.
On Mission and Ministry, the progress of our Home group and of Messy Church were discussed, as were arrangements for a World War 1 Commemorative Service.
Other topics included,damage causedby a Churchyard treeto an adjacent garage, the welcome financialsupport from our 'Friends' for occasional help maintaining the Churchyard, the change in editor for the magazine, health and safety and a possible single parish.
My thanks to all colleagues who gave so generously of their time, energy and enthusiasm.

Jim Findlay

Review of the Year

Clergy report

When Jan and I came to the Benefice in 2003, I brought with me my part time ministry as Coordinating Chaplain at HMP East Sutton Park. When we arrived Canon Robin Gill was Priest in Charge and Revd Norman Dabbs worked alongside us both. My ministry was half-time but initially based in Hollingbourne and Robin and Norman worked part time in self supporting ministries. As you know I resigned my prison ministry because of Jan’s ill health in 2009 and both Robin and Norman have fairly recently retired. Robin, when he is home from Gibraltar, has provided some gratefully appreciated cover for my holidays and also looked after most of Hucking’s needs. One of the ‘extra’ (and many!) gifts from God has been Derek Bilbrough who put himself forward for training as an Authorised Lay Minister (ALM) – and he has helped me in many ways, particularly in leading worship. Sadly, his health was not good last year but he seems to back and well now.

So the ministry for our Benefice has changed a lot since 2003 and now it is going to change again with my retirement. As I look back on the last twelve years, I do so with grateful thanks. Firstly for the privilege and opportunity to encourage and develop discipleship in our churches and communities. I have particularly valued the work I have been able to do with young people and children through local schools and Messy Church. Secondly, I am grateful to all the help given to me by Robin, Norman and Derek. And, not least, I am also grateful for the amazing support that so many of you have given to both Jan and I during our time here. And although she has not been well for the last five years – Jan has been an enormous support and encouragement to me when I have got tired and have felt unable to cope.

When we leave at Easter, there will be an opportunity for you to look at your churches, the ministry and resources that you need and how you think that ministry (lay and ordained) should look like in the future. Other groups of parishes in our Deanery are going through a similar journey at the moment and maybe this is something that you can share together.

I am retiring because I need to look after Jan and I also think you deserve a priest who is in better health himself/herself and also has more energy and youth to give you! We will move back to Lenham and hopefully there will be a ministry for me in retirement as I feel that God has so much more for me to do yet. Bishop Trevor insists on me not being involved in any form of ministry for six months. This will enable me to adjust to a very different way of life.

So thank you for all that we have shared together – we will particularly miss all the many activities and events we have held at the Vicarage, life will be very quiet in the future! You will all be in my prayers as we both explore what God has in store for us in the future. I hope that we can all move forward with confidence that God’s guiding hand will be upon us – and I also hope that we can move forward with joy.

With every blessingNigel Fry

Events and Activities

• The ‘Hollingbourne Helpers’ initiative, which was developed by the church, has continued over the last year to provide a valuable service in organising lifts, collecting prescriptions and generally providing neighbourly support through the village. There is a list of helpers and coordinators in the parish magazine.

The scheme urgently seeks a new coordinator following Jan Fry’s retirement from Hollingbourne.

• The Parish magazine (produced by the church) continues to be a valuable resource for the village community and provides useful information on church services, activities and social events. In addition, the magazine provides useful information and reports of local village clubs and societies.
• The church values the close links with Hollingbourne Primary School and representatives from the church and local community serve as Governors and also provide voluntary help. Nigel Fry takes an assembly at the school once a week and the whole school visits the church for a seasonal Service of Worship once a term. The links with the school help towards encouraging local families and children to attend Family Services and Seasonal Services at Christmas, Easter and Harvest. Making children and their families welcome into our church community is a priority of the clergy and PCC.
• The church continued to be called upon for a growing number of baptisms, weddings and funerals. Confirmation Preparation classes were held earlier in the year and two people were confirmed by Bishop Trevor at Lenham Church.
• Our seasonal services (Easter, Harvest and Christmas) were very well attended by the local community. The Christingle Service on Christmas Eve continues to draw people from the local community and beyond.

• The church provided hospitality for many groups of pilgrims who walk through the village via the

Pilgrims /North Downs Way to or from Canterbury, including a group from St Martin’s in the Fields and the L’Arche Community. Many other groups visit the Church and enjoy a peaceful rest. Bell ringers too come to the tower with groups of supporting visitors.

• A Home Group met at the Vicarage on a monthly basis throughout the year.

• Messy Church continue to meet 3 times during the year at the Cardwell Pavilion.

• A group of people continued to provide Intercessions and Readings each week.

• The Family Service on the first Sunday of each month continues to be well attended by children and young families. Baptisms are primarily and where possible held in these services.
• The Morning Worship service on the 4th Sunday of each month allows an opportunity for those who are not confirmed to attend a church service that is not quite as informal as the Family Service.
• Midweek Eucharistic services continued to be held monthly in the chapel in the Village Hall.

• Our ‘Open Church’ policy is welcomed by our many visitors. The current enthusiasm to trace ancestors brings requests to view the Burial Register and also the record of gravestones and monuments which was compiled by Helen Allingham and a team of helpers. Nigel Fry

Friends of Hollingbourne’s Historic Church

It had always been my hope that the churchyard wall would be repaired but sadly the architect has said that it was not built well enough and was not worth saving.

The friends have contributed to the cost of maintenance of the churchyard by a professional gardener and will continue to do so.

Andrew Brice

Fabric Report
A large Douglas Fir tree fell onto the garage of All Saints Cottage causing some damage. A tree surgeon removed this as well as the broken part of an adjacent Leylandii. This work was funded by the Friends of Hollingbourne’s Historic Church. A working party was subsequently arranged to remove and burn the remaining wood and foliage. Transport was kindly provided by the Chantlers.

The churchyard wall was inspected and advice provided regarding the possibilities to improve it. As the rebuilding costs would be prohibitive and any lesser work probably ineffectual, it was decided not to take any action other than for safety reasons.

The plans to move the Chancel screen dragged on through the year but were then shelved to be reviewed after the interregnum.

Mick Hart kindly painted the West Door to match the main Church door.

A new first aid kit was obtained and placed in the kitchen with an accident book in the Vestry.

The lightning conductor on the tower was tested and certified.

The maintenance of our closed Churchyard is undertaken by the local council who cut the grass and the yew hedge. The Friends have paid for the services of local landscape gardener, Ben Williams, to carry out additional work in the churchyard to improve overgrown areas.

The flower beds adjoining the path from the Lych Gate to the Church are tended by volunteers and greatly enhance the entrance.

Thanks are due to those on the cleaning rota who ensure we have a Church to be proud of each week.

Peter Lurcock

Sacristan
Marjorie continues tofulfilthis essential role for our Church services.