Return to Chiddingly Church home page Accounts etc 2002
Background
Chiddingly's PCC has the responsibility of co-operating with the Rector, Rev’d
Peter Clark, in promoting in the ecclesiastical parish the whole mission of the
Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical.
Membership
Members of the PCC are either ex officio or elected by the Annual Parochial
Church Meeting (APCM) in accordance with the Church Representation Rules.
During the year the following served as members of the PCC:
Rector:
The Rev’d Peter Clark
Churchwardens:
Mr Peter Clerehugh
Mr Frank Gearing
Assistant Churchwarden:
Mrs Sue Andrews (Non Voting)
Churchwardens Emeritus:
Mrs Josie Loosemoore (Non Voting)
Mr Michael Andrews (Non Voting)
Representatives on the Deanery Synod
Mrs Sue Andrews
Mrs Elaine Cornford
Elected members:
Mrs June Walker Hon Secretary
Mr Robin Symington Hon Treasurer
Mr Tim Waterman Tower Captain
Mr David Cameron
Mrs Elaine Cornford
Mrs Linda Field
Mrs Sharon Benz
Mrs Lyn Core
Co-opted Member:
Mr Peter Gunner (Non Voting)
Committees
The PCC operates through a number of committees, which meet between full
meetings of the PCC:
Standing & Finance Committee
This consists of the two Churchwardens, the Hon Secretary, the Hon
Treasurer, and the Rector chairs it. It has the power to transact the business
of the PCC between its meetings, subject to any directions given by the PCC. It
also oversees the general financial dimension of the work of Chiddingly Church
by monitoring income and expenditure, budgeting and co-ordinating the annual
review of the Christian Stewardship of money through planned giving. It also
attends to matters relating to the stewardship of plant, such as the church
building and fabric, the churchyard and the Rectory.
Worship Group
Attends to matters relating to all aspects of the worship in the services.
Social Committee
Attends to the social needs of the Church and fund raising events
Church attendance
There are 81 on the Church Electoral Roll, 19 of whom are not resident
within the parish. 5 were removed either through death or because they moved
away from the parish. The usual Sunday attendance, counted during October was
35, but this number increased at festivals and major services, i.e. Carol,
Christingle, Midnight Mass, Remembrance and Easter Day.
Review of the year
The full PCC met six times during the year with an average level of
attendance of 90%. The Standing/Finance committee met six times and the other
committees met between those meetings.
The ongoing problem with water penetration into the spire and tower following the Lightning Strike that hit the Church on Friday November 22nd 1996 seems to still be with us. The Church Architect has advised us to get it sorted out as soon as possible. The heating system in the Church is working very well now it has had some extra work done to it. Work has been completed on the tombs in the Churchyard. Other small work on the Quinquennial list we hopefully shall be able to complete over the next two years. We also have a ten year plan for the major work
Our pattern of worship with three Sunday services still seems to be going well. We also now have a Non Stipendiary Minister (NSM) in the Benefice: Rev’d Phil Hodgins.
Both Parishes are still having their monthly magazines copied with the photocopier that we purchased. This has and will continue to save money.
Financial matters
It has been a very rewarding year financially. People have been very
generous, and besides many examples of individual generosity the Church Fete and
Gift Day both raised substantial amounts of funds. The Kennard family asked for
donations to the PCC in memory of George Kennard, and the result emphasised his
popularity and his association with so many different aspects of Chiddingly
life.
The relatively new Gift Aid regulations also mean that substantial amounts of tax can be re-claimed on many donations; 55 parishioners have signed the Gift Aid declarations, and the result is an impressive increase in funds available.
Much repair work has been undertaken during the year, and a lot of it has been to do with stopping water entering the building. The spire still leaks badly, but a new system collects this water and funnels it to the outside again. Unfortunately there are still leaks at the base of the two southern pinnacles, and this water percolates down the southern wall inside the tower and causes problems. It won’t be remedied until the whole of the tower is re-pointed and repaired.
Various other repair works undertaken are listed further on in these accounts, where the Fabric Fund transactions are recorded.
Although much has been done there remains much to do. The Church Architect has drawn up a list of necessary works and tenders sought; the overall cost of repairing everything necessary ends up at about £100,000. Grants are being sought; the major cost is work to the tower, approx £50,000, and restoring the rendering inside the nave and north and south aisles, approx £25,000.
The PCC is still keen to remove the plastic strips hanging in the arch between nave and tower, and to replace with a glass screen. Powers that be would like to see a design not quite so basic as the one the PCC would be satisfied with - and can possibly afford. The project has moved a step forward this December 2001 - it has been gently crawling for 2 or 3 years now - English Heritage, which must be involved, has said that the compromise plans we now have are acceptable. They are being costed as we write this report.
The Churchyard has been kept neat and tidy through the year; the Church itself has also been kept clean, dusted and polished, with lovely flowers every week. The PCC is more than grateful to all the people who carry out all this work, all on a voluntary basis and all very efficiently and willingly.
On behalf of the PCC (signed)
The Rev’d Peter Clark (Chairman) 4 February 2002
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 2001 This is an Acrobat file of 4 pages, and may take a few moments to download.