Chiddingly Parochial Church Council (PCC) has the responsibility of co-operating with the Priest-in-Charge, Rev'd Phil Hodgins, in promoting in the ecclesiastical parish the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical.

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
(resigned with effect from March 29th 2004)

Priest-in-Charge: The Rev’d Philip A Hodgins
(with effect from November 1st 2004)

Churchwardens: Mr Peter Clerehugh   Mr Frank Gearing

Assistant Churchwarden: Mrs Sue Andrews (Non Voting)

Representatives on the Deanery Synod:
Mrs Sue Andrews
Mrs Elaine Cornford (resigned April 2004)

Elected members:
Mrs June Walker - Hon Secretary
Mr Robin Symington - Hon Treasurer
Mr Tim Waterman - Tower Captain
Mrs Sharon Benz
Mr John Chatfield
Mrs Elaine Cornford (resigned April 2004)
Mr David Young

Co-opted member: Mrs Elizabeth Clerehugh (Village Hall Rep)

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 is chaired by the Priest-in-Charge. It has the power to transact the business of the PCC between its full meetings, subject to any directions given by the Council. It also oversees the general financial dimension of the work of Chiddingly Church by monitoring income and expenditure, budgeting and coordinating the annual review of the Christian Stewardship of money through planned giving and Gift Aid. 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 69 on the Church Electoral Roll, 21 of who are not resident within the parish. The usual Sunday attendance, counted during October was 33, but this number increased at festivals and major services, i.e. Carol Service, Christingle, Midnight Mass, Remembrance and Easter Day.

Review of the year
During the year the Rev’d Peter Clark moved on to a new job as Team Vicar within the Rye Team Ministry, with his last Sunday within the United Benefice being March 7th 2004. The resulting interregnum was relatively short, being just under eight months before the Rev’d Phil Hodgins was appointed as Priest-in-Charge with effect from November 1st 2004.

The pattern of worship of three Sunday services within the United Benefice was maintained during the interregnum with substantial help from the Rev’d Richard Sweet Escott. The overall pattern has continued since the appointment of the Rev’d Phil Hodgins.

Sharon Benz completed her Reader training course during the year and was formally Licensed during September 2004 and now regularly continues to the worship including preaching and leading services. Bob Snelling has continued to preach occasionally throughout the year and this arrangement has continued following the appointment of Phil Hodgins. The Rev’d Richard Sweet Escott continues to be available to help with services.

The full PCC met four times during the year with average attendance of 76%. The Standing/Finance committee met six times and the other committees met between those meetings.

By far the most substantial piece of work undertaken on the fabric of the Church during the year was work to address the ongoing problem of water penetration into the spire and tower. This was successfully completed in December 2004 after several months of work and at a cost of approx £128,000. A substantial part of the cost was met by grants, especially from English Heritage, with the rest being raised from general Church funds.

Following a review of the production of the Parish News it was decided that from July 2004 this would not be copied using the photocopier which is in the Rectory study, but printed more cost effectively.

The Priest-in-Charge has secretarial help for up four hours a week.

Financial matters
As mentioned above, restoration and repair to the stone tower has been the main preoccupation of the year. English Heritage contributed nearly half the cost; there were several other significant grants and the balance came out of General Funds. At December 31st the work was almost complete, and the tower is as good as new or possibly even better.

Otherwise the generosity of parishioners keeps the accounts in surplus, especially because so many choose to use the Gift Aid scheme. However, they are only just in surplus, and the continuing rise in the Parish Contribution well over the rate of inflation causes concern.

Finally, very grateful thanks to all those who give of their time and labour so freely; dusting and cleaning, flowers, bells, churchyard, the organ, ... - your work is much appreciated.

On behalf of the PCC - Robin Symington, Hon. Treasurer. January 24th 2005

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Church Accounting Regulations 1997 as amended by the Church Accounting (Amendment) Regulations 2001 together with applicable accounting standards and the Charities SORP.

Funds
General funds represent all funds of the PCC including a notional Churchyard Fund and Choir Fund; not included is the separate restricted Jefferay Monument Fund.

Note: there is no Fabric Fund as such maintained by Chiddingly PCC, but work to the church fabric and income relating thereto is on occasion summarised and called "the fabric fund".

Note: expenditure on the church fabric in recent years substantially exceeds income restricted to this kind of work.

Similarly expenditure on choir items and churchyard maintenance has so far exceeded income restricted to this purpose.

A) Collections are recognised when received by the PCC

B) Planned Giving received under Gift Aid is recognised only when received.

C) Income Tax recoverable on Gift Aid donations is recognised when the income is recognised.

D) Grants and legacies to the PCC are accounted for when received.

E) Funds raised by the fete and other fund raising events are accounted for gross.

F) Sales of the Parish News, Church Guides and postcards are accounted for gross.

Income from Church Guides and postcards are contained within the "Church wall boxes" heading.

Income from investments
Dividends are accounted for when received. Interest entitlements are accounted for when received.

Gains and losses on investments
Unrealised gains or losses are accounted for on revaluation of investments of December 31st.

Grants
Grants and donations are accounted for when paid over, or when awarded, if that award creates a binding obligation on the PCC.

Activities directly relating to the work of the Church
The Diocesan Parish Contribution is accounted for when paid. Any Parish Contribution overpaid or unpaid at December 31st is provided for in these accounts as an operational (though not a legal) asset or liability, and is shown as a debtor or creditor in the Balance Sheet.

Consecrated and beneficed property of any kind is excluded from the accounts by s.96(2) (a) of the Charities Act 1993

Movable church furnishings held by the Rector and Churchwardens on special trust for the PCC, and which require a Faculty for disposal, are accounted as inalienable property unless consecrated. They are listed in the Church’s inventory which can be inspected at any reasonable time. For inalienable property acquired prior to 2000 there is insufficient cost information available and therefore such assets are not valued in the accounts. No items of value greater than £2,000 have been acquired since January 2000.

All expenditure incurred in the year on consecrated or beneficed buildings, individual items under £2,000 or on the repair of movable church furnishings acquired before January 1st 2000 is written off.

Note: there are in fact no items in the accounts subject to being depreciated over any period of time.

Equipment used within the church premises would be depreciated on a straight line basis over 4 years. Individual items of equipment with a purchase price of £2,000 or less are written off when the asset is acquired.

Investments are valued at market value on December 31st.

Amounts owing to the PCC at December 31st in respect of fees or other income are shown as debtors less provision for amounts that may prove uncollectable.

Short-term deposits include cash held on deposit either with the CBF Church of England Funds or at the bank.