Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
The Parish of Greenford Magna
Holy Cross Church, Greenford
ANNUAL REPORTS for the year ending 31st December, 2015
and
AGENDA
for the
ANNUAL MEETING OF PARISHIONERS
and
ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING
Sunday 17th April 2016
in
Holy Cross New Church Ferrymead Gardens, Greenford
at 11.00am
1
Contents
1. Agenda for the Annual Meeting of Parishioners
2. Agenda for the Annual Parochial Church Meeting
3. Minutes of the previous meetings
4. PCC Annual Report and Financial Statements
5. Rector’s Report
6. Church Wardens’ Report
7. Social Events Report
8. Mothers’ Union Report
9. Greenford Parochial Charities Report
10. Deanery Synod
11. Magna Magazine Report
12. Flowers Report
13. Edward Betham Governing Body Report
14. Crèche Report
15. Chris Cross Report
16. Betham Trustees Report
17. Lettings Report
18. 60 Club Report
19. Parish Breakfast Report
20. Chill Out Morning Report
21. 1st Holy Cross Greenford Brownies Report
22. 1st Holy Cross Greenford Guides Report
23. Rainbows Report
2
Annual Meeting of Parishioners (AMP) (formerly Vestry Meeting)
Agenda
1. Opening Prayers
2. Apologies for absence
3. Minutes of the meeting held on 19th April 2015 (included in Reports Booklet)
4. Matters arising from the Minutes
5. Election of 2 Churchwardens
Annual Parochial Church Meeting
Agenda
1. Apologies for absence
2. Minutes of the meeting held on 19th April 2015 (included in Reports Booklet)
3. Matter arising
4. Presentation of the ELECTORAL ROLL renewed since the last Annual meeting
5. Adoption of the independently examined Financial Statements for the year ended 31st December 2015, and Reports of the Treasurer
6. ANNUAL REPORTS from The Rector, Churchwardens, Holy Cross groups and affiliated
organisations.
7. ELECTIONS (nominations in advance, please) Appointment of tellers (when elections are contested)
a. One representative to the Deanery Synod (1 year) b. Three members of the Parochial Church Council (3 year term) c. Two members of the Betham Trust (4 year term) d. Three members of the Greenford Parochial Charities (4 year term) people (annual elections)
8. ANNUAL APPOINTMENTS a. Assistant Church Wardens b. Sidespeople
c. Independent Examiner for 2016
9. Motions received in advance or from the floor (if any)
10. Any other urgent business
11. Close of the Meeting Note 1: Advance notice of general questions may assist the preparation of answers.
3
Note 2: Advance notice of 7 days is required for questions about the PCC Accounts and any questions asked on the night of the meeting may have to await a written answer.
Note 3: When an election is contested, it is expected that each candidate will speak to the meeting. Nomination forms for these elections will be available well before the meeting. Only where no advance nominations have been made, may nominations be made at the meeting.
4
Annual Meeting of Parishioners (AMP) (formerly Vestry Meeting)
Minutes of the meeting held on Sunday 19th April 2015
Holy Cross New Church at 11.00am
Present The Rector Fr Graham Miller Parishioners (list attached to minutes)
Fr Graham Miller called the meeting to order, and welcomed everyone. 1 Opening act of worship The opening act of worship was conducted by the Rector. 2 Apologies for absence
Apologies for absence were received from Mike Armstrong, Lee Arnold, Kerry Arnold, Krista Yanez, Dave Bird, Ray Quick, Annabel and Brian Radville, Elaine Francis, Emily Mason, Edna Pearman, Bill and Annette Haynes and Doreen Stembridge.
3 Minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 24th April 2014
The minutes were proposed as accurate by Christine Fuller and seconded by Rosemary Abernethy. Then all present agreed them as an accurate record of the meeting.
4 Matters arising from the minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 24th April 2014 There were no matters arising. 5 Election of two Churchwardens Nominations were received in advance for the following: • Peter Hounsell • Peter Abernethy
As there were only two nominations, Peter H and Peter A were duly elected for a one year term.
The meeting closed at 11.12.
5
Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM)
Minutes of the meeting held on Sunday 19th April 2015 New Church at 11.00
Present The Rector Fr Graham Miller Parishioners (list attached to minutes) 1 Apologies for absence
Apologies for absence as for the Annual Meeting of Parishioners. 2 Minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 25th April 2014
The minutes were proposed as accurate by Peter H and seconded by Peter F, and then all present agreed them as an accurate record of the meeting.
3 Matters arising from the minutes of Thursday 25th April 2014 Dave and Sandy Clarke attended. 4 Presentation of the renewed Electoral Roll for 2014-15
The renewed Electoral Roll of 251 names for 2014-15 was presented to the meeting. 5 Adoption of the independently examined Financial Statements for the year ending 31 December 2014, and report from the Treasurer
This was Malcolm’s 25th time presenting the Account’s, he thanked all those who worked hard to support him throughout the year including Ian King, Martin Dawe and Derek Cleminshaw. The APCM registered their thanks to Martin for his work on the annual accounts, and Peter H for assisting in the editing The highlights of the year were:
The common fund and school levy payments totalling £52,212 were made with a small increase on last year.
Major Amount of income resulted in an income tax claim £13,443.
Withdrawal of £5K was made by redeeming shares in order to meet a cash flow shortfall in June and this was replaced by the purchase of additional £12K worth of shares later in the year.
The regular giving by the congregation has reduced by just over £1K in 2014. The level of giving needs to be increased.
The church yard is now being managed by Ealing Council to a good standard.
The work to the eastern boundary wall is still in progress; this has been interrupted by the discovery of more extensive work. Ealing Council now need to obtain more permission from the church authorities.
Malcolm had requested that any questions with regard to the accounts be raised in advance, he had received none.
Fr Graham thanked Malcolm for all his hard work in preparing the financial report. Peter Fuller proposed that the APCM adopt this financial statement, seconded by Andy Pedley, all agreed.
6
6 Annual report
The APCM thanked all those groups who had submitted reports.
7 Elections
Peter A and Peter H thanked the APCM for electing them as churchwardens.
7a Appointment of Tellers
This was not necessary, as no elections were contested.
7b Parochial Church Council – (3 year term), seven vacancies
7 nominations were received in advance for:
Amanda Fitzmaurice – proposed by Joan Bird & seconded Christeen George
Toni Kronemberg - proposed by Christine Fuller & seconded Zena Ross
Malcolm Ede – proposed by Andrea Hitchins & seconded by Kerry Arnold
Andrea Hitchins - proposed by Malcolm Ede & seconded by Kerry Arnold
Zena Ross – proposed by Toni Kronemberg & seconded by Louise Law
Louise Law – proposed by Christine Fuller & seconded by Zena Ross
Frank Pascal – proposed by Peter Scully & seconded by Jill Marsh These were all valid nominations and were duly elected. 7c Two members of the Betham Trust (4 year term) There were 2 nominations,
Zena Ross - proposed by Andrea Hitchins & seconded by Toni Kronemberg
Kerry Arnold – proposed by Peter Abernethy & seconded by Brian Radville These were all valid nominations and were duly elected.
7d Two members of the Greenford Parochial Charities (4 year term)
No nominations were received
7e Assistant Church Wardens (1 year term) There were three nominations:
Jill Marsh - proposed by Peter Hounsell and seconded by Frank Pascal
Peter Fuller – proposed by Andrew Vigor and seconded by Annabel Radville
Chyril Husbands – proposed by Brian Radville and seconded by Annabel Radville These were all valid nominations and were duly elected.
7f Sides people
All the sides people proposed were duly elected. Noted Guardians: Louise Law (Emily Law) and Zena Ross (Olivia Ross) APCM accepted, all agreed.
8 Appointment of Independent Examiner/Auditor for 2015 Mr. Derek Cleminshaw was re-appointed as independent examiner/auditor for 2015 – proposed by Kath Kingsbury and seconded by Alan Kingsbury
9 Motion proposed by the Rector and Churchwardens
(1) That the number of members of the laity to be elected by the PCC shall be reduced at the next APCM in April 2016 from the maximum number of 15 specified under paragraph
7
14 (g) of the Church of England Representation rules 2011 to a maximum of 12, such a reduction being allowed for under the same paragraph, and (2) that, from APCM 2016, one third of these members shall retire each year, the terms of the existing members or those to be elected at the APCM 2016 be adjusted to achieve this as necessary. (3) Further that the PCC shall decide, in the event that the reduction of the number of members of the laity was not accomplished at the Elections to the PCC at the APCM in 2015, the means by which its number shall be reduced after the APCM 2016 e.g. by volunteers, lots or otherwise.
The effect of this proposed change is to reduce the PCC from the present total of 22
(Rector, Churchwardens, 4 Deanery Synod, 15 elected members) to 19, and is suggested to provide for more efficient operations of meetings and the PCC’s work in general.
Proposed by the Peter Hounsell, seconded by Peter Abernethy, and approved by the meeting.
10. Any other urgent business – none 11. Close of the meeting
8
Attendance at the Annual Meeting of Parishioners and the Annual Parochial Church meeting 19 April 2015
1. Andrea Hitchins 2. Chyril Husbands 3. Louise Law 4. Georgie Calver 5. Kath Kingsbury 6. Alan Kingsbury 7. Gill Whittingham 8. Joan Bird 9. Amanda Fitzmaurice 10. Christine Fuller 11. Peter Scully 12. Andy Pedley 13. Cynthia Brown 14. Jenny Quick 15. Lorna Churn 16. Susan Hardman 17. Sonia Lynch 18. Heather Moore 19. Sandie Clarke 20. David Clarke 21. Dawn Petit-John 22. Michelle Sam Kubam 23. Patricia Elcock 24. Julie Johnson 25. Clare Johnson 26. Yvonne May 27. Christeen George
28. Pauline Avery 29. Linda Pope 30. Christine Sawyer 31. Michelle Stanton 32. Peter Fuller 33. Aleks Wojciechowska-Werno 34. Omar Camillieri 35. Toni Kronemberg 36. Katherine Flewitt 37. Anne Lasota 38. Gaizka Allende 39. Victoria Allende 40. Emily Marsh 41. Jill Marsh 42. Michael Connolly 43. Rosemary Abernethy 44. Andrew Vigor 45. Jacky Mitchell 46. Niel Van Eeden 47. Audrey Dorival Pascal 48. Frank Pascal 49. Peter Hounsell 50. Frances Hounsell 51. Peter Abernethy 52. Mary Finucane 53. Malcolm Ede
9
The Diocese of London Deanery of Ealing
The Parish of Greenford Magna
Holy Cross Church
Ferrymead Gardens, Greenford, Middlesex UB6 9NJ
Annual Report and Unaudited Accounts
of the
Parochial Church Council
for the year ended
31st December 2015
Registered Charity No: 1155128 (England & Wales)
10
The Parochial Church Council (PCC) presents its Annual Report and Unaudited Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2015.
Administrative information
The Holy Cross Church is situated in Ferrymead Gardens, Greenford, Middlesex UB6 9NJ. It is part of the Diocese of London (Ealing Deanery) within the Church of England. The correspondence address is The Holy Cross Church, Ferrymead Gardens, Greenford, Middlesex UB6 9NJ.
The PCC is a body corporate (PCC Powers Measure 1956, Church Representation Rules 2011) and was a charity excepted from registration with the Charity Commission because its regular income is less than £100,000 p.a. The PCC decided in 2013 to register with the Charity Commission and its registered number is 1155128 (registration date 24 December 2013).
PCC members who have served from 1 January 2015 until the date this report was approved are:
Ex. officio members Incumbent: Rev Graham Miller* Chairman Wardens: Mr Peter Abernethy * Joint Vice Chairman
Dr Peter Hounsell* Joint Vice Chairman Deanery Synod Mrs Lorna Churn
Mr Peter Scully Mrs Frances Hounsell Elected Members
Mrs Kath Kingsbury Term ends 2017 Ms Jenny Quick Term ends 2016
Mrs Kerry Arnold Terms ends 2017; resigned January 2016 Mrs Jill Marsh* Assistant CW Term ends 2016 Mr Malcolm Ede * Treasurer Term ends 2018 Ms Louise Law Term ends 2018 Ms Andrea Hitchins * Secretary Term ends 2018
Mr Andrew Vigor Term ends 2016 Mr Lee Arnold until APCM 2015
Mr Frank Pascal Term ends 2018 Ms Toni Kronemberg Term ends 2018
Ms Chyril Husbands Assistant CW Term ends 2017 Mr Michael Armstrong until APCM 2015 Ms Krista Yanez Term ends 2017; resigned March 2016 Ms Amanda Fitzmaurice Term ends 2018
Ms Zena Ross Term ends 2018 * Member of Standing Committee
Appointed officers Ms Zena Ross Children’s Champion (until January 2016) Ms Katherine Flewitt Children’s Champion (from January 2016) Mrs Christine Fuller Safeguarding Officer Ms Annabel Radville Electoral Roll Officer
11
Independent Financial Examiner Mr Derek Cleminshaw
40 Ravenor Park Road, Greenford, Middlesex UB6 9QY
Bank HSBC Bank
69 Pall Mall, London SW1Y 5EY
Architect Carden and Godfrey
33 Clerkenwell Close, London EC1R 0AU
Structure, government and management 2015 was the first full of the year of the incumbency of Rev Graham Miller who started his ministry as Rector of Greenford in March 2014. The Parochial Church Council The method of appointment of PCC members is set out in the Church Representation Rules. At Holy Cross the membership of the PCC consists of the Incumbent (the Rector), Churchwardens, members of the Deanery Synod, elected office holders and 15 members, elected by church members at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM), together with some co-opted members. All those who attend our services are encouraged to register on the Electoral Roll and to participate in the APCM.
The Rector felt that a PCC with more than 20 members made its meetings unwieldy, and made effective decision more difficult. So at the APCM in April 2015 a motion was passed with the effect of reducing the PCC from 15 to 12 elected members, this reduction to take place after April 2016 by asking members to agree to a process of reduction, if this had not been achieved during the elections of 2015 or 2016. The decision also requires a re-balancing of the terms of members such that in the future one quarter of the 12 members would retire each year.
The PCC members are responsible for making decisions on all matters of general concern and importance to the parish including deciding on how the funds of the PCC are to be spent. The PCC met 7 times during 2015. Given its wide responsibilities the PCC has traditionally had a number of committees, each one dealing with a particular aspect of parish life. In the current year the Rector has moved to a more informal method of working, with less dependence on formal committees and more on discussions with individuals or groups who have a particular interest in the issue. The committees that continued to meet in 2015 were:
The Standing Committee is the only committee that is required by law, and acts where
decisions need to be taken as a matter of urgency. It comprises the Rector, churchwardens,
the PCC Secretary and Treasurer, and one member elected by the PCC (Jill Marsh).
The Worship Committee met 3 times in 2015, but has now been discontinued.
The Buildings Committee continues to deal with issues relating to the maintenance of the
churches and ensuring that statutory obligations relating to the buildings are met.
The Magna committee meets regularly to plan the content of the church’s monthly
magazine.
The Social and Education Committees each met once during 2015, but have now been
discontinued.
Trustee Induction and Training The new PCC members receive training from the Church Wardens. Members of the PCC are encouraged to attend courses offered by the Diocese from time-to-time as appropriate to their areas of responsibility/interest whilst being a PCC member. On 10 June 2015 Holy Cross Church
12
hosted a Willesden Area PCC training evening at which the Archdeacon and Diocesan staff were available to give advice on a range of matters. Risk Management The PCC review all major risks of which it is aware and establish procedures to manage those risks. It reviews its Safeguarding Policy annually, and other policies on a regular cycle. Safeguarding is a standing item on all PCC agendas. The church also takes health and safety seriously and a new policy was adopted in 2014 in conjunction with an inspection of our buildings by the church’s insurer. Members of the congregation volunteer to act as safety officers, and to bring to the attention of the churchwardens any areas of concern. Objectives and Activities The objectives of the PCC are defined by the Parochial Church Council (Powers) Measure 1956 as "to co-operate with the Rector in promoting in the parish the whole mission of the Church, pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical." The main activities of the PCC are:- 1. The provision of regular public worship that is open to all.
2. The provision of sacred space for personal prayer and contemplation.
3. The provision of pastoral work including the visiting of sick, the elderly and the bereaved.
4. The teaching of the Christian faith through sermons, home groups, children's activities and
links with the local schools.
5. The promotion of the Christian faith through various events for the elderly, parents and
toddlers and other special needs.
6. The support of other charities involved in Christian outreach and development.
7. The maintenance the fabric of both Churches (Old and New).
As a church family and as individuals, Holy Cross Parish Church aims to offer worship worthy of the living God. Through worship, prayer and bible study we seek to know God better and to be confirmed to His purposes for our lives. In partnership with other Christians we wish to make His love known within the local community.
The parish relies on the voluntary work of many people and the PCC very much appreciate their service to the church and the local community and the monetary value of voluntary hours has not been evaluated in the Church accounts. Worship and Prayer In the Church Electoral Roll presented at the 2015 APCM the number of parishioners was 251 (2014 = 228). At "normal" Church services, the usual attendance is between 100 and 150, of which about one third are under 16s, and this level of attendance seems to be holding steady. On Youth or Baptism Sundays the numbers increase to about 200 and on special occasions, such as Education Sunday, are in excess of 300. The overall attendance at Easter services was 268 and 437 at Christmas (Christmas Eve Nativity, Midnight Mass and Christmas Day).
As well as our regular services, we enable our community to celebrate and thank God at the milestones of the journey through life. Through baptism we thank God for the gift of life, in marriage public vows are exchanged with God's blessing and through funeral services friends and family express their grief and give thanks for a life which is now complete in this world and
13
commend the person into God's keeping. We celebrated 12 baptisms (2014 = 18) and 3 weddings (2014 = 3) and held 10 funerals (2014 = 8) in our churches this year. There was no Confirmation service held in 2015, but one is scheduled for May 2016.
In addition services were held in the church for the Edward Betham Church of England Primary School during the year. Coston’s School also held their Christmas service in the church. On 8 February Education Sunday was celebrated, with pupils from local schools attending and with an address given by Revd John Seymour, Chaplain of Twyford and William Perkin High Schools.
The church has introduced Messy Church as a means of encouraging new families into the church and a programme of such sessions is planned for 2016.
Deanery Synod Four members of the PCC sit on the Deanery Synod, providing the PCC with a link to the wider structures of the Church. During the year a successful application was made to the Deanery Fund for £2,000 to support the Messy Church initiative. Holy Cross Church Buildings and Churchyard There are two church buildings in the parish: the Holy Cross Old Church (Listed grade I) and the Holy Cross New Church (Listed II*). The PCC is responsible for the management and maintenance of both buildings, and undertakes fund-raising efforts to provide funds to make both Churches fully accessible to the public.
The church buildings had been subject to a Quinquennial inspection in 2013 by the Church’s architects. This identified that the buildings were in a generally good state of repair, but there were some matters of concern; the main issue was that new roofing for both Churches might be required in the foreseeable future. This general concern became more pressing after a portion of the louvres on the New Church spire fell off. To fund the costs of retiling, as well as repairs to the spire, the PCC made an application to the Roof Repair Fund scheme (announced by the Government at the end of 2014) in January 2015, but this was unsuccessful. A further application is being made to the second round of this fund in February 2016 for a grant of £44,000, but if this is again unsuccessful, the costs of the remedial work will need to be found from church funds supplemented by fundraising, loans and grants from other sources. During the course of 2015 the congregation raised more than £7,500 for the Roof Repair Appeal as direct donations, or support for social activities.
At the beginning of 2015 the weathervane on the Old church spire was repaired, re-gilded and reinstated, the costs of £1,638 being found from contributions from the congregation.
Following the closure of the Churchyard by an Order in Council in 2011, the London Borough of Ealing has undertaken the maintenance of the Churchyard. The Council has managed this work very well, and PCC is satisfied with how matters have progressed over the last two years. The Council's contractors have provided a good service and churchyard looks well maintained.
The Council also accepted responsibility for the eastern boundary wall of the churchyard. Work started on repairing the wall to conservation standards in 2014, but preliminary work revealed that new foundations would be required, resulting in further delays while a new set of plans were drawn up and fresh approvals from the Planning Authority and the Diocese were obtained. The wall remains fenced off but it is anticipated that work on site will take place in Spring 2016.
In November 2015 the headstone of Edward Betham’s grave, which had developed a pronounced forward lean, was stood up, and a label provided as the wording on the headstone has become difficult to read. This work was paid for by the Betham Trust and children at the school.
14
Pastoral Care Support is provided for those who have been recently bereaved and where the Rector has taken a funeral service. On All Saints Sunday a service is held to which these bereaved families are invited back to the church, and this was held again this year, and led by lay members of the Church.
Holy Cross Church has a range of groups and organisations that use its facilities, including Holy Cross Beavers, Rainbows, Brownies, Guides, Scouts, and the Mothers' Union.
Other groups in the wider community, not directly linked to the church, meet in the church or the parish room, including Holy Cross Under-5's Group, Capital Concert Brass, Hillingdon Accordion Club, the local Neighbourhood Watch, and Decades Band.
As a result, Holy Cross Church touches the lives of many hundreds of people who have little or no contact with the Church on a regular basis.
The Rector of Greenford leads the traditional Remembrance Day service with representatives of other faiths and community groups at the Greenford War Memorial and at the Armed Forces Day ceremonies. In 2015, for the first time, a wreath was laid on behalf of the church.
Financial Review A major highlight in the Year was the completion of the final Access Works, around the New Church, to make the building, as far as is possible, accessible to all members of the community. This included the provision of handrails at the front and side of the New Church together with the provision of "Bicycle Hoops" next to the New Church rear entrance/exit. The cycle hoops were provided free of charge but the Project, including Architect fees, cost a total of £15,800. To fund this work £9,000 of the Church Improvement Fund was used, and shares in CBF funds to this amount were sold in December 2015. Allowing for a fluctuating share price, the value of the Church Improvement Fund has fallen from £96,785 in 2014 to £88,752 in 2015 and this is reported in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities.
Payments in 2015 were generally in line with the previous year, except for church maintenance costs which increased by about £15,000, mainly as result of the capital works detailed above.
During the year the PCC has made a determined effort to maximise its income by recovering Income Tax through a systematic use of the Gift Aid scheme. The arrears identified at the end of 2013 were recovered in December 2014, and during 2015 regular claims have been made which reduces the possibility of cash flow incidents. The PCC is grateful to Andrew Vigor and Grace Kavanagh for their work in this area. The amount collected in 2015 was £7,887 (2014 = £13,443). The use of gift aid yellow envelopes has been promoted during the year, and claims have been made for cash donations allowed under the Small Donations scheme.
The final instalment of the cost for the repair and re-fitting of the weathervane to the spire of the Old Church was met by the congregation at an overall cost of £1,638.
The Church increased its contribution to the Diocesan's Common Fund by 3% from £52,212 in 2014 to £53,784 in 2015 and this represented c.50% of the Church's total receipts (2014=49%).
The cash balances in the Unrestricted Funds were £644 with its Free Reserve (Net Current Assets) of £7,764.
The value of the Designated Funds Free Reserves was £93,571 which is mainly held in the CBF Investments.
15
Investments These funds are for the long-term maintenance of both churches that are both listed buildings. The income from the Church Improvement Fund and the Beth Morris Legacy are all allocated to the Unrestricted Fund. Fixed Assets Consecrated property and beneficed property of any kind (the two Churches and the Rectory) are excluded from the Accounts under the terms of the Charities Acts 2011 s.10, 2a & 2c. The Property at 177 Costons Lane, from which the church receives a rental income, was revalued by an Estate Agent at £405,000 in March 2015. The cost of this Report was £360.00. Volunteers The PCC thanks all the volunteers who work hard to make Holy Cross a lively and vibrant place, particularly those who assist in the running of services, those who help in fundraising, and those who maintain its social life. No monetary value is attributed to the time given by volunteers in the accounts. Future Plans 2016 marks the 75th Anniversary of the Dedication of the New Church, and a programme of activities is planned for the summer including a Flower festival. Statement of Public Benefit The members of the PCC are aware of the Charity Commission's guidance on Public Benefit in the Advancement of Religion for the Public Benefit and have regard to it in their administration of Church affairs.
16
17
18
PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE PARISH OF GREENFORD MAGNA.
RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2015.
Unrestricted Designated Restricted TOTAL TOTAL
Funds Funds Funds FUNDS FUNDS
2015 2014
Note £ £ £ £ £
Receipts:
Voluntary Receipts;
Regular Giving:
Planned Giving. 35,105 - - 35,105 34,772
Collections and Other Giving. 3 6,131 241 3,211 9,583 10,042
Income Tax Recovered. 7,887 - - 7,887 13,443
49,123 241 3,211 52,575 58,257
Other Voluntary Receipts;
Miriam Turner Legacy. - - - - 1,000
Activities for Generating Funds. 4 23,496 - - 23,496 21,614
Receipts from Church Activities. 5 5,800 10,120 2,274 18,194 17,955
Investment Income. 6 3,783 - 40 3,823 3,345
Transfer from Church Improvement Fund.Sale of Investments - 9,000 - 9,000 5,000
33,079 19,120 2,314 54,513 47,914
Total Receipts: 82,202 19,361 5,525 107,088 106,171
Payments:
Church Activities
Diocesan Parish Share. 53,784 - - 53,784 52,212
Other Payments. 7 39,026 14,060 3,389 56,475 38,022
Investment Purchases. - - - - 13,000
Total Payments: 92,810 14,060 3,389 110,259 103,234
Excess of payments over receipts 10,608- 5,301 2,136 3,171- 2,937
Bank and Cash Balance 1st January: 11,252 488 2,029 13,769 9,832
Bank and Cash Balance 31st December: 644 5,789 4,165 10,598 13,769
The attached notes form part of these Accounts.
19
PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE PARISH OF GREENFORD MAGNA.
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AS AT 31ST DECEMBER 2015
Statement of Assets and Liabilities: Unrestricted Designated Restricted TOTAL TOTAL
Funds Funds Funds FUNDS FUNDS
Assets; 2015 2014
Cash Funds; £ £ £ £ £
Bank and Cash Balances. 644 5,789 4,165 10,598 13,769
644 5,789 4,165 10,598 13,769
Other Monetary Assets;
Income Tax recoverable 5,200 - - 5,200 2,850
Debtors - Lettings 2,766 - - 2,766 -
7,966 - - 7,966 2,850
Investment Assets;
6,557.74 CBF Church of England
Investment Fund Shares at Market Value. - 87,711 1,041 88,752 96,785
3.5% War Loan (Nominal Value £171). - 71 - 71 71
- 87,782 1,041 88,823 96,856
Assets Retained for Church's own use;
Freehold Land & Building. 352,000 - - 352,000 347,000
Property Improvements and revaluation 51,000 - - 51,000 3,000
Fixtures and Equipment. 2,000 - - 2,000 2,000
405,000 - - 405,000 352,000
Liabilities;
Accruals and other Creditors. 846 - - 846 4,214
846 - - 846 4,214
Net Assets; 412,764 93,571 5,206 511,541 461,261
Free Reserves (Net Current Assets); 7,764 93,571 5,206 106,541 109,261
The attached notes form part of these Accounts.
Approved by the Parochial Church Council on...................................................................
and signed on their behalf by:-
......................................................... .................................................
Rev. Graham Miller Malcolm Ede
Rector & Chair of PCC. Honorary PCC Treasurer
20
PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE PARISH OF GREENFORD MAGNA
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2015
Notes
1 The Accounts have been prepared in accordance with the Church Accounting Regulations 2006 and
the Charities Act 2011, using the Receipts and Payments basis.
2 Assets recognised but not valued in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities include:
Moveable church furnishings held by the Church Wardens on special trust for the PCC and which
require a faculty.
Other fixed assets retained for Church use are included in Assets retained for own use.
3 Collections and other giving: Unrestricted Designated Restricted Total Total
Funds Funds Funds Funds Funds
2015 2014
£ £ £ £ £
Cash Collections 6,004 - - 6,004 6,863
Miscellaneous Sales/Donations 127 - 1,554 1,681 717
"Chill Out" Donations (Roof/spire Appeal) - 241 - 241 247
Crisis Charity - - 335 335 130
Save the Children Charity - - 271 271 244
A.L.M.A.Charity - - 439 439 -
Nepal Disaster Appeal - - 230 230 -
Sickle Cell Charity (Raffle at Caribbean Evening) - - 154 154 -
Royal National Lifeboat Institution Charity - - - - 431
Weathervane Appeal - - 228 228 1,410
6,131 241 3,211 9,583 10,042
4 Activities for Generating Funds:
Rental Income from 177 Costons' Lane 15,228 - - 15,228 14,724
Lettings (Net) 7,768 - - 7,768 6,390
Scouts Contribution to Church Electricity Costs 500 - - 500 500
23,496 - - 23,496 21,614
5 Receipts from Church Activities:
Christmas & Wednesday (2013) Lunches - - - - 222
Parish Breakfasts & Dinner Crawls 435 255 - 690 616
Dinner Dance (Net) - 1,902 - 1,902 2,320
Christmas Craft Market (Net) 2,185 - - 2,185 2,283
Summer Craft Market (Net) - 1,618 - 1,618 -
Caribbean Evening (Net) - 1,268 - 1,268 1,441
Quizzes (Net) - 1,323 - 1,323 969
Ballet Show - 292 - 292 -
Messy Church Grant & Donation - - 2,010 2,010 -
Photocopier Income 148 - - 148 -
Magna Income 335 - - 335 930
Wedding & Funeral Fees (PCC and Diocese) 2,697 3,462 - 6,159 7,437
Mothers' Union - - 264 264 347
Induction Service Contributions - - - - 1,228
Gifts to Clergy - - - - 162
5,800 10,120 2,274 18,194 17,955
21
PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE PARISH OF GREENFORD MAGNA
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2015
Unrestricted Designated Restricted Total Total
Funds Funds Funds Funds Funds
2015 2014
Notes £ £ £ £ £
6 Investment Income
Beth Morris Legacy (CBF Inv. Fund) 2,592 - - 2,592 2,542
Church Improvements Fund (CBF Inv. Fund) 1,117 - - 1,117 790
Miriam Turner Legacy (CBF Inv. Fund) - - 40 40 7
3.5% War Loan & 3.5% Lovelock Bequest 74 - - 74 6
3,783 - 40 3,823 3,345
7 Other Payments
Substitute Priests 188 - - 188 1,290
Other Clergy Expenses 452 - - 452 4,698
Organ, Piano Licences & Music Costs 1,526 - - 1,526 1,745
Resident Organist & Visiting Organists 4,160 - - 4,160 3,340
Publicity, Publications, Books & Webmaster 529 - - 529 573
Photocopier Lease and Toner Delivery Costs 2,487 - - 2,487 1,612
Magna & Stop Press Paper Costs 1,400 - - 1,400 1,157
Sanctuary Expenses (Wine, Candles, Breads etc.) 1,284 - - 1,284 1,051
Gas, Water and Electricity 6,570 - - 6,570 5,832
Major Church Maintenance and Projects 8,752 10,598 - 19,350 4,478
Minor Church Maintenance 2,842 - - 2,842 3,038
Church Cleaning and Supplies 1,989 - - 1,989 1,611
Minor Churchyard Expense 5 - 40 45 174
Insurances (Churches and 177 Costons Lane) 5,100 - - 5,100 5,178
Administration and Management Costs 572 - - 572 409
Parish Room Telephone. 170 - - 170 249
Mothers' Union Payments - - 282 282 347
Gifts to Substitute Clergy During Interregnum - - - - 235
Wedding and Funeral Fees - 3,462 - 3,462 -
Weathervane Project - - 1,638 1,638 -
177 Costons Lane Deposit Return 1,000 - - 1,000 -
Total Charity Payments - - 1,429 1,428 1,005
39,026 14,060 3,389 56,475 38,022
22
8 The movements in Designated and Restricted Funds
during the Year were:-
Designated Bal. B/fwd Receipts Payments Transfers C/Fwd
Dinner Dance (Roof/Spire Repair Fund) - 1,902 - - 1,902
Miscellanous (Roof/Spire Repair Fund) - 241 - - 241
Quiz Nights (Roof/Spire Repair Fund) - 1,323 - - 1,323
(Roof/Spire Repair Fund) - 2,886 1,598- - 1,288
Ballet Show (Roof/Spire Repair Fund) - 292 - - 292
Dinner Crawl (Roof/Spire Repair Fund) - 255 - - 255
Wedding & Funeral Fees (Diocese) 1,472 1,990 3,462- - -
Total 1,472 8,889 5,060- - 5,301
Restricted Bal. B/fwd Receipts Payments Transfers C/fwd
Crisis Charity - 335 335 - -
Save The Children Charity - 271 271 - -
Roof/Spire Repair Appeal - 1,554 - - 1,554
Weathervane Appeal 1,410 228 1,638 - -
Mothers' Union 378 264 282 - 360
A.L.M.A. Charity - 439 439 - -
Nepal Disaster Appeal - 230 230 - -
Sickle Cell Charity - 154 154 - -
Christian Aid 41 - - - 41
Messy Church Grant and Donation - 2,010 - - 2,010
Interest from Miriam Turner Legacy - 40 40 - -
Total 1,829 5,525 3,389 0 3,965
Notes
9 Related Parties
The Annual Parochial Church Meeting elects members or trustees of the following local organisations:-
a) Seven Trustees of the Edward Betham Trust.
b) Three Trustees of the Greenford Parochial Charities.
The PCC appoints:
Three members of the Edward Betham Church of England Primary School Governing Body.
Financial transactions are not carried out between any of the above and the PCC.
10 PCC Members' interests
3 members of the PCC are members of organisations that let the Parish Room from the PCC:
Ms C. Husbands, Ms K. Kingsbury, Ms A. Fitzmaurice
All members of PCC declare any conflicts of interest as they arise in relationt to PCC business
23
Rector’s Report
The Purpose of the Church
I look back on 2015 as the year which marked the end of the earthly lives of May Jeffries and Edna Pearman, two women at the heart of the church who continued to grow in faith, hope and love right to the end of their lives. I know that they are both greatly missed and that I am not alone in having a strong awareness of them at times of worship; a reminder that our churches are thin places, where the closeness of earth and heaven can be experienced.
Reflecting on their lives helps me to reflect on the purpose of the Church.
The Anglican nun Mother Mary Clare SLG is often quoted as saying that the purpose of the church is: to offer praise to God, to engage with pain of the world and to work for the transformation of the church.
Jesus used more horticultural metaphors. For him, to be human was to lead a life that bears fruit (requiring both feeding and pruning). And the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
This is the purpose of the church and it shapes and focuses all that we do as a Christian Community: our life of prayer, work with schools and young people, ministry to the sick and housebound, the celebration of the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Marriage and the fellowship and hospitality of our church community through lunches, parties and dances.
The Scaffolding of the Spirit
Whilst churches in other parts of Europe are funded through taxation – both the maintenance of the buildings and staff costs – Anglican parish churches rely heavily on the generosity and commitment of members of the congregation – generosity in time and volunteer hours, generosity in offering skills and financial generosity towards the care of our buildings, the costs of the having full time clergy and also the development of new areas of work and ministry.
Much of the work at Holy Cross goes on behind the scenes but we have large numbers of dedicated volunteers. And there are always opportunities for new people to contribute to our community life.
As you will see from the accounts for 2015, our finances are under great pressure. Most members of the congregation can help with this. The best way to do this is through committed giving, by setting up a Standing Order, or reviewing your Standing Order if you already have one. We are a large congregation and a large number of small increases could transform our finances
2015
In January we welcomed the Revd Warren McNeil from Greenford Baptist Church as our preacher for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
The Revd Dr John Seymour preached at Education Sunday. He was also our preacher for Holy Week.
During Lent four groups met each week to explore the stories, traditions and liturgical development of Holy Week as a way of preparing for our celebration as a parish. The Brownies and the Mothers’ Union helped lead our Mothering Sunday Mass,
In April we began our Messy Church as a form our outreach. This is an informal way of worshipping, exploring Christian faith and building community.
24
In June, three or four generations of pilgrims travelled to St Albans to join the Archbishops of Canterbury and Rouen and bishops and pilgrims from the West Indies for the Annual Pilgrimage.
The Feast of Pentecost included a celebration of the international nature of the church.
In July some our young people visited Parliament as a way of exploring ‘the values we live by’.
For Holy Cross Day we welcomed a large group from Edward Betham School. The Story of the Cross was told by some of our older young people, and the mass was followed by a Bring and Share Lunch.
November is the month of Remembering. A large number from Holy Cross, including our Uniformed Groups observed the Act of Remembrance.
On a more intimate scale, we welcomed the recently bereaved for a beautifully prepared Bereavement Service, followed by an equally beautifully prepared tea.
December is a full month in the life of the church. It is the season of Advent. Many of the local schools visited the church, we had our craft market, and a concert outing to the Royal Festival Hall. In addition to the Carol Service our choir also lead an Advent service of Light. On Tuesday evenings members of the congregation gave reflections on their work
Looking Ahead
As a church in the Diocese of London we are encouraged to explore how we can grow in Confidence, Creativity and Compassion.
My hope for 2016 is that we can grow in confidence in our faith and in working together to share the responsibilities of leading the church.
Our 75th anniversary celebrations have a strong emphasis on creativity.
Many members of the congregation give a lot of time and energy in supporting charities and local groups. I hope that in the year ahead this is something we can develop as a congregation.
Wardens’ Report on the fabric of the church buildings
Members of the congregation will be aware of some of the more visible works carried out on the church buildings during 2015. The most notable: the replacement of the old church weathervane with a new one of the same pattern and using the original, but re-gilded, flag. Members of the congregation gave generously for this replacement.
Outside the new church we now have five cycle racks set in paving, a new hand rail at the front steps of the new church and two rails from the exit door leading to the car park. The rails complete our access work whilst the cycle racks offer an opportunity for those cycling to church to lock their cycles securely.
What is not so noticeable has been the replacement of broken tiles to the new church west roof and at the front lower roof. We went ahead with this independently of our application for a grant to repair the new church spire and tiles due to being unsuccessful in our application to the Listed Places of Worship Roof Repair Fund.
The government have announced another tranche of money for church roof repairs and we will be applying again in 2016.
We are concerned that the boundary wall adjacent to Oldfield Lane South has still not been repaired. This is due to another underestimate of the work required which only came to light
25
when part of the wall was demolished. The London Borough of Ealing are responsible for the wall and are progressing its repair but we do not as yet, have a date for it to be completed.
General maintenance has continued with the checking of lightning conductors, PAT testing, servicing heaters and obtaining gas certificates, servicing the organ blowers and repairs to the oven doors and external gates. The new church gutters were cleared twice and the waste pipe from the kitchen was replaced. We have also had two clean up days. The first was well supported but the second less so.
During 2016 we will be asking the congregation for support in applying for grants to have the work done on the new church roof, for support in raising money and for offers of practical help in keeping the church functioning.
The total cost of these and other minor items (e.g. replacing light bulbs) during 2015 was approximately £20,000.
Peter Abernethy/Peter Hounsell Churchwardens
Social Activities DINNER DANCE 16 MAY 2015
Our 14th annual Dinner Dance celebrated the 200th anniversary of the Duchess of Richmond’s Ball, which took place on the eve of the Battle of Waterloo, giving participants the opportunity to come in period clothing. As in former years, the event was fully booked (approx. 100 places) and attracted a large proportion of people not otherwise connected with Holy Cross. A total of £1,900 was raised toward the New Church Roof Repair Fund. Thanks are due to the members of the congregation who helped and to the volunteers from PRG UK, who again provided superb lighting effects at no cost.
Rosemary & Peter Abernethy, Annabel & Brian Radville, Frances and Peter Hounsell
CARIBBEAN EVENING SATURDAY 10 OCTOBER 2015
The Caribbean Evening this year proved once again to be very successful. A lot of tickets were sold in advance; we also sold tickets on the door with the help of Peter Abernethy and Peter Hounsell who also took on the duty of doing the banking.
James Husbands decorated the church beautifully with theatrical lighting from Panalux who have been very generous to us at Holy Cross Church in recent years offering their lighting equipment free of charge. The effect was amazing as the pictures that Dave Clarke took demonstrated.
Our regular DJ Leon once again provided a fantastic range of music and there was wide selection of food to suit everyone.
Every year Audrey Pascal has been able to produce an entertaining Caribbean Quiz to start the evening off. Frank’s sister offered some lovely hardback books as part of the raffle prizes, and with other donations of prizes we were able to raise £154 which was given to Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham Sickle Cell and Thalassemia support group.
Pat Elcock was able to initiate match funding by HSBC who gave us £500 once again.
26
It takes a lot of people to put an event like this, so thanks to all those who helped.
Frank Pascal
Mothers' Union - Holy Cross Greenford Magna The Mothers' Union group had a successful year in 2015, raising a lot of money and helping families in need.
The year started with us planning the activities we would like to do. We shared some sessions in Lent led by Father Graham that helped us in our knowledge of the stories of Holy Week and helped us prepare for this special time. We decorated glass jars and made candles and instruments to use in the Holy Week services.
For Mothering Sunday the Mothers' Union prepared bunches of daffodils for the ladies of the congregation. The flowers were kindly donated by Wendy Perring - thank you. Our group led the intercession prayers.
In June we attended The Mothers' Union Diocesan celebration service at St Paul's Cathedral. Our church has been represented there for a few years now and each time it reminds of us of the work that the Mothers' Union does throughout London and indeed throughout the World. We are proud to play our small part in that.
In October Father Graham, Katherine, Rachael and Miles ran 5K in Richmond Park to raise money for worldwide Mothers' Union projects. We ran as part of a much larger Mothers' Union group from across West London. We could be spotted pounding the course in our distinctive blue t-shirts and (with the exception of our young expert - Miles) red faces! It was worth all the pain though; we raised over £500. Thanks to everyone who supported and donated to us.
Later in October we held the annual collection for Furnish - a local charity that collects 'home starter boxes' for people in need. We collected £200 from the congregation to buy pillows and duvets. This year we put together over 70 boxes and learned that last year's boxes had been gratefully received by many people getting their first home and some had been delivered to the desperately needy families in Calais.
At Christmas we had our usual get together where we happily shared a small feast and reflected on the year past. We often feel that perhaps we should be doing much more and worry that we aren't achieving enough. But actually writing this has shown that once again we have been very busy.
The Mothers' Union - Christian Care for families; fellowship and togetherness for our group. Join us if this has interested you.
Katherine Flewitt
Greenford Parochial Charities
The Greenford Parochial Charities comprise the Charities of William Marnham the Elder, William Marnham the Younger and George Smith; and, the Great Greenford Fuel Allotment or Land Charity. These charitable gifts were made between 1649 and 1856 and were combined in the
27
Greenford Parochial Charities in 1919. The trust’s income is used to make gifts to elderly or needy residents living in the ancient parish of Greenford Magna, who have been nominated by the church leaders of the various Christian denominations.
The Trust’s income is generated from investments which provide an income of just over £1,000 a year.
There are six trustees who manage the Charity: the rector and the two churchwardens are ex-officio; the remaining three are elected at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting for a term of four years. The elected trustees who served during 2015 were Noel Roye, and Peter Hounsell (who was also a churchwarden).
The trustees usually meet only once or twice a year and their main activity is to review the financial position and to agree the disbursement of the charity’s income as Christmas gifts. For many years these gifts have been made to elderly people, who are short of resources, and who are nominated by Holy Cross and other local Christian churches. However in recent years the number of such nominations has been small, and this year only three nominations were received. So in line with recent practice the Trustees donated £200 to the Baptist Church towards the expenses of the Christmas Lunch they provide, and £250 to the Methodist Church towards the costs of the Food bank which they support. This year a donation was also made to the local branch of the Salvation Army to defray some of the costs of an outing for old people they organised. The trustees would welcome suggestions from members of the congregations as to activities that the Charity might support in future years.
Nobody stood at the last APCM to fill the two vacancies on the Trust, and it is important that the vacancies are filled this year to ensure that the Trust operates legally.
Peter Hounsell Trustee and Clerk/ Treasurer
Deanery Synod
Four meeting are held in the year attended by representatives from the parishes in Ealing Deanery and also open to any interested parishioners. They provide an opportunity to share ideas and experiences and show the range of work done by churches in the area.
The first February 11th meeting was held at St.Mary’s, Ealing and focused on work with young people and students with presentations from interns working in this field.
On the 11th May at St. Joseph the Worker, Northolt was the Archdeacon’s visitation at which churchwardens were sworn in. It was interesting to see a very different style of church to Holy Cross.
The meeting the June 15th at St.Mary’s, Hanwell was when bids were invited for grants from the Mission Fund. Members of Holy Cross were successful in securing £2,000 for Messy Church.
Lastly the October 8th meeting was held at Holy Trinity, Perivale as the planned venue, the new St.Nicholas, was not yet ready. The evening showcased a variety of initiatives in a marketplace format.
On the June 10th Holy Cross hosted a Willesden Area training evening with experts from the diocese including useful sessions on safeguarding.
Frances Hounsell Deanery Synod representative
28
The Parish Magazine for Greenford Magna
In 2015 The Magna editorial team met on 8 occasions and produced 12 interesting monthly Parish Magazines. Over 40 members of the congregation and their family and friends contributed a wide mix of articles and photos of church and other events. From Blogs and reports from overseas - Holiday ideas – Reflections - Annual Dinner Dance - Caribbean Evening - Craft Markets - History of Holy Cross Church - Poetry - Quizzes – to Recipes and much more. The children’s pages Mouse Makes and Our Page proved popular with both children and adults alike. Combined with Parish Information, Parish Diary, news and community events we produced a magazine which is a key source of communication for readers.
Magna colour pages continued to be a real boost for the magazine – helping to record some of the wonderful church services and events. For example, the October issue published extra pages of photos for Holy Cross Sunday, Harvest festival and the dinner crawl.
We ended the year on a high note with the December edition featuring Father Graham’s seasonal reflection ‘The Christmas Sacrament’ with a photograph of the Holy Cross Posada figures on the front page.
Special thanks to Peter Fuller (and to Christine for her support) for the many hours spent on getting the best out of our church printer and ensuring that the editions were printed, collated and stapled on time.
Thank you to everyone who has contributed to Magna in 2015. Also thank you to our readers and advertisers for their donations.
All contributions gratefully accepted! If to date you have never written an article for Magna, well why not give it a go! See Magna for contact details or speak to a member of the editorial team: Father Graham, David Clarke, Christeen George, Mary Finucane and Peter Fuller.
David Clarke
Holy Cross Flowers
Many thanks, yet again to all (approximately 19) members of the team who have provided flowers throughout the year. We are looking forward to the challenges and rewards of a flower festival in July 2016 as part of the 75thanniversary celebrations!
Rosemary Abernethy
Governors of the Edward Betham Church of England Primary School
Following the reconstitution of the Governing Body to conform to government regulations, Foundation Governors are no longer elected by the APCM, but are appointed by the Parochial Church Council. Other regular members of the Holy Cross community are also Governors, but appointed by other routes, such as by the Betham Trust or as parent governors.
During 2015 a number of governors came to the end of their term of office, and so the governing body has a number of new faces. In October my fellow governors elected me for a further term as chair of governors and I was reappointed as a governor for a term of four years by the PCC in November.
In the early part of the year the school was subject both to an Ofsted inspection and a Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS) by the Diocese. The school retained its
29
“good” rating from Ofsted, despite the tougher criteria now in force, and its “outstanding” rating in the SIAMS. In both cases the governors are interviewed by the inspectors and their performance contributes to the overall rating of the school.
Although for September 2015 entry, there were more applications than places in the Reception year, this was not the case for the Nursery. Like many other local schools the school had to advertise vacancies in order to fill places to ensure that the nursery remained financially viable. The new admissions criteria, which came into effect with the 2015 intake, now ensures that siblings get a place in the school, which had not previously been the case.
During the course of year a large amount of work was done to modernise the infant department of the school, by refurbishing the Victorian classrooms, and creating a series of small teaching spaces. Much of this work was carried out whilst the school remained open, and the contractor worked very effectively with school staff to minimise disruption. The results are impressive.
Results in the SATS undertaken in Years 2 and 6 in summer 2015 were highly satisfactory and demonstrate that the school’s ambition to become an outstanding school continue to bear fruit.
Links between the school and Holy Cross Church remain strong. School masses are regularly held in the church and prove to be joyous occasions. A number of members of the congregation volunteer to help in the school, and of course many of the pupils come from church families.
Towards the end of the year the Headteacher, Margaret Kolanowska, announced that she had been appointed as Headteacher of St Gregory’s RC Primary School and would take up that appointment in September 2016. The governors will therefore be seeking to find a replacement during 2016.
Peter Hounsell Chair of the Governing Body
Crèche 2015 was challenging in that a number of regulars left the Crèche Rota and new volunteers were not forthcoming. As a result we were reliant on regulars to cover more dates than they would normally have to. We did a strong recruitment drive and subsequently new people came forward. Despite the process of the DBS now being online, volunteers are still waiting to be added to the Crèche Rota because they still don't have their DBS's complete.
Throughout the year, and at Fr Graham's suggestion, we had the Crèche children join in song and music after communion at special services. This worked really well and felt very inclusive. We have ended some sessions with a bible story and or music and this has also proven popular.
Mary Finucane
Chris Cross The whole team currently consists of 19 members. Most of the teams consist of three leaders and two teams have vacancies. The team’s have a wide experience with children and as leaders. The sessions are all pre-planned by the teams.
The children start the session with a reading or lesson and this is related to the adult service. Then the children have the opportunity to learn through being creative. This is displayed once they come back into the main service.
The summer holidays we managed to have a sports theme. This encouraged families into the church in the summer and to give the children a chance to relax and have fun together.
30
Fr Graham has also had opportunities to be part of a few of the sessions. The children enjoyed the special attention.
Once again thank you to the team for all of your support and dedication.
Andrea Hitchens and Frances Hounsell
Betham Trust
The Betham Charity exists to manage the endowment that Revd Edward Betham provided to fund
the school he founded in 1780. Although the investments that the trustees administer only
provide a tiny amount of the resources needed to run a modern school, they can be used to fund
particular projects and improvements in the school.
There are eight trustees: the Rector (ex-officio) and seven others elected for a term of 4 years at
the Annual Parochial Church Meeting. Trustees during 2015 were Peter Abernethy, Zena Ross,
Peter Hounsell, Kerry Arnold, Laura Hubbard and Annabel and Brian Radville.
The trustees have a meeting in each of the three school terms, usually in the school, at which they
receive a report from the Headteacher, and review the financial position. The income that the
Trust receives from its investments has been modest in the last few years in line with low interest
rates in the market generally, about £3,000 per annum, but the Trust has had sufficient funds to
respond to small funding proposals from the school. Most of the Trust’s contribution over the
years has been towards building projects, or school equipment, but in 2014 the trustees agreed to
provide funding for a director and accompanist for the school choir for one year and three termly
payments were made during 2014-2015. The other funding provided this year related to the grave
of Edward Betham in the churchyard. The gravestone has been leaning forward for many years,
making it difficult to read the inscription; the trustees agreed to a proposal to have the stone
stood up, and to place a small plaque in the grass near the grave. These were in place for the
celebration of Founder’s Day in November, when all the classes in the school visit the grave. The
school pupils are fundraising to repay some of the costs.
The trustees are grateful to Margaret Kolanowska, the Headteacher, for welcoming us into the
School and involving us in its life.
Peter Hounsell
Trustee and Secretary/Treasurer
Lettings
This year the Church has played host to two Greenford Green Ward Forum Meetings. As well as this bringing in essential revenue it also means we have welcomed new people into the building from the local community.
There is a new group on a Tuesday evening. An accordion band now uses the Parish Room to rehearse and on a Monday the Capital Concert Brass Band rehearse after the Rainbow group have finished.
31
During April the Salvation Army celebrated their 150th year anniversary with a wonderful concert and in October the Greenford School of Dance performed a fantastic display by their talented children.
Children’s parties and our regular weekly lets keeps the Parish Room busy and well used by many people who may not normally visit Holy Cross Church.
Risk assessments, insurance policies and booking agreements are now a crucial part of the letting process to keep us and our visitors safe.
Jill Marsh Lettings Officer
60 Club
Another good year for the Sixty Club. We now have seventy four members.
Membership is £12 a year paid in advance. This allows twelve monthly draws with a prize of £15 and three special prizes of £60 drawn at Easter, Holy Cross Tide and New Year.
The New Year starts in May 2016; new members are most welcome. There is nothing for you to do than pay the subscription and hopefully await a payment!
Jenny & Ray Quick
Parish Breakfast
Parish Breakfast is funded entirely by donations and all profits are passed to the PCC. It provides a welcome hot drink on some of the colder mornings of the year and an opportunity to chat with friends. It also allows us to welcome visitors and new members to the congregation. It gives people a chance to conduct church business and is an important part of our vibrant church life.
Parish Breakfast is held every Sunday after the 9.30am mass. 16 teams including the Scouts and Guides serve tea, coffee, biscuits and squash to the congregation. We like to maintain this level of teams so that each team only appears on the rota three or four times a year. We always welcome new people onto the rota so if you would like to volunteer please speak to us or one of the Church Wardens. Everything is supplied so all you have to do is turn up, make and serve drinks and wash up afterwards. As there’s always a hidden clause in the small print we ask you to take the tea towels home, wash them and return them the following week.
Many thanks to everyone who helps out with parish breakfast throughout the year. Your support is greatly appreciated.
Gill & Nev Carney
Chill Out Mornings
Have you been to the Church on a Saturday morning between 10-12? For a cup of tea, and cake or sausage rolls if you are lucky?
Are you too busy to do this?
It is incredibly difficult to get people to sit down and take time out. You may have shopping to do, cleaning to do, even jobs round the church! So many times I have been told “I would love to sit around talking but…….?”
32
This time is made available for everyone to come in and enjoy the company of others. If you want to spend quiet time alone then the Old Church is also open.
Bring a hobby, donate a cake or catch up with the newspaper? Or just sit and say nothing! Everyone should make time to relax away from their busy work or home.
It is also open for the local community to visit (without having to go to a formal event or service) and to view and enjoy the interior of the churches.
If you have a skill or talent you could share and possibly teach to others we would love to hear from you.
Jill Marsh
1st Holy Cross Greenford Brownies As always we have had a fun filled year and have a unit of 19 lively Brownies with a healthy waiting list.
The Brownies have worked hard and with interest to gain their badges, amongst them are the Book Lovers, Craft, Free Being Me, and the Artist. We have had visits from an author, an artist and the police safety officer. All these visits were very interesting and informative and helped the Brownies to gain these badges. We also visited the local library and were made very welcome.
In November we attended the Remembrance Service and Parade. As always the Brownies were well behaved and were complimented by members of the British Legion.
At the beginning of December, along with the Rainbows we put on a show for parents. The Brownies singing and dancing was greatly enjoyed by the audience and we raised a good sum for the Shooting Star Hospice.
Our visit to the Beck Theatre to see Jack and the Beanstalk was great fun and enjoyed by all.
I would like to thank everyone who has helped us this year by sharing their skills. I also thank Emily Law, Rosie Chesson, Georgie Calver and Alan Kingsbury, without their help, support and enthusiasm each week, Brownies would not take place.
Kath Kingsbury – Brown Owl
Visit www.girlguiding.org.uk to find out more information about Guiding.
1st Greenford Guides As a uniformed organisation of Girl Guides we cater for girls from the age of 10 to 15 years old with young leader to 18 years old and beyond. We meet every Wednesday during term time from 7 to 8:30pm. At 1st Greenford Guides we have been able to get more girls joining the group.
During the summer we went to Horsenden Hill to do grass sledging which was a nice experience for the girls as we have never done that before. We have managed to complete more badges including Music badge, Film Badge, the Malawi Challenged badge which was initiated by Emily Vallow who had the opportunity to visit Malawi in August 2015 as a Girl Guide.
33
We went to Brambles and made a huge bonfire as part of Fireworks night, we made a Guy out of old clothes and newspapers and we burnt it on the bonfire, we had roasted marshmallows which the girls really enjoyed. We were able to go to Gurnell for our swimming session. During the summer we tend to do more outdoor activities, we are able to use the Rectory garden to play kick rounders and Badminton.
Every year we attend the Remembrance Sunday parade in November and march to Greenford Memorial along with other members of the Scouting community.
Chyril, Jackie and Emily (Rainbow Leader) Guide Leaders
Rainbows
The Rainbows have been very busy this last year, learning more about Rainbows and wider world. As well as playing games, making crafts and cooking a variety of treats. They have celebrated key festivals, such as Mother’s Day, Easter, Bonfire Night and Christmas.
The girls spent a lot of the summer outside; due to the good weather the girls were able to visit the park and Littern nature reserve. We also joined with the Brownies and Guides to have a traditional campfire.
The Rainbows helped Emily fundraise for her trip to Malawi by collecting small change and completing the Malawi badge. The girls made elephants and played African themed games.
Emily spent a month of her summer supporting guiding in Malawi by running workshops about advocacy and first aid skills. The girls enjoyed hearing stories, dressing up in traditional material and looking at all the photos about Malawi in the autumn term.
In the autumn the girls completed their Rainbow Roundabout badge, learning about Rainbows. The girls choose the activities and enjoyed making bubbles, butterfly mirrors and an evening of fancy dress. They also made their own Santa hats to wear for their dance in the charity show with the Brownies for Shooting Stars.
Emily Vallow
