St Mary the Virgin, Beddington

Annual Report of the

Parochial Church Council

for the year ended 31 December 2019

Putting faith into practice through prayer and scripture, music and sacrament.

Registered with the Charity Commission as “Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish

of St Mary the Virgin, Beddington” with Charity number 1131167

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This is the form of annual report and financial statements required by the Charities Act 1993 and

the Church Accounting Regulations 2006, together with the Statement of Recommended Practice 2005

published by the Charity Commission.

The Parish Church

St Mary the Virgin, Beddington in the Deanery of Sutton, Archdeaconry of Croydon and Diocese of Southwark

Address

St Mary the Virgin Church Road

Wallington, Surrey, SM6 7NH

Incumbent

The Reverend Andrew Fenby

Correspondence address

The Rectory 18 Bloxworth Close Wallington, Surrey

SM6 7NL

Bankers

Santander plc Bootle

Merseyside L30 4GB

CCLA Investment Management Ltd

80 Cheapside London

EC2V 6BZ

Independent Examiner

Mr Robert Cunningham, ADA 64 Widmore Road

Bromley, Kent BR1 3BD

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Gracious Father, we pray for your Church. Fill it with your truth, keep it in your peace and unite it in your love, through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen St Mary’s is a Church of England (Anglican) Church serving the Parish of Beddington. We are in the Croydon Episcopal area of the Diocese of Southwark, and within Sutton Deanery.

Aims and purposes St Mary's Parochial Church Council (PCC) has the responsibility of cooperating with the Rector, the Reverend Andrew Fenby, in promoting in the ecclesiastical parish the whole mission of the Church - pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. Our aim is to proclaim God's greatness in all that we do as a community and as individuals and to rejoice in God's saving love for the world revealed in Jesus Christ.

At St Mary’s we welcome people of all ages, backgrounds and experiences. We embrace the diversity of God’s children and give thanks for all that we can learn about God from each other as we walk together on our journeys of faith.

We believe that God calls us to love not to judge. He meets each of us where we are in our lives and we hope to model His unconditional welcome in our worshipping community.

We are committed to opening our arms to all God’s people regardless of, for example. age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital or family status, ethnicity, race, colour, nationality, cultural origin, religion, disability, experience of mental distress, HIV status, caring responsibility, class, education, employment status, political belief or criminal conviction.

Structure, Governance and Management St Mary's Parochial Church Council (PCC) is a corporate body established by the Church of England. It operates under the Parochial Church Council Powers Measure. The PCC is a registered charity of which all members are trustees. 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 method of appointment of PCC members is set out in the Church Representation Rules. At St Mary’s, members of the PCC are either ex-officio, elected by the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM), or co-opted. All members of the congregation are encouraged to register on the Electoral Roll and stand for election to the PCC.

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In accordance with the requirements for disclosure, the Parochial Church Council members who have served during the reporting year (1 January – 31 December 2019) include: Ex-officio members: Incumbent: Fr Andrew Fenby (Chairman) Churchwardens: Alison Hargreaves

Judy Page Reader: Jenifer Davison Southwark Pastoral Auxiliaries: Maud Adams

Heather Cosgrove Deanery Synod Representatives: Linda Wood Linda Walters Deidre Charles Elected members Gerald England

Amanda Larkum Sophie Longmoor Christine Morgan Jeanette O’Neil Richard Pocock Jill Pope Edward Stawiarski

Gill Caddick ) From Jennifer Read ) APCM 2019

Kate Giles ) Oliver Hargreaves ) To Catherine Holman ) APCM 2019

Richard MacMullen ) Co-opted members: Treasurer: Jennifer Read from 31.12.18 to APCM 2019 Director of Music: David Moore from 11.11.18

Standing Committee The PCC Standing Committee has the power to transact the business of the PCC between PCC meetings. Ratification of any Standing Committee decision is made at the next PCC meeting. Members of the Standing Committee comprised:

Andrew Fenby Alison Hargreaves Christine Morgan Judy Page Jennifer Read

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Objectives and Activities

The PCC is committed to enabling as many people as possible to worship at our church and to become part of our parish community. We are an inclusive, friendly church and we welcome people of all ages, backgrounds and experiences. We embrace the diversity of God's children and give thanks for all that we can learn of God from each other as we walk together on our journeys of faith. The full PCC met seven times during the year. The main items of business included: ▪ Mission Action Plan: Our MAP is a permanent agenda item at PCC meetings and

members are updated of developments. It is revisited on an annual basis.

▪ Worship: Reviewing our worship practices is a regular item on the PCC Agenda. Through the Worship Committee, the PCC maintained an overview of worship throughout the parish. Our services and worship put faith into practice through prayer and scripture, music and sacrament.

▪ Safeguarding: St Mary's is committed to following the Southwark Diocesan Policy as contained in 'A Safe Church’. The Rector, churchwardens, officers and PCC take their responsibilities seriously to protect and safeguard the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and agree that we must always report any abuse or any suspected abuse. We ensure that all adults working with children are DBS checked and checks are updated when required. We have followed correct procedures in accordance with the diocesan regulations over the last year and have consulted the Diocesan Safeguarding Team when required. We aim to provide an environment which is welcoming and respectful and enables safeguarding concerns to be raised and responded to sensitively and appropriately.

▪ Parish Support Fund (‘PSF’): Our pledge for 2020 was determined at the May 2019 PCC meeting. The formula used to calculate our pledge had remained unchanged since the PSF scheme’s launch in 2015 and it was revisited in 2019. Previously our calculation had included a percentage of any legacies we had received over a set number of years, but this variance in our bid had caused misunderstanding at diocesan level. It was therefore agreed that this element should be removed from our calculations, resulting in an agreed pledged figure of £47,000. It needs to be remembered that our contribution is not simply to cover the diocesan costs involved in keeping our own church supported in numerous ways, but goes into the pot that helps poorer parishes to continue to serve their own communities. This is significant because St Mary's contribution does not yet cover its own full costs and we therefore remain supported by other churches in the diocese. Our aim is to be self-funding and this can only be achieved by the generous stewardship of our members.

▪ Legalities: The PCC ensured that legal requirements had been met within the year in respect of buildings and Employer’s Public Liability insurance cover; safety certificates being issued to cover our gas and electrical installations; servicing of our fire extinguishers; and licences for use of copyright music and films.

▪ Policies and Procedures: Our comprehensive set of policies and procedures are reviewed annually at the first full meeting of the newly elected PCC after the APCM.

▪ GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation): General Data Protection is being adhered to with information on our website. Jeanette O'Neil is our appointed PCC member and has processed the information received. She has created an Excel spreadsheet which contains the names and information which has been handed in. In accordance with GDPR requirements, the completed forms and information are in a locked cabinet in the church. This is an ongoing process.

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▪ National Lottery Heritage Fund: Following our failure to gain lottery funding from the

application made in 2018, we decided to meet with our consultants from Spires Heritage to prepare a second bid. We were told about the revised bidding process and that the charity had changed its name to National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF). The cut-off level for small funding bids had been raised from £100,000 to £250,000. It was therefore decided to concentrate our second application to the urgent structural work needed on the church tower. This would enable us to keep our bid under the £250,000 cut-off and give us a better chance success.

▪ Our architect had visited with a representative from Historic England with a view to getting the church put on Historic England’s At Risk Register and this has now been agreed. Inclusion on the register added weight to our bid.

▪ Two consultation exercises took place - one for the congregation on 28 April and one for the general public at our Open Day on Bank Holiday Monday, 3 May. Responses to our questionnaires were analysed to get a better idea of what appealed to people.

▪ Our bid was submitted in August. We were thrilled to receive a letter in December informing us that we have been awarded a Grant of up to £209,600 (83% of the total Project cost).

▪ As a result of this grant, there will be lots of new and exciting projects to be got underway at St Mary’s.

▪ The Tower Café: The tail end of 2019 saw the setting up of The Tower Café. This initiative is one of the projects included in our NLHF bid. It is starting to show signs of being a popular and successful enterprise and we look forward to seeing how it grows in 2020.

▪ Entrance Lobby: In 2019 we were given final permission (a ‘Grant of Faculty’) to proceed with the installation of the long-awaited lobby and the project was put out to tender. The quotation received from Alexander Joy (a small joinery firm recommended by our architect) was competitive at a cost of £18,205 inc VAT and they were engaged to handle the project. Work commenced on 9 December, but with school carol concerts and other Christmas activities taking place, by the end of the year we had everything but glass in the doors and the electric opening mechanisms fitted! Early 2020 will see completion.

▪ Toddlers’ Play Area: The Toddler Play Area at the rear of the St Nicholas Chapel was finally completed in June. Two pews were removed, one of which has been stored and the second realigned to create a larger area. The floor was covered in dark red carpet tiles and storage boxes bought to fit under the pews for toys and books. The area has been well used during 2019 by many members of our congregation with babies and toddlers.

▪ Centre flooring: After flooding in 2018, our insurance company released funds to repair the flooring in St Mary's Centre. The floor was checked and dried out, the outside drains were cleared and their condition checked by a CCTV camera probe. To avoid a recurrence of flooding, the drains are constantly monitored and chicken wire has been placed on the iron fence at the top of the path to prevent leaves from blowing down towards the Centre drain and causing a blockage. A decision was made replace the original parquet flooring with a more durable Polyflor product. With the help of the PCC, a colour was chosen and laid. To complete the flooding repairs, a new carpet was laid in the lobby, the lobby painted and a new inner door was fitted.

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Achievements

Mission Action Plan: This was reviewed and achievements celebrated. It was decided that we should build on the work we have done over the last year and review again in 2020. Outreach for the young: Messy Church was held on six occasions throughout 2019 and has been enjoyed by all who attend. A steady number of children and adults have attended and we are building on this success. It has attracted a number of people who would otherwise have no connection with the church. Thanks is due for the hard work put in by the volunteers taking part. It goes without saying, that the more volunteers we have, the more activities can be offered. We hope to build on these numbers in 2020 and to advertise the event further afield. Toddlers @ St Mary's: Toddlers @ St Mary's has run in St Mary's Centre every Wednesday morning from 10am to 11.30am and has been extremely popular. Both adults and children have made strong friendships and the sessions are well-loved. Activities are set out for babies, creepers, crawlers and toddlers and we have a music session with our Rector accompanying the singing and music making on his guitar. Refreshments are offered and the session concludes with stories and rhymes. Sunday Club and Junior Church: A delightful year was had sharing stories from the bible and being creative, and the children always looked forward to sharing their creations during morning prayers. Younger children joined Sunday Club whilst their families were able to stay in the morning service knowing that their children were settled. It also welcomed many visiting children whose parents expressed their thanks. A popular Easter Hunt was enjoyed and a great time was had during August when Drama Llama Club was created. This was highly praised for the children's short performances of bible stories each week. The children ended their year by donating to charities the £131 raised from Sunday Club's advent cake sales. St Mary's Youth Link (SMYL): SMYL has been well attended during 2019. A few new members joined the group. Unfortunately, it was found difficult to recruit volunteers to help run the group and a decision was made to close it for a while, the last session being in November 2019. The group met up for a Christmas dinner at Pizza Express in December and many attended Quiet@St Mary’s: Launched in 2017, this monthly ministry has carried on during 2019 with our canvas labyrinth laid out and various mindful resources made available in church. Some classes from Carew Academy have been welcomed and the students have enjoyed walking the labyrinth. In the latter part of the year a small class from Sherwood Park School, all wheelchair users, started to come to Quiet@St Mary's each month and an earlier start time of 10.30am was arranged to fit in with their schedule. The students are pushed round the labyrinth by their carers and their teacher has told us that this has been beneficial and rewarding for the children and helpers. Pastoral Care: Pastoral Care Group continues to support members of the congregation who are unable to attend church for various reasons.

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Social Activities and Fundraising Our worship is especially important to us, but we also enjoy sharing our faith in social settings and there are events and concerts throughout the year. Music Events and the Frost Fair

The Social Committee started the year in April 2019 with another well received concert from the Alfred and Salamanda Saxophone Quartet followed by afternoon tea. In August, we had another concert in our Sunday afternoon series, welcoming back David Harvey and Richard Price who gave a flute, saxophone and piano recital. Our main musical event of 2019 was in June when the South East London Orchestra gave a brilliant concert with special guest James Risdon who wowed us all with amazing recorder solos. The concert was both very well attended and received. The takings (which were considerable) were divided between Croydon Vision and Church Funds. On a very frosty day on 30th November 2019, we held a highly successful Frost Fair with more tables than ever – nearly 40 stalls throughout the church and centre, and not forgetting Linda in the vestry once again. Demand for stalls was so high that we ended up with a waiting list and decided in the end to even squeeze four stall holders into the Carew Chapel which was a first! More stalls filled the children’s area. The Tower Coffee Shop rose to the challenge of serving refreshments at the fair for the first time and they did amazingly, rushed off their feet with hungry and thirsty punters! The Upland Singers came and sang Christmas songs, and the whole event was so happy and positive with a huge number of visitors enjoying the occasion. A great effort from all involved, making this our most profitable fair ever. Sutton Amateur Dramatic Society made a welcome return to use the church building once again in June, this time for a three night production of Hamlet. Celebrating Diversity and Black History

Many events have taken place during 2019, the monthly Open Reel film nights and the Great Get Together - a legacy of Jo Cox which encompasses the belief that 'We are far more united and have far more in common than that which divides us.' Our third event was celebrated in June with a Teddy Bears' Picnic and it was well attended by members of our congregation and the wider community of Beddington. It was a beautiful day, with plenty of food and games for the children. Black History Month was in October. We showed two films, followed with a talk by Marc Wadsworth entitled 'Justice4Windrush' and culminating with a presentation about black LBGT people in popular music. As usual, these were well attended and accompanied by great food. Men's Group

Another good year for the Men's Group, we go out for breakfast on the first Saturday and an evening meal on the middle Wednesday of each month. In 2019 we went bowling, with a meal to follow, and we went to various Indian/ Chinese to English fare to Italian. The Grange is a favorite along with Royal China. For our Christmas meeting we went to The Sun in Carshalton - always a great meal. We also go for the odd six-mile walk in late summer, and finish at a pub for a nice lunch. We did two of these walks this year. We usually have between six to eight come to our outings, which is a good turnout. We’re already looking forward to next year to see what we can get up to: maybe some new venues, The Ginger Italian restaurant looks good. It’s always good to get the Men of the Church out and socializing. Looking forward to our next outing.

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Ladies Group

The ladies had another full year, starting with an ‘at home’ planning meeting in February. Those plans resulted in a trip to Kew Gardens, a day out at St Albans (that was a lot of walking!), a BBQ, a visit to the Sutton Community Farm event (astonishing range of tomatoes), Christmas shopping at Denbies, and another Christmas Meal at El Nido’s. We made over our July meeting to the parish Quiet Day at Wychcroft. We’ve plenty more ideas to see us through 2020. Mothers’ Union

Jenifer Davison, Branch Leader of St Mary’s Mothers’ Union from 2006 to 2020 writes:

On 10 December 1896, a meeting was held at Riverside, by kind permission of Mrs Rostron, to inaugurate a Branch of the Mothers’ Union in the parish. Nearly 100 mothers were present despite the bad weather. Mrs Rostron was Enrolling Member from 1896 to 1915. Since then there have been 18 Enrolling Members/Branch Leaders, with a Committee running the Branch from 2004 to 2006. The Branch celebrated its 100th Anniversary in 1996, and at that time there were 26 members in the Branch. In the past, St. Mary’s Mothers Union has run a Toddlers Group; provided Christmas Shoe Boxes filled with presents for deprived children; knitted jumpers and hats for orphans and lap blankets for the elderly in Zimbabwe; raised money along with the rest of the diocese in order to equip a shelter for expectant mothers in Daramombe, Zimbabwe. Over the years we have provided emergency toiletry bags for patients at St Helier Hospital, and supplies for the Women’s Refuge in Sutton. Looking at earlier years, in 1967 A Young Mothers Club was started, and the MU ran the creche. We sponsored two children at the Mission of Hope in Croydon, invited them to our homes and provided clothes, Christmas and birthday gifts. In 1970 a parcel of Communion linen was sent to Africa. In 1971 a Valentines Dance raised money to provide red velvet curtains for the door of the South Porch. In 1972, profits from a Christmas dance paid for the carpet strips on the pews. In 1992 we started a pram service, and many other activities including attending baptism services, making ourselves known to the parents and providing the family with a baptismal card for the child.

Sadly, society has changed and membership has dwindled, despite our efforts to draw in younger people. With increasing age and health problems of most of our members, including the Committee, it is felt that after 123 years we can no longer continue as a Branch. Most of us have been members for over 30 years.

We will formally close the Branch on 6th February, 2020 with gratitude for all that we have been able to achieve over the years, giving thanks to God for the fellowship that we have enjoyed as we worked together for the aims and objectives of the Mothers’ Union, in serving the community in which we live. I end with the following prayer said by MU Members worldwide:-

May we always see the world through the eyes of Christ, speak to those we meet with the words of Christ and take with us on our journey the peace of Christ. Amen

Performance Attendance

The average weekly attendance was 75 adults and 17 young people, but this number increased at festivals with 167 attending Easter Day Services and a total of 443 attending Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services. Our newly revamped Crib Service proved extremely popular.

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Electoral Roll

As is required once every six years, a complete revision of the Electoral Roll took place in 2019. There are now 100 people on the Electoral Roll, 51 of whom were not resident in the parish. We welcomed 16 new worshippers to our community and said farewell to one.

Worship and Services

The PCC continues to offer a range of services during the week and over the course of the year that our community find both beneficial and spiritually fulfilling. For example, at the 8am Sunday Said Eucharist the mood is quiet and reflective, while the 9.30am Sung Eucharist is our busiest service with hymns and parts of the service sung by the congregation and choir. Children can join in our Sunday Club and Junior Church activities. Sunday ends with Choral Evensong based on the 1662 Book of Common Prayer to provide a quiet and contemplative service of readings, prayers and music. Morning prayer takes place at 9.30am from Monday to Friday, and a said Eucharist is celebrated each Wednesday morning and evening. A Watch Night Service was repeated for the third consecutive year on New Year’s Eve 2019 and this continues to be a popular occasion. The service is finished off nicely with tower bellringers ringing in the New Year. As well as our regular services, we enable our community to celebrate and thank God at the milestones of their 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 to commend the person into God's keeping. We celebrated 22 baptisms, two weddings and held one funeral service in our church this year. Confirmations

Two members of our congregation were confirmed at a service held at St Mary’s, Sanderstead on 12 May. Pastoral care

Some members of our parish are unable to attend church due to sickness or age. Home Communion was taken to all who requested it and thus enabled them to keep in touch with church life. The Pastoral Care Committee is advised of those who might need contacting and will arrange to visit. Parish Retreat

Two Parish Retreats took place in 2019, both at the Diocesan Retreat Centre at Wychcroft, Bletchingly. A single Quiet Day was held in July, followed by a Friday to Sunday residential retreat in October. Both occasions were successful and appreciated by those attending. Deanery Synod

Three lay members of the PCC are elected to sit on the Deanery Synod. Representation on the synod provides the PCC with an important link between the parish and the wider structures of the church. The deanery synod meetings are the formal meetings of the deanery which focus on the mission and ministry in our area which covers the London Borough of Sutton and are times when through presentations, discussion and debate the parishes can share information, work together and support each other in areas and issues that matter to the worshipping community. Since 2018 , the diocese has been encouraging the development of Deanery leadership teams, to provide more opportunities for local lay

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leaders to work in partnership with each other and with clergy to develop local initiatives for their communities and support the Diocesan growth objectives. The 3 meetings that the synod had in 2019 were very much looking at ways in which the deanery synod might function in future in light of the Diocesan Mission and evangelism report. Fuller details of the meetings can be found in the separate Deanery Synod Report. Music and Choirs

At a meeting in January 2019 Pam Akhurst was asked to take on the role of Choir Director. She agreed on condition that an excellent organist who could demonstrate good choral rehearsal technique and act as Assistant Choir Director should also be appointed. And so began our search. In the meantime one of our churchwardens, Judy Page, took on the mammoth task of trying to ensure that we had a substitute organist booked for each Sunday Eucharist and Evensong. She succeeded magnificently and each service had that extra frisson as the gallant replacement organists tried to fit in with the St Mary’s way of doing things. Some we saw only once or twice and some became ‘regulars’. We are tremendously grateful to each and every one of them. In the summer term interviews were held and we were delighted to appoint as our new Organist and Assistant Choir Director David Moore, a graduate of Corpus Christi College, Oxford (where he was also the organ scholar), a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists and with experience of working with choirs and with individual students. Knowing that David was due to take up his appointment in September made the sorting of the choir library an imperative; a number of choir members, young and more mature, gave up many hours to this huge undertaking, masterminded by Kevin Winstone. Most of the music has now been catalogued so that we know what we have and where it is situated (although the window sills are still a bit of a mystery). Huge thanks to all who helped in this undertaking. Thanks too to Andrew, our Rector, for the support he has given throughout the year, and to Alison Hargreaves for her assistance at trebles’ rehearsals. The choirs have responded well to all the changes that have taken place and have shown great commitment to keeping alive the musical tradition of St Mary’s; we owe them all a huge debt of gratitude. The Advent and the Christmas Carol services introduced some exciting new pieces as well as some of the ‘old faithfuls’ and it was a delight to hear the organ being played so well again, a fitting end to the year. We are always looking for new singers in all departments. Come and join us, on your own or bring a friend, and discover the joy and well-being that comes from singing in a choir. Tower Bellringers

St Mary's is fortunate to have a dedicated band of tower bellringers under the leadership of tower captain Sue Bailey. The bells are rung every Sunday for the 9.30am Eucharist and the 6.30pm Evensong, as well as for weddings and other major festivals. The sound of the bells announces our continuing presence within and ongoing prayer for the parish. Their practice night is Thursday (7.45-9.15pm). The ringers are always happy to welcome anyone interested in learning to ring and seeing what a great activity bell ringing can be. The Centre

The Centre continues to be a useful source of income for the church. It is let on a regular basis for a variety of commercial pursuits including art, yoga, Pilates and amateur dramatics, with additional income from one-off parties. As well as being available for church events such as SMYL, Toddlers @ St Mary’s, film nights, meetings and after-service refreshments, it has been the venue for our monthly Mothers’ Union meeting.

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Outreach and Communications

We retain important links with our local schools – Carew Academy, Sherwood Park, Beddington Infants, Beddington Park Primary School, Wallington County Grammar School and The Link. All have visited us on a number of occasions for educational purposes and services. Over 1,800 children and parents attended school services over the Christmas period. We have plans to work closely with the schools as part of our National Lottery Heritage Fund programme. As a church of historical importance, we receive many visitors throughout the year. St Mary's was included in the annual Open House Weekend and was opened on Sunday, 22nd September. The Tower Cafe opened in November. It is situated under the West Tower of the church and is open from 9am to 2pm during the week. This enables the church to be open throughout the week (except Saturdays) for people to visit, say a prayer or meet a friend for a coffee. It has been very popular. Our website www.stmarysbeddington.org.uk and our Facebook page are regularly updated with services and events and are a valuable link in engaging with the wider community. The parish magazine is published 6 times a year. Around 100 copies are printed, some of which are delivered to those who have requested them as a means of staying in touch with church activities, especially if they have been unable to attend church because of illness or moving out of the area. The magazine is also posted on our website. The Friday Morning Drop-In in the Centre remains an extremely popular and valuable means of meeting up with people. A local walking group continues to join us following their morning walks through Beddington Park and along the River Wandle; Community Support Officers also put in a regular appearance and are able to offer first hand advice on issues of security etc that give rise for concern. These officers often attend our 9.30 am Sunday Eucharist and join us for coffee afterwards where again they listen to local concerns. Our thanks go to the team of helpers for the work they put in on fifty-one Friday mornings a year. Learning about and sharing our faith is important too, and York Course material was used to run our Lent course. Our open group, Monday's @ St Mary's, continues to meet to share Bible reading and continues to say Compline using this time to pray for the parish, the community and those on the prayer list. During Lent Monday's @ St Mary's is one of the venues for the Lent Course which uses the York Courses resource. As it has for many years, St Mary’s hosted the Annual South London May Queens Service this year. Mission and Charitable Giving

Charitable donations totalling £2,592 were made during 2019. We continue to give 20% of profits from our fund-raising social activities to the Diocese of Southwark’s Zimbabwe Link Fund. Other charities supported financially or in kind include the United Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, The Children’s Society, Crisis and Croydon Nightwatch. We are a Free Trade church.

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Ecumenical relationships

The church is a member of Churches Together in Beddington and Wallington (CTBW). Members of the congregation help at the Christmas Day Lunch that has been organised by CTBW for the past 17 years. The lunch offers fun and companionship to around 100 people who would otherwise be alone on Christmas Day. Our Advent Carol Service is an ecumenical celebration attended by members of CTBW. St Elphege’s Roman Catholic Church continues to be welcomed at St Mary’s each year to celebrate their Patronal Festival and to remember the visit of St Elphege to St Mary’s in the late 10th century. Thanks

As with most other churches, St Mary’s would cease to be the place it is if not for the tireless effort of all our volunteers - flower arrangers, sidespeople, servers, coffee and tea makers, helpers in children’s ministry and at diversity events, church cleaners, and volunteers setting up our new venture, The Tower Café. No matter what is offered, every bit of help is received with our most grateful thanks.

Fabric/Churchwardens’ Report The Archdeacon's Annual Visitation took place on 9 March 2019 with the Area Sub-Dean, Revd David Billin, attending. The Articles of Enquiry were submitted before the visit. All the registers and books were checked and signed and were deemed to be up-to-date and in good order. The 2019 accounts show that the cost of regular repairs and maintenance to the fabric and contents of the building, together with the upkeep of the churchyard, amounted to £16,118. In addition to this running costs covering insurance, electricity, gas and water amounted to £14,435 In the fabric of the building is in good condition but we are aware of the work highlighted in the Quinquennial Report and are bidding for funding to begin this as mentioned in the report last year. Further details of work undertaken during 2019 can be found in the separate Churchwardens' Report.

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Financial review

Total receipts on unrestricted funds were £129,115 of which £43,756 was unrestricted planned voluntary donations. Reserves Policy

The PCC’s reserves policy, in accordance with diocesan guidelines, is to maintain a balance on free reserves of three months running costs plus an additional one month’s salary costs to cover unforeseen emergencies and smooth out fluctuations in cash flow. The Designated Funds for Building Maintenance and Organ Repairs hold reserves at £31,042 and £15,375 respectively. These Designated Funds are considered both prudent and essential. The cost of routine and modest building maintenance is met from our available unrestricted funds, but we are mindful that with a building of the age and importance of St Mary’s, the likelihood of exceptional and expensive repair is ever present and forward planning is needed. Our match-funding commitment for the National Lottery Heritage Fund grant will see some of these Designated Fund balances depleted during 2020. The PCC is therefore currently maintaining a higher than usual amount of free reserves. It is our policy to invest the short-term investment fund balances with the CCLA Church of England Deposit Fund, and the remainder in the CCLA Church of England Investment Fund. The PCC is responsible for all parish finance, and its management and control, and has appointed a treasurer to supervise this area. In preparing the financial statements, the PCC, through the Treasurer, is required to: ▪ Select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently.

▪ Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent.

▪ Follow applicable accounting standards and statements of recommended practice subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements.

▪ Prepare the financial statements on a going concern basis unless it is appropriate to presume that the Charity will not remain in operation. Signed ……………………………………… Date ……………………………. The Reverend Andrew Fenby Rector and PCC Chairman on behalf of the Parochial Church Council