St Michael’s AGM Report Finance Fabric Communications & Operations

 

Finance

It costs £1600 per week to run the parish including a 10% contingency and allowing for a budget of £10,000 for repairs and maintenance. The largest single item is the Diocesan Development Fund and Levies at approximately £25,000.

Offertories run at around £60,000 to which is added the Gift Aid received back from the Government. Approximately £43,000 of our collections is Gift Aided by 113 parishioners and we get back approximately £11,000. This will reduce as the rebate rate has reduced from 28% to 25% of the money donated.

Ideally we would like all regular giving to be Gift Aided and paid by monthly standing order. Gift Aid costs the individual nothing but gives us 25% bonus or additional donation because the Government give back the Basic Rate Tax paid by the donor on the amount given. Giving by monthly standing order means that we never forget to make our donation to our Church and that parish finances can be run more scientifically- based on what we know is coming in.

Fabric

St Michael’s Church is now more than 40 years old and the Hall rather less but both they and the Priest’s House need to be maintained and services replaced as they wear out.

In the Church we have just installed a new heating system at a cost of some £21,000. Some of the windows are to be replaced with double glazed units- to help keep the heat in at a further £6-7,000. We are also aiming to improve the sound system and replace the organ the final cost of this is yet to be agreed but is likely to be around £10,000.

The drains have also given trouble recently, we have had a survey done using CCTV at a cost of £2000+ and remedial work has been quoted for at £13,000. We are hoping some of this cost will be covered by insurance but.....

In the hall we have been under pressure for some time to improve the kitchen facilities. Having found a formula for doing so at affordable cost we are having drawings made and looking to carry out the work if possible during the school summer holidays. It is hoped that we will avoid the need to do any structural work while increasing the depth of the kitchen by about a metre to give much better working space and catering quality equipment and work surfaces. Cost to be in the region of £15,000.

Fr Tony has not presented a list of improvements for the Priest’s House but we do need to upgrade the office equipment in terms of computers, software, printers and copying/ duplication equipment. Anticipated costs can be met from funds in hand.

Fundraising

To avoid arriving at a situation where we run out of money we want to undertake a fundraising campaign to pay for the new organ and a new kitchen in the Hall. Tricia Barker and her daughter Gemma have answered the call to co-ordinate fundraising activities and will be looking at a range of different ways for US ( note the emphasis on us) to raise the funds needed ( approximately £25,000). Watch this space

Communications

The Survey carried out recently provided some interesting answers. Despite the fact that almost all the respondents were aged 50 or more 95% had email addresses. This has led to the drive to collect parishioners’ email addresses for use in future communications.

Work has proceeded apace with building a new website for the parish and our webmaster Steve Rouse will be telling us more about this shortly. Traditional means of communication are just as important and the weekly Parish News will continue- and be posted on the website as well. So too will the Trumpet published three times a year at Easter, Michaelmas and Christmas. As ever the work falls on a very small number of shoulders and additional volunteers are always welcome! There is also a new Parish Welcome Pack ready for distribution.

 

Health and Safety

Our new Prime Minister has been quoted as wanting to make Health and Safety more of a practical issue and less of a compensation culture. From our perspective Health and safety is an issue where we are treated just like everyone else and have to take it just as seriously. Because of the size of our site ( inside and out) we do need a volunteer who can take an interest in what is going on and note any areas which may need repair etc. This probably needs to be done on a daily basis but could be carried out on a roster if we had a number of volunteers. No great technical expertise is required and help can be given to get someone or some people off to a good start!

Jeremy Webb

Chairman

Fr Maxwell's Memorial