THE PARISH OF ST PETER-IN-THANET

ANNUAL PARISH MEETING

This is a meeting of those whose names are on the Civil Electoral Roll of the civil parish and/or those whose names are on the Electoral Roll of the Parish Church. Anyone on either of these rolls can attend and vote.

The meeting will be held on the 23rd April 2017 in the Church Hall at 11.00am.

AGENDA

1. Election of Clerk to the meeting2. Apologies3. Election of two Churchwardens4. AOB

ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING

This is a meeting only for those on the Electoral Roll of the Parish Church.

The meeting will take place immediately after The Annual Parish Meeting.

AGENDA

1. Opening Prayer

2. Apologies for absence

3. Minutes of the Annual Parochial Church Meeting held on the 24th April 2016

4. Matters arising from the Minutes

5. Reports:

a) Electoral Roll

b) Annual report of the proceedings of the Parochial Church Council and Parish Activities – (PCC Secretary’s report and chair of the PCC’s Annual Report)

c) Financial Statement of the PCC for the year ending December 2016

d) Fabric, Goods and Ornaments of the Church

e) The Proceedings of the Deanery Synod

6. Other reports

7. Appointments:

a) PCC Members

b) Sidesmen

c) Independent Examiner

8. AOB

9. Closing Prayers

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THE PARISH OF ST PETER – IN – THANET

MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL PARISH MEETING HELD ON 24 TH APRIL 2016

Chair: J. Birnie, Churchwarden

1. Election of Clerk to the meeting.

Sue Brooks, as Secretary to the PCC was proposed as Clerk to the meeting by Jane Birnie, seconded by Pauline Osborne, accepted unanimously.

2. Apologies

Apologies for absence were received from the following:

Manana Watson, Jean Saunders, Jean Hawkeswood, Richard Taylor, Veronica Taylor, Michael Cooke, Elspeth Cooke, Jackie Carman, James Patterson, John Wood.

3. Election of two Churchwardens

Two nominations were received from the existing Churchwardens, Jane Birnie and Pauline Osborne. R. Page assumed the role of Chair as Jane Birnie was a candidate herself. There being no other nominations, Jane Birnie was proposed as Churchwarden by R. Page, seconded by K. McGregor, Pauline Osborne was proposed by J. Parsons and seconded by B. Sleightholm. Both were accepted unanimously.

4. AOB

No AOB

THE PARISH OF ST – PETER – IN – THANET

MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING HELD ON THE 24 TH APRIL 2016.

Chair: J. Birnie, Churchwarden

Opening prayers were said by Revd Brian Sharp

61 people were in attendance.

1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCEApologies were received from Manana Watson, Jean Saunders, Jean Hawkeshead, Richard Taylor, Veronica Taylor, Michael Cooke, Elspeth Cooke, Jackie Carman, James Patterson, John Wood.

2. MINUTES OF THE APCM HELD ON 26TH APRIL 2015The minutes had been made available in the church and church office for at least two weeks prior to the meeting. The Minutes were proposed as a correct record by M. McManus, seconded by J. Parsons and unanimously agreed.

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3. MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES A question was asked by B. Drywood concerning the point at item 8a in the minutes which was about the possibility of changing service times. In the minutes it was confirmed that this would be taken forward by the PCC at a future meeting and the enquirer wished to know the outcome. The Chair explained that this action had not been followed, as acting on Diocesan advice during the Interregnum no significant changes would be made. The PCC undertake to re-visit the subject when a new incumbent is appointed.

4. REPORTS a) Electoral Roll – The Electoral Roll Officer, C. Watson, reported that there were 189 persons

listed in April 2015 and 194 in April 2016. 45% of those presently listed live outside the parish. During the year 8 names were removed from the roll, including 2 deceased, 3 moved away and 3 for other reasons. The Electoral Roll for 2016 was proposed as a correct record by J. Binfield and seconded by D. Monaghan and unanimously agreed.

b) The Proceedings of the Parochial Church Council and Parish Activities PCC Secretary’s ReportThe Secretary asked for a correction, the deletion of the first sentence of paragraph 4 and an insertion to the next sentence to read “The PCC includes…” She also requested that the information was added that the average attendance at PCC meetings over the year was 88%. With these amendments, the Report was proposed to be accepted by P. Osborne and seconded by N. Hirst- Cohen and accepted unanimously.

Chair of PCC’s Annual Report J. Birnie expressed thanks to all those on the PCC and the support of the retired clergy and readers during the interregnum. The report was proposed to be accepted by B. Sleightholm, seconded by A. Burgess and accepted unanimously.

c) Financial Statement of the PCC for the year ending December 2015

R. Page as Treasurer mentioned the generous donation of £975.95 from SPRATS. He also expressed concern at the decline in the Church income. We are paying £6,400 monthly as our Parish Share and currently there is a shortfall of around £200 monthly which has to be found from other sources. R. Page asked if existing donors could consider an increase to their regular gifts.Brian Sleightholm noted that the Church had no investments outside the UK, which he approved. He also queried the expenditure on Arklow Cottage (See Page 14). C. Watson, chair of the Fabric Committee, noted that it had been necessary to employ architects and a builder which had been costly. H. McGregor expressed concern about the recording of the amount raised by the Fund Raising Committee. The Committee had raised £78,000 but the amount in the accounts was recorded as £31,000.

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R. Page advised that some of the amount had been recorded as general funds, that part of the funds raised was over two years so some had been recorded previously and also that his Treasurer’s report was for the period ending in December 2015 and funds received from January to April 2016 were not included. He gave an assurance that all funds raised for the repair of the Tower had been used only for that purpose. J. Binfield suggested that fund raising accounts could be published in the future in the Parish Magazine.The motion to accept the accounts as accurate was proposed by B. Sleightholm, seconded by G. Collins. A vote was taken and 31 votes were in favour of accepting the report, 11 were against and 14 abstained. The report was accepted.

d) Fabric, Goods and Ornaments of the Church P. Osborne confirmed that the inventory was available to be read at the meeting and that the inventory is checked annually by the Churchwardens. B. Sleightholm gave thanks to the team of volunteers who currently are maintaining graves in the Churchyard. M. Knill proposed to accept the report; this was seconded by K. McGregor and unanimously agreed.

e) The proceedings of the Deanery Synod J. Binfield stressed the importance of Deanery work as it relates to all Thanet Churches as well as the Church as a whole. K. McGregor confirmed that the next meeting of the Synod on 28th April will concern the new plan for the diocese for the coming year and she will be reporting back to the PCC. M. McManus proposed to accept the report; this was seconded by J. Green and carried unanimously.

5. Other reports a) Music Report

Thanks were expressed to the Choir and P. Dunn for their work.

b) Fabric ReportC. Watson briefly mentioned the matter of Arklow Cottage (See para 4c above) and confirmed that the work is anticipated to be completed by the end of April 2016. There is still damp in the Lady Chapel and the Church. Architects have been consulted and further work will be necessary. The down pipes are in a poor state of repair. Replacement is costly as “like has to be replaced with like” and the box pipe required is not standard. The Friends of St Peter’s have agreed to pay for this work. Thanks were given to C. Watson and his team for their meticulous work.

F. Lewis, representing the Bell Ringers, expressed concern about the presence of birds in the belfry and dust and masonry falling. C. McManus explained that there is one bird currently nesting in the belfry, gaining access via the scaffolding. The builders are confident that when the scaffolding is removed the bird will no longer be able to access the belfry.

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C. Watson advised that a further repair was being undertaken to the west window where previously some new mortar had been applied to old mortar, which is ineffective. M. Knill had noted that there is to be an inspection of the monuments in the Churchyard. P. Osborne confirmed the inspection did not include monuments in the Church. It is likely that many of the stones in the Churchyard will prove unstable and will be laid flat.

c) Fund RaisingThanks to H. McGregor and his team for the excellent amount raised.

d) HallsD. Bumpstead stressed the importance of the income from the Halls to the Church and asked that all present would promote the use of the Halls as much as possible. Thanks were expressed to all members of the Halls Committee for their commitment and hard work during the year.

e) Lunch ClubThanks were given to the team for their hard work. This is an important outreach activity. The majority using the service are not Church members and value the social aspect of the lunches, choosing to meet even when the Lunch Club takes an annual August break.

f) Mission and WorshipThanks were expressed to B. Patterson for her innovative work.

g) Social CommitteeS. Mills thanked the team for their hard work and support.

h) SPRATSM. McManus stressed the importance of the link with this group and the Church.

i) Sunday ClubThanks were given to the team for their hard work. The group includes children who attend but leave before attending Church to go to another activity so the group is larger in size than those who are seen in church.

j) Women’s GroupFinances are healthy, the numbers are increasing and praise was given for the varied programme and support of the team.

k) Treasurer’s LetterThanks to R. Page for his work as Treasurer, including the reduction of the costs of contracts for the phone and photocopier.

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6. Appointments:

Election of PCC membersThe PCC has one vacancy for an elected member and has received one nomination. Daniel Monaghan was proposed by K. McGregor and seconded by R. Page and was elected unanimously for a three year term.

a) SidesmenP. Osborne read out the list of sidesmen who have all agreed to continue to serve (with one addition added). Acceptance was proposed by P. Earp and seconded by C. Watson.

b) Independent ExaminerIt was proposed by J. Birnie and seconded by P. Osborne and unanimously agreed to again appoint Spurling Cannon as independent examiners for the financial year ending 31st December 2016.

7. Any Other Business

S. Mills raised the issue of a proposed new development in Northdown Road which will impact on the Church, its activities and possibly its land. The PCC are aware of the proposal and have referred the matter to Julian Hills the Diocesan Secretary for advice on how to proceed. The PCC will take this forward as and when necessary at future meetings. Any objections have to be made to the planning authorities by 4th May 2016. There is to be a public meeting at the Red Lion on 25th April to discuss the matter and all are encouraged to attend.

M. Smith asked for more Agendas and Reports for the meeting to be made available at the next meeting. J. Birnie noted that spare copies had been available at the entrance to the Hall.

K. McGregor requested help with selling raffle tickets for the Summer Fete.

The chair thanked everyone for attending and for their ongoing support.

The meeting ended at 12.30pm.

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PCC Secretary's Report

The membership of the Parochial Church Council (PCC) consists of the Vicar, as Chair, two Churchwardens and representatives elected from the Church congregation or co-opted as Ex Officio members. The role of the PCC is a significant one as it is charged with promoting the pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical mission of the church as well as the upkeep and maintenance of the church buildings, its goods and ornaments and its finances.

Since April 2016, the PCC has reduced in number owing to the resignation of three members, Sally Wood, Beth Patterson and Margaret McManus who are all warmly thanked for their service. The appointment of Jan Durrans as the new Vicar in Charge in August 2016 enabled her to Chair the PCC, for the remainder of the year, taking over from Jane Birnie, one of the Churchwardens, who had acted as Chair and whose service has been invaluable. The PCC, and in particular, the Churchwardens, had undertaken very considerable responsibility for maintaining the church's activities during the Interregnum.

The full PCC meets every two months, alternating with the Standing Committee which has a smaller membership drawn from the PCC. The PCC has met six times and the Standing Committee four times. Attendance at the PCC has averaged 86% annually.

The members of the PCC are members of the congregation and , in many instances, members of the sub-committees which are responsible for specific aspects of Church business. The PCC includes representatives from committees responsible for the Halls, Finance, Fabric, Goods and Ornaments, Mission and Worship, Social Activities, Bell ringing and Fundraising. The representatives to the Deanery Synod are also members of the PCC.

All members have produced annual reports which record their activities over the past twelve months, which have been discussed and sanctioned by the PCC. In the absence of a Priest in Charge until July, the Churchwardens with the PCC ensured that the church worship continued with support from retired Clergy and others. The Churchwardens, Pauline Osborne and Jane Birnie, have done an excellent job and have been unstinting in the time they have devoted to this task. Following her appointment, Jan Durrans, as the new Priest in Charge has continued this work, ably supported by her Churchwardens and the PCC.

The extensive repairs to the church tower were finalised and a service of celebration, attended by Bishop Trevor, was held in January. This was a joyful occasion, as the Bishop blessed the Tower, and was followed by refreshments in the Hall.

The very necessary refurbishment of the Halls has meant that fundraising has continued to be a significant area of responsibility. The Halls are a vital hub in the community, and also a major source of income for the church. Fundraising is thriving, although more volunteers are always required. In particular, thanks are due to all those who support the events and the excellent catering by Sylvia Mills and her team.

There is no doubt that the PCC has continued to be vital in maintaining the role of St Peter's in Thanet in good heart both before the appointment of new clergy and subsequently. Their service has been invaluable to all the congregation. We give thanks to God for the hard work of all the volunteers and look forward to the coming year working together on the new challenges.

Sue Brooks

PCC Secretary

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Report on Fabric, Goods and Ornaments

Restoration work on the church tower continued throughout the year and was eventually completed, including repair work on the bells, by December 2016 and a service at which the Bishop of Dover, the Rt. Honourable Trevor Willmott blessed this completed work was held on 15 th January 2017. Prior to this service, the bells were rung for the first time for more than a year and the bell ringers celebrated this by ringing a Quarter Peal before Evensong in the afternoon that day.

Re-plastering of the Lady Chapel has not yet been possible because the wall is still quite damp in patches but work will be undertaken to improve the outside drainage in accordance with advice from our church architects and this should help the wall to dry out and prevent the problem recurring in the future.

Three new downpipes and shoes were installed on the south side of the church and maintenance of the roof in various areas has been necessary. The re-plastering of the wall of St. John’s chapel has been completed and repair was found to be necessary and was undertaken to the reveal of the tower west window. We are very grateful to the Friends of St. Peter’s and St. Andrew’s who have contributed towards the ongoing costs of maintaining our beautiful but old church. The footpath which surrounds the tower foot is in a bad state of repair and will be improved as soon as the necessary permission is received.

A heating expert has been consulted about the church heating and a new thermostat, programmer and pump installed which has kept the church a bit warmer during the winter but the boiler is now coming to the end of its useful life and will need replacing within the foreseeable future.

The Incumbents’ board has been updated to include the name of our new Priest in Charge, The Rev’d Jan Durrans and two new notice boards erected outside the church detailing the times of services etc.

For the last few months, memorial stability testing has been taking place in the churchyard. To enable this work Thanet District Council undertook a great deal of clearing of the brambles, undergrowth etc and greatly improved the general appearance of the churchyard, which has not looked so good for years. Our church is on a 9 acre site and, despite the work done by the Friends of St. Peter’s churchyard and other working parties, this is very difficult to keep in the condition we would all wish because of its size. Clearing work is also being undertaken in the Garden of Rest to comply with churchyard regulations laid down by the Commissary General. This is a sensitive issue with relatives of the deceased because no plastic flowers or other memorabilia are allowed and they find the reason for this hard to understand. Fresh flowers only may be placed by the east wall of the Garden of Rest, where there is a trough along the length of it for this purpose.

In February the brick entrance pier on the right side of the gateway through the east wall of the churchyard was damaged by an unknown motor vehicle, necessitating its removal. We are awaiting advice from the Commissary General and the Diocese about this.

The Inventory of Goods and Ornaments owned and held within the church has been checked and updated.

Pauline Osborne Jane BirnieChurchwardens

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Deanery Synod Report

St. Peter’s Church is represented in the Thanet Deanery by two lay members, Kate McGregor and June Binfield. Our priest in charge, the Rev’d Janet Durrans joined us in August and was able to attend the October 2016 and February 2017 synods. The Deanery Synod meets several times a year. The deanery seeks to develop a long term plan for our mission and ministry across the deanery in collaboration with the diocese; manages aspects of the collection and distribution of money across the deanery; encourages partnership between and across parishes where appropriate to our overall mission; acts as a means of communication between the diocese and the parishes and offers forums of consultation on wider issues affecting the church.

Work has continued within the 4 groups of churches to address issues like shortages among the ordained clergy and the best use of financial and building resources. An example of an agreed change is the decision of St. Mark’s, Ramsgate to join the St. Laurence, Ramsgate Team Ministry and to have as their leader, Mrs. Sue Cox, Missioner. There is a need for change despite this being a difficult challenge for many. It was suggested that we should see ourselves as people within our Thanet Churches, supporting and helping each other, rather than as a collection of parishes. We need to journey towards renewal, mission and meeting the needs of our local communities.

The Dream Team is a Deanery Project which was launched in May 2016. It is led by Captain Peter Bone and Sister Lynn Bone of the Church Army. They are helping our churches to discover their dreams and support one another in strengthening our faith, developing our mission and responding to the needs of the Thanet Community. Godly play and Faith Pictures are both ways of strengthening and communicating faith. Work in Care Homes, drop in cafes and developments in local schools have helped the vulnerable and those who work with them as well as providing prayer spaces and support for children. A major effort has been the Thanet Winter Shelter which used church halls on a rota basis and was able to shelter 20 -25 homeless from November to the end of February. Beds, hot meals, washing facilities and suitable clothing were supplied, as well as making available some health and life style advice. St. Peter’s responded very generously by giving practical gifts every Sunday. Thanet Council, Porchlight and other Charities, the Police and the Salvation Army were all involved.

The October meeting spent much time on finance, explaining where the money we give is spent. St. Peter’s share has increased and we recognise that providing the share is a concern to ourselves and to the other churches in the Deanery. On a more positive note we had a talk on Stewardship – Giving for Life, with some examples of good practice.

At the most recent Synod, there was advice on using church buildings actively to benefit the local community, on being prepared to take risks to spread the faith and on thinking how to involve families in worship. The Dream team are continuing their project in 2017.

June Binfield. Kate McGregor.

Deanery Synod Representatives

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Bell Ringers report During 2016 we were only able to ring the bells for a short time, thankfully we could ring for the licensing of Jan our Priest in Charge on Saturday 6th August, we then continued to ring for Sunday services, practices, and weddings until the 10th September.

On 5th of September we held our annual meeting chaired by Jan, followed by an excellent buffet organized by Jane Green. The bells were then silent until January 14th 2017 to allow for the arched window reveal to be repaired. There was much joy in the belfry when the scaffolding came down in time for us ring for the service of celebration attended by the Bishop of Dover.

Since January we have rung for the 9-30 service each Sunday and practised every Monday. We have had many visitors and have hosted a District practice. We are pleased to have some learners keen to ring our bells. It now gives us great pleasure to call the people to worship, which is what the bells are meant to do.

Mary Bridges Belfry Captain.

Church Cleaning Report

Each week a dedicated team keep our lovely church spick and span. The church is divided into sections with each person or team responsible for a part. If one team is away. then the others will help out. A big thank you then to the following for keeping their part clean:

Elspeth Cook Vestries and Vestry passage

Charles & Manana Watson Centre Nave South Side

Marjorie Hirst-Cohen Centre Nave North Side

Sally Wood North aisle from belfry to St John's ChapelSanctuary and Flower Vestry

Christine Balding St John's Chapel & St James Chapel

Jeanne Kear Choir stalls and carpet

Hilary Kendrick All brasses

Edwina & Richard Baker Porch, South aisle and Lady Chapel

In addition to cleaning, other jobs are undertaken as required, for example; sticking down loose floor tiles, and changing light bulbs which can easily be reached. If anyone would like to join the team, please let us know. We are a happy band who usually spend an hour or so on a Friday morning, but cleaning can be done at any time to suit your own schedule.

Richard Baker

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Community Halls Committee Report

The Committee which oversees the Community Halls (name change agreed May 2016) for you comprises currently: - Don Bumpstead (Chair/Mins), Simon Perry (Admin), Richard Baker (Finance), Jean Hawkswood (Contents/cleanliness), Alan Smith (Rules/Regs.), Roger Waddell plus ex officio Pauline Osborne(CW), Jane Birnie(CW) and Rev’d Jan Durrans. We met 6 times over the last 12 months.May I again thank everyone involved in running the Community Halls and their various facilities for all their help, endeavours and support. We could do with another member of the committee. If anyone is interested in joining us, preferably with some property management skills, then I would be very keen to talk to you.

Hiring - I am very pleased to report that this last year has been even more successful than the previous one and we are reaping the rewards of better systems and Simon’s special rapport with the Hirers. We maintained our number of regular Hirers at 35. One off’s booked for this year so far at 59 are well up on last year’s 45. Voids in the first quarter of 2017 are now 25% (2016 30%) so it looks good for the future but they may be affected by the building work – see later.

Finance – Even though we kept our fees the same except for a few of those who were still paying less than they should our income rose 7k to 56k in 2016. Our expenditure stayed the same at 51k after spending 1k on new Portland chairs leaving us a surplus of 5k (2015 loss 2k). The expenditure includes items for the Church: - Gas 5k, Accountancy 0.5k, Arklow Cottage 1.5k, Parish Share 6.5k and an extra contribution of 3k Total 16.5k (2015 14k). The Hall’s designated funds (reserves & c/a) currently stand at 57k much of which will be needed as part of our contribution towards the building work.

Portland Flood – Sometime at the end of Aug a major leak to the water main outside Portland occurred causing the under-floor area to be flooded. This was discovered on 2nd Sept and for almost 2 days, until the leak was discovered and repaired, volunteers prevented the water from spreading to the Main Hall under the stage area. A sterling effort by all involved for which we are very appreciative. The damage/expenses claim has been met by our Insurers Ecclesiastical but as we have a 1k excess on the policy this has still to be obtained from Southern Water, who have admitted responsibility, together with our claim of £500 for compensation.

Modernisation – You may think not much has been happening over the last 12m but everything has been painfully slow. 3 quotes were eventually obtained from 3 builders recommended by our Architect. The lowest came in at 120k inc. Vat and a 10k contingency. A meeting has been arranged soon with the lowest contractor Tony Palmer of T.D.S.K. Construction Ltd to discuss among many things a start date. Funding will come from various sources e.g. Reserves, Fund Raising, Grants etc.

Grants – Richard has been diligently applying to Grant providers recommended by the Diocese for help towards the financial cost of the above. So far we have been unsuccessful with 3 applications including Rank & Trusthouse. Another 2 have been submitted to Bernard Sunley and Garfield Weston. They have been acknowledged but we are not likely to get a decision for several months. They have been contacted and the fact we may have started the work with our contributions (subject to PCC approval) will not prejudice their decision to help us. Applications are not easy and we should be grateful to Richard for all his hard work in this area.Finally, I am sorry the improvements to our Community Halls are taking so long to come to fruition but it has been a frustrating and time consuming process so far. However, we are almost there so you may see some activity later this year!!! Don Bumpstead Chairman

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Director of Music

We held another successful Choral Concert on Tuesday 22 March in the church. Our choir was joined by Dane Court Grammar School students, teachers and parents who also sung their own pieces of music. The head teacher conducted us all in a fine performance of Haydn’s Little Organ Mass with Bridget Tizzard, solo soprano and the Haysden String Quartet. This event raised more than £500 for the church’s fundraising campaign.

At the Summer Fayre on 2 July the choir provided strawberries and cream on the green and for the Winter Fayre on 19 November we did home-made biscuits to accompany the tea stall in the small hall.

We have had a number of joint services and evensongs with St. Andrews and Holy Trinity churches, including the licensing of our new incumbent on the 6 August.

We attended the RSCM Festival of Choirs on Saturday 8 October in Canterbury Cathedral, this year led by David Flood.

The choir closed the musical events of our fifth Christmas Tree Festival with a short performance of Christmas music on Saturday10 December. The church was full for our successful Nativity Worship Drama on Sunday 11 December. Youngsters and adults alike dressed up and paraded around the church accompanied by words and music. We plan to repeat this along with two previous Worship Dramas which Patrick has created in collaboration with Christine Denton.

Over the Christmas period the choir contributed to our own charity fundraising which this year was donated to a local homeless project. The usually busy time of Advent and Christmas was accompanied by very successful musical contributions by the choir at the Carol Service, Midnight Eucharist and Christmas Day.

Again, the church has been busy with many weddings and funerals for which we have provided music. New music acquired by the choir have included Vivaldi’s Gloria.

Our numbers have remained stable. We have lost some members and gained others. We gratefully appreciate the commitment and dedication of our choir members and the support everyone gives us in our effort to provide the best quality musical experience possible.

Patrick DunnDirector of Music, St. Peter-in-Thanet

Fabric Committee Report on Capital Expenditure for Twelve Months ending 23rd April 2017.

5/2016 Restoration of three downpipes and shoes on the south wall of the church. Lee Sutton (LMS) £2029.11.

9/2016 Repairs to ridge tiles, Kent peg tiles adjacent to west end flint wall and refilling cement fillet between tiles and wall. Mick Ward (Roofing Contractor) £290.00

Repairs to external chancel arch on both valley sides and both sides adjoining the gable end facing church street. £460.00

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9/2016 Completion of Tower Restoration Project. QQ 2013. Faculty 0458 carried out by PIERRA RESTORATION £247,000, including 2 ½% 'hold back'

8/2016 Provision of TWO new church noticeboards (Church St & Hopeville Ave) under faculty. Premier Signs £190.00 + VAT

11/2016 Re-plastering in St John's Chapel. Steve Milward (Plasterer) £1832.00 (including scaffolding).

11/2016 Engraving on incumbents honours board. Gordon Engraving (Canterbury) £72.00 incl VAT.

12/2016 Replacement of damaged Kent peg tiles on the north facing roof slope adjacent to the tower east face. Lee Sutton (LMS) £450.0012/2016 Repairs to the 'reveal' in the tower west window carried out under the archdeacon's licence for minor matters. NOT INCLUDED within the Tower Project and carried out under supervision by Clague Architects. PIERRA RESTORATION £6474.78 1/2017 Repairs to the anti-pigeon security net, necessary following suspected vandalism. W.McDonnell Coney Pest Control. £270.00.

1/2016 Additional double power point in the church hall foyer to facilitate use of the tv to show the Modus film of the Tower Project. Saunders Electrical Contractor. £77.05 incl of VAT.

WORKS IN-HAND BUT NOT COMMENCED AT THE TIME OF GOING TO PRESS: Minor-reordering in the Lady Chapel. Faculty applied for.

Repairs to ground gutter and walling. Faculty 0695 granted 3/2017. Approved Contractor P.A.Hollingsworth. Under supervision of Clague Architects.

Repairs to choir vestry roof by M.Ward (Roofing Contractor).

Repairs to footpath surrounding church tower. Preferred Contractor Datum G/works.

Charles Watson. Chairman

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Fundraising at St Peter’s

Background. The Fundraising (FR) committee was set up in late 2013, mainly to raise urgent funds to save the 15th Century Tower which needed urgent attention. However as both the interior of the Church required refurbishment (e.g. the heating) and the much-used three Community halls also needed to be updated, a combined appeal was formally launched to local businesses and dignitaries in April 2014. An all-purpose Appeal flier was produced and later updated to reflect the three stages of our Appeal:

Stage 1-Saving the Tower. Stage 2-St Peter’s Community Halls and the Garden of Rest. Stage3-The Church Interior

Fundraising Method. Because donors in the area are few and grants from charities are equally sparse, it was recognised that the only way to raise funds is to run a series of events. These were designed to attract the widest possible sectors of the local community, while at the same time offering our own congregation a good choice of affordable and enjoyable entertainment. Events (on average about one a month) have therefore taken place both in the Church and the Community Halls and have been attended by a large number of the local public and even holiday-makers. This has undoubtedly widened the Church’s outreach and appeal to all ages, as well as earning vitally needed funds.

Present Situation.

Stage 1: With the help of the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), local charitable funds and some donations Stage 1 was completed in 2016 and so FR priority was then given to

Stage 2: to refurbish the rather ‘tired’ Community Halls and extend the Garden of Rest to support the bereaved.

Funds. The balance in FR account, as at mid-March 2017, stood at £66,328 when the total raised, including a £10,000 grant for the bells, was £117,249, thus nearly £50,000 has already been dispersed. Costs are shown in the annual accounts as over £2,000. These relate almost exclusively to hall hire charges, which we insisted on paying and also a proportion of the Parish Support Assistant’s salary for the work he does to support FR. Future events are:

Wine & Wisdom. Friday 5th May 7pm with a Fish & Chip supper. Tickets £8.50 each or £60 for 8 tickets bought at once.

Concert in the Church with organ and clarinet. Saturday 24th June. St Peter’s Summer Fete and Flower Festival. Saturday 1st July 1030am-3pm. St Peter’s Summer Music Night. Saturday 15th July 7-11pm. Indoor Boot Fair. Saturday 30th September 9am-12pm. Indoor Boot Fair. Saturday 11th November. 9am-12pm. Wine & Wisdom Friday 1st December 7pm with a Fish & Chips supper. Tickets £8.50 each or £60 for

8 tickets all bought at once. Festive Fayre. Saturday 25th November 1030am-3pm. Christmas Music & disco Party. Saturday 16th December 7.11pm. The Summer Fete in 2018. Saturday 30th June (nearest date to St Peter’s Patronal day)

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To raise funds specifically for the Church and to be staged in the Church: -

On Saturday 21st October Verdi's Requiem by the Merry Opera Company, more details to follow soon.

On Friday 3rd and Saturday 4th November the combined members of the Broadstairs Dickens Players and the Hilderstone Players will perform ‘The Lark’, a play about Joan of Arc.

If the number of events is reduced, it should be recognised that the funds raised will reduce commensurately. Our committee, often helped by a hard core of volunteers from the congregation, has worked very hard and the results speak for themselves. I am indebted to them all.

Committee: Hamish McGregor (chairman), Don Bumpstead (Treasurer & Dep Chair), Jane Birnie (PCC Rep), Paddy Earp (PR), Margaret Smith, Roger Waddell and Kate McGregor (Sec).

Flower Arrangers

On Shrove Tuesday, we have a meeting to plan the rota for the year ahead. We have ten regular helpers, and one or two others who help at other times eg. Christmas / festivals where everyone helps, as there are more arrangements to do, otherwise we work in pairs, for two weeks at a time.

We organise our own flowers and foliage for these two weeks, we keep to a budget of about £15, often less. Some people do not claim money. Recently we have used a lot of silk flowers to keep the cost down. I purchase the oasis foam and tape, which cost about £40 a year.

Diana Taylor

Lunch Club Report

St. Peter's Lunch Club has had yet another very successful year. The numbers have kept up well and averaged 30+. Thanks to a first-class team of cooks and helpers, a hot home-cooked two-course meal was provided for a modest sum, each Monday during the year with the exception of Bank Holidays and a break during August and at Christmas.

On 4th April, our diners were given a free meal to celebrate Easter, and on 12th December they were treated to a traditional Christmas lunch with wine, crackers and a present. During the meal we were pleased to have musical entertainment provided by Robert, one of our regular diners, and this was enjoyed by everyone.

Our diners support a charity of their choice each year, making voluntary contributions weekly which are then presented to a representative. For many years now, their choice has been Kent Air Ambulance and on 25th July a cheque for the amazing sum of £740 was duly handed to our guest David, who was with us for lunch and explained to the club how this very generous donation would be spent. A certificate from Kent Air Ambulance is proudly displayed in the foyer.

Once more we give heartfelt thanks to all our volunteers - around 40 in total - for their wonderful work both in the kitchen and the hall. Without these ladies and gentlemen this club could not happen and we are very grateful. Thanks also to Jennie, Mary, Daniel and Christine for their special duties which are invaluable. Our club is open to anyone over 60 who lives in the Village or Parish of St. Peter's and can join us on a regular basis each Monday at 1p.m. You will be made very welcome.

Barbara Love. Doreen Wales

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The Monday Home GroupFrom a group at present of 9 people, on average about 7 of us have met for up to 2 hours on 31 Monday afternoons over the past year - we tend not to meet over holidays. We meet at the home of Elspeth & Michael Cooke in Dumpton Park Drive, forming thereby a ‘fellowship outpost’ at one of the extremities of the parish.

Our normal pattern is to spend about an hour reflecting on the Bible passages set for the previous day at St Peter’s main service – inevitably we find there’s far more to be savoured (or queried!) in the readings than is possible in a normal church service. Our reflections are sometimes accompanied by music. At the time of writing (March) we have just started instead a 5-session Lent study series based on “Receiving Christ”, a course produced by the York group with study booklets and some spoken input from a CD.

On all occasions we then take a welcome break for a short period of silence (maybe allowing God to get a different word in?), followed by tea and biscuits (or sometimes cake) – an occasion for catching up on news. We are a very diverse group in terms of tradition and involvement in church activities, and we are highly tolerant of each other’s different views (and Bible versions!) – and indeed at every meeting there will always have been more than one occasion for laughter. We are of course very open too for anyone else to join us – they (you?) would be most welcome! For more details do phone 863293.

Michael & Elspeth Cooke

Servers Report

Between us we do our best to be on duty at the 10.00 am Service on Wednesdays and at the 8.00 service on Sundays and with a full team at the 9.30 Service on Sunday; plus the various High Days and Special Services throughout the Church’s year.

We are a friendly gang and we cover for each other, when we are unable to be at a service. So it is only on very rare occasions that we are unable to field a full team at the 09.30 service. I am grateful to the various Choir Members, and to retired server, Jan Gee, who help out in times of need at this service. Also to Pauline Osborne, who compiles our monthly rota.

Because we are only a small team, we really would appreciate it if members of the congregation would consider stepping forward to become Servers. Full training will be given and the work is routine, rather than physical. Please have a word with any of us, if you feel called to help. Thank you.

Paddy Earp

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Social Committee

Since the last APCM the Social Committee has lost one member, Margaret McManus, who moved to Oxfordshire. The present committee consists of Mary Saffery, Jan Gee, Mary Jones, and Sylvia Mills.

The last year has been busy. In 2016 the committee members assisted the Fund-Raising Committee in providing afternoon tea on two occasions.

In March 2016, we assisted in making sandwiches and cakes for an afternoon of entertainment and tea, and at the end of September, we organised the Harvest Supper for 48 people, with post supper entertainment provided by Jan Gee, judging by the laughter it was a great success.

The next event was the Cabaret evening organised by the FRC. We were asked to provide the meal and catered for 80 people.

The Social Committee also assisted at the Christmas Tree Festival, providing mulled wine and mince pies on the Friday and Saturday evenings.

On the 15th January, we had the Tower Celebration, and after the service, wine and cakes were served in the hall. The social committee was responsible for providing the individual cakes.

Two soup lunches have been arranged. The first one in January was to raise money for Porchlight, sadly only 19 people attended, but the second one was for the Lent Lunch which was better attended with 40 attending the lecture and approx. 33 staying for the soup lunch.

Sylvia Mills

Sprats’ Annual Report

It’s been another successful year for SPRATS, welcoming yet more families into the St Peter’s Church community. Despite these families not attending church services, nor as many coming through to Sunday School as we would like, the SPRATS families still feel the sense of community, support and togetherness.

We continue to support parents, grandparents etc through difficult times and provide a valuable time for them to offload and share. As for the babies and toddlers, they benefit from the play facilities in their emotional and physical growth.

We have seen a lot of new faces this last year and as the toddlers leave for nursery, we keep our numbers high due to word of mouth and a Facebook page. It is always a pleasure to open during half-terms as it is then that old faces return and older siblings also come along, with activities set up on the stage for them.

Sadly, we had to say goodbye to Colin and Margaret McManus – Margaret always shared the load of emotional and practical support for parents. She had valuable knowledge and experience which she used to help young families and she’s greatly missed!

As for the running of the group, Joan and Val continue to run the busy kitchen with help from Mary Saffery, Caren Bumpstead and other ladies from the Church for which we are extremely grateful. Also, Daniel remains a strong part of our team – for which we are also appreciative - in setting up and putting away and he often stays in the foyer and opens the doors for the pushchairs! Robin Page also became part of our team, replacing Colin in overseeing our finances.

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Nothing much changes in the running of our sessions. We still provide teas and coffees and have introduced a wider variety of drinks – ie herbal teas and hot chocolate. Toast is still as popular as ever.

The singing sessions at the end are still most people’s favourite part (apart from Simon’s in the office!) and children enjoy traditional nursery rhymes. One parent has thanked us for helping her son with severe learning difficulties and global delay as, through the music sessions he has gained confidence and helped with his communication …… and THIS is why I do this job!!!

The Summer Fete was a success with SPRATS providing the outside activities – and I understand that these raised between £400 - £500. It was a lovely summer’s day and supported by a lot of the families.

Our Christmas Party was a record-breaking success. Over 100 Santa Gifts were wrapped and given out by our Santa (Paddy!) who did an amazing job.

We also enjoyed supporting ‘Operation Christmas Child’ - the SPRATS families were so generous with these we ran out of boxes! The Church office was used as a collection point and there was a lot of outside interest in supporting this cause. I know that this year St Mildred’s School would like to get involved. As a community, over 80 boxes were sent away and I was lucky enough to see them taken away and start their journey to the children who need them.

SPRATS also supports Oasis with donations of emergency children’s/baby supplies and second-hand clothes for mothers needing emergency help, often due to abuse.

We concluded the year with donating our surplus funds to the church and we thank everyone for their continued support.

Andrea Jones Administrator

Sunday Club

Sunday Club has welcomed a handful of new members and their parents this year but attendance has been highly sporadic largely due to the many other children's activities taking place on Sundays, more frequent Sunday working for parents and various other family issues. In fact, there have been several weeks with no children at all. Hopefully things will pick up now that spring has arrived.

In our sessions, we continue to mix Bible stories, prayer activities, poster-making and craft, with songs, games, drama and discussion, whenever the numbers and age of the children allows. When we come into church for the last part of the service, the children display the things they have made and on a good day, even talk about what has been going on.

In the summer, we had a picnic and games on the village green.

The children (with a certain amount of help!) made decorations for a Christmas tree at this year's festival. Their tree, entitled The North Pole, was decorated with Father Christmas, elves, reindeer, snowflakes, icicles and snowmen.

The Sunday Club joined the choir for the Sunday Praise Nativity Drama. Children, parents and helpers all dressed up, taking on the role of the shepherds. Some of the parents had speaking parts and then accompanied their children, who were clutching a selection of toy lambs, along to the manger.

Christine Denton

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Treasurer’s Report for the 2016 Financial Year

The management of the Church’s finances continues to be a challenging task with our financial wellbeing remaining in a fragile state. Our commitment to paying the Parish Share is the greatest cost of all – some £6,673 per month for 2017 – that’s £219.37 PER DAY and our weekly giving is nowhere near that.

As a result, the church itself continues to make a loss, this year totalling £17,276. Our salvation came, as it usually does, in significant contributions from the Halls, paying some £14,549 towards the Parish Share and Church Gas etc. I should also mention that The Friends of St Peter’s and St Andrew’s continue their support with payments in support of the maintenance of the church fabric. To both parties I extend our heartfelt thanks since without such generous assistance, the church itself would be incapable of carrying on.

As such, I urge everyone to give their wholehearted backing to all areas of the church’s activities – to Worship, Fundraising events, Social occasions and the Friends. Whilst our core congregation is mostly retired and of limited means I hope that parishioners will review their regular giving, albeit weekly or

monthly, and see if they are able to give that little bit extra to help us. As far as the church is concerned we must use it or lose it……

I must record my thanks to members of the Finance Committee for their support and wise counsel during the year. One major advance is that our balance sheet has been TOTALLY overhauled and I am immensely grateful to Mr Michael Studham of Spurling Cannon (our Accountants) who has, in his own time and at no cost to the church, written a bespoke accounts package for managing our finances. The result is quite staggering and this is evident in the balance sheet where ALL of the relevant figures can be found on the one final page where figures for the Church, Halls, Fundraising and Churchyard can be seen in one go. In that respect, there is no need to analyse the financial information on pages 8 – 15 since this is merely for statutory purposes and the entire contents are reflected on the last page which shows every aspect of our financial activity during the past year.I hope that you will find such information readily understandable but, if you should have any queries, do please contact me before the APCM so that I may have the opportunity of researching the necessary information.Reverting to our fragile finances, I show to the left our budget for the forthcoming year which, if we can achieve it will result in our having a surplus of £37! However, a huge amount of our projected income is designed to be centred round a ‘Gift Day’ to be held in the autumn. This, for us, is a new departure for fundraising for the church itself and will be VITAL for our 2017 cash flow. The Rev’d Jan will keep you posted and I hope that you will all be able to support this fully. In conclusion, I thank everyone for their support for St Peter’s – it is a most beautiful church with such a warm and friendly community and I feel privileged to act as your treasurer. I just pray that we can turn our finances round so that we will be able to approach our commitments with greater confidence. With every good wish, Robin Page TreasurerWednesday Afternoon Home Group

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St Peter's Church Budget for 2017

INCOME:

Service Collections 8,700.00 Envelopes 10,500.00 Donations 3,500.00 Standing order credits 42,000.00 Income Tax Refunds (Gift Aid) 13,440.00 Magazine 1,750.00 Weddings & Funerals 18,500.00 CDBF refunds 330.00 Interest/Dividends 25.00 Trading 250.00 Charitable fundraising 1,750.00 Gift Day 10,000.00 Grants - Friends etc 3,500.00 Ex Halls' a/c 20,573.00 Fundraising 3,000.00 Total Income for church 137,818.00 EXPENDITURE:Parish share 80,071.00 Repairs & Maintenance 4,500.00 Salaries and NI 21,840.00 Service Expenses 1,200.00 Utilities 6,750.00 Vicar's expenses 2,600.00 Magazine costs 875.00 Administration 4,500.00 Weddings/Funerals 7,450.00 Charitable giving 1,750.00 Insurance 3,995.00 Sundry expenses 2,250.00

Total expenditure137,781.

00 Surplus for 2017 37.00

The Group was led by Christine for the first half of the year, then by Ron until his recent illness, and now by John. The group has met regularly throughout the year at St Leu, Vicarage Street with an attendance of anything up to 10 but probably averaging 6 or 7. Meetings are from 2.30pm to about 4.30pm finishing with tea and biscuits.

We followed the York Course in Advent and then again in Lent. These are four or five sessions each supported by a prepared booklet and by an accompanying CD. Discussion at the end of each session has been open and free-flowing.

On other Wednesdays we will have a very open discussion which in principle follows the sermon and readings for the previous Sunday. In practice these discussions often spread widely around either world or parish events. It is quite surprising how far our discussions take us some times, but we all join in.

It is a very relaxed afternoon thanks especially to the hospitality so kindly provided by Barbara and Geoff Love. Oh yes, and Rev’d. Jan has joined us a couple of times which we greatly appreciate.

John Cox

Wednesday Evening Group Report

The membership of this group was very small and has remained at three throughout the year.

However, during the year, the group enjoyed the fellowship. The meetings were informal and with no fixed Agenda. Instead, many topics were discussed, ranging from politics, the Bible, religious dress and family matters. The discussions were self - led, in confidence and all opinions were voiced in the knowledge that they would be heard. We prayed for friends undergoing times of trial and for the work of the Church. We met weekly until January 2017, when, with the resignation of one member, the group was no longer viable.

Sue Brooks

Women’s Group Report The group is flourishing and attracting new members which promises well for the future. I organised an evaluation sheet in the Summer Term of 2016 to invite suggestions and requests from members to improve the schedules. The idea of more outings was popular and if we are to support a charity a local group was preferred. We have donated regularly to St Peter’s Church (the Tower Fund, buildings and, recently, towards Jill Hogben’s new book). We are currently supporting the Kent, Sussex and Surrey Air Ambulance. The summer programme for 2016 was varied, including visits to Quex Park and the Ramsgate Tunnels tour.We all thoroughly enjoyed Fashion through the Ages by Linda Warren. We dressed up to celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday and enjoyed a glass of bubbly. The committee was re-elected at the AGM.We are finding that speakers’ fees are becoming more expensive but have found that selling tickets and encouraging guests to join us has been fruitful and boosts our income. We run for the benefit of the members whilst maintaining a church ethos and a welcoming and friendly atmosphere. The Christmas celebration with refreshments and the delightful dancers from Page Mason made for a lovely evening.

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In the Spring Term, we welcomed George Ward who talked about the Rebirth of British Cheese and cheeses in Kent. We sampled four delicious varieties and the wine ensured everyone enjoyed themselves. We will welcome Steven Edney, Head Gardener from Sandwich’s Salutation Gardens, on 21 March and finish the year’s programme with a visit to Westgate Heritage Centre, followed by our annual meal, held this year at the local golf club. Feedback from the evaluation exercise has been very useful and I hope we may be able to include a church service as the usual Christmas Carol Service has not been possible in recent years and we do miss the opportunity to celebrate in our local church. Best wishes

Gill Lovelock

Worship and Mission Committee

The Worship and Mission Committee is a committee of the PCC of St. Peter’s Church. Membership over the year has included Beth Patterson, (until August 2016), June Binfield, (current Chair), the Revd. Michael Cooke, (until September 2016), Christine Denton, Patrick Dunn, The Rev’d Janet Durrans, (from September 2016), Janet Gee, Daniel Monaghan, (from February 2017), Pauline Osborne, John Parsons. We were delighted to welcome the Rev’d Jan to our parish and to this committee. Her spiritual and practical input is much appreciated. An important part of our meetings has been a prayerful approach.

On Pentecost Sunday, 2016, we had a packed church for a service which featured other St. Peter’s churches, such as the Baptist and Pentecostal churches and their contributions were combined with our Eucharist, so that several Christian perspectives and musical traditions were reflected in our worship. The church being so full enabled some wonderful congregational singing. A very joyful and moving celebration of a new ministry, saw us welcome our new priest, The Rev’d Janet Durrans, on the 6th of August, 2016. Among the Christmas Services, which were very well attended, the Nativity Worship Drama and Christingle were exciting occasions. The January 2017 service to celebrate the completion of the Tower Project led by The Rev’d Jan and the Bishop of Dover saw a packed church able to give thanks and celebrate together. The timing of our Services has become more consistent now that our 9.30 a.m. Eucharist and our all age service begin at 9.30 a.m., with the later service being renamed Sunday Praise. Liaison with and participation of the uniformed organisations has greatly improved. The Remembrance Service remains at its traditional time. The Rev’d Jan has revived the use of the font in Baptismal services, which has been very favourably received. During winter, our evening services have been moved to 4 p.m. Improved banners have helped raise awareness of certain of our services. We review feedback from our services and inform the PCC in our notes. Technology has been used effectively in a number of services, although this is an area where work remains to be done, as in the sound system.

We have introduced an illustrated card to leave in church at appropriate times to engage each person to feel the Lord’s love, to meditate and pray as well as to be assured of a blessing. Our suggestions for improved notice boards have borne fruit. We are still concerned to raise awareness of the theme of welcome to newcomers and regular worshippers among sides people and every member of our church family.

We have continued to welcome the views of the Sunday Club Leader and give her support. The participation in the Nativity Drama was good. It is not proving easy to increase numbers. Music has continued to be a very important part of our worship. We encourage the use of the church for recitals. We were able to get both St. Peter’s Junior

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School and Dane Court students to sing at our Christmas Tree Festival, which brings many into contact with our church. Our fundraising, Sprats, lunch club and community hall events also help link with the local community. Patrick Dunn has increased participation by others in playing music in our church.

We have been more active supporting mission this year. As a church, we support the food bank and help several charities such as Christian Aid over the year. A major effort was made to support the Thanet Winter Shelter, which has helped a number of homeless over the months of November, December, January and February. The congregation have been very generous in giving a great variety of practical gifts every Sunday through out these months. We also welcomed a speaker from Porchlight on Homeless Sunday and from the collection and the proceeds of a soup lunch were able to give a generous donation to the charity. Our Christingle service collection went to help the Children’s Society. We have also supported some of the events organised by the Deanery Dream Team Project led by Peter and Lynne Bones, Church Army Leaders, who are helping all the parishes in our deanery to reach out in mission and to offer each other support. We need to keep up our efforts to respond to the needs of the local community, the serious problems confronting our society and the needs of many abroad, including those persecuted for their Christian beliefs.

June Binfield

Chair

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