The Parish of South Wonston St. Margaret’s Church

Annual Report of the Parochial Church Council for the year ending 31st December 2015

The Church of St. Margaret of Antioch is co-located with South Wonston Primary School in the centre of the village opposite the village shop on Downs Road, South Wonston, near Winchester. South Wonston is an ecclesiastical parish in the Lower Dever Benefice, in the Deanery, Archdeaconry and Diocese of Winchester. This report refers to the proceedings of the Parochial Church Council and the activities of St. Margaret’s Church during 2015. Correspondence and any matters relating to church affairs in South Wonston, including applications for baptisms, marriages, funerals, and requests for visits to the sick or bereaved, should be addressed to the Rector, the Revd. Mark Bailey, The Rectory, 6 Green Close, South Wonston,

Winchester, SO21 3EE. Tel: (01962) 886883.

Church Members in South Wonston remembered Valerie Wright with much fondness at a memorial service at St Margaret’s Church following her recent, and unexpected death. This flower arrangement depicts her support, one of which was providing

refreshments and cooking at fundraising events. cross on the tower.

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1. Administrative Information

Members who have served on the PCC from 1st January 2015 to date are: Rector The Revd Mark Bailey The Revd Karen Kousseff Associate Minister Co-opted Member The Revd Robert Clarkson Honorary Priest Churchwardens Mrs Mary Cleal Mr Alan Gower Deanery Synod Mr Alan Gower - from May 2011 Representatives Mrs Mary Cleal – from May 2011 to Sept 2014

Mrs Sheena Parrott – from Sept 2014 to July 2015 Mr Hugh Elmhirst-Booker – from July 2015 Elected Members Mr Steve Berry Mrs Pauline Eames Mrs Carol Fraser Mr Alan Gower Hon Treasurer from June 2012 Mr Roger Keys Maintenance / H&S Officer Mr Michael Parrott Gift Aid Secretary Mr Richard Reynolds Officers of the PCC Honorary Secretary Mrs Melinda Samms Electoral Roll Officer Mrs Melinda Samms Safeguarding Officer Mrs Julie Berry First Aider Mrs Sheena Parrott

Representatives of the PCC

Joint Church/School Management Committee Revd. Mark Bailey Mr Alan Gower (Treasurer – from 1 June 2013) Mrs Mary Cleal (PCC representative from April 2014) South Wonston School Board of Governors

Rev Karen Kousseff (until June 2014) South Wonston Village Hall Committee Mr Alan Gower (from 1st November ‘13) Mrs Carol Fraser (from 1st November ‘14)

2. Structure, Governance and Management

South Wonston PCC is a corporate body established by the Church of England. The PCC operates under the Parochial Church Council Powers Measure and is a charity exempted by order from registering with the Charity Commission.

The method of appointment of PCC members is as governed by, and set out in, the Church Representation Rules. All Church attendees are encouraged to register on the electoral roll and stand for election to the PCC.

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3. Objectives and Activities

South Wonston PCC shares with the incumbent, the Rev’d Mark Bailey, the responsibility for maintaining the worship centre of St Margaret’s Church in South Wonston. Rev’d Mark is also the Rector for All Saint’s Church, Barton Stacey and St Michael and All Angels Bullington. He is supported and assisted by Revd Karen Kousseff and Revd Bob Clarkson. St Margaret’s and its congregation aim to promote the whole mission of the Church, encompassing the pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical. We aim to strengthen our relationship with God for ourselves and others, to build God’s Kingdom through our faith, and use it as a base from which to reach out and engage with the wider community. The PCC is jointly responsible with South Wonston School for the upkeep of those areas of the complex shared with the School; the PCC acknowledges the contractual requirements of the lease agreement and the support of the Head Mistress Ms Jane Bundy and all members of staff of South Wonston Primary School.

4. Achievements and Performance

4.1 Church Attendance

The Electoral Roll was updated in April 2015. It is a requirement to update every six years but in order to reflect the loss and gain of parishioners it was agreed to review numbers and names. As of 10 th Feb 2015 there were 65 parishioners on the South Wonston Church Electoral Roll, 4 of whom are not resident within the parish boundary

The average weekly attendance, counted during October, was 27 adults and 2 children, but this number increased at festivals such as Easter, Harvest, Christmas and Baptism Services.

4.2 Review of the Year

The PCC met 6 times in 2015, with an average attendance of 75%.

Services Lower Dever Benefice: Statistics for 2015 (2014) in brackets)

Baptisms Weddings/Blessings Funerals Churches + Crematoria) St. Michael & All Angels 1 (2) 1(0) 1 (3) (Bullington) All Saints 7 (3) 2 (2) 9 (4) (Barton Stacey) St Margaret of Antioch 3 (9) 2 (1) 12 (8) (South Wonston)

4.3 Mission Overview

St. Margaret’s Church is a modern, open and inviting building with excellent facilities. This has been noted on many occasions by visitors, and especially visiting members from other churches, and has resulted in the church being hired out for ‘Church away days’, ‘Alpha Courses’ and other church events. It is also regularly hired out for local community and other fundraising activities. Visitors to the Church have often remarked that the atmosphere created by the friendly congregation coupled with the unusual curved seating arrangement gives a feel of the congregation embracing God’s word. We are also very lucky in St Margaret’s that we have chairs and not pews.

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In March 2015 the PCC recommended that we purchase a wheelchair to assist the very disabled entering the Church from the Car Park. So far there has not been a big demand but the additional facility was deemed to be a useful asset.

The flexibility of using chairs allows us to re-arrange the seating and use the Church for concerts, displays and other social events. The very active and supportive congregation has also proved to be a big bonus and are well known for welcoming visitors and for providing a “good spread” at social events.

The Lent and Advent courses in 2015 were well attended and also very successful. It was rewarding to see so many people taking such an active part and making such positive contributions.

The 2015 service format remains the same as 2014 with the first Sunday of the month being a Family Service of Holy Communion and on the same Sunday in the evening we have Evensong. However, 2016 is likely to see changes. One change will be embraced at the service of Evensong. At one particular “Evensong” service there we only three present (the Minister plus two members of the congregation). The Minister felt that a Sermon would be inappropriate, so we decided to replace this with an informal discussion based on an event/important issue which occurred during the preceding week. The informal format is proving popular.

The service on the second and fourth Sunday of the month is Holy Communion with a Lay Led praise service on the third Sunday of the month. A Benefice service is held on months with five Sundays. The PCC has regularly revisited the discussion on rescheduling the service start time to 9.45am or even 10.00am to try and cater for those who find it difficult to get to church by 9.30, but reluctantly this continues to prove not to be viable with other churches in the Benefice. This has been a disappointment but our congregation has proved to be very loyal throughout 2015 and no doubt will continue to be in 2016.

4.4 Mission and Charities

Finances at St Margaret’s Church continues to be very much uppermost in our minds, with maintenance issues still to be completed. This has meant that if we are not to renege on our Parish Share payment we have to keep our spending under a very tight rein. It does therefore become very much a balancing act on how we support those in need. Popular opinion is that we should continue to support the Charities agreed in 2014 which are listed below, but we do hope in 2016 to consider other needy causes. All will depend on whether we can continue to meet targets already requested of us.

Winchester Basics Bank Heritage Churches Hampshire & The Islands Historic Churches Trust Mothers Union “Away from it all” Family Holiday Children’s Society Christian Aid ABF The Soldiers’ Charity Royal British Legion

4.5 Involvement of Young People (Janet Ryan)

We continue to encourage young people to take an active part in our services where possible. This has taken the form of piano accompaniment for the hymns in the Praise services, and also as active lesson readers, but the teenagers’ involvement often has to be balanced against other demands on their time such as sports fixtures, and exam preparation. As reported last year, Susie Jarvis has taken the initiative in advertising the Sunday school at South Wonston School and the nursery. Several families expressed interest but the numbers who come regularly are rather limited. All the old Sunday school resources, such as the Searchlight books, have been retained, so these resources provided a good basis from which to start. We do have a dedicated group of volunteers/ helpers who are willing to share in the task of organising and running the Sunday school, and it is hoped that numbers will grow.

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4.6 Mother’s Union – Dever Group (Sheena Parrott)

Once again the year has been varied. The highlights of the year have been as follows: We held an open evening in May and invited Carrie Phips from The Mission Aviation Fellowship. It was extremely interesting and inspiring seeing pictures and hearing about the work they do to reach far flung communities. June saw the International Day held at Wolvesey Palace at the invitation of Bishop Tim. The weather was varied, but there was a good turn out and everyone enjoyed the day. The children from St Bedes School sang in the afternoon. In July we hosted the Diocesan Information Evening and had Rev Paul Moore as speaker. There was a good attendance and everyone enjoyed being in St Margaret's , some for the first time. Also in July we hosted a bring-and-share lunch for the Deanery to entertain visitors to the Diocese from Uganda. We had a short worship service and after lunch had the school children come and sing to us. They showed the visitors around the school and it was hoped that school and the Ugandans might be able to set up a link to encourage the children to learn about the country etc. I had hoped that someone would take over from me as branch contact / leader. Mary Cleal has kindly stepped into the breach. This again is partly due to family commitments on my part.

4.7 Social Report (Sheena Parrott)

Tea, Cake and Chat

The group has been very successful over the past two years and on the whole has been well attended and filled a need. However, due to Sheena's family circumstances, and after discussion with Rev Mark Bailey, it was decided to cancel the remaining months of the year. At present the cash that has been donated over the two years of the group is with Sheena Parrott and amounts to £8.00. All the posters are also with Sheena and an attendance notebook, which was started in April 2015. Everything is in place if there is a feeling amongst the congregation to re-start the group. I have enjoyed what I have been able to do and wish whoever takes up the challenge all the best.

4.8 The Friends of St. Margaret’s (FOSM) - Mary Cleal

For various reasons the FOSM Committee met only once during 2015 and were responsible for organising four off-Church Site events. 28th March - a successful Skittles Evening was held 13th June - the Friends manned a bookstall and a white elephant stall at the South Wonston Village Fete and also supported the Village by running one of their games. 9th October - annual Covert Sale 28th November - Village Hall Table Top Sale The festive/seasonal Church Lunches that are drawing in older people really owe their success to the catering skills of Karen Passingham who manages, often at short notice, to bring us altogether to test our culinary skills and produce 2 course meals that are openly enjoyed by the many that share the lunches. Although a very small Committee, the Friends are well supported by most listed on the Electoral Roll, as well as by supporters from within the village. We are always looking for volunteers to join the Committee but what would be most useful would be fresh ideas on fund-raising activities.

4.8 Church Fabric/Maintenance (Roger Keys)

The condition of the fabric, both structural and other, has continued to be monitored.

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Church Roof. The replacement of the roof has been completed by HCC and, so far, appears to be satisfactory. However, some dampness has been observed on the East wall of the North entrance and this is being investigated. Rooflights. The remedial work on the rooflights is to be put to contract in the coming year and to include repairing the broken actuator. Organ. A waterproof cover has been obtained for the organ which protected it when a particularly heavy storm caused a leak from the skylight immediately above. Since its installation there have been no further incidents of foreign objects being posted through the small gap above the roll-top cover. Microphones. The aerials for the lapel microphones have been replaced because of wear and tear to the original items. Tower and Footway Lights. These are now working as required except for the lights under the tower which are still not controlled by the dawn-to-dusk photocell. It has proved impossible to locate the point in the wiring which is at fault. Font Window. The sealing mastic round some of the panes has failed allowing water penetration. Remedial work will be carried out when the weather permits. Heating System It has been noticed that the fan heating system has become less effective. During church cleaning it was found that the filters were badly clogged with dust. The attempt to clean them was only partially effective. The filters will need replacing in the near future. Health and Safety Report (Roger Keys) Vigilance in this matter is maintained at all times. Fire Alarms. During a fire drill it was found that the alarm bells in the church could not be heard by a large proportion of the congregation, especially the organist, during the singing of a loud hymn. The sidesmen have been instructed to ensure that the organist is aware when the alarm bells are sounding.

5. Financial Report for the year ending 31st December 2015 (Alan Gower - Hon. Treasurer)

The financial details are supported with pie and bar charts at Annex A & B to this report Introduction The 2015 financial year for St Margaret’s has been very “challenging” with the loss of a number of our “regulars” to ill health and others who have sadly died. There is also a growing number who find it very difficult to cope with the walk to the church and find it much easier to stay at home. As they spend more time at home so they incur increased heating bills and also miss out on the social activities. Many still give regularly through Bank Standing Orders but their absence is a great concern. St Margaret’s has attracted new members and Sunday school has once again become active. The younger adult members of the congregation are very supportive but many now have children at University with the increased expenses that entails. The problems of the Church building are still an ongoing concern, but now without the support of Hampshire County Council. We now have water leaks in the skylights as a result of ageing seals and unexpected leaks in other areas. The external woodwork is also showing signs of wear and tear. The management of PCC finances has remained unchanged with Mr Alan Gower remaining as Treasurer ably assisted by Mrs Mary Cleal as Assistant Treasurer. Both Mary and Alan also cover the duties of Church Wardens. A rather sombre introduction but it does explain some of the reasons why our finances are not all that we had hoped for. There is a limit to how often the PCC can keep asking people for more money.

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Income As Treasurer, I set St Margaret’s a target of increasing our income to £36K. We reached £34,726 which compares favourably with the income raised in 2014. Christmas this year was at the latter end of the week so some of the takings deposited were not reflected in the 2015 December statement. If that had been possible then our 2015 income figure would have looked a bit better. Tax recovered under the Gift Aid scheme was up by over £800, but cash receipts were down by just under £400. Our Stewardship Campaign (held in October 2014), for some, fell on stony ground and was not a raging success; however, those who did give were very generous, and we wish to express our thanks. Our fundraising is proving to be quite successful, with the Beavers now having a regular weekday slot. Pilates, Book sales and Sunday lunches are proving to be very important contributors to our annual income. We do have a major advantage, which is the Church building and its support facilities, and these are very much our greatest asset. We have a comfortable, warm and very friendly church with toilets, kitchen and a car park. Unfortunately, unlike traditional churches, we are limited to weekend or evening use as the School has priority during normal working hours. In summary, total income for the financial year 2015 was £34,726 - down on 2014 by £246.00. Total giving Total giving for 2015 was £2K down on 2014. This was due to the loss of a number of generous givers. Gift Aid Gift Aid (tax recovered) was up by over £1,000 and early indications are that it will increase again in 2016. It is very important for givers to know how important Gift Aid is to the Church Finances. Fundraising This contributed approximately £3K towards the 2015 income of St Margaret’s, so it is very important that we take every opportunity to increase it. Our fundraising activities, whilst hard work, have had good support from church members and are very much appreciated by the PCC, so it is important that everyone has an enjoyable time whilst fundraising. Coffee & Flower money A lot of hard work goes into flower arranging and also providing coffee and biscuits on a Sunday morning. The money raised from this in 2015 was £424, a sum not to be ignored. The flower arrangements which Jane produces are quite beautiful and provide an essential splash of colour to our lovely church. To mark a special occasion it is not unusual for a church member to make a donation to Jane towards the cost of flowers. It is a wonderful way to remember a loved one, celebrate an anniversary or just to say thank you. Expenditure We need little reminding that running St Margaret’s is not cheap. We also need little reminding that the major expense (£17,582) is our Parish Share. What is not always appreciated is what the money we give pays for and why we should pay this cost. One could be very cynical and ask what we get out of this. Essentially, the money we give goes toward the cost of our local Minister; his pay, rent and pension etc. It also goes towards Clergy and Church members’ training, Diocesan and national costs as well as giving help to the less affluent/smaller churches. Our Annual Parish Share is unlikely to go down and experience tends to show that all costs/overheads rise and rarely drop. This situation I might add also applies to other costs such as Ground Rent, Service charge (covering heating, lighting and ground maintenance) and building repair/maintenance expenses. We must always take these into account and save towards them. Over the last two to three years we have seen the church building transformed. This has made us all very proud and I believe has also been partly responsible for the success of some of the fundraising activities. Luckily, an unexpected legacy received from Mrs Gladys Jackson, and help from Hampshire County Council covered most of the costs. I suggest this good fortune may not present itself again. In 2013 £50k was used to offset the repair costs of the Church. The balance of the legacy remains as a reserve and is invested in our CCLA account. The policy of the PCC is that this sum is restricted and can only be used for the good and benefit of the Church building.

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Balances at 31st December 2015 Current Account General Account - £8,662.84 Designated Account - £5,985.00 (Set aside towards Service Charge & Ground Rent) Main Liabilities for 2016 Service Charge - £7,463.83 Ground rent - £1,163.50 Parish Share - £19,341.00 (12 x monthly payments of £1,612) CCLA Account Current Balance - £40,139.84 Summary Expenditure in 2015 remained an important issue. Parish Share will continue to be an emotive issue and whilst I believe we should pay our fair share, we should also make sure that we are prepared to meet the unexpected financial challenges which may be lurking just round the corner. I suspect that 2016 will be no easier that 2015 but with the continued support and generosity of Church Members we should meet our challengers. Recommendations It has already been recommended that we have a stewardship campaign to both raise the awareness that we need to maintain a healthy balance in our general account at all times, and at the same time set aside money to cover future unavoidable expenses. This of course will mean raising money either through increased giving, fundraising or a combination of both. Finally as Treasurer I would like thank Mary for her continued advice and help, also Mrs Audrey Sawdon for continuing to act as Independent Examiner for the Accounts.

6. Winchester Deanery Synod Report 2015. (Synod Rep Mr Hugh Elmhirst-Booker)

Since being appointed as a member I have attended two meetings of the Deanery Synod in 2015. The first meeting was on 17th June at St Mary’s, Twyford where Bishop David commissioned Reverend Karen Kousseff as Assistant Area Dean. In answer to a question posed at a previous Synod about the amount of paperwork generated by the Diocese at a parish level, it was explained that much of it is statutory and therefore unavoidable. There is a national review of the Faculty Process which it is hoped will deliver a simpler solution. During the Deanery Finance Report Bishop David said that Winchester Diocese relies on 81% of expenditure being funded by the Parish Share as Winchester has few historic financial resources compared to other Dioceses. Bishop David talked for an hour about the differences between a Parish Priest and a Bishop, drawing on his time at Christchurch, Winchester and his first nine months as Bishop of Basingstoke. The second meeting was on 18th November at St Paul’s, Winchester starting with a farewell to Reverend Sue Foster upon her forthcoming retirement. The Deanery budget for 2016 was approved, together with a subscription of £90 per member.

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The final versions of the Parish Mission Action Plans for Parishes in the Deanery have been received and will form part of the summary of what is needed across the Diocese to resource these plans. The pMAPS are living documents and will change and evolve. The guest speaker was Mark Collinson, Canon Principal of the School of Mission who explained that the role of the School of Mission is to help churches grow disciples of all ages. Mark said that there are different types of ministry, most of which are not ordained and the School of Mission is keen to help people discern their vocations - both ordained and lay. Two new types of licensed lay ministry are being developed: Licensed lay worker (LLW) - involves formal training and is more bespoke for the individual and the ministry they undertake. Bishop’s Commission - people who have a missional focus on their role including helping people come to faith.

7. Church Wardens Summary – 2015 (Churchwardens - Mary Cleal and Alan Gower)

Having been elected to the post of Churchwardens at the Annual Church Meeting on 29 th March we attended the Archdeacon’s Visitation held in St Mary’s Parish Church, Andover on 19th May. We were fortunate in that the Rector was able to support us when we stood to make our declaration of office. The Archdeacon’s Visitation is an annual Service where churchwardens accept that they are the Bishop’s Officers and unlike members of the PCC, who are elected to represent the church-going congregation, they (churchwardens) represent all members of the parish. Apart from the Churchwardens duties we are both involved in general Church life i.e; Sidesmen, Sacristan, Chalice Bearer, Leading Intercessions, Lay Led Worship Team and the Coffee rota. It is worth pointing out that one, or both, of us serve on Fabric Committee, Joint Church/School Committee, Friends of St Margaret’s Committee and Deanery Synod. The year has seen the usual comings and goings of church life; during 2015 we have welcomed new faces and sadly said goodbye to old ones. The Quinquenniel Report has not thrown up any surprises but we must remember that the church is now responsible for all maintenance of the building both inside and out so a healthy Fabric Fund must be held in reserve. The Church Roof was repaired and a volunteer force scraped, sanded and painted the exterior door and window frames. As in the past, social events such as festive/seasonal lunches and book sales have been well supported and, essentially, made monies for Church Funds. We have also seen the Church family support the local under-12’s Swifts Football Teams by providing hot drinks on their match days; this also brings in a small income for church funds as does regular hiring of the Church to a Pilates Group and a Beavers Colony, mainly weekday evenings but we do also have some Saturday bookings. To conclude we would really like to thank all involved in whatever way, seen or unseen, for all the hard work, support and love that manifests itself in the visible evidence of St. Margaret’s in the Village.

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The Parish of South Wonston

St. Margaret’s Church

From The Rector “The term holiness comes from the old English word hālig, meaning healthy and whole. It evokes being

our best, most complete selves, as part of the wider life that is all creation.” The Very Revd James Atwell, Dean of Winchester Cathedral

‘Being our best, most complete selves’ involves our being in relationship with one another, such is the nature by which Creator God has made us. Psychologists have long shown that individuals and institutions struggle to flourish in isolation. Creativity and zest for life is sparked by a mutual engaging and it is this mutual engaging that has been a mark of the life of our Churches and Church Schools over this past year. A particular highlight saw the coming together of Barton Stacey and Micheldever Church of England Primary Schools in forming a new relationship as a Federation under Mrs. Clare Beswick as Executive Head teacher. A new pattern of co-operation and mutual co-existence, in which both staff and pupils committed themselves to a common life of learning together and from each other, has transformed the way of being part of a broader and more enriching school community. It has been a huge undertaking with both Schools now sharing one Governing Body. A very big thank you must be expressed to all who played a part in 2015 in enabling a brave new world to emerge from countless conversations, consultations and mountains of paper. Preparing our children for life in 21st century Britain, here in the Dever Valley, is as exciting an adventure as ever. In Barton Stacey, All Saints Church has continued to grow as a community hub. The Church is well established as home for a number of community groups to the extent that this year saw the introduction of an online diary. Maximising time and space has meant a closer eye needing to be kept on booking particular slots. This has not been without the occasional hiccup but on balance is a sure sign that the Church is fulfilling its role as part of the ‘wider life that is all creation.’ If you want to check space availability at any of our three Churches then you can do so at www.achurchnearyou.com, simply key in the name of the village and go to Calendar of Events. We are doing our best to keep the calendar up-to-date! You can also find out more about church life by visiting our Facebook sites. It is further hoped that 2016 will see the redevelopment of the South Wonston Church Website, giving information about all the three Churches. Repair and conservation works were effected this year to the south and east churchyard walls at Barton Stacey. This is a major project, which will be extended to the north wall in 2016. All of this work has only been made possible as a result of ‘sterling’ fundraising efforts by the Barton Stacey Fete Committee, ably lead by Ian Ashbolt with a very supportive team of individuals who give countless hours of time and huge amounts of energy. We look forward to celebrating the 775th anniversary of the Fete later this year. Bullington and South Wonston’s fundraising efforts have equally helped to keep our Churches on the map, not just hard work but also lots of fun. Bullington Craft Fete continues to grow, as do opportunities for ‘entrepreneurial thinking’ at St. Margaret’s. Pressures from the Diocese to keep the financial cogs turning at grassroots have focused minds on the actual cost of a full-time stipendiary post - £60,000. This year each Church met its ‘Parish Share Target’ though future ‘Stretching Targets’ will mean added grist needed for the mill. This past year in South Wonston saw the Church receive a new roof, paid for by Hampshire County Council. HCC have contributed significantly in recent years to the refurbishment of St. Margaret’s Church; however, the completion of the roof project, will now mean a new emphasis on the PCC taking financial responsibility for ongoing maintenance of the site. New life that is ‘healthy and whole’ has also emerged in this past year at St. Margaret’s with the re-establishment of a Sunday School. Thank you to Susie Jarvis in being so willing to enable and encourage this work. A particular thank you must be expressed to three individuals who have contributed much to our common life and whose ‘tenure of office’ has now drawn to a close. Firstly, to Mike Parrott who has been a stalwart Gift Aid Secretary and PCC Member at South Wonston over many years. Secondly, to Peter

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Baird who has efficiently managed and produced the monthly Reading Rota and kept us all in order and thirdly, but by no means least, to Mo Hearn who is relinquishing sacristan duties at All Saints though happily for everyone, will continue to source vestry consumables. Holiness, the kind of life that God calls us to, is marked by relationships that help us to see beyond ourselves. We can only ‘be our best, complete selves’ when recognising that we all share and are part of God’s creation. It is this life that all the activity of our churches and schools have witnessed in this past year. God Bless, Mark

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Church Annual Reports for 2015 Revd. Karen Kousseff

Christian Education Lent Course 2015 This year we again followed the Lent course provided by the Diocese of Winchester, this time exploring the Rule of St Benedict, as a means of enriching our personal discipleship. The aim was to help us be more intentional and focussed on living as committed followers of Jesus, and thinking about what that means for our community. Pilgrim Course, Autumn 2015 After enjoying the 'Turning to Christ' course so much in 2014, we were keen to do another in the Pilgrim series and were not disappointed. 'The Eucharist' course taught us about the hospitality of God and helped us reflect on the sharing of bread and wine which is at the heart of our Christian life and worship. Holy Week and Advent Meditations A time to be still and listen to a combination of Scripture, music and prayer, these meditative evenings are offered as a way to help prepare spiritually for Easter and Christmas respectively. This year for Lent we sat 'Around the Table' with Gospel accounts of meals people shared with Jesus, and for Advent we revisited the 'O Antiphons' that traditionally herald the coming of Christ. Looking ahead

A small group is a great place to talk through matters of faith in an informal setting among friends. The courses tend to be held at St. Margaret's Church, South Wonston for reasons of space, warmth and comfort, but they are open to anyone from across the Benefice. They run over 5 or 6 sessions while the Meditations are single events. We have an established pattern now so you know it's a finite commitment - why not join us in 2016? Revd Karen Kousseff

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Annex A to St Margaret’s Finance Report

Dated 1st February 2016

ST MARGARET’S CHURCH – INCOME (2015) Total Giving

Year 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Total Giving £18,420 £18,197 £20,204 £19,390 £21,861 £19,790

Total Income £26,360 £86,321 * £27,285 £28,109** £34,972** £34,726.00

* Large increase partly due to Mrs Gladys Jackson legacy of £60,538.64 ** 2013 was the last year when Sth Wonston benefitted from the money raised at the Wonston Fete. However in 2014 St Margaret’s Church increased its income considerably through the generosity and hard work of its church member. 2015 has remained fairly flat mainly because of the loss of some long standing members of the congregation. Whilst the church has attracted new members many are younger with large expenses.

Income – over last 3 Years

This chart has been enclosed to indicate that whilst Gift Aided Giving and cash collections have increased Non Gift Aid collections have dropped. Many of our Church members are elderly and on small incomes which do not attract gift aid. We also know that personal giving is reaching its limit hence the greater emphasis on fundraising.

Income Pattern - 2015

INCOME 2015 Gift Aided Giving £16,993.00

Non Gift Aided Giving

£606.02

Cash collections £2,191.56

Other giving £0.00 Total Giving -2015 £19,790.58

Tax Recovered £5,625.01

Other Income £4,941.36

Contra Income £2,097.22 Total Income - 2015 £34,726.00

£16,993 (56%)

£2,192 (7%)

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Annex B to St Margaret’s Finance Report Dated 1st February 2016

ST MARGARETS CHURCH – EXPENDITURE (2015)

Expenditure over the last 5 years

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Parish Share £0.00 £15,390 £15,696 £15,984 £17,582 Clergy Expenses & Fees £1,693 £1,607 £2,862 £2,868.8 £2,651 Charitable Giving £160 £393 £683 £916.57 £826.00 Running Costs £7,882 £8,631 £12,122 £13,327.98 £12,298 Total Expenditure £9,735 £26,021 £31,363 £33,097.35 £33,357

Main Expenditure - 2015

Running Costs

Coffee Money £28.99

Admin £761.40

Services £629.05

Service Charge £7,463.83

Ground Rent £1,163.50

Sundry Expenses £38.97

Mem Book £0.00

Insurance £1369.02

Repairs & Maintenances £0.00

Misc Exp/Church Equipment £0.00

Joint Mngt Cttee £250.00

Total £12,298

Expenditure – Less Capital Expenditure

Parish Share £17,582 (53%)

Clergy Expenses & Fees £2,651 (8%)

Charitable Giving £826 (2%)

Running Costs £12,298 (37%)

Total £33,357

Expenditure Pattern - 2015