THE FRIENDS OF ST JAMES THE GREAT, THORLEY
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 8th MARCH 2028
TREASURER'S REPORT - YEAR ENDING 31 DECEMBER 2023
The formal annual accounts for 2023 show how income was received and expenditure incurred in the year ended 31st December 2023, with comparative figures for 2022.
The Friends’ income in 2023 was as follows:
• £805.00 in membership subscriptions,
• £482.33 from ticket sales for the February Quiz Night and £190.00 from the associated raffle,
• £643.32 in interest for Quarters 1-3 on reserves held in the Church of England Deposit Fund (interest in respect of Quarter 4 was not received until January 2024 and will therefore be included in this year’s accounts),
• £898.30 from the sale of plants and £102.80 from donations for refreshments during the Plant Sale in May,
• £1,555.00 in donations for Sunday Afternoon Teas,
• £238.26 in the form of a tax refund from HMRC in respect of Gift Aided donations,
• £79.17 in respect of Gifts in Kind,
• £1,536.40 from the Autumn Craft Fair in November.The Friends’ total income in 2023 was £6,530.58.
Our expenditure in 2023 was as follows:
• Fund-raising costs of £964.10 consisting of:
o £650.00 to Matthews Plants for the Plant Sale,
o £314.10 to Matthews Plants for the Craft Fair.
• Other expenditure amounting to £988.76 consisting of:
o £568.70 for Churchyard Equipment service, repairs & fuel,
o £31.58 for AGM expenses,
o £268.48 for insurance,
o £120.00 for the purchase of new Tea Signs.The Friends’ total expenditure in 2023 was £1,952.86.
The Friends started 2023 with total reserves of £21,809.98, which by the end of the year had increased by £4,577.72 to £26,387.70. Of the latter, £2,387.30 was in the Friends’ current account with Barclays Bank and £24,000.40 with the Church of England Deposit Fund.
Looking forward, the Friends have made the following spending commitments:
• Up to £5,000 for the installation of permanent equipment to enable the flexible streaming of services in the Church, together with display screens for the presentation of video material,
• Up to £3,000 for new bell ropes,
• Up to £2,000 for lighting repairs,
• Up to £1,000 for repainting the stained-glass window in the tower windowThe Friends’ total spending commitment therefore amounted to £11.000.
Consideration of the installation of permanent Church streaming equipment is temporarily on hold pending a check that there will be adequate mobile data coverage following the relocation of the mast on the former site of the Bishop's Stortford High School in London Road.
Des Conridge
Hon. Treasurer
8 March 2024