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Electoral Role (Electoral Role Officer: Gordon Allan): All regular attendees of the church are encouraged to become formal members by joining the Electoral Role. This enables you to express an opinion about the running and management of St Mary's Church and vote at the Annual General Meeting, usually held in April each year. Last year's role stood at 52 - during the year no-one left and one new person joined, which means that in 2009 the role stood at 53. (Return to top)

The PCC has four sub-groups made up mainly from PCC members. They are: Standing Committee, Finance & Fabric Group, Links Group and Care Group. Some groups have co-opted non-PCC members. There is also a Benefice-wide sub-group for all nine churches called the 'Ministry Focus Group'. (Return to top)

The PCC met five times during the year and the sub-groups met as often as they deemed necessary between PCC meetings to focus on their specialist topics, except the Standing Committee which continued to meet approximately monthly to manage the ‘Improvement Projects’. All the sub-groups investigate and debate their topics in depth and bring the results to the PCC to inform the meetings and to obtain approval for any actions they propose. (Return to top)

The Accounts: have three identifiable parts, (i) ‘General Funds’ - unrestricted money that can be used for any PCC purpose (eg: routine maintenance, payment of 'Parish Share', electric bill, etc); (ii) 'Designated Funds' - unrestricted money that the PCC has earmarked for a specific purpose but which it can 'unrestrict' at any time (eg: set aside for our 'Improvement Projects'), (iii) 'Restricted Funds’ - money which can only be used for the purpose for which it was given (eg: the 'Loo Fund' for the new toilet). (Return to top)

Total income including charitable alms was £33,023. Total payments including donations to charities was £41,170 giving a loss on the year of £8,147 which was partly funded by drawing £6,500 from reserves. The loss was largely due to payments for necessary repairs, planned 'Improvements' including replacing light fittings in parts of the church, and costs associated with preparation for the new toilet (Architect's plan/churchyard survey, planning permission fee, etc) which had to be paid in advance of our planned Fund-raising Campaign for the new toilet. Full details of all income and payments are given in our published ‘Notes to the Accounts’ but the main features are: (Return to top)

Planned Giving: This includes weekly and monthly 'giving' schemes through envelopes or direct debit (£9,610), collections during the Services (£2,919) and charitable alms (£4,938).

Fundraising: (£5,272) There were several noteworthy events during the year including the Daffodil Teas, the Lent Lunches, a social evening reporting on Bob and Chris May's trip to New Zealand and Pategonia, Bob and Chris May's cycle ride "To Looe for a Loo", and concerts by the St Andrew's Madrigal Society, the Tarantara Choir (Shared with Kempley Church), Gloucester Christian Choir and '10 x 10' Dinner. (Return to top)

Donations to Charities: (£3,439) These were made to our two specially selected charities: The Tom Roberts Adventure Centre (TRAC) and Shevet Achim UK, plus our regular charities: Ann Cam School (Community Concert), Cancer Research (Funeral Service), the Bishop’s Episcopal Services Appeal (Licensing Service for Rev'd Michael Bennett), Combat Stress (Remembrance Day Service), the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal (wreath for war memorial) and Help for Heroes ('Carols in the Pub' and Christmas Day Service). (Return to top)

The Statement of Assets and Liabilities: shows net assets of £34,702, a fall of £6,217 during the year. Our assets can be expected to fall further during 2010 as the 'Special Projects Fund' is expended on the improvements projects to create a building suitable for the 21st century (eg: vestry refurbishment to provide much needed storage/ floor repair in nave altar area, etc) and costs associated with the new toilet until the fund-raising campaign takes effect. Generally we aim not to let the fund fall below £30,000 but it may do so in the short to medium term. (Return to top)

The overall financial position is seen as generally sound, but fivefold risks remain:
1. Income variations in unpredictable items such as fees for weddings and funerals and changes to parishioner’s circumstances affecting their level of giving.
2. Income from investments and savings including, the equity (shares) market and interest rates.
3. Cost of unforeseen structural problems in the church building needing repair.
4. Cost increase in our Parish Share contribution required by the diocese.
5. Cost increase in electricity and insurance. (Return to top)

Maintenance - Churchyard: Maintenance and use of the mowers cost £630. Our 'sit-on' mower is over 20 years old and it's now difficult to obtain spare parts. We were offered and accepted a 'nearly-new' sit-on mower for 2010. The railings to the adjacent field were damaged by cows and had to be repaired, ivy was removed from several gravestones which has increased the numbers leaning and so unsafe and which may need to be layed on the ground, and several trees were pruned following a safety review. (Return to top)

i) Improvement Projects:
Church
Light fittings: in the chancel and the north and south transepts have been replaced with modern 'discharge' lights which are more efficient and brighter. It's now possible to see the face of the priest when they are standing at the top altar and the performers at our concerts in the nave altar area. Most of the cost was covered by donations, for which we give thanks. (Return to top)

The wooden plinth under the ministers' seats: had rotted in places, causing holes covered only by the carpet. The wooden plinth was removed under the authority of an Archdeacon's License, with the proviso that we replace the floor with stone flags to match the rest of the floor in that area. We commissioned an architect's plan for that work and are currently seeking quotations to undertake the repair. (Return to top)

The old vestry: behind the organ has been out of use for some time because of damp walls caused by a blocked gutter on the roof above. This has now been fixed and the vestry is being refurbished to bring it back into use as a store and office, which will allow us to tidy-away much of the 'stuff' lying around the church and to count the collection properly before the treasurer takes it to the bank. (Return to top)

Provision of a toilet: We instructed our architect to draw up plans and consulted with the necessary Council authorities before appointing VCA Design Services to act on our behalf (they obtained planning permission for a toilet at Redmarley Church). They submitted our application for planning permission in November, and as a result we had to commission an archeological pre-survey in December. When we have the results, we will have to seek a 'Faculty' from the diocese which will include a period for people to comment on the proposal. We hope to seek estimates from builders early in 2010 so we can set the budget and begin serious fund-raising, which may include "Sponsor a Brick". (Return to top)

Churchyard
As a result of a safety survey we had to commission tree surgery (£2,934) and re-lay the concrete base of the Lychgate, which was broken and uneven (£560). The planned rehanging of the entrance gates from the Parish Hall car park and their repainting has been delayed but we hope this will happen in the spring of 2010. A general 'tidy-up' was done by volunteers from a school for those with learning difficulties in Ross-on-Wye. We thanked them by buying them lunch in the pub at Christmas. (Return to top)

We also produced three leaflets (i) to be put on each pew in the church telling parishioners and visitors what goes on in our parish and who to contact if they have a need, (ii) for every magazine distributor to give to people on their round if they detect there might be a need or someone is newly moved in, (iii) useful contact numbers and information including doctor's, school, police, etc. (Return to top)

This year the charities chosen by the PCC from the 'Links' list were:
National: Tom Roberts Adventure Centre (TRAC), based near Newent, Gloucestershire. Tom was keen on youth work and, following his death, the bequest of his 22 acre farm is being converted into a Christian adventure centre for young people including an assault course, climbing wall, gym, football pitch, woodland adventure area, dormitory, dining room and kitchen, meeting hall, etc.
International: Shevet Achim UK Israeli doctors who provide free operations to Arab babies in Palestine who have life-threatening heart defects, as well as providing support to their families. (Return to top)

Next year the PCC has chosen - National: 'Help for Heroes' and International: 'Water Aid'.

Items discussed this year included: A shortfall in the Clergy Pensions' fund and possible measures to correct it, the diocesan budget forecast of another year of deficit, 'Fresh Expressions' of church to attract non-churchgoers, adapting church buildings for the 21st century, creation of international diocesan links with 3 other diocese of different views on women bishops and homosexuality etc to foster positive Anglican discussion. Our Deanery put a motion regretting that national and international church issues are no longer referred down to deaneries and parishes for their views - Bishop Michael undertook to address this when the Diocesan Synod agenda is set, so at his request we withdrew the motion. (Return to top)

Other business: We had a presentation form the Diocesan Officer for the Deaf on providing appropriate assistance for disabled people, and a scheme in Newent to help homeless and drug addicts. (Return to top)