FINANCIAL UPDATE

I am pleased to report that general Church funds have received a much needed boost over the past few weeks due to some very successful fund raising efforts. These events continue to form a substantial part of our annual income and need to be ongoing. The Auction of Promises on November 25th raised £903 and the Bazaar £1,729. The 100 Club donated £1,000 to the Church and £192 was received from the Wednesday coffee morning funds. The Badminton group gave £31, holly sales raised £84.50 and interest and dividends from investments realised £761.

A cheque for £19.60 has just been received from the Historic Churches Trust bike ride back in September and Norman's Apostolic Alb Adventure - a sponsored bike ride to raise money for new albs for our servers - raised £225 and as £167 of this was gift aided a further £46.76 can be reclaimed as tax. The porch bookstall safe yielded £77 and votive candle sales reached £81. Thanks are due to Tom Churchill for meeting the cost of the postal rack.

The collection at Midnight Mass was £122.45 and on Christmas Day £77.70. £50 from the Wednesday morning coffee monies was added to both November and December's retiring collections and cheques totalling £168.72 went to the Church of England Pensions Board and £316.70 to the Childrens Society.

We were able to pay our quota of £36,657 in full for the year 2000 by again dipping into reserves but as we continue to run on a deficit budget the PCC anticipate being unable to meet the £38,890 asked of us for 2001.

Dealing with the gas leak and boiler problems after the Bazaar cost £109 and the regular organ tune £90. The Leprosy Mission boxes for the second half of the year totalled £38.20. The cost of running the photocopier for its first 3 months was £132 and for 2001 the Link Magazine costs £96 and our Lottery Licence £17.50. You will all have noticed the new aluminium ramp for wheelchairs, prams etc at the church door and this cost £375.

As usual I received appreciative thank you letters from the Mission to Seafarers, the Samaritans and the Rowans Hospice. All these financial items are now displayed on the noticeboard in the church porch - please remember to look there as you go by.

Linda Wainwright, Hon. Treasurer, PCC