Annual Report and Accounts 2021
St Vincent’s Chapel, Stockbridge
St Vincent Street, Edinburgh EH3 6SW
Registered Scottish Charity SC023274
Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 September 2021
Charity Trustees:
- The Revd John Penman (Priest-in-charge)
- Vestry Members: Bridget Campbell
Christopher Hartley
James Holloway CBE (chairman)
Augusta Maclean
Andrew Mason
Hon. Barnaby Miln
Andrew Milner
Christina Paulson-Ellis
Ruth Stark MBE
Oliver Thomas
Angela Wilson
Independent examiner
- Miss Susan Jarvie
Bankers
- Royal Bank of Scotland 36 St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, EH2 2AD
Annual Report of the Vestry
The members of the Vestry present their annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 September 2021.
Status of Congregation
We are a congregation whose purposes are to worship God and serve our local community. We belong to the Diocese of Edinburgh in the Scottish Episcopal Church. We are subject to the Canons of that Church and to the resolutions of its General Synod.
We are registered as Scottish Charity SC 023274.
We are represented on the Diocesan Synod for the Diocese of Edinburgh by the Priest-in-charge the Revd John Penman and the Lay Representative Andrew Milner. We pay an annual quota to the Diocese.
The Hon Barnaby Miln is a lay member of the General Synod of the Scottish Episcopal Church, elected by the Forth Area Council of the Diocese of Edinburgh. Bridget Campbell is Convener of the Standing Committee of the Scottish Episcopal Church.
St Vincent’s is a member of Comely Bank and Stockbridge Churches Together and also the Forth Area Council of the Diocese of Edinburgh.
The building of St Vincent’s has since 1971 been owned by the Commandery of Lochore of the Order of St Lazarus. Throughout the period since 1971 the Episcopal Congregation has been maintained, and in 2014 was fully restored as a member congregation of the Diocese of Edinburgh
The church building has been gifted to the Vestry on behalf of St Vincent’s and title is in the process of being transferred.
The Rector, the Very Revd Canon Allan Maclean, retired in October 2020. The Revd David Paton-Williams took on the role of Interim Pastor until the Revd John Penman was installed as our Priest-in-charge in June 2021.
Andrew Milner served as interim Treasurer. Richard Inglis served as secretary until July 2021 when Bridget Campbell took on that role.
Pattern of worship
As at 30 September 2021 there were some 110 members of the congregation and a smaller number of communicant members.
The Rector and latterly Priest-in-charge was supported by assistant priests: The Revd Dr Michael Hull and Fr William Mounsey. The Revd Linda Harknett also provided support particularly in pastoral work.
The clergy were supported by Christopher Hartley, Sacristan, and Niccolo Alianò, Assistant Sacristan.
The two regular organists were Les Shankland, Director of Music and William Watt. Ruth Stark co-ordinated musical activities.
Christina Paulson-Ellis and the Hon. Barnaby Miln organised the rotas for those taking services, and Andrew Milner and Ruth Stark organised the rotas for “Helping Hands”. “Helping hands” from among our members welcomed the congregation, distributed and collected prayer and hymn books, assisted the Priest-in-charge during services, read lessons and prayers, tended the garden and outside spaces and prepared and served refreshments. Jenny Stewart and Christina Paulson-Ellis decorated our Church with flowers.
The normal pattern of worship is the 1929 Scottish Prayer Book Eucharist on Sunday at 10.30am. There is also Evensong at 6.00pm on Sundays, and the 1929 Eucharist on Thursdays at 11.00am.
The life of St Vincent’s was again curtailed during this year by the restrictions imposed on account of the Covid 19 virus. We were very grateful to all members of the clergy who led the continuation of our life together during the periods when our Church was closed.
The Church was open for Sunday morning services from October to December 2020 but closed again from January to March 2021. The Church reopened for Palm Sunday and then resumed regular services on Sunday morning. At first there was organ music but no congregational singing. Those attending had to remain 2 metres apart, and to wear face masks. Congregational singing with masks resumed from August. Thursday Eucharist and Evensong on Sunday restarted in August.
There was 1 wedding and 1 funeral.
The Hon. Barnaby Miln oversaw the Quinquennial Review of our building on which the report by Rosalind Taylor, architect, was received in October 2020.
In July we painted the wall behind the altar. In August we installed an electric organ, formally the property of our late organist, George Hay, and gifted by the Hon. Barnaby Miln. We acknowledged that better consultation and communication are needed about any future changes to our building.
Other activities
Despite restrictions in place for some of the year, we were able to hold some events in our building.
We marked the installation of the Revd John Penman on 8 June with an outdoor reception. We held a Harvest Supper on 26 September.
The Edinburgh Festival of the Sacred Arts at the Fringe was held in St Vincent’s with daily events from 15 to 21 August. Organised by the Edinburgh Sacred Arts Foundation under the direction of the Revd Professor Gordon Graham, the Festival was a programme of events including exhibitions, concerts, and talks and was opened and closed by special services. Several features of our church including the stained glass, vestments and architecture were highlighted.
From July, it was again possible for our building to be used and let out for community and musical events including teaching, recording, practice, musical performances and other events. New users included Brownies and Guides. Use of the building by external groups was supervised by the Hon. Barnaby Miln.
The magazine, edited by David McDowell and available online and in hard copy, had 6 editions.
The website (www.stvincentschapel.org.uk) is maintained by the Hon. Barnaby Miln and contains our calendar of forthcoming events, the current edition of our magazine, photographs and other information. It received an average of 43 hits per day and 24 of its 40 pages were updated or replaced. Revd John Penman used our FaceBook page as a further resource for communication.
For part of the year Augusta Maclean was artist in residence and used the undercroft as a studio. Dr Harry Whalley is composer in residence.
Oliver Thomas co-ordinated giving to 3 chosen charities: Bethany Christian Trust, Aberlour Child Care Trust, and Sparkes Home, Sri Lanka.
Financial affairs
St Vincent’s relies heavily on the generosity of its members and the associated Gift Aid reclaim for most of its funding. Significant amounts have been generated by use of the church (in previous years) and from donations. Since the appointment of the Reverend John Penman on 1 June we have been paying a quarter stipend to our incumbent priest. The Church building, whilst currently owned by a third party (the Commandery of Lochore), is now being transferred to the Vestry. The cash account of the expendable endowment (provided by the Commandery of Lochore) and income from the SEC Unit Trust Pool have been used to maintain the fabric of the church. In the year 2020/21 our total ‘unrestricted’ income was lower than the annual expenditure from those same ‘unrestricted’ funds.
In 2020/21 general congregational giving was above the 2019/20 figure. Overall Church receipts were also above the previous year’s amount (13.6%) excluding the expendable endowment. One year’s Gift Aid has been claimed. There was a decrease in income from public and private use of the Church for musical and other activities. This continues to be attributed to the Covid 19 epidemic.
Our unrestricted and undesignated reserves (bank account plus SEC unit trusts at market value) – that is, our basic financial safety net – are currently above the annual target equivalent to one year’s annual expenditure. No additional monies have been added to the future clergy fund. However, as most of the fund is held in SEC unit trusts, the current value of the SEC unit trusts indicates that this fund has increased by 86% since purchase in 2018 and 16% in the last year. The value of units may rise as well as fall. The Restricted Clergy Support fund has increased by 33%. This will start to decrease with regular stipendiary payments. With the impending transfer of the building to the vestry the longer term objective is to ensure the building is properly maintained and to build up the Future Clergy Fund so that the income deriving from it can support not only the cost of at least a part stipend for a future priest and a contribution towards their accommodation.
Constitution and Vestry
The Constitution was adopted in 2007 and last amended in 2018.
The Rector (now Priest-in-charge) is a member of the Vestry ex officio; the Treasurer and Secretary are honorary members ex officio; the Lay Representative and Alternate lay Representatives are officers of the Vestry; up to 10 other members may be elected by the Congregation. The Congregation are the communicants of at least sixteen years of age whose names are on the roll of communicants. The roll is maintained by the Priest-in-charge.
The members of the Vestry are all charity trustees for the Charge and are responsible for the management of the secular affairs of St Vincent’s, including compliance with the requirements of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005.
The Vestry met regularly and frequently during the year, mostly by Zoom.
The list of members appears at the beginning of this report.
The members of the Vestry are very grateful for all the assistance and support from members of the congregation during the year.
| ST VINCENT’S CHAPEL, STOCKBRIDGE | ||||||||
| STATEMENT OF RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30TH SEPTEMBER 2021 | ||||||||
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Expendable | Total | Total | ||||
| fund | fund | endowment | 2021 | 2020 | ||||
| Notes | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |||
| RECEIPTS | ||||||||
| Voluntary receipts | ||||||||
| Church offerings | 22,309 | 10,815 | 33,124 | 30,394 | ||||
| Donations and gifts | 2 | 1,933 | 1,933 | 223,815 | ||||
| Gift aid reclaim | 3,047 | 1,250 | 4,297 | 4,252 | ||||
| 27,289 | 12,065 | – | 39,354 | 258,461 | ||||
| Receipts from charitable activities | ||||||||
| Public use of church | 625 | – | – | 625 | 1,430 | |||
| Receipts from trading activities | – | |||||||
| Private use of church | 920 | – | – | 920 | 2,200 | |||
| Receipts from investments | – | |||||||
| Bank/unit trust income | 3 | 2,217 | – | 4,478 | 6,695 | 2,001 | ||
| Alan Maclean leaving fund | 1,000 | 1,000 | ||||||
| Total receipts | 31,051 | 13,065 | 4,478 | 48,594 | 264,092 | |||
| PAYMENTS | ||||||||
| Payments for charitable activities | ||||||||
| Church building | 4 | 21,048 | – | 9,786 | 30,834 | 9,483 | ||
| Clergy support | 5 | – | 4,753 | 4,753 | 5,548 | |||
| Church services | 6 | 5,514 | – | – | 5,514 | 6,531 | ||
| Other church expenses | 7 | 4,212 | – | – | 4,212 | 4,891 | ||
| Donations | 8 | 2,162 | – | – | 2,162 | 2,668 | ||
| 32,936 | 4,753 | 9,786 | 47,475 | 29,121 | ||||
| Legal fees endowment payment | – | 6,103 | ||||||
| Purchase SEC UTP units admin | – | – | – | 484 | ||||
| Purchase of fixed assets | – | – | – | – | – | |||
| Purchase SEC UPT units | – | – | – | 193,516 | ||||
| Total payments | 32,936 | 4,753 | 9,786 | 47,475 | 229,224 | |||
| Surplus (Deficit) for the year | – 1,885 | 8,312 | – 5,308 | 1,119 | 34,868 | |||
| ST VINCENT’S CHAPEL, STOCKBRIDGE | ||||||||
| STATEMENT OF BALANCES AS AT 30TH SEPTEMBER 2021 | ||||||||
| FUNDS RECONCILIATION | General | Designated | Restricted | Expendable | Total | Total | ||
| funds | fund | funds/ | Endowment | 2021 | 2020 | |||
| Future | Clergy | Fund | ||||||
| Clergy | Support | |||||||
| Fund | Fund | |||||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |||
| Balance at beginning of year | 11,737 | 649 | 25,114 | 20,065 | 57,566 | 22,698 | ||
| Surplus (Deficit) for the year | – 1,885 | 8,312 | – 5,308 | 1,119 | 34,868 | |||
| Transfer between funds | 579 | – 649 | 70 | – | – | – | ||
| Balance at end of year | 10,431 | 33,496 | 14,757 | 58,684 | 57,566 | |||
| BANK BALANCES | £ | £ | ||||||
| General Current Account | 43,927 | 37,500 | ||||||
| Endowment Current Account | 14,757 | 20,066 | ||||||
| 58,684 | 57,566 | |||||||
| INVESTMENTS | cost | market | market | |||||
| value | value | |||||||
| £ | £ | £ | ||||||
| SEC units | General Fund | 26,855 | 49,860 | 42,989 | ||||
| Designated Fund | 33,000 | 61,269 | 52,825 | |||||
| 59,855 | 111,129 | 95,814 | ||||||
| SEC UPT Units | Expendable Endowment Fund | 193,516 | 224,446 | 193,516 | ||||
| 253,371 | 335,575 | 289,330 | ||||||
| FIXED ASSETS | Unrestricted Funds | £ | £ | |||||
| Renovated kitchen and toilet facilities | 17,172 | 17,172 | ||||||
| Additions to and improvement of building | 13,114 | 13,114 | ||||||
| Vestment cupboards, inc £1000 gift in 2012/13 | 3,737 | 3,737 | ||||||
| Furnishings | (provision of additional external bench and disability ramp 2017) | 7,064 | 7,064 | |||||
| Domestic and other equipment | (fire ext+water heater 2017) | (fire ext+sprinkler 2018) | 2,347 | 2,347 | ||||
| Replacement stone crosses | 4,856 | 4,856 | ||||||
| Piano+frame Jul-19 | 6,414 | 6,414 | ||||||
| 54,704 | 54,704 | |||||||
| All items listed at cost. Items 1, 2, 3, & 6 have effectively become non-removable parts of the church building. | ||||||||
| £ | £ | |||||||
| Debtors | – | – | ||||||
| Liabilities | To A Maclean leaving fund | 1,000 | – | |||||
| – | – | |||||||
| The notes on the following pages form an integral part of these accounts | ||||||||
| Approved by the Vestry on 25 th November 2021 and signed on their behalf | ||||||||
| A G Milner | James Holloway | |||||||
| Locum Treasurer | Acting Chairman |
ST VINCENT’S CHAPEL, STOCKBRIDGE
NOTES TO THE 2021 ACCOUNTS
1. General information
Basis of preparation
The accounts have been prepared on a receipts and payments basis. They comprise a summary of all monies received and paid through the bank and in cash by the church during the financial year, together with a statement of balances. No adjustments have been made for any income due but not yet received, nor for any expenses incurred but not yet paid at the year end. Fixed assets are not capitalised, but a summary is included in the accounts.
Funds
Unrestricted funds are those that may be used at the discretion of the Vestry in furtherance of the church’s objectives. In pursuance of its Reserves Policy the Vestry aims to keep one year’s expenditure in general unrestricted funds, to guard against any decline in income, particularly that associated with changes in membership of the church. The uninvested sum has decreased in 2020/21. Although included in general funds, the Vestry has decided that any legacies received should be earmarked to ensure that they are retained for purposes which it believes are appropriate to the donor. The legacy fund currently stands at zero.
A designated Future Clergy Fund was created in the financial year 2015/16. The aim is to build it up to provide both support and housing for future clergy.
Restricted funds may only be used for specific purposes. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for specific purposes. During the year the church continued to receive offerings specifically intended for support of the clergy. As in the previous year these were credited to a restricted Clergy Support Fund, to which the relevant costs incurred during the year were charged.
Designated and restricted funds are shown separately in the Statement of Balances.
Church building
The church building is not owned by the Vestry, but by a completely separate independent trust over which neither the Vestry nor any of its members has currently any control. However the building is currently undergoing the conveyancing process to allow the Vestry to take ownership of it.
The expendable endowment fund established in 2020 following the transfer of funds from the Commandery of Lochore had a cash balance of £20,065 at the start of the financial year. At the end of the financial year this stood at £14757 following payments for architects’ fees and fabric maintenance and receipts from the SEC Unit Trust Pool.
Special collections
During the year, the church did not make special collections for charitable and other purposes other than the installation of the Priest. 2 sums were received. These were banked and paid out to the organisation for which it was collected. It is not included in the receipts and payments of the church, as the church was acting as an agent for a third party. Details of the special collection is given in Note 10.
Payments
No costs were incurred for fundraising, governance or in respect of trading activities.
2. Donations and gifts £ £
| 2021 | 2020 | |
| General donations | 1900 | 3601 |
| Books | 33 | 45 |
| 1933 | 3646 |
3. Receipts from investments
The Clergy Funds and a part of the church’s general funds have been held in a Scottish Episcopal Church unit trust since March 2017. Dividend intertest from the unit trust was received on 23.02.21 & 23.08.21.
4. Church building
| 2021 | 2020 | |
| Utilities | 3820 | 5451 |
| Cleaning | 1330 | 1935 |
| Repairs and refurbishment | 13197 | 1493 |
| Rent, insurance and rates | 2701 | 604 |
| 21048 | 9483 |
In addition £9786 was expended from the Commandery account on building repairs and architect’s fees.
5. Clergy costs
| 2021 | 2020 | |
| Honorarium AM | 750 | 3000 |
| JP stipend plus pension | 3123 | |
| Clergy, associate & locum clergy, | 880 | 2549 |
| 4753 | 5549 |
6. Church services
| 2021 | 2020 | |
| Organists and music | 4765 | 5776 |
| Flowers, service sheets, etc | 250 | 374 |
| Materials/worship related costs | 498 | 381 |
| 5514 | 6531 |
7. Other church expenses
| 2021 | 2020 | |
| Diocesan quota | 3034 | 3169 |
| Administration | 334 | 831 |
| Publicity | 287 | 380 |
| Entertaining | 0 | 0 |
| Magazines and publications | 169 | 174 |
| Music | 59 | 0 |
| Other | 329 | 337 |
| 4212 | 4891 |
8. Donations
| 2021 | 2020 | |
| WaterAid, Aberlour, Bethany Christian Trust, Sparkes Home | 1887 | 2668 |
| Sacred Arts Foundation | 0 | 0 |
| Special charitable appeals/collections | 275 | 0 |
| 2162 | 2668 |
9. Purchase of Assets
| 2021 | 2020 | |
10. Special collections
During the year the church made no special collections other than the collection taken at the installation of the Rev John Penman. This was forwarded to the Diocese of Edinburgh. This sum is not shown in these accounts but is listed below.
| 2021 | 2020 | |
| Bishop’s Lent Appeal | 0 | 0 |
| Bethany Christian Trust, Aberlour | 0 | 50 |
| Other Charities | 82 | 0 |
| 82 | 50 |
11. Remuneration, expenses and declarations interest of Vestry members
None of the Vestry members received remuneration in respect of their position as Vestry members. Payments totalling £830 were made to our former Chairman in his capacity as Priest in Charge until his retirement in October 2020. This consisted of an honorarium and remuneration for 2 church services taken. In addition he was paid £84.55 for expenses related to his work. Our new Priest in Charge became a member of the Vestry on his installation on 1st June 2021. He is being paid a one quarter stipend and corresponding pension contributions since then. Vestry member Augusta Maclean, as artist in residence, used the ‘undercroft’ during the year 2020/21 but has since vacated the space.
Independent Examiner’s Report to the Vestry of St Vincent’s Chapel, Stockbridge
Registered Charity number SC023274
I report on the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 30 September 2021 which are set out on pages ? to ?.
Respective responsibilities of Trustees and Examiner
The Vestry is responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the terms of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006. The Vestry considers that the audit requirement of Regulation 10(1)(d) of the 2006 Regulations does not apply. It is my responsibility to examine the accounts as required under section (44)(1)(c) of the Act and to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of Independent Examiner’s Statement
My examination is carried out in accordance with Regulation 11 of the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeks explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and, consequently, I do not express an audit opinion on the view given by the accounts.
Independent Examiner’s Statement
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:
1 which gives me reasonable cause to believe that, in any material respect, the requirements:
- to keep accounting records in accordance with section 44(1)(a) of the 2005 Act and Regulation 4 of the 2006 Regulations, and
- to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with Regulation 9 of the 2006 Regulations
have not been met, or
2 to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Susan C Jarvie
2 Ainslie Place
Edinburgh
EH3 6AR