THE FRIENDS OF ST JAMES THE GREAT, THORLEY
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 7th MARCH 2025
TREASURER'S REPORT - YEAR ENDING 31 DECEMBER 2024
The formal annual accounts for 2024 show how income was received and expenditure incurred in the year ended 31st December 2024, with comparative figures for 2023.
The Friends’ income in 2024 was as follows:
• £775.00 in membership subscriptions,
• £808.55 from ticket sales for the March Quiz Night and £220.00 from the associated raffle,
• £100.00 in donations,
• £1,211.03 in interest on reserves held in the Church of England Deposit Fund,
• £840.00 from the sale of plants and £100.00 from donations for refreshments during the Plant Sale in May,
• £1,577.00 in donations for Sunday Afternoon Teas,
• £581.85 in the form of a tax refund from HMRC in respect of Gift Aided donations and other cash donations individually no greater than £30,
• £1,717.24 from the Autumn Craft Fair in November,
• £115.49 in Gifts in Kind and
• a Bequest of £5,048.09.The Friends’ total income in 2024 was £13,094.25.
Our expenditure in 2024 was as follows:
• Fund-raising costs of £1,071.74 consisting of
o £615.00 to Matthews Plants for the Plant Sale,
o £422.50 to Matthews Plants for the Caft Fair and
o £34.24 for refreshments for the Craft Fair.
• Other expenditure amounting to £3,088.05 consisting of:
o £558.98 for the service & repair of Churchyard Equipment,
o £115.49 for Mower fuel,
o £275.00 for the purchase of a new Strimmer,
o £566.00 for repairs to the Church Lighting,
o £33.64 for AGM expenses,
o £1,000.00 for the purchase of new Bell Ropes,
o £295.94 for insurance and
o £240.00 for the Bell Tower Specification work undertaken by Jeremy Lander.The Friends’ total expenditure in 2024 was £4,159.79.
The Friends started 2024 with total reserves of £26,387.70, which by the end of the year had increased by £8,934.46 to £35,322.16. Of the latter, £2,500.00 was in the Friends’ current account with Barclays Bank on 31 December 2024 and £32,822.16 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,
• £7,237 for work in the Bell Tower by Lodge & Sons Ltd,
• Up to £3,500 for work on trees in the Churchyard and
• Up to £15,000 as a contribution towards the enlargement of the Churchyard.The Friends’ total spending commitment therefore amounts to £30,737.
There have been no issues in making cash deposits to the Friends’ current account with Barclay’s through local Post Offices following the closure of the bank’s Bishop’s Stortford Branch.
Des Conridge
Hon. Treasurer
7 March 2025