Parish Profile and Information for the appointment of a

Priest-in-Charge

to the United Benefice of and with Wethersfield and Shalford

Essex

January 2020

within the Diocese of Chelmsford

Page 1 of 26 Contents

Contents ...... 2 Welcome ...... 3 The Diocese ...... 4 The Deanery ...... 6 Benefice Summary ...... 7 Who we are looking for ...... 9 Monthly Calendar of Services ...... 10 The Vicarage ...... 11 Location of Benefice within ...... 12 Location of Churches within the Benefice ...... 13 St John the Baptist Finchingfield ...... 14 St John the Evangelist Cornish Hall End ...... 17 St Mary Magdalene Wethersfield ...... 19 St Andrew’s Shalford ...... 22 Benefice Financial Summary ...... 25

Page 2 of 26 Welcome

Welcome to our profile of the United Benefice of Finchingfield and Cornish Hall End, with Wethersfield and Shalford. We thank you for the interest you are showing in the vacancy. This is an exciting opportunity to appoint an energetic, inspiring and forward-looking Priest-in-Charge to lead God’s ministry in this delightfully unspoilt area of North West Essex. There is considerable potential to be developed in the Benefice, with each parish committed to its Church and community. Whilst each parish has its own sense of identity there remains a strong bond to the Benefice as a whole. The Church Wardens and PCCs sincerely hope that this profile not only provides useful and essential information but also a sense of unity and cooperation between the Parishes.

Church Wardens, Associate Minister and Lay Readers Finchingfield: Sir Timothy Ruggles-Brise and Robert Linsell-Clark Cornish Hall End: Anne Collins and John Collins Wethersfield: Eve Newell and Ben Walmsley Shalford: Dawn Wilson Lay Readers: Sarah Pilgrim and Michael Chumbley

The Diocesan Rural Adviser and Agricultural Chaplain, Revd Janet Nicholls, lives in the Shalford and lends support to the churches of the benefice.

Contact: Tim Ruggles-Brise email:[email protected] Tel 01371-810232

Page 3 of 26 The Diocese

A message from Bishop Stephen

In the Chelmsford Diocese we believe that God is calling his church to be a transforming presence. Our vision is that the church - that is the people of God here in Essex and East - should be a transforming presence in every one of our parishes. These are our priorities: • To inhabit the world distinctively • To evangelise effectively • To hold ourselves accountable to one another and to God for the stewardship of the gospel • To re-imagine the way we minister so that each ordained minister and each individual Christian discovers their part in God's ministry and so that each church flourishes. To this end we are looking for priests who are excited by this vision of becoming a church which is itself transformed, and which is becoming a more visible and effective presence in the huge diversity of communities that make up this most exciting and energetic part of . There are many challenges ahead of us. • We are a diocese generously subsidised by the national church. We need to become financially self-sufficient. • Leadership often seems distant. We are creating patterns of leadership that are closer to the parishes. And we are looking to develop missionary leadership at all levels of church life. Nearly half our clergy will retire in the next ten years. We need to find out how to minister with fewer stipendiary clergy and with a re-imagining of how stipendiary ministry works. We need to re-organise the way parishes relate to each other in what we are calling Mission and Ministry Units. • Some of our congregations still think ministry is what Vicars do. We have a vision of ministry where the whole people of God are involved in the whole of God's ministry. We are also experimenting with new forms of authorised lay ministry. • Church must be a safe place. All those in ministry will be expected to undergo training that will equip them to respond well in situations associated with safeguarding. • Levels of church going are below the national average. We need to get evangelism onto the agenda and into the lifeblood of every church. We encourage and train churches to put on weekends of mission and outreach. One of our aspirations is that every benefice should have a trained lay evangelism enabler.

Page 4 of 26 • We are developing missionary discipleship, so that every church in the diocese is a place where Christians are formed in order to be sent out in witness and service. Despite planning for a future with fewer stipendiary clergy, we remain as committed as ever to the local church. And what is the local church, but that community of men and women gathered around Christ, and living and sharing the gospel in the networks and neighbourhoods of their lives? But we need priests to lead and to serve. We know we need to change. We can only be a transforming presence when we have allowed God to transform us. Therefore, at the heart of all we do is a longing for intimacy with God and a renewed life of prayer. First and foremost a priest is a minister of the word and sacrament. All ministry flows from this. But a priest shares the ministry of the bishop, therefore presbyterial ministry will increasingly be a ministry of oversight, guiding, nurturing and directing the mission of God's church in the communities we serve. It is an exciting time to be part of God's missionary movement for the world, and the Diocese of Chelmsford is an exciting place to serve. We have a clear vision and we are looking to appoint clergy who will share this with us. In every parish we long to see each person and each community grow in faithfulness and ministry so that together we may serve in the world and Christ may be made known.

+Stephen

Page 5 of 26 The Deanery

A message from the Area Dean of the Braintree Deanery

In 2018 Braintree Deanery became a Mission and Ministry Partnership which is part of the diocesan vision of reimagining ministry which is included in the wider strategy called Transforming Presence. The Mission and Ministry Partnership explores ways to work across parish boundaries and co-operate in ministry more intentionally. We have chosen to do that in our work of making Christ known in the fields of nurture and discipleship, evangelism, resources and work with children and young people. The deanery continues to explore how to create sustainable and affordable ministry in each place and is keen to support new clergy to reimagine ministry differently in each context so that clergy and laity can flourish together. The continued suspension in these and other parishes is to allow us to explore this creatively. We hope the person appointed will also feel it is important to play their role in the wider deanery. We are a mixed deanery of urban and rural and we look forward to welcoming a new colleague into these parishes and we are praying for the right person to be appointed.

Rev Canon Chris Davey Area Dean

Page 6 of 26 Benefice Summary

The Benefice comprises four Churches: + St John the Baptist, Finchingfield; + St John the Evangelist, Cornish Hall End; + St Mary Magdalene, Wethersfield and + St Andrew, Shalford There is a total population of 3554.

The Benefice is very rural, located in unspoilt countryside in North West Essex and within close reach of local towns, 2o miles from Chelmsford and 25 from Cambridge. A Priest-in-Charge is being sought to administer to four Parish Churches with the probability of future expansion to include The Bardfields. The applicant is welcome to discuss the situation with the Archdeacon and Area Dean bearing in mind that the incumbent of the additional two parishes is still in post. The incumbent should be willing to adopt broad churchmanship, neither too high nor too low, being comfortable with the traditional services, but willing to be both ecumenical and consider incorporating some alternative forms of service. We want to hold a service in each Church on every Sunday, and to inspire and grow the congregations. Pastoral care is of paramount importance and a willingness to engage with the local communities in each village, which includes home and hospital visits. The Patrons of the Benefice are The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford and The Church Pastoral Aid Society Patronage Trust.

Benefice Information Electoral Rolls: Finchingfield 24; Cornish Hall End 10; Wethersfield 36; Shalford 44. Attendance across all services varies considerably between the Churches, with each averaging: Finchingfield 13; Cornish Hall End 7; Wethersfield 15; Shalford 26. From the financial perspective Finchingfield and Cornish Hall End benefit from endowments which produce substantial income; Shalford is well supported by voluntary income and is highly successful in generating funds from activities. Both Wethersfield and Finchingfield enjoy significant voluntary income but are less successful in raising funds from activities than Shalford. There are two C of E Primary Schools in the Benefice (in Finchingfield and Wethersfield) and the incumbent is a Foundation Governor of both. The Primary School in Shalford is not C of E but enjoys contact with the Church. In addition, trusteeships include the Finchingfield Guildhall Trust, the William Bendlowes Charity in Shalford and of four Wethersfield charities.

Page 7 of 26 A five bedroomed Vicarage is located in Finchingfield and within easy reach by car of all the churches.

Benefits include: • Attractive rural location • Welcoming community • Church Wardens who work closely together, meeting three or four times a year • Committed PCCs • Well supported Christmas, Easter and Remembrance Day services • Support from a part-time Associate Minister, retired Clergy and two Lay Readers • Willingness to explore the potential to hold alternative, as well as the traditional services • Desire to make services more fun to encourage greater family attendance • Possibility of encouraging new events to make the churches more relevant to their community • Explore ways in which there may be greater cohesion between the Parishes - to simplify administration • All the churches have kitchen and toilet facilities, so lend themselves to events.

Challenges include: • Difficulty in maintaining church attendance at regular services • Difficulty in finding an organist for some of the services • An ageing congregation • Difficulty in finding new people willing to take on Church Wardenship • General reluctance of congregations to travel between parishes for joint services • Building new channels of communication with the community, such as a Benefice website and use of social media • Concerns about the fabric of the buildings and not enough funds to remedy • Severe increase in Parish shares.

Page 8 of 26 Who we are looking for

Our ideal incumbent will have

1. Real and genuine faith, and will use the opportunity of sermons to provide support and challenges for daily Christian living. 2. Commitment to and enthusiasm for pastoral work, especially home and hospital visiting and promoting the influence and contribution of the Church to the life of the villages. 3. A desire to maintain a service, preferably at a consistent time, in each church every Sunday, utilising and developing lay people in the Ministry. 4. Willingness to adopt the forms of worship preferred by each church in the Benefice. 5. Willingness to work with the PCCs to explore new forms of worship which may attract non-attendees to the Church. 6. Willingness to develop further links with the local C of E primary schools and to explore the potential for work with children and young people. 7. A warm and effective communication style and be comfortable with social media. 8. Willingness to work on Saturdays as necessary.

Additionally, we would like our ideal incumbent to have 9. A sense of humour. 10. A sociable, empathetic nature, someone who truly cares about the parishioners. 11. The ability to get the best out of those around them. 12. An energetic approach, with a ‘can do’ attitude. 13. A middle of the road approach to churchmanship – neither too low nor too high – and with an open mind to the style of the service. 14. A good leadership style, and be willing to experiment and take people with them, especially the younger generation, in order to grow our congregations. 15. A willingness to allow the church building to be used as an asset relevant to the wider community. For example, hosting concerts and craft fairs, and conducting weddings for couples who are keen to get married in a church whilst not necessarily living in the benefice.

Page 9 of 26 Monthly Calendar of Services and average attendances 2018/2019

Time Church Service Attendance Adult Child 1st Sunday 8.00am Wethersfield Holy Communion 10 9.30am Shalford Family Service 24 4 9.30am Cornish Hall End Morning Prayer 6 11.00am Finchingfield Sung Eucharist 20 2nd Sunday 8.00am Cornish Hall End Holy Communion 7 9.30am Shalford Sung Eucharist 28 11.00am Wethersfield Family Service 20 10 Finchingfield No Service 3rd Sunday 8.00am Finchingfield Holy Communion 8 9.30am Shalford Morning Prayer 28 11.00am Wethersfield Sung Eucharist 15 Cornish Hall End No Service 4th Sunday 8.00am Shalford Holy Communion 20 9.30am Cornish Hall End Sung Eucharist 7 11.00am Finchingfield Family Service 12 3 Wethersfield No Service 5th Sunday 11.00am United Benefice Sung Eucharist - in rotation

2018/2019 Baptisms Marriages Funerals Finchingfield 8 6 8 Cornish Hall End 0 1 1 Wethersfield 4 4 12 Shalford 2 4 7

Page 10 of 26 The Vicarage A lovely family home

The house is situated in Finchingfield and stands in a reasonably sized garden of approximately half an acre. It is set behind the Village Green up a secluded private drive with only three house and a short walk from the Post Office. The house was built in the 1980s. It has 5 bedrooms, a family bathroom and the master has an en-suite bathroom. There is a large lounge, a good-sized separate dining room and a well fitted kitchen. There is an entrance hall with a downstairs cloakroom and study. The property has oil fired central heating and radiators. It has good parking, which includes a garage, and is accessed by a private road. It is about a 5-minute walk from Finchingfield Church, a 10-minute drive to Cornish Hall End and Wethersfield Churches, and a 15-minute drive to Shalford Church.

Page 11 of 26 Location of Benefice within Essex

The Benefice is located in North West Essex, near the towns of Braintree, and , and Sudbury in , each around 10-12 miles away. Cambridge and Chelmsford are 25 and 20 miles respectively from Finchingfield and London is 50 miles away.

There is a local bus service serving Chelmsford, Braintree, Newport and Saffron Walden. Main line railway stations into London Liverpool Street are at Braintree, Chelmsford, Stansted Airport, Bishops Stortford and Audley End. The local health centre is in Finchingfield. The principal hospitals are Addenbrookes in Cambridge and Broomfield in Chelmsford. Secondary Schools are to be found in Braintree, Saffron Walden, Great Dunmow and Newport. Village populations: Finchingfield 1225; Cornish Hall End 321; Wethersfield 1266 and Shalford 742, totalling 3554.

Page 12 of 26 Location of Churches within the Benefice

Page 13 of 26 St John the Baptist Finchingfield

Finchingfield is in a conservation area, often described as one of the most beautiful villages in England. A "picture-postcard" village much photographed, with a duck pond, windmill and village green surrounded by Georgian and medieval cottages. There are 1225 people who live in the Parish, with the majority aged between 18 and 64. Weekend visitors include cyclists, bikers and walkers. St John the Baptist Church is Grade 1 Listed and dates largely from the 14th century when it was used for both defensive purposes as well as worship. The Tower is believed to be Norman, and the clock installed in 1902 to mark the Coronation of King Edward VII and there is a 3 manual Miller organ built in 1896. The ring of eight bells was cast in 1781 and rehung in 1953. The church has well-supported Christmas Crib and School Harvest Festival services, popular annual Flower Festival, a well-attended short service at the War Memorial on Armistice Day and other special occasions, such as the recent D-Day anniversary and various concerts. Attendance is disappointing, in particular at Family/Childrens’ services.

Page 14 of 26 There is an excellent Village Hall providing a venue for local activities and societies including Friends of Finchingfield, Royal British Legion, Scouts, Horticultural Society and Village Hall Societies, as well as table tennis, karate and Zumba. A monthly magazine “The Villager” is distributed locally free of charge, and is a good source of community information. There is a Church of England primary school in the village, judged by Ofsted to be “Good” and “maintaining a good quality of education in the school”. The Incumbent is a Foundation Governor of the School. Taken from the Ofsted report in 2018, “Finchingfield Primary School is a positive and welcoming place. Staff and pupils are friendly, polite and demonstrate respect for each other. As a very small village school, all staff know the pupils and families well; it is like a big family. Pupils say that their school is a special place where they take good care of one another.” According to the school’s website, “Daily worship in school and services at St. John the Baptist Church are an integral part of our Christian ethos as well as developing a sense of community and belonging for every child.”

The Guildhall, adjacent to the churchyard, is a recently restored historic 15th century building with its own function room, museum, small shop and library. The Guildhall Trust also supports the Robert Kempe Educational Foundation. The Incumbent is a Trustee of the Finchingfield Guildhall Trust. It would be a suitable venue to establish a Sunday School. Finchingfield benefits from the Freshwell Health Centre, a seven doctor health practice which servers the benefice and beyond.

Page 15 of 26 It has a CQC overall rating of “Outstanding” in the report published in September 2016. It is one of the ten best health centres in the UK based on patient experience, as rated by a national newspaper. There are three pubs in the village, as well as a number of tea rooms and a restaurant. The Post Office is also a general store, and there are also souvenir shops, a hair-dresser, an undertakers, antiques shop and two garages. The village also has playing fields and a tennis court. Countryside activities include horse riding, conservation and rural Estate Management tours, walking and cycling. Internet and Mobile Phone coverage is good in this area. There is a local bus service to Chelmsford, Braintree, Newport, Saffron Walden and school transport to schools in Braintree, Saffron Walden, Great Dunmow and Newport.

Page 16 of 26 St John the Evangelist Cornish Hall End

The village of Cornish Hall End is mainly a ribbon development settlement. There are approximately 94 dwellings in the parish with a population of about 320 people. The church stands in a central position, with the village public house, The Horse and Groom, directly opposite. Adjacent to the Horse and Groom is the cricket field, though regrettably the village cricket club has folded due to lack of support. A large and newly built children’s play area is nearby. The village school closed in the 1960’s and the building is now used as a village hall. Following tasteful refurbishment, the re-opening of the village hall took place earlier this year and a programme of proposed activities is being discussed. Our village shop, with post office, closed in the 1980’s. A bus service was discontinued recently; there is a “Dial-a-Ride” facility available, although this service is considered costly. Our church attendance is poor except for annual festivals. However, Cornish Hall End is a small village with a big heart. There is considerable Christian outreach in the village especially to the ageing population, for example transport for medical appointments, shopping, banking and occasional days out, as well as responding quickly to telephone calls for assistance. The village has a recently installed high-speed fibre broadband network and the church is the hub for the earlier installed radio broadband network. The church has a free 32 mbps broadband connection.

The church was built in 1841. It has its own beauty in its simple architectural style with handsome plain oak pews and later additions of art nouveau style ornamentation. One or two bequests have enabled the installation of toilets, a kitchen, new heating and repairs to the windows. However, in 2015, following a large bequest, we were able to undertake major building work (see photograph above right), including selective re- plastering, complete re-wiring and a full redecoration of the church.

Page 17 of 26 A church “Coffee & Cake Café” was started in June 2017. It is held the second Thursday of every month and normally attracts between 15 and 20 customers. Fresh filter coffee is served with delicious home-made cake. No charge is made for refreshments but any money donated is sent to Macmillan Cancer care. This event has to date raised around £1400.

The church in Cornish Hall End started supporting the Shoebox appeal in 2008 with a donation of 24 boxes. It has since become a Benefice wide appeal and peaked in 2015 when 340 shoeboxes (200 from one individual) were sent to the charity. The photograph shows the boxes displayed at the start of the Benefice Shoebox Service held annually around mid- November.

A major exhibition was put on within the church in 2014 to commemorate the start of the First World War. The exhibition linked villagers to their relatives that took part in this war. It was well received and was restaged in 2018 to commemorate the 1918 Armistice. A garden party was held in the churchyard to celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday, organised by the PCC, with some financial support from the parish council. The event was very well supported by the village community and the music supplied by the Hadstock Silver Band was particularly well received.

Page 18 of 26 St Mary Magdalene Wethersfield

The Parish is made up of four rural communities, Wethersfield, Blackmore End, Beazley End and Rotten End. The population totals over 1200, the largest number living in Wethersfield, a conservation area. The Parish is now served by one Church, situated high in the centre of Wethersfield Village. It is a Grade 1 listed building dating from the 13th Century with traces of earlier Anglo Saxon existence. We are in the middle of extensive restoration and repair having just completed recladding the spire, refurbishing the weather vane and re gilding the clock faces. We are now turning our attention to re-roofing the Nave and North Aisle, and the accompanying challenge to raise the funds needed. We recently upgraded the pew heating and improved the lighting.

St Mary’s boasts 8 bells manned by an enthusiastic band of ringers, who share their talents with the Churches in Finchingfield and Shalford. The bells are rung several times a week and on special occasions. Our church is very popular on the bell-ringing circuit and we welcome many travelling bell ringing groups. The Church is used regularly for social and secular activities, because it has the benefit of kitchen and toilet facilities. A Children’s Church is held monthly on Saturdays, taking children from age 3 to 11. It is led by our Reader who is also involved with the local Rainbows and Brownies, and who are encouraged to come to Family Service.

Page 19 of 26 These Saturday mornings are followed by “Coffee & Chat” for parents and villagers, which has a pleasing attendance. Bigger events include the very well supported series of Wethersfield Chamber Concerts, featuring up-and-coming young artists. For example, the cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason played for us before he rose in prominence by performing at the Royal Wedding. We organise a Rummage Sale in the Village Hall in February, hold a donkey- led walk of witness on Palm Sunday and stage an annual Flower Festival in June. Wethersfield hosts the Benefice’s Harvest Supper in October and the Royal British Legion attend our Remembrance Sunday service. During Advent we invite local clubs and organisations to decorate the Church with Christmas Trees for the festive season. The Children’s Church are active during the village “Christmas Tree Light Switch-On”. Carols in the Cowshed is a very popular event. Local youngsters provide musical entertainment during these various events. Like other churches most of our congregation is older and we struggle to maintain income. The Wethersfield Church of England School caters for 60 or more children. Close ties are maintained with the School which holds services in the Church each term. At age 11 pupils have a choice of local secondary schools all of which involve bus journeys. Taken from the Ofsted report in 2018: “The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. You are continuing to ensure that standards are above average, and pupils are making good progress because of good teaching. Under your leadership, staff work well as a team for the benefit of all pupils. You are providing a warm, friendly family atmosphere in the school, based on your strong ethos and values, where parents and staff feel valued. This was reflected in their strongly positive responses in the Ofsted online questionnaire, Parent View, and text responses during the inspection. One parent typically wrote, ‘This is such a friendly school, where my child is doing well. All the staff are caring, and the school is well run.” A local group has recently been formed in Wethersfield with a view to opening up a Community Shop in the village. At present a Pop-up Post office visits twice a week. A fresh fruit and veg van visits on Saturday afternoons.

Page 20 of 26 Residents use the Freshwell Health Centre in Finchingfield and there is a Residential Care Home in Beazley End. Wethersfield and Blackmore End both have modern well-equipped village halls, used by local clubs to offer a wide variety of interests. eg. Bowls, Busy Fingers, Exercise Classes, Flower Club, Amateur Dramatics, Films and Quizzes. The three pubs in the villages have closed in recent years, although the licensed Wethersfield Club provides a pub-like social centre, with facilities for Snooker, Pool, Darts etc. The Club and its members are very active in organising village events and trips. Wethersfield has a playing field with a modern Sports Pavilion available for private hire, a tennis court, cricket nets and petanque sand. During term time the pavilion is used by the Sure Start Pre-School. There is also a playing field at Blackmore End. Wethersfield has high-speed fibre broadband. There is a local bus service from Wethersfield to Chelmsford and Braintree, Newport, Saffron Walden and school transport to schools in Braintree, Saffron Walden, Great Dunmow and Newport. Regrettably there is no public transport serving Blackmore End or Beazley End.

Page 21 of 26 St Andrew’s Shalford

The parish of Shalford is a village in North West Essex on the west bank of the River Pant, some 5 miles north of Braintree and 17 miles from the City of Chelmsford. The village lies astride the B1053, linking it to Braintree to the south and the villages of Wethersfield and Finchingfield to the north. At the southern end, known as Shalford Church End, is found the Village Hall, a recreation area, a Primary School and general store. Half a mile north is the church of St Andrew’s and The George pub, together with much of the village’s residential area, comprising a mixture of older houses and a 1970s development. The village has a population of 742 and is a vibrant community, with many clubs and activities centred on the Village Hall. The Parish Council is supportive of the church and makes a substantial contribution to the upkeep of the churchyard. The Primary School, which is not C of E, has around 60 children on the roll and serves a catchment area extending to the northern edge of Braintree. A local bus service operates at hourly intervals during the day, giving access to Braintree and beyond. The village is surrounded by gently rolling agricultural land and woodland and crossed by numerous footpaths and bridleways.

St Andrew’s Church sits back from the main road down an avenue of lime trees, surrounded by a large and beautifully kept churchyard. It is something of a rarity

Page 22 of 26 having been built in the 14th century and has remained almost unaltered to the present day. A modest vestry and organ chamber was added in 1872 and an annex with kitchen and toilet facilities in 2010. The church recently celebrated its 700th anniversary, although the present building undoubtedly stands on the site of an earlier church. The building is Grade I listed. The church seats around 130, is open daily and has excellent parking facilities. The north aisle roof has just been repaired following the theft of lead in 2018. A roof alarm is now in place. The rest of the church is in good repair and carefully maintained. The refurbishment of the historic glass of the East window is due to be carried out in 2020. The most recent Quinquennial Inspection was carried out in 2016 and confirmed that the basic structure of the church is sound. The church is served by a fine two manual Hill organ. There is also a piano of some quality in the church. There is a ring of 5 bells and an enthusiastic band of ringers of all ages. Refreshments are served after each service, except the 8am, giving an opportunity for members of the congregation, some of whom live outside the parish, to meet and exchange news. A mid-week informal prayer group meets fortnightly in the church followed by coffee and fellowship. A Ladies’ Group meets monthly in the home of a parishioner for Bible Study and discussion. A church member heads a team of “Open the Book” Storytellers at Shalford School. Special services throughout the year include a candlelit Christmas Eve Carol Service which attracts a congregation of over 300, Harvest Thanksgiving and Remembrance Sunday, Quiet Days and Songs of Praise. FOSTAC (“Friends of St Andrew’s Church”) organises many social and fund-raising activities all year round and provides a steady income for the maintenance of the church fabric. FOSTAC events are well supported locally and greatly appreciated by the PCC. St Andrew’s is fortunate in having a very loyal and efficient “core membership” led by our hard-working churchwarden. Church members fulfil several roles within the church family, including welcoming everyone to services, preparing the church for Sunday services, administration of the chalice, reading lessons, bellringing, arranging flowers and maintaining the church building inside and out. The PCC of 13 lay members meets five times a year.

Page 23 of 26 St Andrew’s is a hub for fellowship, remembrance and festivity within the community. On alternate Thursdays a well-attended coffee morning in aid of a charity such as the Alzheimer’s Society or Marie Curie provides a meeting place for many local folk, who might not otherwise come to church. Shalford School holds its very popular Christmas Nativity in the church and classes regularly drop into the church to study some aspect of its history. The 700th Anniversary weekend in June 2019 attracted visitors from all around the local area. It was organised by an efficient team of church and FOSTAC members with input from many local craftspeople and artists. It was enjoyed by everyone and made a profit for church funds. The Local History Society often uses the building for exhibitions and lectures, and FOSTAC hosts numerous events throughout the year, attracting church-goers and non- church-going local people alike. A Church Magazine is published 10 times a year and distributed free to every household in the village. The Incumbent is required to be a Trustee of William Bendlowes Charity.

Page 24 of 26 Benefice Financial Summary

2018 Accounts Full accounts are available on request

Finchingfield Cornish Hall End Wethersfield Shalford Incoming Resources Voluntary Income incl Legacies 21,216(i) 1,662 20,142 37,924 Activities from generating funds 2, 991 0 1,901 17,580 Restricted Grants 0 2,140 0 0 Income from investments 20,626 7,891 383 142 Church activities (fees) 3,755 17 3,626 4,910 Other resources 0 600 4,966 0 Total Incoming Resource £48,588 £12,310 £31,018 £60,556

Resources expended Major restoration 0 0 96,421 (ii) 17,660 Fund raising trading costs 1,202 0 40 0 Donations 766 352 1,607 1,935 Parish share 11,271 3,358 12,757 12,131 Maintenance (incl running costs) 33,852 8,725(iii) 10,304 15,585 Governance / Sundry 675 592 0 419 Total Resources Expended £ 47,766 £13,027 £121,129 £47,730

(i) Includes £10,000 legacy (ii) Grant aided (iii) Includes Governance The Parish share which is expected to be paid has risen by some 80% as from 2019

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