THE GREENWAY BENEFICE in the Severn Vale Deanery, Diocese of : The parishes of

Holy Trinity,

St. Paul’s St . Mary the Virgin, Shurdington Witcombe with Bentham

Our Benefice Profile January 2017 MAP SHOWING THE THREE CHURCHES

Our Vacancy Prayer Heavenly Father, during this time we pray for a new vicar who is a person of prayer inspired by the Holy Spirit with a prophetic vision for God’s mission of our benefice churches.

We welcome a priest unknown to us, whose pastoral heart will kindle God’s loving kind- ness amongst us, beyond us, and through us, as we reach out to those in need.

We welcome a priest known to God, praying that the light of God’s love may grow in the hearts of the congregation and that its warmth may be felt in our communities transforming lives as the gospel of Christ breaks new boundaries.

So we pray for our new vicar to be called to our churches and local communities, to be stirred by God during this time as we wait with patience and excitement.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 2 CONTENTS

Map of the Benefice …….…………………… page 2 Our Vacancy Prayer ….……………………… page 2 Where we are and Our Vision …….………… page 5 Present development Plan ………………….. page 7 Benefice Structure ……….…….…………….. page 8 Present Pattern of Worship ……….………… page 9 Benefice-wide groups & organisations …….. page 10 Working with Children ….……….…….…….. page 12 The Parishes Badgeworth …………………….…………….. page 14 Shurdington ….………………….……………. page 16 Witcombe with Bentham ….…….….….……. page 18 The Vicarage ………….……….……….…….. page 20 The Area ….…….….….….….….….………… page 20 Website Links …….….….….…….….………. page 20 Appendix 1 - Person Specification…….….… page 21

Appendix 2 - Annual Report Finance……….. pages 22 -28

3 INTRODUCTION

The Greenway Benefice, comprising Holy Trinity Church, Badgeworth, the Church of St Mary the Virgin, Witcombe with Bentham, and St Paul's Church, Shurdington, lies to the south-west of , close to J11A of the M5, with the A46 passing through Shurdington and the A417 dividing Witcombe and Bentham (See map).

The Benefice takes its name from The Greenway, the ancient drovers' road by which the sheep of Saint Peter’s Abbey, now Gloucester Cathedral, were driven from their winter quarters at Badgeworth to their summer pastures at Coberly and Cowley on the escarpment.

The track goes up the slopes of Shurdington Hill from the A46 opposite the junction with Badgeworth Lane to the edge of the Barrow Piece Plantation and on towards Ullenwood. Most of The Greenway lies in the Parish of Witcombe with Bentham, but its lower reaches are in what most people would naturally think of as Shurdington, whilst its north-westerly continuation is Badgeworth Lane.

Ancient history is revealed in the fort and a number of iron age sites on Crickley Hill and the occupation of the Romans by part of the important Ermin Street from Cirencester to Gloucester and remains of villas. The limestone escarpment and its lower slopes form part of the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and land surrounding the villages is mainly Green Belt. As a result there has been little development in the Benefice in recent years, although this is looking to be changed in the near future to meet some of the county's present housing needs.

The Benefice is within the Severn Vale Deanery, formed in 2009 from the former Gloucester North and most of Forest North, and is prayer linked with the Benefice of Westbury-on-Severn with Flaxley, Blaisdon and Minsterworth. The Deanery is within the Archdeaconry of Gloucester.

There is a great variety of life in our parishes but a strong sense of unity and common purpose in the Benefice. Shared leadership is exercised by the Local Ministry Team and Benefice Council.

4 WHERE WE ARE AND OUR VISION Collected thoughts from members of congregations and parishes

Our Thanksgiving for the past Building on solid foundations

We are grateful for: We seek to maintain:

our previous incumbents who a welcome for all, places of have been “people-people” rest, solace and refreshment and provided stability and and a centre of the community strong leadership; for all our villages; our churches being there for a full interpretation of the their communities; phrase “cure of souls”, fellowship and support during particularly appreciated in times of crisis; uplifting and personal funerals our variety of worship, music broad, middle-of-the-road and the Benefice Choir; churchmanship with a variety our church buildings and a of services; legacy of good maintenance; traditional services, especially involvement and interest of at Christmas; many parishioners, not all a variety of music and regular church-goers; musicians; the partnership with the links with the school; school; lay leadership; lay ministry; the ecumenical partnership of church-community events; Christians Together. growing unity – seen in benefice-wide groups, such as the Mothers' Union.

5 WHERE WE ARE AND OUR VISION cont’d

Vision for the future, linking with LIFE, the Diocese's Vision, we seek:

to maintain the traditional, but be open to the need for change so as to encourage new membership, particularly via the links with the Primary School; to develop outreach to the elderly, particularly provision for those with dementia, via the care homes; to enable young people to hear the Gospel and to find a place of faith to belong and then believe; to encourage belonging with local Baptismal families and wedding couples; to find and encourage good leadership in both ordained and lay; to find the energy and inspiration, the human and financial resources to both maintain and develop our ministry, particularly to be able to take the church to the people.

What we offer

Three welcoming, loving and loyal congregations; A benefice in which many, but not all, see its unity as important and needing to be developed; The opportunity, particularly in Shurdington, to minister in some needy situations and among vulnerable families; A flourishing, distinctively Christian C of E Primary School with strong links and outreach opportunities; Three ancient, beautiful and well-cared-for churches; A largely rural setting, but in close proximity to Gloucester and Cheltenham.

6 GREENWAY BENEFICE DEVELOPMENT AREAS 2015-16 Linked to Diocesan “JOURNEYING TOGETHER” scheme

WORSHIPS TOGETHER SHARES OUR CHRISTIAN FAITH AND VALUES

Development of Music Developing Relationship with Primary ▪ Benefice Choir School families ▪ New songs/hymns ▪ Pre-school at Shurdington ▪ Collective worship and Prayer Days Variety of Worship ▪ Governors’ Ethos committee ▪ Monthly informal/themed/all age ▪ All Stars (After school Christian Club) services (Badgeworth 4th Sunday) ▪ Open the Book ▪ 5th Sunday Benefice services ▪ Morning parents’ gathering ▪ Food with worship events ▪ Leading intercessions and readings Baptism and Wedding gatherings ▪ Additional/enhanced music (W) ▪ Invitations 3 times a year

Enabling people to belong and then believe ▪ MU Young ‘n Fun and Table Talk ▪ Men’s Breakfast and Table Talk

PROVIDES A VISIBLE PRESENCE IN EVERY SERVES THE WIDER WORLD COMMUNITY AND PARISH

Using community buildings/areas Maintain annual level of Charitable giving ▪ Coffee mornings (B) ▪ PCC annual allocation ▪ Coffee mornings (S) ▪ Fêtes Individual congregation members’ work for common good affirmed and Christians Together Worship and Ministry encouraged ▪ Sept to May monthly and Carols ▪ 3-in-1 articles ▪ “This time tomorrow” in worship Ministry of Pastoral group ▪ Coordination of visiting sick & bereaved Inviting Speakers ▪ Individual visiting ▪ 3 churches and Benefice services ▪ Benefice teas Maintain link with Rättvik in Sweden

7 THE BENEFICE STRUCTURE, MINISTRY AND ADMINISTRATION

MINISTERS Together with our Vicar, our ministry team comprises:

Associate Priest: The Revd April Jones, SSM, who lives in Witcombe.

Retired Priest: The Revd Ian Gobey, who lives in Shurdington.

Reader: Robert Poole, who lives in Churchdown but officiates in the Benefice.

In addition 5 people hold the Bishop's Lay Worship Leaders' Certificate.

ADMINISTRATION Benefice Administrator: Robert Poole, based at the Office at St Paul's Church Hall in Shurdington, hours 9 am - midday on Thursdays. Benefice Children’s Work Co-ordinator and Safeguarding Officer: Rachel Cottell.

LOCAL MINISTRY The Benefice has had a Local Ministry Team since 1997 when it was initially formed and underwent the Diocesan Training.

It has evolved over the years and at present comprises the Associate Priest and Reader and lay representatives from the parishes: Badgeworth (3), Shurdington (1), Witcombe (2).

Its formal meetings every two months are chaired, minuted and have worship led by the members in rotation. Lay Ministry is warmly supported in the Diocese and is affirmed in the new Diocesan Vision, but not entirely understood by all in our parishes, although its value has been appreciated during this vacancy.

BENEFICE COUNCIL The Benefice Council comprises the Vicar and 2 representatives from each parish, nominated at the APCM, usually the Churchwardens; others, such as the PCC Treasurers, are invited to attend appropriately. It normally meets twice a year.

PCCs Each parish has its own PCC at present, usually chaired by the Vicar, which ordinarily meet three times a year plus the APCMs. There are occasional Joint PCC meetings and the possibility of moving to a United parish has been discussed. 8 WORSHIP

PRESENT PATTERN of SUNDAY SERVICES The normal monthly pattern up to July is shown below; during the Vacancy it has been slightly reduced.

SUNDAY HOLY TRINITY ST. PAUL’S ST. MARY’S 1st 11 Parish Communion 9.30 Parish Communion 8 am Holy Communion BCP 11 Morning Prayer 2nd 11 Morning Prayer 9.30 Parish Communion 8 am Holy Communion BCP 11 Parish Communion 3rd 11 Parish Communion 9.30 Parish Communion 8 am Holy Communion BCP 11 Family (all-age) service 4th 11 Morning Prayer 8 am Holy Communion BCP 11 Parish Communion 9.30 Morning Praise & Prayer

On 5th Sundays, Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday and Ascension Day, Benefice Eucharists are held in one of the three churches in rotation. SERVICES at FESTIVAL TIMES

At Christmas each church has a candlelit service of Readings and Carols and a Nativity, Crib or Christingle service. There are midnight communion services at St Paul's and St Mary's and each church has a service on Christmas Day (BCP with Carols in Witcombe).

At Easter each parish follows the tradition of having a large centrally-placed open air cross; walks of witness and prayer walks start variously from these. In recent years we have held Benefice gatherings on the Monday to Wednesday of Holy Week, comprising a variety of compositions: using readings and music and poetry; discus- sion of the Passion scriptures; dramatic reading of the Gospel accounts of the Passion. Each church has a service on Good Friday and on Easter Day.

On Friday evenings during Advent and Lent a service of Compline is said at St Mary's.

CONFIRMATIONS

Occasional services of Confirmation are held as a Benefice; we hope to increase the number of candidates.

9 BENEFICE-WIDE GROUPS, EVENTS & ORGANISATIONS

Benefice Choir: none of the three churches has its own choir; a Benefice Choir has been recently formed under the directorship of Matt Richardson, the organist at St Paul's and Holy Trinity. It practises weekly and enhances the music with harmony, descants and solo pieces at Benefice services, at each of the three Christmas services of readings and carols and on other appropriate occasions.

Bible Study Group: Led by a lay member of LMT, this meets weekly in a home and normally studies the Lectionary passages for the coming Sunday; in Lent it becomes a Lent Study Group.

Julian Group: This group meets monthly also in a private house.

Magazine: Known as the Three-in-One, the maga- zine is produced monthly and distributed throughout the parishes (in Witcombe with Bentham it is delivered free of charge to all households).

Pastoral Group: This group, with members, lay and clergy, from all three parishes, meets regularly, sharing news of those known to need and/or appreciate visits and/or Home Communion. It particularly keeps in touch with the recently bereaved and Baptismal families. From time-to-time Baptismal families and recently married couples are specifically invited back to an appropriate or special service. An All Souls' service is held in the Benefice at All Souls'-tide to which the recently bereaved are specially invited. The Pastoral group also hosts Benefice tea parties to which all are invited, but which often focus on thank-you’s to a specific group of helpers. One of the group's members runs a monthly Drop-in morning in Shurdington.

Mothers' Union: A flourishing branch, with members from all three parishes, which meets regularly in Shurdington. An off-shoot of this, called Young 'n Fun, involves younger Shurdington families.

10 BENEFICE-WIDE GROUPS, EVENTS & ORGANISATIONS

Residential Homes: Representatives of the Church visit and administer Communion in Chargrove Lawn and Atherton Close, Shurdington, and Badgeworth Court. Christians Together hold a monthly coffee morning in Atherton Close.

Christians Together: This group contains members of the Benefice churches, Shurdington Chapel and Christians who worship elsewhere; it meets for informal services in Chapel, Church Hall and School, variously, and also for prayer and occasional social events.

Other Groups:

Several groups, not church-run, but often church-connected, meet regularly in the Benefice, particularly in Shurdington, using the Village Halls in Badgeworth and Witcombe and the Community Centre in Shurdington.

These include Scouts, Cubs and Beavers, Gardening Society, Women's Institute, Art Group, Friendship Club and Tuesday Lunch Club.

Diocesan Link with Diocese of Västerås in Sweden: As part of this the Benefice has a link with the parish of Rättvik; groups from the Benefice have visited them and we have entertained the Choir and several groups of Confirma- tion candidates from Sweden when they have come to Gloucester. The Benefice has a representative on the Part- nership committee.

11 WORKING WITH CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE

We are always looking at ways to involve families in the life of our churches - the wide range of other activities open to families at weekends means that we have to work with commitment and creativity to encourage them to come to services on a Sunday morning. We take ‘Sunday school’ into our primary school with our All Stars after-school club, and have had activities and holiday clubs on occasional Sundays and during school holidays, all of which have been popular. A church family said: “The church should retain its values and practices in order to retain the congregation, but less formal services which are child-centred and interactive would be lovely in order to appeal to younger people who may find formal services daunting.”

Shurdington Pre-School We have a strong link with the Pre-School, the children coming past the church on regular walks, community visits for snack time with I want church to keep me staff and children, and the older children coming in to Experience happy. Easter, to enjoy story time and treasure hunts in church and for a Christmas service with KS1 from the primary school. Bible storybooks are presented at the end of the summer term to those leaving to go to ‘big school’. Shurdington Primary School The churches have a very good relationship with Shurdington Primary School and are well-represented on the Governing Body. The Open the Book team lead a popular weekly assembly and their stories are favourites with the children. Classes visit St Paul’s for special services and for structured teaching activities. The children are familiar with the Experience events (Christmas, Easter, Harvest and Pentecost), which have been held in the church building, in the churchyard and in school, supported by the church community.

The school encourages clergy to lead a regular collective worship for the whole school, led during the vacancy by the Benefice Children’s Work Co-ordinator. This year we held an Easter Prayer Day in school, open to all members of the church community. Every summer, Scripture Union books are given to the Year 6 children heading to secondary school.

The school staff have commented:

“We would like a vicar who is visible to the children even if they, or their families, are not regular churchgoers. We would like someone who could visit us in school, not just in assemblies, to enable the children to get to know the vicar better and view that person as part of their lives.”

“We would like someone approachable who is open to listening to other people. The vicar should be fun, enthusiastic and creative, and familiar in working with people from different walks of life.”

12 WORKING WITH CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE

In church they should get the children more involved with talking

The vicar should treat people like you want to be treated

Church would be even better with cupcakes and ice- cream!

The vicar should tell the people the amazing things God did The church can let children in more.

These amazing candles were made at the school Advent prayer day, and were then used in all three churches throughout Advent and Christmas.

Safeguarding We take the protection of our children, young people and vulnerable adults seriously. Our designated officer for safeguarding is responsible for ensuring that all who work with children and vulnerable adults in church related activities have enhanced disclosure clearance from the Diocese of Gloucester. We annually update our Safeguarding Policy and this is accessible to all in each church porch, alongside information on the Child- line support network. 13 HOLY TRINITY AND BADGEWORTH

The Church Holy Trinity Church, Badgeworth, is set in attractive countryside between Cheltenham and Gloucester and is a stone-built Grade 1 Listed Building. The older part of the Church is an architecturally ornate, early 14th century aisle with ball-flower moulding, considered to be the best example of the medieval decorated style in Glouces- tershire. The north chapel is dedicated to St. Margaret. The Chancel and Sanctuary are a spacious Victorian rebuild. A lovely thing is the lychgate given in memory of Jane Unwin by her children; its traceried gates are guarded by Peter and John under canopies, the barge board is tipped with flowers and heads, and in a niche on the gable is the Madonna. The square tower has a fine set of bells, recently restored. There is an active 'band' of bell ringers who ring most Sundays. The Churchyard toilet is twinned with the toilet located in Khal, Gopaljong, Kushla, Bangladesh. The Church comfortably seats 150 and is very popular for weddings.

The Parish Badgeworth, the , includes Bentham and Little Witcombe. The village itself is small with a population of perhaps 200, mainly successful professionals working in Cheltenham, Gloucester and Tewkesbury. There is only a very small amount of social housing. There is an increas- ing number of families with young children coming into the village. The Village Hall, recently upgraded and refur- bished, with a car park, is the hub of the village. Badge- worth Court Care Home (Barchester Healthcare) is situated next to the Church. The local primary school is in the adjoining village of Shurdington. There is an active branch of the Women's Institute in the village. Badge- worth also has one of the smallest nature reserves in the world, containing the rare adder's-tongue spearwort, more commonly known as the Badgeworth Buttercup.

14 Organisation and Worship

Our congregation is predominantly middle-aged to elderly; children and families are very evident at special services, including the Easter Day service with egg hunt and the Nativity service with the opportunity to dress up. There is a designated area for children, with books, colouring table and toys. Without a core group for a Sunday school, we are always looking at ways to engage children from the village and church community and families who come for baptism. We aim to be welcoming and friendly, and we occasionally introduce new styles of worship, particularly in services led by our lay worship leaders.

Average Sunday attendance at our 11am Communion service is 30. More than half the congregation lives outside the parish on the outskirts of Cheltenham. There are currently 77 on the electoral roll of the Church. Holy Trinity is well represented in the Benefice choir Church should We have a rota for readers, intercessors, flow- have lovely songs er arrangers, sidespeople, chalice assistants, and soft cushions. providers of coffee after Morning Prayer, and cleaners. The churchyard is kept immaculate by a dedicated group of volunteers. There are 2 Churchwardens and we have a committed and enthusiastic Verger and an efficient and conscientious pair of Sacristans. Our PCC numbers 13, among whose members is the Benefice Children's & Youth Work Co- ordinator/Safeguarding Officer. There have been 4 Weddings (rather fewer than usual) and 13 Baptisms in 2016 with 3 Weddings in the diary for 2017.

The worship pattern is Parish Communion on 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month, with Morning Prayer on 2nd and 4th Sundays, and a moveable Benefice Service on 5th Sundays. Worship style is generally traditional with much focus on music, led by a pipe organ. We host concerts in the church in aid of church funds, which are very well attended, not only by churchgoers but significantly also by the local community, residents and families from Badgeworth Court, and non- churchgoers. The Friends of Holy Trinity host parish quizzes, dining evenings, coffee mornings and an annual fête and contribute to the upkeep of the fabric of the church and churchyard, which are so valued by the local community.

Finance Our finances are modest and not improving, largely due to our demographic, our annual income in 2015 being £26,226. Our parish share contribution for 2016 is £20,111. We have struggled in recent years, but have managed to maintain the payment. In 2017 we will not be able to maintain that level of payment without dipping into reserves which, on current projections, would leave us without any reserves by the end of 2019. We look, not only for a faithful, caring priest to lead us in prayer and worship, but also one to engage with the local community and young families to encourage growth of our congregation. 15 ST PAUL’S AND SHURDINGTON

The Parish Shurdington is situated three miles south-west of Cheltenham straddling the A46; it has a population of just over 2,000 but maintains a strong community identity. The village was mentioned in the Domesday Book as being in the hundred of Cheltenham, but having no great value. The civil parish extends from the Cotswold escarpment, where the well-known Devil’s Chimney is situated along with an iron age camp and tumulus, to the edge of the Severn Vale.

The population in 1801 was 63 which gradually increased to 725 in 1951. Post-war development in the 1950's and 60's saw the population rise to 2000, with little change in the last fifty years, owing to the settlement's being surrounded by Green Belt of which two thirds is in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. There are few buildings of note beside the 12th century church; mainly the Greenway Hotel and Poplar Farm. The village green is situated near the church in the centre of the original community. There is excellent public transport to Cheltenham, Gloucester and Stroud.

There is a variety of housing in the village; the original houses straddle the main road (A46), which was opened in 1820, and since then the majority of development has been near the church and parallel to the road. The housing reflects the socio-economic make-up of the community. There is a warden-controlled residential complex with a mixture of flats and bungalows; nearby are three blocks of flats, a few of which are privately owned; the rest is a mix of private houses and bungalows. Within the village there are pockets of deprivation; 12% of the population are young people in high density social housing and 13% are elderly, reliant on state benefit.

The village boasts a general store and post office, two public houses, a nursing/residential home, a hotel, a number of garden centres, nurseries and small businesses, and a CofE primary school. Close by are the sizeable headquarters of the Endsleigh Insurance Company. In the village is a social centre with three halls where pre-school and Scouts meet, a pavilion on the playing field, (newly refurbished) and the church hall. 16 The Church The 12th century church is small; it once belonged to the Benedictine Nunnery at Usk. The spire, without doubt, is the most striking feature of the building, beautifully proportioned, slender and soaring to a height of 109 feet. On the south wall is a sundial dated 1655 keeping accurate GMT. The Chancel Arch dates from the 13th century but rests on earlier Norman stonework; there is an ancient oak Rood Beam that once supported a crucifix and statues; the semi-circular space above contains the remains of a wall painting. Carved into the oak beam that spans the nave is the face of a ‘Green Man’ dating from the 12th century. The tiny Chancel was remodelled and re-roofed in the 19th century when a small vestry was added and in 1862 a pulpit and box pews were installed. Recently the 13thC font was re-positioned in its original place near the south door. The tower has a single bell. Two Tom Denny stained glass memorial windows have recently been installed in the Chancel, both depicting local country views.

In 1990 the old village school was purchased for use as a church hall and parish office and its playground was converted as an extension to the churchyard. The hall is used for church functions and for lettings. It consists of two rooms; the larger will seat fifty at tables and the smaller about twenty. There is a well equipped kitchen, two storage areas and the normal facilities including a disabled toilet.

The churchyard is well maintained; many of the trees are listed and regularly attended to by a local tree surgeon; it is a haven for wildlife and many varieties of flowering plants and, above all, a tranquil place to sit.

Congregation and Worship There are 50 parishioners on the electoral roll. The normal Sunday congregation is between 30-40, rising to 70-100 plus at festivals; there is seating for 120. A small regular congregation attend the Holy Communion (BCP) service on the fourth Sunday of the month followed at 9.30 am by a service of Morning Praise. There is a service of Holy Communion (CW) on the first three Sundays of the month. Unfortunately Sunday School is no longer held, but this will restart if required. Coffee is available after morning service. Many of the congregation are elderly but are faithful worshippers.

During 2015 two young children were baptised and a thanksgiving service was also held. There were two weddings; other couples found the church's seating insufficient. Eight funerals followed by interment of ashes or burial took place and two services were conducted at the crematorium. Five members of the congregation were confirmed in 2015 and one in 2016.

Finance Over recent years the income to the church has declined and the consequent incurred deficit in the general account has resulted in reserve funds being used to make up the shortfall. The Parish Share has been paid in full and charitable giving has been maintained. A generous legacy of £100,000, given recently for the maintenance of the church fabric and family graves, is invested. At present a feasibility study is being undertaken to investigate improvements to poor lighting and heating. 17 ST MARY THE VIRGIN, WITCOMBE AND BENTHAM

The Church The Church of St Mary is small, but, we think, very special. Dating from the 12th century, it has a beautiful zig-zag chancel arch above which are a huge curved rood beam and two unusual small windows; the north aisle (15th century) windows contain fragments of medieval stained glass. The tower (built in 18th century to replace an older, wooden one) contains six bells, the oldest dated 1630, which are regularly rung by a "home" team and sometimes by itinerant teams. The organ was built over 100 years ago for a Buckinghamshire church; we are fortunate in having several people to play this for services. One entrance to the churchyard is through a lovely lych gate with a mosaic floor, the millennium project of the villages. The church has no vestry or kitchen, but refreshments are always provided in church after Sunday morning services (with cake!). It didn't have toilet facilities either until recently, when an eco-loo was installed in the churchyard.

Organisation and Worship The PCC numbers seven in addition to the churchwardens (2) and clergy. The electoral roll is around 50; regular attendance is 30-35 on the Sundays when there are two services; there is an 8 am Holy Communion BCP on three Sundays a month, a service at 11am each Sunday (2X Parish Communion (CW), 1 Morning Prayer and 1 Family [all-age] service, the last two using Service of the Word liturgy). The Family service music is provided by guitar and key-board and is followed by an activity time for children, held in church. Christmas services are very well-attended, especially Carols by Candlelight and the Christingle/Crib service. In 2015 there were 7 baptisms, 5 funerals and 1 wedding (often more).

Finance In recent years St Mary's has been able to pay its committed third share of the Benefice's Parish Share allocation, but this is beginning to eat into its smallish reserves as the Share increases and numbers decrease as a result of deaths or moving away. St Mary's has a generous band of volunteers who mow both churchyards, cut hedges, ring bells, carry out routine maintenance, clean the church, polish brass, provide and arrange flowers, act as Sacristan, provide refreshments, read lessons and lead Intercessions. St Mary's is greatly supported in fund-raising by a group styled Witcombe Social Fund-raisers (WSF) - closely linked to the PCC - which organises the annual fête and many other community events throughout the year; its profits are shared between the church and other local causes, notably the Village Hall during its recent refurbishment period. 18 The Parish

The parish St Mary's serves includes the villages of , Little Witcombe and Bentham, the hamlet known as Little Shurdington and the area on Crickley Hill known as Cold Slad.

A recent Diocesan survey of demographic groups report- ed that, of 433 homes, 35% were in the category "resi- dents of isolated rural communities", 29% "successful professionals living in suburban or semi-rural homes", 11% "residents with sufficient incomes in right-to-buy social housing" and 4% "families in low-rise social housing with high levels of benefit need”. None of these villages has a school; primary-age children from the villages attend schools in Shurdington (CofE), Birdlip, (2) and Cranham (CofE). The villages come under Badgeworth Parish Council and Tewkesbury Borough Council; Great Witcombe has its own Parish Meeting. The parish extends along the eastern side of the A46 beyond the Greenway Hotel (actually in Shurdington) and up the escarpment, incorporating part of Crickley Hill and Ermin Street up to Birdlip.

In Little Witcombe much of the housing is around the Village Green and close to the 12 Bells pub; some of this is social housing and within this residential area lies the Witcombe with Bentham Village Hall, which has recently undergone a huge refurbishment, funded by grants and a large amount of energetic fund-raising. It is hired by a number of local organisations, such as an Under-Fives group, Line dancing and as a venue for parties and receptions. Many community events are held here, include a series of village pantomimes based on the traditional repertoire but with a lot of local refer- ence, written by a village resident. These are well- supported, as is the Church, but many of those in the "estate" around the Hall seem reluctant to join in, despite a variety of events being offered. At one time there was a shop and Post Office, but the PO closures in 2008 forced the demise of the shop as well.

Bentham contains several groups of housing; at one time there was a school - this is now a resi- dence. The Victorian church of St Peter was declared redundant by the Diocese in the 1990s and is now used by Greek and Russian Orthodox congregations, who come to worship from a considerable area and have transformed the interior in their ornate style. St Mary's PCC is still responsible for the churchyard in which many local families have relatives buried.

Great Witcombe is clustered around St Mary's Church, close to the one-time school long-time closed. It is surrounded by the peace and beauty of the Wide Valley (Witcombe) and close to the reservoirs within the valley and in sight of the Witcombe Roman Villa on the hillside. The Patron, Mr Fred Hicks Beach, lives in the village, a descendant of the many Hicks and Hicks Beaches who are commemorated in the church. 19 THE VICARAGE

The Vicarage, situated opposite Saint Paul’s Church in Shurdington, was built in 1982 in the paddock belonging to the old Victorian Vicarage. It is a chalet styled house; on the ground floor there is a kitchen -breakfast room with adjoining utility area with an entrance to the garden. There is a spacious lounge and connecting dining room, which will seat eight comfortably; both overlook and have access to the garden. There is a large study, also with views of the garden, and a cloakroom. On the first floor are four good-sized bedrooms and a family bathroom. The property includes an integral garage and there is space to park at least four cars. The garden, mainly lawn, is screened by a beech hedge and fence.

THE AREA

The Benefice is close to both: Cheltenham - known for its many Festivals, including Music, Literature, National Hunt and Poetry (a co-director of which lives in the Benefice), a fine art gallery and museum, three theatres, shopping and excellent secondary schools, including independent and grammar, the University of and a league soccer team; and Gloucester – with its wonderful Cathedral, historic docks area, a leading Rugby team, more shopping and good schools. Not far away are the historic market towns of Tewkesbury and Cirencester.

It is within the wonderful walking country of the Cotswolds and of the churches of Gloucestershire that Simon Jenkins describes as “an aristocrat among counties”.

There is no secondary school in the Benefice, but young people are bussed to the independent schools, grammar schools and good academies in Cheltenham, Gloucester and Churchdown. There is a joint Anglican/Roman Catholic sponsored academy in Cheltenham.

Closeness to the M5 and, via the A417 to, the M4 gives it excellent access to all parts of the country, notably the West country, the Midlands and Wales. There are good rail and coach services from both Cheltenham and Gloucester to Heathrow and London. Links to websites with additional information:

Benefice www.bswbchurches.co.uk Deanery www.severnvaledeanery.co.uk Diocese www.gloucester.anglican.org Shurdington www.shurdington.org Shurdington Primary School www.shurdingtonceprimary.co.uk Witcombe Village Hall www.witcombevillagehall.co.uk

20 APPENDIX - PERSON SPECIFICATION

THE GREENWAY BENEFICE. DEANERY of SEVERN VALE, DIOCESE of GLOUCESTER

Appointment of Incumbent for the Parishes of Holy Trinity, Badgeworth, St Paul, Shurdington, St Mary, Witcombe with Bentham. PERSON SPECIFICATION

The three parishes are united in wishing to appoint an ordained priest:

● who is an effective, outgoing, inspirational, spiritual and prayerful leader and guide,

● who is passionate and energetic in his/her faith and its contemporary relevance to all in our communities and beyond,

● who has an understanding of rural life, is concerned for the pastoral care of the whole community and prepared to find time to be a presence in the village(s) and as supportive as possible of community events,

● who is comfortable with worship in both traditional and modern styles and sup- portive of the development of music within it through musicians and benefice choir,

● whose preaching is clear, scripturally rooted, yet relevant, accessible to all ages and intellects and not without humour,

● who possesses clear leadership qualities, but is committed to lay and local minis- try and to seeking out and developing the ministry of all,

● who is a strong advocate for outreach, particularly to children, young people and the elderly, and will maintain and develop the partnership between the benefice churches and the CofE Primary School in Shurdington,

● who is committed to representing the roles and needs of our parishes at Deanery and Diocesan levels and to working with ecumenical partners. 21 APPENDIX 2 - FINANCE (EXTRACTS FROM 2016 ANNUAL REPORT) 1. HOLY TRINITY, BADGEWORTH

Finance Review

Total receipts to ordinary unrestricted funds in 2015 were £35,124 as detailed in the Financial Statements. The principal contribution (£12,653) was planned giving by members of the church, an increase of 5% from the previous year’s figure. Income tax recovery via Gift Aid covered the two years 2013 and 2014 and amounted to £8,003. Total receipts to restricted funds were £1,100.

Total payments in the year were £40,601 (of which £527 came from restricted funds). The largest item of expenditure £18,556 was Parish Share, and represented an increase of 1.3% on 2014. This amount is approximately 30% of the benefice Parish Share. A major item of one-off capital expenditure during the year was the installation of a new under-pew heating system at £10,980. This was financed from the Legacy Fund after careful consideration by the PCC, and should reduce running costs significantly and therefore pay for itself within a few years. Please refer to the annual accounts for details of the donations made to charities.

The net result for the year was a deficit of £4,377. However, taking into account the fact that gift aid recovery covered two years rather than one, and the capital expenditure on the heating system, it was effectively a break-even year.

The balance in the Legacy Fund was £7,246. It is the PCC’s policy to designate this fund for special projects to improve the fabric and equipment of the church. Due to the planned expenditure in 2015 the balance represents a decrease of £9,275 on 31/12/2014.

Reserves Policy

It is PCC policy to maintain a balance in unrestricted funds (if possible) to cover emergency situations that may arise from time to time. The balance in unrestricted funds at the end of the year was £15,018. As £7,246 of this was in the Legacy Fund (see above), the balance of other unrestricted funds stood at £7,772. The balance in the general fund at 31st December 2015 was £5,353.

There are restricted funds for the maintenance of the fabric and of the churchyard. These are mainly financed by donations, particular from the Friends of the Church. The combined balance in these funds stood at £5,011.

It is the PCC’s strategy to invest our funds balances with the CBF Church of Deposit Fund.

Church fabric

New, underpew heating was installed this year, with thanks to Phil Cotton for overseeing the application and specification process.

The PCC plans as far is possible makes plans for the good maintenance of church fabric and the churchyard. It remains very grateful for the band of volunteers who clean, decorate and look after the fabric of the church, including the team of volunteers led by Mr Ray Frewing, the Fabric Officer. The PCC is also grateful for the financial donations from individuals and the Friends of Badgeworth Church towards the upkeep of fabric and churchyard.

Approved by the PCC and signed on its behalf by Revd Canon Richard Mitchell Chair Dated:

22 APPENDIX 2 - FINANCE (EXTRACTS FROM 2016 ANNUAL REPORT) 1. HOLY TRINITY, BADGEWORTH

TREASURER’S REPORT, 2015

A glance at the accounts will show that during 2015 our income was £36,224 and our expenditure £40,601. Spending 112% of our income is not to be recommended.

There were, however, as ever some unusual one-off features of our finances that rather cloud the overall picture. The income was boosted by the fact that within this financial year we received our gift aid re- covery payments both for 2014 and for 2013. £4,560 was received in respect of 2013, which should really have been in the previous financial year’s figures. On the other hand, a major, but one-off, item of expendi- ture this year was the new electrical heating system, which cost us a net £9,980 (£10,980 less a generous con- tribution from The Friends of Badgeworth Church of £1,000). Taking these two items out of the accounts would leave us with an income of £30,664, and an expenditure of £30,621, which is roughly break-even.

That we were able to achieve this was a struggle, but attributable to several factors: 1. A worthy 6.67% increase in our income from planned giving and the open plate – for which many thanks are due to all our contributors. 2. Much appreciated legacies from the estates of Jonty Nicol (£1,000) and Freda Sansom (£500) – these both in addition to worthy collections at their respective funerals. 3. The income of £1080 from the Holy Trinity 700 weekend, master-minded by Rachel Cottell. 4. The efforts of Phil and Hazel Cotton, Rachel Cottell, and Ray Frewing, helped by many others in organising fund-raising events to help to reduce the effects of the retirement of John Stanley and John Wallis. 5. The continued valiant support of The Friends, who – in addition to their contribution to the new heating system – provided a grant of £1,000 towards the costs of the upkeep of the building and the churchyard in 2014. 6. An increase in fees, particularly from weddings – something over which, of course, we have little or no control. 7. Great care to keep a tight rein on expenditure, particularly on the fabric and the churchyard – which is a huge tribute to the volunteer work of our Fabric Office, Ray Frewing, and his band of active and willing assist- ants. 8. A mild winter which kept the heating costs down. 9. The continued and much-valued generosity of so many with their time and their contributions in kind, through mowing, cleaning, flower-arranging, provision of materials for the upkeep of services, etc. – all areas that would be legitimate (and quite costly) expenditure streams in different circumstances.

But there are of course negatives: 1. The demands of Parish Share continue to increase – up by 1.3% in 2015 (when for the first time we did not quite achieve all that we were asked), and by a whopping 8.4% in 2016, to £20,111. 2. There are other sources of income (most of them hard work), but in order just to pay the Parish Share (and there are plenty of other issues of expenditure too) each of us – the regular donors – needs to give £8.80 + gift aid every week. 3. We can’t always keep expenditure on the building and the churchyard at a bare minimum – sooner or lat- er there are going to be essential items of expenditure that we just cannot avoid. 4. The Legacy Fund has been much reduced, from £16,521 a year ago to £7,246 now.

We are enormously grateful to all of our regular donors and contributors. But our challenge remains unchanged – we have to continue to increase income, and that inevitably means redoubled efforts on the part of those who love and value the church and the church community. It is an unpleasant truth, but a truth none the less.

Malcolm Brown (PCC Treasurer)

23 APPENDIX 2 - FINANCE (EXTRACTS FROM 2016 ANNUAL REPORT) 1. HOLY TRINITY, BADGEWORTH

24 APPENDIX 2 - FINANCE (EXTRACTS FROM 2016 ANNUAL REPORT) 2. ST PAUL’S, SHURDINGTON

St PAUL’S, SHURDINGTON TRUSTEE’S REPORT TRUSTEE’S REPORT (extract) Finance Finance and the contribution to Parish Share by the benefice, continues to be the cause of much discussion. The PCC encourages financial giving through the Parish Giving Scheme and, where possible, for regular contribu- tions to be increased in line with inflation.

Total receipts on ordinary unrestricted funds were £27043 in 2015 as detailed in the Receipts and Payments Account. Total payments in the year were £29449. The largest item of expenditure, £20618, was for Parish Share to the Diocesan Common Fund.

The outcome for the year was a shortfall of £2406 which has reduced the General Fund from the £17121 of last year to £14715. This is not an alarming amount but will need to be addressed if this continues next year. St Paul’s, along with all charities, has a legal obligation to maintain a balance of unrestricted funds to ensure it can pay its bills when they fall due. The balance on General Fund of £14715 is adequate to do this.

Collections and planned giving were down but the increase in the open plate compensated for this. The Diocesan Common Fund was paid in full this year. Unfortunately, there were no further refunds from Npower. The funds invested with Ecclesiastical were at £103113 which in a difficult year was good news.

The church hall accounts show a surplus in income against expenditure of £543 for the year ending 31st December 2015.

The PCC is very appreciative of the advice given by Mr John Noble, as church auditor, in the management of its finances.

25 APPENDIX 2 - FINANCE (EXTRACTS FROM 2016 ANNUAL REPORT) 2. ST PAUL, SHURDINGTON

ST PAUL'S CHURCH SHURDINGTON RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR TO 31ST DECEMBER 2015

GENERAL FUND 2015 2014 RECEIPTS £ £ Collections and Planned Giving

Envelopes 13,126 13,576 Standing Orders 790 1,260 Open plate 1,989 1,428 Tax Recovered 4,064 4,115

19,969 20,379 Fees 2,700 2,997 Other Giving and Donations 1,719 1,486 Special Events 2,297 3,351 CBF Interest 162 182 Children 38 - Charity Donations 158 101 Three in One Magazine - 500 Legacy - 720 Diocesan Board of Finance Fees. 2,590 1,554 N Power rebate - 1,129 9,664 12,020

29,633 32,399

PAYMENTS Running costs Upkeep of Services 1,164 730 Organist's fees 1,560 1,060 Ministerial Expenses 703 852 Insurance 1,549 1,592 Electricity & water 1,400 1,430 Office expenses 601 397 Office Administrator 619 612 7,596 6,673 Children 30 144 Special Events - 200

Diocesan Common Fund 20,618 18,323 Synod Fee 10 10 Diocesan Board of Finance Fees. 2,590 1,554 Charity Donations 1,195 1,225

24,443 21,456

TOTAL EXPENSES 32,039 28,129

SURPLUS / DEFICIT - 2,406 4,270

29,633 32,399

26 APPENDIX 2 - FINANCE (EXTRACTS FROM 2016 ANNUAL REPORT) 3. ST MARY'S, WITCOMBE with BENTHAM

Witcombe with Bentham Parochial Church Council Statement of Accounts and Financial Report for Year Ending 2015 (extract)

Summary statement of accounts and financial report for the year ending 31st December 2015

Total receipts and payments for the year are tabulated on page 3

Total receipts for unrestricted funds (general account, Witcombe Social Fundraisers [WSF], newly created St Mary’s 100 Club and investment income) were £35402 Receipts for restricted funds (investment income and £3000 lavatory grants) were £3021. Adding these figures produces total receipts of £38423

Total payments from unrestricted funds (general account, Witcombe Social Fundraisers [WSF]), and the newly created St Mary’s 100 Club ) were £38917. Payment from restricted accounts (bell ringers, St Marys Church yard) was £5492 Adding these figures produces total payments of £44409.

The largest amount of expenditure £20618 was the Parish Share, an increase of 12.5% from 2014, this being payment to the Gloucester Diocesan Board of Finance to enable it to provide the parish with clergy, and support services.

Net receipts of -£5986 is due to the purchase of an outside lavatory costing £10222. This has been recovered by the withdrawal of £5737 from our CBF Church Fund a/c (see p4) and £5000 from grants received towards the purchase.

Supplementary notes 3 to 20 on pages 5 to 8 give a more detailed view on how the receipts and payments were collated.

Income from plate collections including bank standing orders, wedding and funeral donations etc. were sensibly the same as 2014. Parish giving showed an increase of 4%. Overall, the figures are sensibly the same as 2014

Net fund raising by WSF and other events (see note 6) totalled £9235 from which £1698 was donated to the Village Hall Kitchen refurbishment fund.

Fees of £1885 for weddings and funerals show a decrease from the 2014 fees of £2914

Payment to local and UK charities totalled £850 Payments to overseas charities Nepal Earthquake Appeal £305 and Christian Aid Refugee Appeal £250

Bank and building society accounts for unrestricted funds showed a surplus of £20563 Restricted accounts showed a surplus of £1058

Alan Jones………..Hon treasurer

27 APPENDIX 2 - FINANCE (EXTRACTS FROM 2016 ANNUAL REPORT) 3. ST MARY'S, WITCOMBE with BENTHAM

Note General Unrestricted Restricted Total 2014 Funds Funds Funds £ £ £ £ £ RECEIPTS Collections + Gift Day 3 16300 16300 16346 Income tax recovered 4 4092 4092 3405 Donations 5 1416 1416 1067 Fund raising events 6 2622 6613 9235 7840 Other receipts 7 2210 2210 618 Advertising revenue (3in1 mag.) 8 - - 500 Fees 9 1885 1885 2914 Investment income 10 140 124 21 285 282 Grants 11 3000 3000 2000 Bell ringing charges - - Transfer from a/c 616270002D 12 -

Total receipts 28665 6737 3021 38423 34972

PAYMENTS Parish share 20618 20618 18323 Running costs Upkeep of services 276 276 363 Music fees 850 850 540 Ministry expenses 13 2296 2296 1640 Maintenance of St Mary’s 14 404 404 495 Insurance 1076 1076 1108 Electricity 558 558 1018 3 in 1 costs 15 1860 1860 1860 General parish expenses 16 315 315 2507 Payments to charities 17 1405 1405 1204 Witcombe Social Fundraisers 18 4160 4160 5090 St Mary’s 100 Club 19 325 325 Water bill – Severn Trent 34 34 33 Purchase of outside lavatory 20 4740 5482 10222 Bell ringing expenses 10 10 10

Total payments 34432 4485 5492 44409 34691

Net receipts -5986 281

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