THE CHURCH IN WALES YR EGLWYS YNG NGHYMRU

Annual Vestry Report For year ended 31st December 2019

Parish Mission Prayer

Father, pour out your Spirit Upon the people of this parish, and grant us a new vision of your glory, a new experience of your power, a new faithfulness to your word, and a new consecration to your service, that your love may grow among us and your kingdom come; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Minutes of AVM held on Sunday 28th April 2019 at Nolton Church 5 Coity Sunday Club 6 Coity Church Choir 7 Nolton Church Choir 7 Coity Church Bellringers 8 Tuesday Fellowship 8 Mothers’ Union 9 Coity Church Flower Club 10 Report on Conferences 11 Events Committee 12 Fabric Committee – 2019 13 And that’s not all… 13 Description of the Parish 14 Objectives 14 Administrative Information 14 Members of the Parochial Church Council for 2019/2020 15 Organisation of Parochial Church Council 15 The Mission Sub Committee 15 Finance Sub Committee 16 Fabric Sub Committee 16 Electoral Roll 16 Parish Sunday Services 16 Financial Report 17

PCC Report and Financial Statements for the year ended December 31st 2019

Introduction As expected 2019 proved to be a year of continuing major changes in the Parish. The vacant incumbency was advertised and from the excellent candidates Rev Maggie Thorne was offered, and accepted the position of Vicar of the Benefice. The licensing took place on 13th June and, at last, we were in a position to reduce some of the workload which had fallen on our hard working curate, Rev Mark Broadway. We were thankful for the hard work and dedication of Rev Mark during the vacancy and for the support and work of the Area Dean, Rev Ian Hodges. Unfortunately, the dispute between some members of Nolton congregation and the Administrator had not been resolved before Rev Maggie took up her post. This was eventually brought to a conclusion to prevent further disruption to our work in the Parish. Sadly several parishioners felt they could no longer remain in the congregation, including Keith Jones and Linda Jenkins who, together with their spouses had been dedicated workers as Warden and in other areas for many years. The administrator left our employment and, after a short period when Bianca Broadway covered the position, a new administrator, Allison Rogers, was appointed and is settling into the work. The arrival of the new Incumbent gave us the opportunity to approach our work with new ideas and review some of our longstanding procedures. The PCC committees have been restructured to become more effective and our hopes and plans for the future reviewed. We are grateful to all those in the Parish for their patience and support during the vacancy and special thanks to those who have taken on extra, unexpected tasks but with God’s help have risen to the challenge. We are now looking forward to a period of stabilisation and development as we work together in supporting Rev Maggie to Grow God’s Kingdom in the Year of Pilgrimage 2020 and spread God’s love in our Community and beyond.

2019 Annual Vestry Report by the Vicar

You will already be aware of the Diocesan 2020 Vision, but I’ll remind you here that it is 3-fold and encourages every member of the Church in Wales to tell a joyful story, build our capacity for good, and extend the Kingdom. At this time the Ministry Team comprises the Revd. Maggie Thorne (Vicar), the Revd. Mark Broadway (Assistant Curate), and Chris Judd, Huw Jones, Peter Craven and John Dixon, our licensed lay ministers. As you’ll be aware, our Benefice is a very busy one, and I thank the Team immensely for their ministries as I am certain all the congregations we serve do too. I am also deeply grateful to our churchwardens and to the whole of the PCC for their ongoing commitment and hard work. Everyone will be aware that the Parish has had a rough time over the last 18 months. This culminated in reaching a settlement with our Parish Administrator and Hall Manager who left our employment in September. I am grateful that Bianca Broadway could step in as a temporary solution to our problem and bring the office to a more stable position. I had hoped that we could have finished all our decorating in time for a permanent Administrator, but that wasn’t to be. Allie Rogers joined our team in December and she is gradually getting things to run smoothly. There has been an almost total clear out of detritus and out- moded files, complete redecorating and re-carpeting, plus a re-thinking of how the hall is being used, the abolition of the weekly Pews News and the forming of the monthly parish magazine. The Hall Team is a happy one and functions very well together. Most recently, hall security has been on the agenda and we now only have access to the building via a key pad.

1 Across the Parish our worship is chiefly sacramental with the Eucharist currently being celebrated every Sunday in all three of our churches, with the exception of Brackla on the 1st and 3rd Sundays. At the moment, my aim is to cover two Eucharists on a Sunday morning, thereby allowing people to get to know me, although I appreciate that wherever I preside at 9.30 I am always in a rush to get to Nolton. Apart from annual leave, Nolton always sees me on Monday morning, at which we have our revived Healing Service (preceded by Morning Prayer); and Coity always sees me on a Tuesday morning. A traditional service of Evensong is upheld weekly in Coity, apart from a bi-monthly Taize service. Unfortunately, Evensong and Compline at Nolton have not been viable services and for now they have been removed from our rotas. I hope that this will change in the future. In addition, a monthly Mothers’ Union Eucharist is held on Thursdays and a further Eucharist on Fridays. Music for our Sunday services and pastoral services continues to be offered by a variety of organists, choirs and musicians. My thanks to you all for your time, commitment and expertise, all of which enhances our worship. As a musician myself, this is a total joy! Most age groups are being catered for in our services. However, Nolton struggles to attract young members, and Angels and Cherubs, which was designed to bring baptism families to the church, has not been a particular success. Such is life that most young mums return to work as soon as they can and the connection made at baptism is lost. A family party was held in the summer which brought the younger members and baptism families together in a delightfully relaxed and happy way. This will be offered again this year. The Fingers and Thumbs playgroup that use Coity Hall asked me for a weekly service. This has been provided and I have suggested that the group come to Coity Church for this so that it can be opened out to other families with young children. Unfortunately, this idea has not been particularly well received although I shall keep trying! I have already mentioned to our new curate-to-be, Ceri Holloway, that it would be wonderful if she could make young families a priority for her ministry. I am hoping, especially with the licensing of Christopher Robinson, our new Non-Stipendiary Minister, that we will be able to offer an after school church in Brackla. The school is keen on this idea, so watch this space. I am aware that for some it is difficult to see so few children at a Sunday service, but it really isn’t the case that children aren’t attending church, they just come on a different day and worship in a different way to how most of us have been used to. The children at Archdeacon John Lewis are now receiving ‘Open the Book’ assemblies regularly where they are exposed to Bible stories, short reflections, prayers and hymns. There is considerable enthusiasm from children and staff and I thank the team for all their hard work, even though they have a great deal of fun in the process. The REInspired Project has also begun in AJL’s and Coychurch School and I have collaborated with the Revd. Martyn Evans in taking the project to Maesteg Comprehensive School. I will bang on and on about these projects. They work. It’s a simple as that. But…..they are heavy on volunteers, so if you can join one or both of the teams, I would be delighted because we can then reach out to more schools. The Pilgrim course takes place on Sunday afternoons in the Rectory. So as not to allow it to become burdensome, and recognizing that people have other things to do, the course is punctuated by weeks to accommodate other events. Other Bible studies occur around the benefice at various times which are noted in Pews News. Through Lent, the Revd. Chris and Huw have been sharing leading the Diocesan Bible Study in Coity and Nolton.

So far, we have 16 weddings taking place this season, 2 that have been booked for next year and one other for 2022. After a well-received wedding preparation day in January, I intend to offer a second in May, and a

2 party of some sort later in the year so that the couples may return, show off their photographs and strengthen their link with us. Baptisms, funerals and interments of ashes are conducted regularly and I thank all who help at the preparation days and services in any way. Pastoral visiting takes place across the Benefice in both an informal and formal way and 12 homes are visited with Communion. Although the clergy are on the rotas for these, it is important that our housebound parishioners see other faces too, as the Benefice is always too busy with multiple events and problems that need urgent attention to leave it only to the Vicar and Curate. I hope that some visitors may rise to the challenge of becoming prison visitors in time, following a very interesting talk given to us by the Revd. Dawn Tilt, the Chaplain to the prison. I find myself the Vice Chair of CYTUN Churches Together in Bridgend, although I am unable to attend their meetings at the moment. Having been involved with many ecumenical groups in the past, I am keen to participate in joint ventures. We have recently come together with another church in the town to provide afternoon provision for the homeless but although this was enjoyed and appreciated by many, a few service-users caused problems and regrettably we have had to withdraw the service. We are working with the Council and other local organisations to do all we can to address the homeless issue in a realistic way. Again, my thanks to all those who have helped with this over the winter. Further afield, we look forward to a visit from +Karin from Uppsala and Pastor Fredrik of Balinge at the end of March, and look forward to seeing Fredrik again in August. Our treasurer, Mel Oglesbee, has prepared an individual, in-depth financial report, but to summarize, our financial situation is such that every member of the parish needs to understand that we can no longer rely purely on our investments to balance our books, and we need to make every effort to increase our income and reduce costs. I am extremely grateful to Mr. Mel for his wonderfully efficient work as our Treasurer, and will miss working with him as he stands down from the position.

Various essential repairs have been carried out to our buildings and grounds over the year, but thanks to Fred Custerson, whose rolling programme of work is strictly adhered to, we have very few nasty shocks and the buildings in our charge are maintained to an excellent standard.

Our Fund Raising Group has reformed this year under the able leadership of Andrew Dix. The Christmas Tree Festival was very successful with a large number of parishioners pooling their resources and offering to help in a number of ways. Different types of events are being planned for the next year through which it is hoped that more people from outside of the worshipping community will support. I would particularly like to draw your attention to our Concert Series at Nolton, which, when costs are covered, are being held to attract the community into the church and to raise funds for nominated charities. All these events show that the whole Parish enjoys fellowship and the opportunity for a party. Refreshments are always served to grateful recipients after service on Sundays and there is always a cup of something a few biscuits waiting for you when you come to the Rectory too.

Philippa Coulson has formed a monthly upcycling workshop which is the first step in raising our awareness and actually doing something constructive about the state of global warming and climate change. She and I have attended an ecumenical meeting for all those concerned across South Wales who wholeheartedly support the Biblical mandate to care for the earth. In addition, the Dowlmans and I have attended a Diocesan meeting to encourage our own Bishop June to make Llandaff an Eco-Diocese. We have registered with the organisation, A Rocha, to become eco-church, and you will be hearing more about this as the year progresses. Please give this as much support as you are able. As Philippa steps down from being Church 3 Warden, I am hoping that she will have more time to be able to keep us on our toes with this vital subject that effect each one of us. So much good happens in the Parish that it is worth celebrating and I fear I may have forgotten to mention something or someone very important in this report. The fact is that most of you do a great deal for the sake of the local church, the local community and the Kingdom of God. I cannot do the work alone and appreciate the collaboration with so many of you in the Parish. I look forward to welcoming Chris Robinson onto the Ministry Team shortly, and to training Ceri Holloway our curate-in-waiting who will be joining us at the end of June. I am also extremely grateful to the many retired priests in the deanery who help out from time to time. Looking back over the Parish Profile, your needs were identified as growing and equipping ourselves as disciples and ambassadors for Christ; developing our ministry and outreach to children, young people and families, and strengthening our links with local schools; developing our churches as focal points within our local communities; and reaching out to our local communities through pastoral care and social action. We are a work in progress, but you will agree that we have made a good start. As some of you will know, I also participate in extra-curricular activities. Earlier this year I was commissioned as the Vocations Advisor to the Archdeaconry of Margam. You will have read in our magazine that I’m also holding a vocations group within the Benefice to encourage ministry in its widest forms. I am also a spiritual director for Llandaff and Monmouth Dioceses and a member of the Standing Liturgical Advisory Committee for the Province. Finally, I know you would want to join with me in thanking our curate, Mark, for his stalwart work during the vacancy and his continued ministry across the whole Benefice. His preaching has been especially helpful to many and in meetings he has often provided an alternative view which has challenged the status quo and resulted in positive change. As we thank him, we wish him well and every success as he now moves to his second curacy in Porthcawl. I finish by offering one of my favourite scripture verses as words that offer both a thanksgiving and a challenge: ‘Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever. Amen

4 Minutes of AVM held on Sunday 28th April 2019 at Nolton Church

Apologies: Chris Merkins, John Dixon, Mari Dixon, Alexis Frew, Huw Jones, John O’Leary, Glenys O’Leary, Mal Short , Liz Short, Barrie Williams, Gloria Williams, Keith Jones, Ruth Jones, Mari Major, Windsor Major, Sue Evans, Iona Logan, Richard Logan, Margaret Miller, Rowena Small 1. The meeting was opened with prayer and Introduction by Area Dean , Rev Ian Hodges 2. Apologies received were read by Secretary 3. Area Dean was in the Chair and warmly welcomed everyone to the AVM 2019 He then delivered his report as Acting Incumbent and Area Dean to the AVM as published in the Annual report thanking all those who had supported and helped during the last year 4. Minutes of previous Annual Vestry Meeting as published in Annual report were received by the AVM and accepted as a true record 5. The Annual Report had been issued, thanks to those who had submitted reports on Parish groups and activities. The Mission report was accepted by the meeting 6. Thanks to Mel Oglesbee and Keith Jones for preparing the Annual Financial report and accounts and to the Independent Examiner, Alwyn Thomas The annual accounts were accepted as presented . 7. Gaynor Coles was appointed Rector’s Warden 8. Fred Custerson was appointed Sub Warden at Coity 9. Keith Jones was appointed Sub Warden at Nolton 10. Dave Godin was appointed Sub warden at Brackla 11. Philippa Coulson was elected People’s Warden after a ballot 12. Hollie Evans was elected sub warden at Brackla 13. Nader Omidvar was elected Sub Warden at Coity 14. Allan Dowlman was elected Sub Warden at Nolton 15. There was no ballot for PCC as there were only 19 nominations , all were declared elected 16. All Sidespersons listed were appointed 17. Deanery Conference Representatives - Gaynor Coles, Nader Omidvar, Hollie Evans, Ian Hibble , Chris Judd 18. Diocesan Conference – Ian Hibble elected 19. Alwyn Thomas, an accountant was appointed to the role of Independent examiner of Accounts. Meeting agreed to request re-appointment of Alwyn Thomas as Independent Examiner 20. AOB – Electoral roll will be renewed in 2020 new forms will be distributed in January 2020 21. The meeting was declared Closed at 14:35 with the Grace.

5

Coity Sunday Club Coity Sunday Club continues to meet every Sunday morning at 9:30am in Coity Church Hall. Attendance on Sunday mornings varies from ten to fifteen children, ranging from six months to thirteen years of age, along with their parents, carers and helpers. We are indebted to the adults that help each Sunday with various craft activities. We continue to welcome new children and families who move into Coity village and the Parc Derwen development. Currently, we have a growing number of younger children age 2 – 8 attending, many of whom have not been regular church attenders. This year Sunday Club lessons have followed the theme of heroes of the Bible and the life of Jesus as well as focusing on the main Christian festivals throughout the year. Sunday Club starts with prayers followed by activities based on a Biblical theme. Most Sundays the children spend part of the session in the church service. Children are given the opportunity to show the congregation what they have created and talk about what they have learnt in Sunday Club when they join the congregation for Communion. The children also assist with the collection during the service. It has once again been a busy year for Sunday Club as the children have been involved in a variety of events. One of the highlights of the year is the annual fund-raising event which is held in October. This year the children started preparing for the event at the end of the summer by collecting favourite family teatime recipes that were made into a recipe book. The recipe book was published and printed professionally and sold for £3-00. It was launched at the annual cake sale in October and proved to be a tremendous success enabling the Sunday Club to send a cheque for £350 to the Alzheimer’s Society as well as 5 rucksacks (filled with sleeping bags, food, toiletries and clothing) for The Wallich in Bridgend. A cheque for £150 was also sent to The Wallich to pay for the ingredients for a Christmas lunch for the homeless. The children of the Sunday Club enjoyed supporting the charities, but special praise is to be given to Rhys, who raised £116 from the sale of recipe books. The Sunday club would like to thank the members of the congregation who supported them in their fundraising. At Christmas the children also took part in the Christmas tree festival in Nolton, creating a tree based on the carol “Joy to the World, the Lord is come”. The children enjoyed making decorations based on the carol for their tree – especially the glitter!! The Children also enjoyed their Christmas party and had a special visit from Father Christmas (many thanks to John O’Leary who did an excellent job). Before the school summer holidays started, the children enjoyed a picnic in the grounds of Coity castle. The sun shone and everyone enjoyed playing games as well as having delicious food to eat. Sunday club lessons are currently planned termly and delivered by two teachers. There are currently vacancies for anyone who is interested in joining the team. No previous experience or qualifications are required just a love of children. Salary is immeasurable and really rewarding as you will be helping to sow the seeds of God’s love and at the same time help secure the future of the church for generations. Susan & Louise - Coity Sunday Club team.

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Coity Church Choir The choir continues to lead the worship at the 9.30 Eucharist on Sunday mornings and at Matins on the fourth Sunday of the month. During the year the choir joined with Nolton choir on several occasions , most notably the licensing to the parish of Rev Maggie in June, and with Coychurch choir for their Harvest Thanksgiving service in September. The choir sang at several weddings during the year and were particularly honoured to sing at the wedding of chorister Elizabeth French in August. Once again the choir hosted a Lent lunch in Nolton hall and supported the Christmas Tree Festival in December. The service of Nine Lessons and Carols was held on Advent four and began as usual with a lantern procession preceded by a tea party in the hall. The soloist at the service was Elizabeth French and Richard Thorne added a new dimension with a flute accompaniment to one of the choir carols. In October the choir enjoyed their annual dinner at the Golden Mile. The choir is indebted to our regular organist Russell Lock and to Hilary Johns and Joanne Blackwell for so willingly filling the gaps and being available for practices when required. My personal thanks to the choristers and organists for their commitment and support of all our activities and to the clergy and congregation for their encouragement. Mari Dixon

Nolton Church Choir The choir has sung at Eucharist services each Sunday. They also lead other festival and special services where they occur. This year anthems sung were: O Lamb of God (Mozart) Lent Exultet: Rejoice O Heavenly Powers (Malcolm Archer) Easter People look East (arr. Malcolm Archer) Christmas Carol Service Christmas Lullaby (John Rutter) Carol Service In the Bleak Mid-Winter (Harold Darke) Carol Service Services of Nine Lessons and Carols are the highlight of the year and these were held at Easter and at Christmas. The Easter service tells the story of Easter through readings, hymns and two special items from the choir. In June of this year, the choirs from the four churches of the Benefice combined to lead the singing at the Institution and Induction of the Rev. Maggie Thorne at St. Mary, Nolton. The choirstalls were overflowing with more than thirty choristers leading memorable music at that service. Earlier this year, we welcomed two new choristers, Jan Dowlman and Jen Waggett. We hope they enjoy singing the services of the church with us. I would like to express my thanks to the choir members at St Mary, Nolton for their continued support through the year. John Davies

7 Coity Church Bellringers Members: The membership now comprises 8 Adults who are all members of the Llandaff and Monmouth association of Church Bell Ringers. Unfortunately only 4 are available for service ringing. 4 new ringers are in training. We ring for Morning and Evening services also for Weddings depending on Ringer availability. Ringing Trips: Joint Llansteffan and Coity Bell Ringers Autumn Ringing Trip. On Saturday 5th October we rang at St. David`s Laleston, St. Bridget`s. St. Brides Major and St Mary`s Coity. Lunch was at The Sycamore Tree Colwinston. It was an excellent meal. We enjoyed ringing together and it helped the newer ringers along as well as keeping the more experienced ringers on their toes. We look forward to next year. Weddings: We rung for 7 weddings at Coity. Hand Bells: The Hand Bell Team practice regularly during the winter months. We rang at the Christmas Tree Festival on 14th December at Nolton (We entered a tree), also rang for the Carol Service at Coity on 22nd December. Visiting Ringers: Saturday 9th March from the West Country. Friday 12th April from St. Mark`s Exeter. Wednesday 2nd October the Guild of Clerical Ringers Quarter Peals: Friday 1st. November 1260 changes of Bob Minor rung by members of the Llandaff Branch for the Quarter Peal fortnight Social Events: Our AGM was held in Coity Hall on Wednesday 17th April bringing our own refreshments. On Friday the 6th December the Annual Christmas Dinner was held at the Haywain for some 9 ringers and friends. We enjoyed good food and company. On Wednesday 18th December a “Nibbles Night” was held in the Tower washed down with Bucks Fizz. New Year: We finished the year in the traditional way by ringing out the old year, striking midnight, then ringing in the New Year. Celebrated with Mince pies washed down with Bucks Fizz. Thank You to the Ringers for their loyal support at Practice, Weddings and Church services throughout the year. Mel for the dinner at the Haywain and his treasurer duties. Philip for his Vice Captain duties and to Rowena our Tower Secretary. To Barry for organising the Joint Ringing Trip. Practice Times Tower Bells - Wednesdays 7.30 to 9.00 pm. Hand Bells - Sundays 4.30 to 5.30 pm. (Winter Months only) Service ringing on Sundays. Morning 9.00 to 9.25.am Evening 5.30 to 5.55 pm. We are in danger of not having enough Tower bell ringers to ring for service so if you feel you would like to learn please contact me on 01656 659741 or in Church.

Fred Custerson Tower Captain

Tuesday Fellowship Tuesday Fellowship has continued to meet on the second Tuesday of the month at 7.30pm in Coity hall. During the year there has been a varied programme of talks punctuated by a Christmas party and a Lenten Eucharist service followed by Simnel cake and fellowship in the hall. The year ended with a fish and chip supper and AGM in June. Once again Fellowship was able to contribute generously to the parish charitable donations. Fellowship is open to all and everyone is warmly welcomed. Thanks to those who run our meetings and to those who support month by month.

John Dixon

8 Mothers’ Union We are one of twelve branches in The Diocese of Llandaff, Mothers’ Union (MU) belonging to a worldwide MU organisation with the same Vision, Mission and Values. Vision: Our vision is of a world where God’s love is shown through loving, respectful and flourishing relationships. This is not a vague hope, but a goal we actively pursue by praying, campaigning and enabling. Mission: We aim to show our Christian faith by the transformation of communities worldwide. We can do this through supporting strong relationships within the family and promoting reconciliation at all levels. Values: There are more than four million members of Mothers’ Union today in 84 countries around the world. Each member subscribes to the same values:

 We are firmly rooted in voluntary ethos centred on mutual respect and collaboration.  Our governance, leadership and programmes are driven by and undertaken through members within their own communities worldwide.

The members of our Branch of the Mothers’ Union are dedicated in upholding the MU aims and objectives:

 To encourage parents in their role to develop the faith of their children;  to maintain a worldwide fellowship of Christians united in prayer, worship and service;  to promote conditions in society favourable to stable family life and the protection of children;  to help those whose family life has met with adversity;  to promote and support married life.

We do this by holding two meetings a month: Our Corporate Communion Service @ St. Mary Nolton, 10:00 am., followed by fellowship in the Hall, on the 2nd Thursday of the Month. A Social Gathering in the Dunraven Room of Nolton Hall at 2.00 pm. held on the 3rd Tuesday of the month, when we have a speaker or some other items of interest, e.g. quiz, cream tea, Harvest tea, carols and readings. In July we hosted our yearly Branch Dinner at a very interesting restaurant in The Victoria Inn, Sigingstone, Vale of Glamorgan, which has been an Inn since 1861 and is filled with Victorian memorabilia. In September we enjoyed our Annual Day Trip to Tewkesbury Abbey, famous for the medieval stained glass in its seven quire windows. The Bridgend Deanery holds special services during the year, the Deanery Festival (always held in May) and Advent Service in early December. We are most fortunate to be able to hire a minibus from Bridgend Community Transport for our MU Branch outings. We rejoice in worship and Christian Fellowship, having said farewell in July 2018 to Reverend Canon Mike Komor, we are most grateful to our Curate Reverend Mark Broadway and Chris Judd, our dedicated Lay Reader, for supporting us during the vacancy. We welcomed, wholeheartedly the installation (13th June 2019) of Reverend Maggie Thorne, by Right Reverend Bishop June Osborne and also greeted Reverend Maggie’s husband, Richard, to our fold. At our AGM in February 2020 we all stood for a minute's silence in respect for the late Margaret Miller (our devoted Hon. Treasurer), before thanking Mary Phillips, our Branch Leader (2009-2019) with gifts and basket of flowers from members in gratitude for her 10 years' dedicated Service. Appointments were unanimously agreed for incoming Branch Leader, Hon. Treasurer and Hon. Secretary, namely, Dr Susy Rogers, Jan Dowlman and Joan Thomas. In our prayers, we hope that the year ahead will bring many blessings to us as a group, welcoming new members interested in joining us. Our Calendar of Events 2020-2021 promises to be both Steadfast in the Faith and inspirational. Dr Susy Rogers, Branch Leader

9 Coity Church Flower Club The ladies of Coity Flower Club started the year of 2019 by enjoying a talk given by our secretary Ella Dodd, on the village of Coity. It was a very interesting overview of the history of the village, its church and Ella’s experiences. The ladies found the evening very enjoyable and entertaining. In February we held a Spring Practice based on the theme of a Miniature Spring Garden. Mair Cripps was not present at today’s meeting but the ladies were required to interpret their own designs using appropriate flowers and foliage. The evening concluded with a raffle and refreshments. Sadly it was the last meeting here for our long standing member, Margaret Smith, as she was moving away to be near to her son. Flowers were sent to Glenda who was in hospital. Later on in the month a few ladies met to make posies of daffodils for the children to give to their mothers in church the next day, for Mothering Sunday. The next meeting was held in March when the ladies enjoyed a lunch at the Old Cottage, Bridgend. In April there was an Easter Practice when the ladies made Easter bonnets and then wore them afterwards in a parade around the hall. Hilary accompanied them on the piano. Also in April the ladies met to decorate Coity Church in readiness for Easter. We used yellow and white flowers- mainly chrysanthemums and carnations to decorate the altar, pulpit, font, chest, 6 windowsills, the porch and a floral cross. All agreed the arrangements brightened up the church immensely. A practice evening was held in May. Mair suggested the theme was to be “Once Upon a Time” which meant the ladies had to think of a nursery rhyme or child’s story and make an arrangement to represent this. It was interesting to guess the rhyme/ story behind each lady’s exhibit. A day trip to the village of Malmesbury was arranged for the month of June. We managed to fill up the bus which meant the day didn’t run at a loss. The Abbey gardens were very popular with the ladies and of course there were plenty of tea rooms in the village. We held our AGM in July when Ella Dodd took over the Chairmanship from Anne Thomas and Margaret Evans became Deputy Chairman. Susan Hawthorne was welcomed as Secretary and Karen Phillips also joined the committee. Other committee members now include Mair Cripps- President: Enid Davies- Treasurer: Jean - Social Secretary: also Menna Morgan and Marion Harris. A vote was taken whether to extend our flower club’s meetings to include every September. This vote was passed. The evening concluded with strawberries and Pimms. We started back in September 2019. Our annual joining fee is now £6.00- originally £5.00 and a £2.00 charge at every meeting which includes tea and biscuits and a raffle ticket. Susan Hawthorne organised the printing and design of the annual programmes which were duly distributed. This month we arranged to have a ‘bow making ‘practice using ribbons of various colours and sizes. Ella, Mair and Diana demonstrated various techniques which looked easy until the ladies tried them out. All agreed the night was very enjoyable and useful. Mair demonstrated an Autumn based arrangement in October . The ladies used their own flowers and greenery to replicate the idea. The ladies met in October to decorate the church in readiness for the Harvest Festival. The ladies met again in November when Beverley Clay, a NAFAS qualified demonstrator, arrived to demonstrate some beautiful Christmas themed arrangements. These were duly raffled at the end of the evening followed by Pat’s delicious mince pies and cups of tea. A wonderful evening was had by all which set the scene for more Christmas activities. The Christmas Tree Festival was held in December when Margaret Evans and Mair decorated a tree to represent Coity Flower Club. To complete the year, a Christmas Party was held in the church hall in December. Ladies were requested to bring a sweet or savoury item and dress up in festive costumes. A short pantomime was presented by some ladies which was enjoyed by all. The evening concluded with a secret Santa, Ella’s quiz and carol singing accompanied by Hilary on the piano. Finally the ladies met to decorate the church in readiness for Christmas celebrations. The windowsill arrangements enhanced the Christmas Tree this year by using red and gold baubles hanging on twigs surrounded by greenery. Thanks go to Mair, Ella, Enid, Hilary, Anne, Karen, Betty, Jean and Menna who assisted in making the church look so festive. Coity Flower Club meets on the first Tuesday of the month at 7.30pm. New members are always made very welcome Anne Thomas (Chairperson)

10 Report on Conferences Diocesan Conferences July & September 2019 In 2019, the Conference met twice in the year; one occasion on 15 July focused on routine business matters and one on 28 September focused on the 2020 Year of Pilgrimage. In July the business-focussed conference noted the report of the standing committee and received a verbal annual report from the Diocesan Board of Finance. The finance report focussed on the trend over the last five years to create stability with a reduction in deficits and the ability to release reserves to support the strategic vision of the diocese. It was noted the 2020 budget would be more focused on supporting the five-year diocesan strategic vision “Where Faith Matters” which outlines the key shared aims of:  Telling a joyful story.  Growing the Kingdom of God.  Building our capacity for good. Through reserves and the evangelism fund a total of nearly £6m has been committed over the next five years to support a mission-focused vision for the diocese. There was one oral question regarding the forthcoming Lambeth Conference in 2020 that will be a gathering of Anglican Bishops from across the world that happens every 10 years. It was outlined that Llandaff will be participating in hosting some of the delegates to the conference to share some of the hospitality burden and any costs would be considered in the draft budgeting for 2020. In September the business was very much focused on the 2020 Year of Pilgrimage and how this will support the objectives of the diocesan vision to continue Christ’s church and mission by telling the joyful story of Jesus, growing the Kingdom of God by empowering all to participate and building the future in hope and love. The Bishop’s presidential address to the conference in September outlined her excitement and anticipation for the 2020 Year of Pilgrimage; some of the challenges facing the Church in Wales were highlighted but also the significant impact we have as a Church and we were invited to be both joyful and ambitious. This was broken downs into the following key areas: 1. Develop a joyful character of the diocese – especially through the terrific projects that increase involvement and being judged on our values of compassion, generosity and integrity 2. Encouragement to be an ambitious diocese – focussed on: a. Changing how people see the Church b. Connecting with the needs of our Parish c. Conversations – about things that really matter to people beyond the Church such as climate change, the impact of technology on our lives and finally social cohesion; reinforcing the message of loving one another.

Focusing on pilgrimage the Bishop outlined that pilgrimages are available to everyone, coming in all shapes and sizes, and involve the search for meaning or spiritual significance and that for almost all who become pilgrims, it’s not about reaching the destination that matters, it’s about the journey. The Bishop left us with the questions of what does it mean to be a pilgrim in the days ahead and as a pilgrim people, what does it mean for us to be a pilgrim in our ‘Year of Pilgrimage’? The Conference also included three workshops that covered: 1. How the Cathedral was approaching the Year of Pilgrimage 2. Communications and engagement during the Year of Pilgrimage (multimedia approaches) 3. Finance – financing the “Where Faith Matters” diocesan vision

The final session focused on how we took the Year of Pilgrimage out to our parishes and into our communities and was based on three main themes:

11  Encourage – warming up for the journey, encouraging other and encouraging the whole community.  Journeying – how far we have to travel ourselves and what journey we have to travel inside of ourselves.  Fun – consider events, exploration and how new places and relationships could be developed, taking a risk to try something different and finally learning and studying together with fun.

Both conference events were insightful and highly interesting and will support how we as a parish take forward the 2020 Diocesan Year of Pilgrimage. Further updates on the strategic vision of the diocese and work already undertaken can be found here: https://llandaff.churchinwales.org.uk/diocesan-strategic-vision/

Ian Hibble - Diocesan representative for the Parish of Coity, Nolton and Brackla

Events Committee Following a slow and uncertain start to the year the present committee was finally formed in September 2019 and quickly set about the business of planning. Despite the slow start, a very successful Autumn fair was held in Nolton Hall in November. The event was reasonably supported by the public and the parish at large. The Autumn fair was quickly followed by the Christmas Tree festival in December. The event once again proved to be very popular and successful. The Main beneficiary was the Princess of Wales Hospital Children’s ward who received a donation of £1,000. An additional £250 was used to offset expenses via the parish bank account. Thanks to the treasurer for his total support. A change was bought to the Saturday event this year. The evening concert was dropped in favour of an afternoon Big Sing……a carol singing afternoon open to the public as well as Church folk. A huge thanks go to organist John and Jo Blackwell for playing the organ throughout the two hours. Thanks too, go to the members of the parish choirs and congregation members for so ably supporting the singing throughout. A good attendance enjoyed a wonderful afternoon of carol singing Very early in January 2020 the committee reconvened to consider a programme of events for the coming year. The most ambitious part of the programme was suggested by Vicar. A series of four concerts to be held in St Mary’s Church Nolton at 6pm on each of the Fifth Sundays of the month which occur this year, placing the Church at the heart of cultural activity in Bridgend. Each of the musicians will nominate a charity to support. At present the committee is working hard at promoting the first of the concerts to be held on 29th march. A variety of events is also planned for the coming months between February and September, designed to raise money in support of charity while providing fellowship and entertainment for all ages within the parish. These activities include a pancake evening at Coity, a V.E. party on the vicarage lawn in May, a wine tasting event in June, a car treasure hunt in August and a quiz in September. The committee would invite P.C.C. member to take an active role in the planning process of events and all parishioners to support the planning process and join in the fun whenever possible ( PCC membership is not a prerequisite to joining the events committee. !) It is hoped that a programme of events for the second part of the year will be announced sometime in the summer Andrew Dix, Events Committee Chair

12 Fabric Committee – 2019 Rolling Programme : Completed on the schedules were the annual service contracts for both Churches and Halls as follows, fire alarms, fire extinguishers, gas boilers, water heaters, cookers together with certificates, lightning conductor tests with certificates, grass cutting, portable electrical testing, emergency lighting testing, empty cess pit Coity hall, Coity clock serviced, organ servicing, PAT Graveyard Safety inspection Coity and Nolton. Nolton boundary walls repaired. Remedial work Coity Church: Churchyard tree pruning. Nolton Church: Repairs to roof, Repairs to organ. Coity Hall: Replacement door handle. Main Hall lights change 2 bulbs and clean all 4.Seal gutter joints. Felling of dead Cherry tree and replacement new tree. Pointing repairs to old entrance porch. Main Hall lights replaced with new LED lights. Shed doors replaced. Emergency lights replaced in exit. High level rear window replaced. Nolton Hall: Replaced security door lock, Dyson repair, Emergency light fittings replaced, Main Hall lights replaced with new LED lights Fred Custerson Chairman

And that’s not all… In addition to the formal activities listed above the parish is engaged in a full range of pastoral ministries (including teams for Home Communions, Visiting and Befriending Teams, hospital visiting), discussion and study groups at Lent and other times of the year, preparation for Baptism, Communion, Confirmation and Marriage, etc. We also have links with nearly all the Primary Schools in the parish and are building links with the secondary schools, which are being extended with the initiatives introduced by Rev Maggie including ReInspired programme. Ecumenically we have involvement in projects in Bridgend such as Foodbank, and the Wallich charity for the homeless. As members of the Bridgend Churches Together we share in joint acts of witness and discussions about matters of mutual concern, and also fund raise, with other churches, for Christian Aid. We participate each year in the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

13 Description of the Parish The Parish is part of the Town of Bridgend, together with its adjoining areas of Wildmill, Litchard, the Village of Coity and Brackla. It is part of the Deanery of Bridgend, which is within the Diocese of Llandaff and the Province of the Church in Wales. The Parish is a Registered Charity – 1135927. The Parish together with the neighbouring parish of Coychurch forms a Benefice which is a member of the Area Ministry team of Bridgend, which is developing shared resources in the area. Dedication of Churches The Parish Church is dedicated to St. Mary the Virgin and is situated in the Village of Coity. The daughter Church is also dedicated to St. Mary and is situated very close to the Town Centre in the area of the Town known as Nolton. The third Church, also dedicated to St. Mary, is situated within the Archdeacon John Lewis Church in Wales Voluntary Aided Primary School, on the Brackla Estate.

Objectives The Church in Wales is a Province within the Anglican Communion and as such has the task of advancing the Christian Religion, through worldwide Mission. The Parochial Church Council is required to ensure that the life and work of the churches within their Parish is fulfilled both locally and further afield. The PCC is not a body corporate. Its composition, procedures and powers are set out and regulated by the Constitution of the Church in Wales. This is amended from time to time to keep pace with changing times. It is set up under Section 3(1) of the Welsh Churches Acts of 1914. Elections to serve on the Parochial Church Council take place at the Annual Vestry Meeting. The Representative Body of the Church in Wales holds lands and property, which includes the churches of Coity and Nolton, their contents and churchyards. It also acts on behalf of the Province for paying stipends to full time clergy. The PCC is responsible for promoting the mission of the Church, the parochial budget, all expenditure, the care and maintenance of church fabric and churchyards and also for acting on any matter referred to in the Constitution. The Council is the normal channel of communication between parishioners and the Bishop of the Diocese. With regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit and the advancement of religion, we try to enable people in our communities to live out their faith as part of our parish through: worship and prayer; learning about the Gospel, and developing their knowledge, faith and trust in Jesus; providing pastoral care for the people of the parish; and engaging in missionary and outreach work. To facilitate this work we consider it vital that we maintain the fabric of our three churches and two church halls.

Administrative Information Incumbent: (from June 2019) the Revd Maggie Thorne, The Rectory, Merthyr Mawr Road North, Bridgend CF31 3NH Jan - June 2019 –Vacant-Acting Incumbent - Area Dean Rev Ian Hodges Ministerial Team With the above: Rev Mark Broadway (assistant curate); Readers – Dr J Dixon, Mr H Jones, Mrs C Judd, Mr P Craven Independent Examiner Alwyn Thomas , Chartered Accountant, 1 Heol-Mostyn, Village Farm Ind. Est., Pyle CF33 6BJ (Assisted by John & Glenys O’Leary, c/o the Parish Office) Bankers H.S.B.C. Bank Plc, 13 Dunraven Place, Bridgend 14 Professional Advisers Davies Sutton Architects: Penhevad Studios, Penhevad Street, Cardiff, South Glamorgan CF11 7LU

Members of the Parochial Church Council for 2019/2020 Clergy: Rev Maggie Thorne (from June 2019) Revd Ian Hodges (until June 2019), Asst. Curate Revd Mark Broadway Ex Officio: Gaynor Coles, Philippa Coulson, Fred Custerson, David Godin, Nader Omidvar, Hollie Evans, Allan Dowlman ( resigned Sept 2019), Keith Jones, ( resigned Sept 2019) Elected: Joanne Blackwell, Stuart Davidson, John Davies, John Dixon, Ann Elward, Alexis Frew, Ian Hibble, Christine Judd, Chris Merkins, Mel Oglesbee, Ann Parfitt, Dr Susy Rogers, Mal Short, Aeron Williams, Paul Smith, Janice Dowlman (resigned Sept 2019), Linda Jenkins (resigned Sept 2019), Ann Turner (resigned Sept 2019), Tom Turner (resigned Sept 2019) Co-opted: John Dixon PCC Secretary Stuart Davidson Churchwardens Gaynor Coles (Rector’s Warden) Philippa Coulson (People’s Warden) Sub Wardens Fred Custerson, Nader Omidvar (Coity), Until Sept 2019: Keith Jones, Allan Dowlman (Nolton) – From Sept 2019 Paul Smith (Nolton) Hollie Evans, David Godin (Brackla) Parish Treasurer Mel Oglesbee Safeguarding Officer Mal Short – Paul Smith (from October 2019) Health & Safety Officers Fred Custerson (Coity), David Godin (Brackla) Paul Smith (Nolton Church)

Organisation of Parochial Church Council The Parochial Church Council is at present organised into sub committees, which carry out the duties and business assigned to it by the parent body. All the deliberations and recommendations of the Sub Committees are brought back to the PCC for ratification and/or authorisation. Membership of the sub committees is decided at the first full meeting of the PCC after the Annual Vestry Meeting, each year. The PCC met as a full body on seven occasions during 2019. From September 2019 the committee structure has been re-organised with Standing Committee and full PCC meetings being held in alternate months.

The Mission Sub Committee The Committee was formed at the first full PCC meeting following the 2015 AVM. During the past year it has worked on the ‘Mission Half Hour’ sessions that begin each PCC. This committee has now been renamed to Social Action and Mission Committee with a wider brief to implement plans.

15 Finance Sub Committee The Committee prepares budgets for the forthcoming year and keeps a watching brief on all income and expenditure throughout the year. It also prepares budgetary advice on specific items referred to it by the PCC. The Parish Treasurer presents a written financial report to the PCC at each meeting.

Fabric Sub Committee The Committee normally meets prior to each PCC meeting. Its business, like all sub committees, is minuted and presented for approval by the parent body. It is authorised to spend up to £1000 on urgent items, without further approval by the PCC. The Committee has a pro-active concern for the fabric of the churches, churchyards, church halls, boundary walls and houses of the assistant clergy. It also considers in detail and prepares budgets for items referred to it by the PCC. Under the guidance of its chairman it also ensures a prompt response to all recommendations resulting from Quinquennial Inspections.

Electoral Roll The Electoral Roll has been reviewed for 2019. The current number on roll at end of 2019 was 208. There will be a new Electoral roll produced from March 2020 until 2025 as defined in Church in Wales Constitution.

Parish Sunday Services St. Mary’s Coity: 8am Holy Eucharist 4th Sunday only 9:30am Sung Eucharist, with Sunday school meeting at the same time (Morning Prayer on 4th Sunday) 6pm Evensong (Taize on 1st Sunday every second month)

St. Mary Nolton 11am Sung Eucharist

St. Mary Brackla 9:30 am Café Church (1st, 3rd and 5th Sundays) Holy Eucharist other Sundays, with Sunday school meeting at the same time on Eucharist Sundays

16 Financial Report

17 18 19 20 21 22 Notes Relating to the Financial Statement for the Year Ended 31st December 2019 The notes on the following pages form part of these accounts. Minor discrepancies in totals arise from the rounding up or down of figures to whole pounds 1. Accounting policies a) The statement has been prepared paying due regarding to the requirements of the Charity Commissioners and the Church in Wales accounting regulations The receipts and payments basis of accounting has been adopted. b) Freehold property. The church buildings, their contents and churchyards are vested in the Representative Body of the Church in Wales. Consequently, none of these form part of the assets of the parish I. A property at Leominster was valued at £447,500 II. Coity Church Hall was inspected on behalf of the Ecclesiastical Insurance Group On the 7th December 2006 and is stated at their recommended valuation of £507,678.00 for the building and £21,943 for the contents. III. Nolton Church Hall was inspected on behalf of the Ecclesiastical Insurance Group On the 7th December 2006 and is stated at their recommended valuation of £638,000 for the building and £44046 for the contents IV. No provision has been made for depreciation of the Church halls and Leominster. Addition and replacements to the Church Halls contents are generally charged to funds as current expenditure V. See note 2 at bottom of last page. c) Office equipment. All equipment has been charged in full to expenditure in the year of purchase. d) Restricted Funds. Restricted Funds represent: i) Income from trusts or endowments that may be used only on the objects provided for in the terms of the trust or bequest. ii) Donations or Grants received for a specific object or invited by the Parochial Church Council for a specific object: The fund may then be used in relation to the specific object for which they have been given. Any balance must be carried forward as a balance on the fund. e) Designated Funds. Designated funds represent funds made available by the Parochial Church Council out of general funds for the specific purpose designated when the fund is established 2. Restricted funds income includes: Advent 3 collection this was wavered by the Rector Gifts and legacies specifying a particular use Tax refunds on gifts specifying a particular use Special collections e.g. Christian Aid and other charities 3. Gifts and legacies Legacy of £5,000.00 was left by the late Derick Hillier. This money has been used in the work need on the organ in Nolton and the Vestment press, and it has also been allotted towards the carpeting of the Vestry. The Treasurer did ask that money from the Ingram account, be made available to pay for work undertaken at Nolton Graveyard this has been done in the repointing of the wall that surround Nolton and realigning the corner of the wall as you enter the car park.. 4. Investment income is broken down as follows Legacy interest £37,486.00 Bank Interest £ 10.00 Leominster rent £28,875.00 This includes Closing down the Ingram Account

23 5. Special Collections Collections were taken for money given to charities during the year totalling £8,202.00 6. Fund raising There were several fund-raising events during the year Advent lunches, Autumn fayre, Christmas tree festival, 7. Miscellaneous receipts: Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds £ £ Funeral Fees 2,369.00 Wedding Fees 5,533.00 8. Repairs / Renewals expenditure: These are carried out and paid for as required. This year the total expenditure was £ Nolton Church 1,270.00 Coity Church 347.00 Nolton Hall 2,000.00 Coity Hall 2,173.00 Nolton Organ 2,696.00 The work undertaken at Nolton Church was on the boilers and vestment press and Nolton Hall this was maintenance and repairs due to break-ins, again at Coity Hall was maintenance and boiler problems. The organ at Nolton was the normal tuning and the replacement of the transformers 9. Refunds. This is the amount we receive for prompt payment of parish share £4,407 from the RB of which we give Coychurch £771. as their share and they also pay us £14,923 for their element of the parish share 10. Non-Recurring Major Items of expenditure This was the work undertaken in respect to the boundary of Nolton 11. Parish expenses of Clerics This year the clerics expenses totalled £ Phones 348 Mileage 11 Miscellaneous 652 Utilities 1488 12. Expenditure – Choirs, Organists, Junior Church £ Choirs & Music 384 Organs 2,696 Organists 1,680 Junior Church 586 This includes cost involved with Messy Church, Pray and Praise, Junior Church, servicing of the organs and other cost, copyrights licences

13.Charitable Disbursements £ £ CNB United 462 2,280 Archbishops children fund 500 Christian Aid 310

Christmas Tree 1600 DEC Cyclone 300 Sandville 283 Bishops mission fund 505 AJL 3,000 Wycliffe translation 100 Coychurch 531 24 Alzheimer’s 350 Wallich 150

The above list are the charities that we donated to during the year,

14. Restricted (Endowment) Funds

The Glyn Cule Jenkins Trust – investment through COIF Charity Funds-allows the parish to use the annual income in maintaining the graveyard at St. Mary, Coity. £399 was received and used accordingly.

15. Restricted (income) Funds

(a) The Rebecca, Elizabeth and Catherine Thomas Trust, this fund is restricted and Invested through the COIF Charity Funds, Interest of £101 was received and credited to the account (b) i) The Roland and Ann Davies Trust invested through: The Representative Body of the Church in Wales General Funds Nolton. This fund is restricted the original value of the shares invested were £241,276.00. The interest from the shares is used to purchase extra shares that are accrued ii) The Roland and Ann Davies Trust invested through: The Representative Body of the Church in Wales General Funds Coity. This fund shows the (NAV) of the shares from which we receive money into our general fund. £241,276.00 was received and used according to the terms of the legacy.

(c) The Betty Mavis Ingram Fund invested through CCLA COIF Charities Fund. This fund was closed under the instruction of the PCC to, fund work carries out at Nolton

(d) The John and Barbara Ladbroke Fund through CCLA COIF Charities Deposit Fund. This fund is restricted and Invested through the COIF Charity Funds, Interest of £88 was received and credited to the account

(e) Miss Evelyn Mary Price-Jones Legacy invested through: The Representative Body of the Church in Wales General Funds. This Fund allows the parish to use the annual income to maintain the graveyard. This year £161 was received

(f) The Parish of Coity, Nolton & Brackla Charities Deposit Fund invested through CCLA. This fund is restricted and Invested through the COIF Charity Funds, Interest of £217 was received and credited to the account

All the above legacies accrue extra value if the shares increase in value or decrease if the value drops. The funds are shown original value when purchased for the purpose of the accounts

16. Grant Aid. No grants this year

Approved by the PCC on 17th March 2020

and signed on its behalf by the Revd. Maggie Thorne

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