Dear Beacon Parishioners

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I said earlier in the year, I would update you on how the Parish is faring after the appeal launched earlier this year. The table below provides a brief summary of the numbers, which are divided into four categories:

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Core Church Activities: these include the income raised through planned and unplanned giving, as well as fees for special services (such as weddings), grants and the proceeds of the various social events our volunteers have arranged. We had a good, though not overwhelming response to the appeal: our sincere thanks go to those who started or increased their giving – it has helped us to achieve a small surplus in the year to date of c £12,000. This position is flattered, as the PCC took the difficult decision to reduce this year the ‘Parish Share’ which we pay to the Diocese to cover the cost of our vicar and our contribution to the costs of the Diocese. We believe it is right to restore our Parish Share payment over time and the PCC are budgeting next year for an increase while at the same time aiming to break even at the ‘Core Church Activities’ level.

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Non-Core Activities: these include the income and costs we derive from the Emmanuel Centre and the costs of our youth worker. As you know, Gary left during the year, so we expect the deficit shown below for this line to turn into a small surplus in 2025, as those costs disappear and we increase the rental income we get from users of the Emmanuel Centre.

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Dividend income is derived from the investments we hold as a result of bequests received from generous donors over the years.

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Major Works Expenditure: as the name implies, this covers the costs of project work at our Churches. The expenditure in 2024 has been mainly for the repair of the floor at Westmeston and all of this expenditure has been covered by bequests left with this kind of expenditure in mind.

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Ian Henley

Treasurer

November 24, 2024

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