Annual Parochial Church Council Meeting
Priest in Charge’s Report for 2024, published at the APCM in April 2025
Well this is my 11th Annual Report for Kirk Hallam’s APCM, looking back on 2024 a lot happened, both fantastic and sad too. In 2023 we had 16 baptisms in total, less than previous years, but still more than the average for a parish. We only had 7 weddings, less than previous years before and since the pandemic. I am realising these lower figures may be the new normal for Kirk Hallam. Funerals services were 9in church followed by a burial in the churchyard, 1 at the church then onto the crematorium, 5 at the crematorium only, 3 burials only, 7 ashes interred, 3 at church and then on to a burial elsewhere, and 3 taken for neighbouring parishes. Again these numbers are less than previous years, much research is going on nationally, but locally the consensus is that over 20% of funerals are now direct services, and this figure is only expected to increase.
Again, as in previous years I give a sincere ‘thank you’ to our two Church Wardens, Janet Wheeldon, and Linda Gregory, who are amazing in many ways. Fr Julius has been a blessing in many ways too and it was with sadness we said ‘goodbye’ to him in November. But we have a God of abundance and our new curate Rev’d Ailsa was ordained in the summer. Not only is it a joy to have Ailsa in our Ministry Team, its also a joy to have her husband and children worshipping at Kirk Hallam and joining the choir, reading rota etc.
My thanks go to Joyce Lewis and the team who helped organise and run so many social activities, raising funds for the new portacabin. I want to extend my thanks to Alan Judd, who as well as taking services and for Eileen Castor, who in December, Bishop Malcolm licensed her ministry to Kirk Hallam. It is reassuring that the Saturday Prayer Meetings and the Tuesday House Groups have continued again, and my thanks go to those who organise and lead them. I continue to be proud of our Mothers’ Union branch, and my thanks go to Jane Mortimer and her team that make it all run so smoothly. Our branch has contributed to many projects, raising funds for the MU as well as having some lovely times together too.
My thanks are offered to Ken and Margaret Udall for all their work. Added to this I know the contributions from others including Monica Glover, Carol Waterfield, Hilary Hampton and Fred and Cynthia Parkes and I thank them for this.
My thanks go to Christine Buxton, Ian Massey and David Draper for playing our organ. I offer my thanks to Christine Hindmarch for selecting the hymns, organising and leading our lovely choir, it is such a blessing to sing God’s praises together.
Our Parade Services have been well attended and it’s been brilliant to have the church filled with excited children on visits from the local primary schools too. My thanks got to Rev’d Ailsa who has lead on this as well as becoming a school Governor at Dallimore and St Andrew’s School in Stanley.
All Saints has a beautiful, well-kept and well-loved Church Yard and it is a sense of pride for the whole community. My thanks go to the Gardening Gang for their dedication, and praying we get some more volunteers. I would like to thank Ken for his work on the monthly magazine, with 400 being printed each month, it is a source of mission and appreciated by more people than we realise.
It is with sadness and a few tears that I had the privilege of commending to Almighty God a few members of our extended church family in 2024, including Esther Collington.
My sincere thanks go to Pat Doyle for keeping our finances in order and the regular reports she prepares for the PCC, and thanks to Alan Judd our Gift Aid Officer and to Peter Watts, for auditing the accounts. We are not a rich church, but by their careful and close monitoring of our finances we are well informed for all decision making. With respect to our Parish Share, in 2024 we have been able to pay £18,000.
In my capacity as one of the Bishop’s National Advisers for discerning the next generation of ministers I have attended 3 one day zoom interviews but the residentials I offered were cancelled. I was also pleased to see Pippin the church tabby cat continues her column in Ilkeston Life, as well as myself still being ‘promoted’ at Erewash Sound to know present the Breakfast Show on Saturday mornings, giving me an opportunity to promote various church activities.
The small project I started in 2019 with Lindsey Rice – Every One Eats, keeps growing, in 2024 we took out over 500 food parcels to families and individuals in the Ilkeston area, as well as cooking over 200 meals on Christmas Day, plus helping out with 400 free lunch bags for our Family Fun Day. Her recent appointment at the Community Centre as Manager has already been a breath of fresh air and a more supportive ethos to the church.
My thanks are also extended to my husband Lester French, who has helped in a variety of ways – from changing light bulbs to fixing roofs. Now I will repeat myself again, as I have said in previous years my apologises go to anyone who feels annoyed that I have not mentioned them or thanked them, as I would like to thank everyone who makes All Saints, Kirk Hallam that little bit special, it is an amazing place where the beauty of the building is only surpassed by the kindness of the people – so once again I pray that some of that kindness can be extended to myself if you feel I have forgotten you.
Thoughts for the Future – 2025 and onwards
This is the year we will most likely be saying ‘goodbye’ to Fr Julius, and say ‘hello’ to Dr Ailsa Hunt, who gets ordained on Sunday 30th June. To have four curates in one parish is practically unheard of, and reflects the positive dynamics in All Saints. Our porta-cabin – Friendship House is wearing out, and a replacement needs to happen in the next couple of years, and this could be a source of mission with a larger room to start new groups and activities.
Plans to build 1,000+ homes on the edge of Kirk Hallam are moving close and a strategy for mission to this new community is important, and additional funding it potentially possible.I am aware the whole episode in respect of the threats to me and lies about me, has left scars, and I pray that these will heal.
With the coupled adverse effects of few people getting ordained, and more priests retiring early, realistically interregnums are getting longer and the days of ‘one priest = one parish’ are coming to an end.
So concluding, as I’ve said before, and certainly still feel, there is something very special about All Saints Church in Kirk Hallam and it is a privilege to be your Priest in Charge.