Parochial Church Council Notes

Meeting on June 8th 2010

Parochial Church Council Meeting: Tuesday 8 June 2010

The meeting began with a prayer.

Pram Services are to resume this month.

Finance: Members learned of a meeting to be held with Nick Hutton from the Diocesan Office, with regard to discussing the Parish Share. With the resignation, because of heavy commitments, of Gary Carlin there is a vacancy for the position of Giving Director on the PCC. Thanks were expressed for the work that Gary has done over a number of years and it is hoped that someone will come forward soon to offer themselves for that very important role.

At the time of giving this report, Stuart Watson informed members that the Organ Fund was £77 short of its target for the restoration of the organ. By the end of the PCC meeting, a donation had more that matched the deficit. Fund-raising will continue to establish a maintenance fund for the restored instrument. The use of a small organ has been offered and will be made available very soon.
(As I write this report, an e-mail has confirmed that the organ is now in situ).

Fabric: It was agreed that the recent heavy rain had provided a good test for the drainage work being carried out in the churchyard. Water had drained away efficiently outside, but leaks through the roof were very much in evidence over the weekend.

Terry Raper, our Buildings Officer, spoke at length and in great detail about a recent Insurance Review. Re-evaluation has shown evidence of being uninsured. There were many questions, ably answered with reference to the comprehensive paper Terry had prepared for the meeting. The legal obligations of the PCC in the event of a fire were explained assuming the walls were left standing, the site would have to be made safe, but there is no obligation to replace the church. The risk of a terrorist act was deemed to be smaller than that of an arson attack. The Ecclesiastical Insurance Group, specialising in church buildings, had recommended that the value of our church should be increased by 29% to almost £12 million, requiring an increase in premium of 22%, up to £6000 per year. Members of the Fabric Committee feel that we should not be under-insured, but recognise the financial strain this will place on the PCC. It was unanimously agreed to accept the re-evaluation of the church insurance at 100% cover and to maintain the level of access at £100, but declined to include Terrorism Cover at this time.

Safety measures such as the provision of fire-extinguishers and testing of portable electrical appliances were discussed.

Barn Regeneration Group: Reports are regularly received from meetings (almost 90 to date!) and efforts continue to secure funding for the project. To assist claims, a separate account has been opened so as to provide evidence of income and expenditure.

Other Matters: The use of the church as a venue for social events has been necessary since the Barn was placed at the disposal of archaeologists involved with the digging in the churchyard to improve the drainage system. The Friends of HCBT have held events there recently, enjoying the extra space offered at the back of the church, and might consider using it in the future if consent is given and the contribution towards the cost of lighting can be agreed. Winter usage would not be feasible because of heating issues. It was pointed out that preference over the Barn would have an impact on figures confirming the value of the Barn as a desirable venue for groups in the community, but a trial period was suggested. It was agreed that the Friends could use the church for the period up to September and that energy costs would be monitored.

Members were saddened, and disgusted, to hear that incidences of dog-fouling in the grounds surrounding the Church and the Barn had been reported by the Grass-mowing team.

Next PCC Meeting will be on Tuesday 6 July 2010 Jill McGarvie, PCC Secretary