May 2022 Church Warden's Report
Church of St Martin, Stubton Churchwardens Annual Report
1st January To 31st December 2021
Church Wardens
There have been two church wardens at St Martins during the year :
• Mike Libby, mglibby14@gmail.com, 01636 626028
• John Rose, johnd-rose@outlook.com, 01636 626361 Service Statistics
2021 was significantly impacted by the Covid pandemic and there were no services in St Martins for the first 4 months of the year. As a result of the Time to Change initiative, when the Claypole and Saxonwell benefices combined resources, St Martins reduced to one service per month.
Thanks go to our Rector, Revd. Canon Tony Tucker, and to James White for their sterling efforts in facilitating Zoom services and music during the pandemic. The Zoom services enabled continued worship during the period churches were closed as a result of the pandemic and they have been continued even though churches are now open such that those who cannot easily travel can be included in our worship.
From May through to December there were a total of 9 services at St Martins, 1 each month from May to November and 2 in December. There were 6 Eucharist services, 1 Evensong service, a Harvest Festival and a Carol Service.
Congregations ranged from 4 to 28 across the services, with an average of 14 per service. Plate giving totalled £231.50, an average of £25.72 per service.
If the Harvest Festival, the Carol and Christmas Day services are removed from the analysis, the numbers change dramatically across the remaining 6 services held. The congregations ranged from 4 to 14 with an average of 7, and plate giving totalled £43.45 with an average of £7.24.
Church Support
We are blessed with a high level of support from the local community, without which we would struggle to manage such activity as we enjoy.
Whilst impossible to mention everyone by name, some examples of that support include :
• The cleaners who give their time freely to ensure that St Martins is kept in a lovely condition
• The team who provide and arrange the flowers throughout the year
• All those who help out with services throughout the year reading lessons, providing music, refreshments, etc.,
• The group of 9 residents who decorated the church so wonderfully for the Harvest Festival. All donations of food were taken to the Emmaus Trust in Newark after the service
• Stubton Hall who provided the refreshments (mince pies, orange juice and mulled wine) which we enjoyed after our Carol Service
• The Stubton Hub for the provision of the Christmas Tree
• The volunteers who erected and decorated the Christmas Tree.
Church Meetings
The PCC met 5 times during the year, principally by Zoom
The Vestry Meeting and the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) took place, by Zoom, on the 28th April 2021.
The church officers of the Claypole and Saxonwell benefices met via Zoom routinely throughout the year by Zoom.
There were several informal meetings between the church wardens and others during the course of the year.
Church Maintenance / Fabric
A number of tree branches were removed in January as they were overhanging dangerously. Unfortunately, during the course of this work, there was an accident with a volunteer being hit by a falling branch. Following a trip to hospital to be stitched up and scanned, the volunteer made a good recovery.
We have a marvellous team of volunteers who maintain the churchyard grass for us. Up to fifteen village residents willingly turn out several times a year, generally on a Saturday morning, to cut the grass, tidy up the churchyard and keep it looking very neat. A special mention must be made of our PCC Secretary who, after seeing to her own area of grass, provides the team with tea, coffee and cake.
In March 2021, a local bell expert Tim Carter, visited St Martins to help assess the condition and safety of our bells. This was thought necessary as much of the bell rope guides around the ringing wheels had fallen off and there was concern as to the safety of use of the bells. Having had a good look around and test of the bells, Tim was of the opinion that, if we were comfortable to do so, we could make the repairs ourselves. He was also of the opinion that the bells were safe enough to ring and provided some literature as to maintenance tasks.
In September 2021 a complete overhaul of the cremated remains area adjacent to the south wall of the nave was undertaken. This involved contacting relatives of those interred as we could find to seek their agreement and the taking of photographic records prior to any work being undertaken.
A team of 3 volunteers then undertook the work installing new wooden edging, a weed barrier and gravel between the headstones.
In October 2021 a village resident once again undertook a full PAT test on our appliances within St Martins which all passed satisfactorily. There was no charge for this work.
Our delayed Quinquennial Inspection took place in October 2021 and was once again undertaken by Guy Forman. Guy was hosted on site by Mike Libby and John Rose.
[We have just received the Report (late April 2022) and the actions required are being reviewed].
In November/December 2021 we had a number of suitably qualified electricians in to provide quotations to undertake a full Electrical Condition Inspection Report (ECIR) of the installation in St Martins. One written quotation has been received and one verbal quotation. The work is yet to be commenced.
[Update : Our Rector, Revd. Canon Tony Tucker, retired as Rector in April 2022 but continues as our Rural Dean. Consequently we are now in an interregnum. For the remainder of this year, Revd. Stuart Hadley, Rector of The South Cliff Villages Group, has kindly agreed to officiate at the monthly St Martins Eucharist Service]
Prepared by Mike Libby