Treasurers > Reporting and Accounting > The Annual Report

The TRUSTEES Annual Report

The preparation of a written annual report, like the preparation of the accounts, is the joint responsibility of the whole PCC. It puts all the PCC's financial statements into perspective and relates them to the wider life of the Church. It will review the past year and link financial plans to the vision for the future. For this reason, while it is legally a separate document from the accounts, it provides important accompanying information to the accounts and SORP therefore requires that it should be attached to the accounts whenever a full set of accounts is distributed or otherwise made available.

The Church Representation Rules (Rule 9 (1)(b)) require 'an annual report on the proceedings of the parochial church council and the activities of the parish generally' to be received by the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM). The meeting is then free to discuss it. This report is quite separate from the statement or address that the incumbent may wish to make to the APCM. 

The Trustees' Annual Report will usually be drafted by the secretary and the treasurer of the PCC, but some PCCs may wish to involve others in the drafting. An example, together with some notes on what the report should contain is available. (click here)

The independent examiner or the auditor will need to see at least a draft of the report as a part of their scrutiny of the accounts.  The PCC must adopt the report before it is presented to the APCM and it must be dated and signed by the chairman of the PCC meeting at which it was adopted.