Facilitator: Mrs Janet Bird, Deanery Treasurer
Our Parish Clergy are funded by a Diocesan pot of money which it provided largely by contributions from the parishes themselves – the Parish Share. Sometimes the way this is administered feels unfair to parishioners. This group will be working to ensure that the Parish Share is equitable, so that every parish can be confident it is getting the best deal.
The pandemic and the way it was managed (with the closure of church buildings and lockdowns in general) caused many parishes to draw on reserves to meet their outgoings. This group will also be investigating ways of helping churches think creatively about their giving and finances more generally so they can be not only sustainable but generous.
More details to follow.
To join this group, complete the short form at this link.
Bike ‘n’ Hike
One widely recognised and relatively simple way of raising funds for your church is to engage with the Beds and Herts Historic Churches Trust and their annual Bike ‘n’ Hike. This takes place on the second Saturday in September each year. Participants, whether they walk or ride (bicycles or horses!) are sponsored to travel from church to church. Half of what they raise is retained by the Trust to support their work in making large grants available for maintenance and repair of our wonderful heritage assets. The other half is returned directly to the participant’s named church.
Folk can even be sponsored to sit in the church building all day to welcome guests from round and about (which is always welcomed by visitors).
Some Statistics
Last year, across the county, the Bike ‘n’ Hike raised £91,000 (and funds are still coming in), a little bit down on 2021.
In our deanery, 12 of our 26 churches took part last year and raised just under £5,500 (including Gift Aid). The biggest contributor to the trust, and therefore the biggest beneficiary from the trust was St Mary the Virgin, Essendon. Well done to them!
This year’s event is 9th September. Let’s see if we can make more…
Visit the website for more information: Bike ‘n’ Hike 2022