Introducing Fran!

Fran Taylor is our new Carbon Net Zero Fundraising Officer who joined our Stewardship team back in June. Fran's part-time role is fully funded by the National Net Zero Capacity Building Fund. Working two days a week, a key purpose of Fran's work will be to support Diocesan staff teams and parishes to secure funding to deliver NZC projects and initiatives. 

If your parish is considering a net zero carbon project to help reduce your carbon footprint contact Fran directly at fran.taylor@leeds.anglican.org for fundraising advice.

Treasurer Forum Meeting

The second Treasurer Forum meeting will take place online on the evening of Tuesday 17th September at 6.30pm. This online forum will feature informative talks from Diocesan staff and our treasurer ambassadors along with a Q&A session and networking opportunities with fellow treasurers.

Please sign up to join us in this second Treasurer Forum meeting Tuesday 17th September at 6.30pm by registering on the link below.

Generosity Week is almost here!

National Generosity Week will take place from Sunday 29th September until Sunday 6th October but if those dates are already busy for you remember you can hold your own Generosity Week at a more convenient time for your church.

The third newsletter for Generosity Week 2024 is now available and can be accessed at the link below. The newsletter offers helpful ideas on what activities you can organise for your Church's Generosity Week and how you can encourage a spirit of generosity and enable giving throughout the year.

Faith Will Legacy Webinar - Tuesday 8th October at 1pm.

Your faith is powerful and so is your Will – congregations are signing up to leave a lasting legacy of change for their communities and beyond. 

This autumn Christian Aid and church leaders are asking congregations up and down the country to start conversations about leaving gifts in Wills. The aim is to encourage congregations to sign up for free resources to hold Faith Will moments – services, meetings and get togethers when we can talk about the power of gifts in Wills and how people’s generosity can help create change in their communities and around the world. 

Join Kathy Childress, from Christian Aid, on this webinar to find out more regarding the Faith Will initiative and how to encourage legacy giving in your church. To register for this webinar, click the link below.

How To Write A Successful Application for External Funding - Webinar, 17th October at 7pm.

This webinar will outline how your church can write applications for consideration by external funders, including organisations such as charitable trusts and foundations. It is available to access through our online grants portal, Open 4 Community, you can register at the link below.

The webinar will cover the preparatory work required to gather the necessary information before the writing process can start. Hints and tips will also be shared to enable your church to draft and submit funding proposals the recipient organisations will be interested in supporting. The training will be delivered by Revd Paul Monk, Incumbent, Benefice of Clarksfield and Waterhead; Heather Ford, Church Support Manager, Ecclesiastical; and Paul Bailey, Diocesan Giving Advisor, Diocese of Manchester.

Unlocking funding to 'green' your churches mission - recorded webinar from Ecclesiastical.

Are you planning your Churches NZC Project? Need a head start on how to frame your Church improvement scheme to communicate your mission to your congregation and community? Want to know the best ways to access funding?

This new webinar from Ecclesiastical explores the different types of funding available for sustainability projects and how to reduce your environmental impact. It covers both linking the desire to care for planet earth to your mission and potential approaches and sources for funding to improve your church’s environmental friendliness and sustainability. 

Watch the recording of the webinar at the link below.

easyfundraising Church Testimonial

Word of mouth is always the best recommendation, and Rose from All Saints Newton Heath, has a fantastic recommendation for your church. “easyfundraising is a good opportunity to raise funds for your church. It’s free and easy to use! I find it difficult to believe that churches don't know about easyfundraising!”

Through easyfundraising, 7,500 online retailers including Amazon, John Lewis, Holland & Barrett, Boots, Boden, B&Q, Waitrose, and thousands more will donate a percentage of what an online shopper spends with them to your church – for free. Thousands of churches trust easyfundraising already, including many in our Diocese.

Data Developments - Free Treasurer and Gift Aid Secretary Training Continues in October!

Data Developments provides software, services and training for churches to support church administration, accounts and finances.

In October, Data Developments are running two free training courses:

• Treasurer Training: A 4-week course taking place each Tuesday evening (5-6pm), starting on the 1st October. This training course introduces and explains a variety of topics around church finances and accounts.
• Gift Aid Secretary Training: A 3-week course taking place each Monday lunchtime (1-2pm), starting on the 7th October. This course introduces Gift Aid, GASDS and best practice.

Expense Plus Accounting Software for Churches & Charities - Free Trial & Demo.

If you are considering investing in a software accounts package you might consider the 30 day free trial available for the Expense Plus Fund Accounting Software that is designed for churches and charities. Expense Plus is a cloud based system that will offer you donations and gift aid management, accurate accounts with simple bank reconciliation and is fully GDPR compliant. As well as the 30 day free trial you can also join the Expense Plus Online Tour for the Diocese of Leeds taking place at 1.30pm on Thursday 12th September. To find out more and join the online tour use the links below

Parish Share Reports

July's receipts of £982k show an increase of £23k /2.4% over July 2023. Year to date receipts of £5,920k remain flat compared to last year.

You can find the latest Parish Share report on the website here.

Thank You - Parish Finance Return Submissions

A sincere thank you to all who provided data for the 2023 Return of Parish Finance. We deeply appreciate the time and effort invested in these submissions, and recognise the ongoing work that underpins them. This year's outstanding 83% submission rate reflects the commitment of parishes throughout our diocese.

Updated Diocese Grant Guidance and Application Form.

In the summer of 2024 the Diocese of Leeds received £68,850 from the Church of England’s Net Zero Carbon Quick Wins Grants for 2024-25. These funds are also being managed through the existing diocesan church buildings grant scheme alongside the Buildings For Mission grant scheme and the Diocesan Church Buildings Fund. The application form has been revised to reflect the changes and can be accessed on the website at the link below. The next deadline for applications is 31st October 2024.

The Diocesan Parish Loan application form, previously incorporated within the Diocesan Grant's Scheme document, now exists as a separate application form and can be accessed at the link below.

Crowdfunding in Kirklees? The Council want to support you in Growing Great Places.

If you are about to launch a Crowdfunding campaign and are in the Huddersfield area, you might want to consider using Spacehive. Spacehive is an online platform that allows charities and groups to find funding from their communities and provides support to allow them to meet their goals quickly. They are partnering with Kirklees Council who are match funding up to £5000 for community projects in the area that improve the lives of residents. You just need to have your project launched and pitched on Spacehive by 25th September to be in with a chance of matchfunding. Full details at the link below.

North Yorks Community Climate Action Programme – Grants

Planning a Net Zero Carbon project in North Yorkshire? Grants of up to £49,950 are available as part of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. This fund allows for works on community buildings such as LED lighting, solar panels, insulation and double glazing. Charities and Churches are eligible and only 20% match funding is required which can include volunteer time.

Further information and pre-application forms can be found at the link below.