Finances

Parish Gift Aid Scheme

The “Gift Aid” scheme can increase your donations to the Church by 25% – so that £1.00 becomes £1.25 at no cost to you. Please click here to see the separate “Gift Aid” page for full details and for the simple form that needs to be completed.

Weekly Offertory Collections

These are the main source of income for the parish.  Donations can be made by placing cash in the basket at the offertory or by setting up a Standing Order from your bank.

Using a Standing Order is very helpful, as it avoids the need for counting – and it makes our budgets easier to predict.

Second Collections – (Taken at the end of Mass)

Each year there are usually 14 National Organisations, for which we are required to take up a collection and then send the funds directly to them.  Most supply their own envelope which has a “Gift Aid” declaration pre-printed.  Please sign this if you can, to increase your donation by 25% – free of cost to you!

In addition, there are four Diocesan Activities for which we take up Second Collections – and which go directly to the Diocese.  We also have Parish Second Collections for church and grounds maintenance (four times a year at St Benet’s and monthly at Gillingham).  Gift Aid reclaims can be made for these, either by our parish or the diocese.

Please click here to see the Schedule of Second Collections for the current year.

Other Income Sources

There are several “ad hoc” sources of income – Mass stipends; weddings and funerals; graveyard fees; hall hire; repository; books and candles etc. – but these can vary considerably and only account for about 10 to 15% of the total.  Please click here to see the Repository Poster.

In addition, we are very grateful for the occasional legacies left to the parish by deceased parishioners.

Parish Expenditure

A major cost is the Diocesan Levy and Charges, primarily used for our Catholic Schools, but also for clergy training and retirement provisions.  On average, almost 40% of our income goes to help provide these Diocesan services.

 

 

We are rightly proud of our wonderful Church buildings and  grounds.

 

BUT – even with lots of volunteer labour – our Building and Grounds Maintenance bills are significant.

Other essential expenditure is for: –

  • heating and lighting;
  • rates and water;
  • insurance; and
  • Priest’s living and car expenses.