Resources for treasurers

If you are interested in becoming a treasurer, this leaflet provides further information on the role and what is expected of you.

ODBF treasurers' newsletters

Please see below link for the recent treasurers' newsletter:

• Treasurer Newsletter December 21

The Church Financial Year - what happens when?

To assist you in planning your role as Treasurer we have prepared a summary of the Church Financial Year, from a Treasurer's perspective, please see document below:

• The Church Financial Year 2022

The following websites provide helpful advice for PCC treasurers.

• Parish Resources – provided by the Church of England’s National Stewardship and Resources team and offering over 400 pages of resources to support all aspects of stewardship, finance, administration and management in the local church. In particular, see:
  • The New Treasurer's Handbook
  • Detailed advice on Gift Aid
  • Guidance on registering with the Charity Commission
  • FAQs
  • Pensions auto-enrolment guidance for parishes

Data Developments are offering 2 free training courses for PCC treasurers in May 2022. The courses will be online and will cover the following:

Treasurer training:

• 1. What is fund accounting and what are the different types of funds 
• 2. What is the role of the treasurer and what's best practice
• 3. Financial controls, what are they and why are they needed
• 4. What should I prepare for an Independent Examiner and year end

Gift Aid and GASDS course:

• 1. What is Gift Aid and what do I need to do to claim it
• 2. What money can and can’t I claim on
• 3. What is GASDS, why is it different to Gift Aid and how can I claim it

All sessions are recorded so that the person registered can repeat them or watch it at a more convenient time. If you would like a copy of the link to register, please contact Liz Holloway in the ODBF finance team.
 

You may also find the following links helpful:

• The National Church and the dioceses set up the Parish Buying Service to help parishes 'buy smarter'.

  The Parish Buying team use the bulk buying power of the Church to negotiate competitive prices and contracts with approved suppliers, across a range of different products.

  Please visit the Parish Buying website to register and gain access to national deals and buying guides on a range of major spends.

• The Association of Church Accountants & Treasurers (ACAT) is the national support charity for Treasurers of Christian Churches, providing advice, training and information on accounting, financial, legal and other related issues.
• Information from the Church of England about clergy pay and expenses
• Parochial Expenses Guide
• To recover VAT on repairs, maintenance and alterations to listed places of worship, follow the guidelines of the Listed Places of Worship grant scheme.
• Detailed advice on annual accounts may be found in the book “PCC accountability, the Charities Act and the PCC”. Hard copies of the book may also be purchased from Church House Publishing.
• Ecclesiastical offer useful advice for PCCs on security and health and safety.
• Church Care is the comprehensive source of information for everyone managing a church building.

Fraudulent payment requests

Some parishes have been targeted by email requests for fraudulent payments. Please be aware that these attacks are becoming more sophisticated – the fraudster may send the email in the name of a member of the PCC or clergy and may appear to know details of your parish and PCC.

The Take Five – Stop Fraud campaign encourages us all to stop and think before responding to fraudsters.

If you do receive a fraudulent email or phone call, please report this to Action Fraud – the UK’s national reporting centre for fraud and cyber crime.

If you receive an unsolicited notification of a change in diocesan bank details, please contact us by phone on 01865 208 206 to verify these are genuine before making any payments.