What is the Parish Giving Scheme?

The Parish Giving Scheme makes things easier by setting up a Direct Debit. This has three advantages:

You can change the amount at any time on the Parish Giving Scheme website.
The scheme does the gift aid admin and pays it to us without a volunteer at St. Mary's having to do the work.
You can choose to increase your giving by inflation once a year.

How do I start giving through the Parish Giving Scheme?

Go to the Parish Giving Scheme website with this link and enter your email. You will receive an email asking you to create a password. You then enter your bank details and the amount you want to give. In future you can use the password you set to change the amount you give.

If you currently give by standing order, you'll need to also cancel it through your bank.

What is gift aid?

Gift aid is a scheme where we can claim back the tax you pay on your giving so each £10 becomes £12. If you are a 40% tax payer, then you can claim the rest in your annual tax return.

How does the annual inflation increase work?

A month before the increase, you receive an email telling you how much an inflation increase will be. If you're not happy with it, you can log in and cancel the increase anytime in that month.

What do my donations get spent on?

We pay the Diocese and then they pay for the vicar, curate and the training of future clergy. We pay for everything else - building repairs, the costs of the worship services and other ministries.

As an example, in 2024, £85k was paid to the Diocese for clergy and infrastructure, £6k insurance, £6k heating, £4k building maintenance, £8k admin salary, £6k other costs of services and outreach.

Is St. Mary's a registered charity?

Yes, here is our entry on the Charity Commission website

Can I see the Church's financial statements?

Certainly, here are the last 5 years: Financial Accounts

if you have questions, feel free to ask the treasurer.

How can I make a one-off gift to St. Mary's?

In the same way as regular donations, you can do this through the Parish Giving Scheme link or log in to your Parish Giving Scheme account if you already have one.

What is a legacy?

A legacy is a gift left to St. Mary's in your will. Leaving a legacy (a gift in a will) to the church has been a historically normal, even expected, practice for centuries.

Is there financial advantage to making a legacy?

If your estate will be liable to inheritance tax, then there is a big advantage giving a legacy of 10% or more as it reduces the tax rate for the rest of the inheritance to 36%, down from 40%.

The calculations are complicated, but as an example: if an unmarried person has an estate of £2m and they give £200,000, then their inheritors will inherit only £68,000 less.

How can I leave a legacy to St. Mary's?

Leaving a gift to our church is straightforward, but it requires specific wording in your Will to ensure your intentions are legally clear and correctly carried out.

1. Speak to a Solicitor

The most important step is to consult a qualified solicitor or professional Will-writer. They will ensure your Will is legally valid and that your gift is correctly described. If you already have a Will, your solicitor can help you add a Codicil (an official amendment) to include the church as a beneficiary.

2. Identify the Church Correctly

To guarantee your gift reaches St. Mary's Church, you must include its full legal name, its charity number and the address of the Parochial Church Council (PCC).

Crucial Details to Include:
Full Name of the PCC: The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Radcliffe-on-Trent,
Address:
St. Marys Hall
Main Road
Radcliffe-On-Trent
NOTTINGHAM
NG12 2FD
.
Charity Registration Number: 1130928

3. Suggested Wording for Your Will

Your solicitor will use precise legal language, but here is a Form of Words that you can present to them as a clear instruction for a Residuary Legacy (a share of your estate after debts and other gifts are paid) or a Pecuniary Legacy (a fixed sum of money).

Option 1: Residuary Legacy (A Share of the Estate)

"I give [specific percentage, e.g., one-tenth (1/10th) or all] of the residue of my estate to the The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Radcliffe-on-Trent, of St. Marys Hall, Main Road, Radcliffe-On-Trent, NOTTINGHAM, NG12 2FD for its general purposes, and I direct that the receipt of the Treasurer or other authorised officer of the said Parochial Church Council shall be a full and sufficient discharge to my Executors."

Option 2: Pecuniary Legacy (A Fixed Sum)

"I give the sum of [amount in words, e.g., five thousand pounds] (£[amount in figures, e.g., 5,000]) to the Parochial Church Council of The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Radcliffe-on-Trent, of St. Marys Hall, Main Road, Radcliffe-On-Trent, NOTTINGHAM, NG12 2FD for its general purposes, and I direct that the receipt of the Treasurer or other authorised officer of the said Parochial Church Council shall be a full and sufficient discharge to my Executors."

4. Let Us Know (Optional)

You do not have to tell us about your gift, but if you choose to, it allows us to thank you personally and gives us the opportunity to understand your wishes, which can help our future planning. All notifications are treated with the utmost confidence.

Does it matter to God whether I give or not?

Of course God doesn't need your money, but God is clear in the bible that money having a hold over us is a huge danger in our spiritual lives. If we find it difficult to be a generous giver, it may be a sign that love of money or trying to be secure in our own resources is holding us back in the relationship of trust that God wants us to have with him.

How much is normal to give?

The Stewardship Generosity report 2025 is the mosts comprehensive recent survey of Christian giving. It finds that the national average if £124 per month, which is 5.3% of their income. But if someone attends church at least once a week and read the bible at least once a week, their average monthly giving is £314, which is 11.2% of their income.

That giving is typically partly to the church and partly to other Christian causes.

What difference does it make if I give generously or not?

It matters a great deal to the local church in its efforts to successfully engage with our community. Whether the church can run a successful Alpha course; whether it can employ a youth worker, or operations manager; whether it can professionally advertise its services and keep the building in a fit state; all these things will impact our community as the church is an increasingly vibrant hub.

Doesn't the Church of England have plenty of money?

The national church has investments which they use to pay for various things including clergy pensions and strategic national projects, but the local church (St. Mary's) don't get any of that.

St. Mary's church locally keeps reserves of 3 months expenditure for any future emergencies, and currently has almost no fabric fund in case of big repairs.

How are Anglican churches funded?

St. Mary's Radcliffe church is funded entirely by it's own congregation. We don't get any national funding or diocese funding apart from an occasional and temporary grant, for example to help fund our youth and families worker.

Does the national church get any of the money I give St. Mary's?

We contribute towards the running costs of our Bishop and Diocese, but not to the national church.

I really would prefer to pay directly into the church's bank account. How can I do that?

You can ask the Treasurer for the bank details, but it helps us if you use the Parish Giving Scheme link.

Can I specify that my giving should be used on the building, youth or flowers?

Certainly. The church does need money for it's day to day running, but if you want to give extra for the building, or for flowers or for youth work, then you can just let us know and that amount will be allocated to the relevant fund so that it will only ever be spend on that kind of expenditure.

My spouse is not a Christian and I want to give but they don't. How can I navigate that?

This is a common question and there are people with experience in thinking about this question that we can put you in contact; just let one of the leadership team know if you want to discuss it with someone.

Giving Frequently Asked Questions