The Sacred Heart Church needs YOU!
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Each person should give what they have decided in their heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:7)
Giving to your parish
The people who come to worship in this parish are blessed with a beautiful church, the result of a great sacrifice by their forebears. Many of the poor Irish migrants who built this beautiful church 165 years ago worked hard and for long hours to give us what we have today: a place to pray and to celebrate important moments in our lives: Baptisms, First Holy Communions, Weddings and Funerals. Our parish church is where we come for strength through the ups and downs of life.
Almost everything that gets done in a parish, and everything that enables it to get done (such as provision of heating and electricity), is paid for by parishioners. In addition, parishes pay a certain regular amount to the Diocese in order to support poor parishes, and to fund Diocesan services.
Planned Giving
There are a variety of ways to support your church financially, several mentioned in the overview and elsewhere on this website: Pre-planning your giving is the most effective. We as a parish can budget our expenses for the year ahead when you plan your giving.
Standing Order
This is the most effective way of giving. Less hassle and less paperwork. If you have a current account, the best and most effective way to give regularly is by standing order. You just need to complete a simple form, with the amount you wish to give weekly or monthly. You then send the form back to us in the parish office and we will forward it to your bank. Only the secretary and accountant will see this information. Alternatively, you can download the form HERE.
Weekly Giving Envelopes
If you prefer, you can have a special set of envelopes which have the dates of every Sunday on them. You just put your weekly gift in the dated envelope and place it in the collection on Sunday. However, to make this work as planned giving, if you miss church one week, simply put that week’s donation in the following week’s envelop. You can apply at the parish office for this way of giving and we will send you the form. Alternatively, you can download the form HERE.
Gift Aid
If you pay income tax then you can cover all donations made by standing order and weekly envelopes with a Gift Aid form. Once you have filled one in, we can claim back 25p for every £1 you give from the taxman at no extra cost to yourself. For example, if you gave £10 per week, that would total £520 in a year and we would then be able to claim and extra £130 back. It makes a big difference. You can ask the gift aid form to be sent to you or you can download it HERE.
Already Set Up for Planned Giving?
Well done! You’re already making a difference. Now is a good time to review what you give, and if you’re able to use Gift Aid but haven’t signed up yet, then what are you waiting for?
Wills and Legacies
Legacies in Wills are a good source of income for your church. They give an opportunity to say thank you for the care and support, love and friendship you have received from your church over the years. They can also a benefit to your estate. As property prices increase more people are potentially becoming liable to pay inheritance tax. This tax can be legitimately avoided or reduced through proper tax planning, including charitable gifts. Wouldn’t you rather benefit your parish church for many years instead of possibly yet more tax when you die?
What is a legacy?
Legacies to the church or charities are a means of leaving them a proportion of your assets after you have died.
Everyone should consider leaving a legacy – it’s not just for those we think are ‘rich’. Christians are called to give generously during their lifetime as a response to God’s love, but legacies are a means of expressing generosity at a level which many not have been possible earlier in life. For more information about Legacies and Wills, please contact the parish office, who will refer you to our diocesan representative on Legacies and Wills.
How do I make or amend my Will?
If you have already made a Will, you will need to keep it up to date as you get older and a new Will can be made at any time. More simply, you can add charitable legacies to your Will by consulting your solicitor about a short codicil.
More information: Contact the parish priest. For legacies, you can also contact Patrick Bolger on 020 8882 1522/ 07826 834779 or email patrickbolger@rcdow.org.uk