Finance

We wish to thank the many staff and volunteers working in this important area in support of
our shared mission.

The Diocesan Finance Office

This section of the website is intended to provide guidance and support for all those working to make the best possible use of the resources entrusted to our care: our people, our buildings and money.

The Finance Office is responsible for the day-to-day financial dealings of the Diocese, from paying invoices and wages to supporting parishes with guidance on Gift Aid, Planned Giving, producing the annual Diocesan Accounts, and preparing the annual budget. Our Finance Team are here to help support you with queries or questions. You can contact them here:

E: finance@abdiocese.org.uk or T: 01293 651145

Parish Finance Committee Handbook

The parish priest must ensure that an effective Parish Finance Committee (PFC) is formed and that all relevant information is made available to its members.

While he is encouraged to delegate many financial and administrative matters relating to the parish to people with relevant expertise, it is his duty to keep himself fully informed of all material matters relating to the parish.

To see a more detailed description of the parish responsibilities, download the parish handbook below.

Download Files

The following files include an expenses form, register of assets and PDF Handbook.

FAQs

When is the monthly cut off for payroll and expenses?
All payroll and expenses forms must be received in Hove by the close of business on the 12th day of each month. Please email completed forms to payroll.

How do I claim for mileage and other expenses?
Complete the Mileage and Expenses form and ensure it is signed off by the parish priest or diocesan officer who is expecting to receive it. Expenses can be paid via payroll for staff. Please click here for the expenses form and scan a signed off copy of this form to payroll here. If you are not a member of staff but are claiming expenses from the Diocese submit the form to accounts@abdiocese.org.uk Mileage can be claimed at 45p for the first 10,000 miles in each tax year, 25p per mile thereafter. Please keep a log of all mileage claimed, with the reason for your journey.

What level of spending by a parish requires notification to the Diocese?
Any expenditure over £7,500 must be notified to the Diocesan Finance Office. Approval will be sought via the subcommittee to the Diocesan Finance Committee or referred to a meeting of the Diocesan Finance Committee.

How do we change signatories on a parish bank account?
All new signatories have to sign up to a new bank mandate, email our team here if you would like a new signatory form.

Can we have online banking for our parish?
Yes, please email our Finance Office to be added to the next training session as this is progressively rolled out.  A two-part authorisation is required, with the parish priest taking a key role in overseeing transactions.

Why do we have to use the diocesan solicitor for school and parish lettings?
In civil law the parish does not have individual status so the entity undertaking all contracts is the Arundel and Brighton Diocesan Trust. The land is vested in the Arundel and Brighton Diocesan Corporation so it is also a party to all transactions relating to land and buildings. Only the Bishop and Trustees of the Diocese can sign on behalf of the Trust and Corporation and they retain the diocesan solicitor DMH Stallard to support them in their responsibilities to oversee the diocesan estate. To work with the solicitors on a parish letting please email our Property Officer.

Procurement And Utilities

Procurement & Utilities

Our Diocese has made a conscious decision to follow Pope Francis’ encyclical letter ‘Laudato Si’ and preserve the earth’s resources. Our energy utilities are procured at a national level through Inter-Diocesan Fuel Management Ltd (IFM), who represent a number of Catholic Dioceses in the UK. IFM is the single largest purchaser of green gas, which is both renewable and largely carbon neutral. Our current gas contract is sourced entirely from this environmentally friendly source.

Office supplies can be sourced through ChurchMarketPlace, a free initiative established by the Catholic Church in 2010. ChurchMarketPlace exists to help parishes, schools and Catholic organisations negotiate competitive prices and make cost savings. You can register your parish by clicking on the button below.

Diocesan Investments

Diocesan Investments

Our Diocese has divested from fossil fuels and is working towards a future which safeguards care for our common home. Diocesan and parish investments are held in two multi-asset funds managed by Berenberg Asset Management.

Berenberg offers institutional investors professional investment management services. Their experts develop solutions that are specifically configured for our needs and address our return, risk and liquidity goals, when combined with our ethical screening requirements laid out in more detail in our Statement of Investment Principles below.

Diocesan Finance Committee

Diocesan Finance Committee

The Diocesan Finance Committee (DFC) is a subcommittee of the Diocesan Trustees.  The committee is advisory to the Trustees on financial governance and asset management and acts as the Trustees’ audit committee. The DFC meets eight times a year and is responsible for granting approval to parishes for expenditure over £7,500.  You can find out more by visiting the Property Projects section of our website.

Overview of Approvals