Forming a “Friends” scheme

Many churches in the Church of England were built hundreds of years ago and are now listed. The burden of maintaining them can be very heavy for small congregations and one way of spreading the load is to form a “Friends” organisation which helps to raise funds to maintain the fabric of a building.

Many people have a great deal of good will towards their church building, especially in rural areas, and although they may not wish to contribute to the religious aspects of the church they may be willing to support part of their heritage. A Friends’ Scheme is one way in which a parish church can encourage help of this kind from a wider community.

Please see this section of the Parish Resources Website which provides information and Guidance on:

• Types of Friends’ Schemes
• What Additional Funds might be Generated
• Typical Membership Profile
• What Members receive from the Scheme
• Do’s and Don’ts

It also contains a useful Guide to Developing a Friends’ Scheme and a sample constitution for an independent Friends’ Scheme.

The Stewardship Adviser, Chris Parker, is also available to assist you and he can be contacted on 023 9289 9669 and email.