Parish Reserves

Parish Reserves Policy: Parish of the Holy Trinity East Ham

1. Any money within the Parish belongs to the Parish as a whole, with the PCC having oversight of all funds

2. The problems of one church are the responsibilities of us all, in a spirit of mutuality

3. In the case of restricted funds, the restrictions will always be properly observed.

4. As far as possible, even where funds are not restricted, we will try to respect the original intentions that particular funds are for particular churches and purposes, with an ongoing conversation about how those intentions are best interpreted now.

5. We will attempt to maintain in free reserves in the Parish no less than 3 months’ running costs for the whole Parish.

6. If free reserves increase above that, we will continue to monitor if we are best using our resources for the mission of God in this parish.

7. We will aim to donate a proportion of any surplus at the end of the year as mission giving.

Standing Orders for PCC and DCCS:

For recurring costs and necessary maintenance in each church, any amount under £3,000 can be directly authorised by officers of the Parish, with the proviso that it is reported to the relevant DCC and PCC at the earliest opportunity.

Any amount over £3,000 should, except in very urgent situations, be authorised by the relevant DCC on behalf of the PCC and reported to the PCC at the earliest opportunity.