Legacies

Our churches are very important to our congregations, and many people want to leave a gift to their parish church in their will.

Every year PCCs across the country receive around £45 million from legacy giving – an average of £3,000 per parish each year, and these legacies make a huge difference to many churches’ mission and ministry.

On this page we cover:

Having a legacy policy
Legacy materials for your church
Friends Groups
 

Having a legacy policy

There is a spiritual side to leaving something to the church. We are reminded that everything we have in this life has been given to us by God, so we may wish to give something back.

Your  PCC needs to agree on a policy on how legacy income will be spent. Many people will gladly leave a gift in their will if they know the money will be used for a mission project, or to improve the building or facilities, but would be less keen for their gift being used just to fund everyday running costs. 

• A template policy, which you can use as a starting point.
• Encouraging legacy giving in your parish powerpoint

Legacy materials for your church

It is helpful to have some low-key leaflets about legacies available at all times in your church. 

• Template leaflet - this can be altered to suit
• The Church of England's Print Hub has some helpful materials to purchase or in some cases, download for free 

Friends Groups
 

In many places, a group of people may not go to church, but really value the church building for its history, architecture and beauty.  They may not value the ministry which goes on inside the building (unless they want to get married there, or have a funeral), but if the church building was closed they would be unhappy. 

This is where Friends Groups are useful. 
 

These groups exist to raise funds for the fabric of the church and in doing so, take pressure off the small congregations whose responsibility it is to maintain the building. 

Everything you need to know about Friends Groups can be found at: Parish Resources: Friends Schemes 

Other useful links

Legacy - Church of England

Key Contacts