We love to read your stories of fundraising success around the Diocese of Salisbury. Whether that's a traditional fete or raffle, or your church embracing the digital age with contactless giving and QR codes. So please do send our success stories to Anna and Harry, we'd be delighted to feature your stories on this page.
Annual Event
One event that we can all help make a success is the annual Ride+Stride organised by the Dorset and Wiltshire Historic Churches Trusts each September. If you take part, your church receives 50% of your fundraising, and the rest goes to DHCT or WHCT, who give it back out in grants to support building projects. It's a win-win!
Event fundraising Resources
Encouraging generosity as part of Christian discipleship
Project:
Discover Christ Church! Read and watch about the project.
Event: Branksome St Aldhelm's Holy Raffle
News from Fr Pip Martin over in Branksome. The church sold tickets for a Holy Raffle as part of the Poole Beer Festival held in the church hall and garden. By all accounts it was a big hit with the customers. The raffle raised a very impressive £3000, which will be shared between St Aldhelm and churches in Ecuador with which Fr Pip has a link.
Contactless: Harnham PCC DIY Machine
The Giving Team loves to hear if you spot good examples of giving in church, especially within in our own Diocese. This month we were alerted by Lorna, our Growing Faith Advisor, to a DIY contactless device, at St George's Church, Harnham.
Lorna says, "I was so impressed how Richard had made his own digital giving kit, and made it work in a 900-year-old church with no wifi, for just £200! The whole church seemed to be full of amazing people having fun making church happen on the ground."
The device is from a kit supplied through GiveALittle, and works from a SIM-enabled router or your own phone as a WiFi hotspot. If you want to Do It Yourself, Harnham PCC takes your through the whole process in this handy guide.
QR Codes: Powerstock's Success
We were delighted to hear from Laura, Churchwarden at St Mary the Virgin in Powerstock, a small rural church, north east of Bridport. This year they started using QR codes to capture donations from visitors celebrating life events and attending festival services. They are also using contactless at their fete, in response to the decline in people carrying cash. Read their story to find out how much they’ve raised so far.
Harry adds: “Every church can take donations through QR codes and there is no set-up cost. Parish Buying has negotiated deals with SumUp and Stripe, so register here to secure the best price.” Parish Buying - Online Giving & QR Codes
Online: Streaming Services at Stratford sub Castle
It was a pleasure to visit the PCC at St Lawrence, on one of the sunniest autumn mornings. They are planning a vision day in the new year, a vital step that helps us understand where our passion is, which in turn inspires us to put our hearts into future fundraising appeals.
They are also investing in a CollecTin More, having previously been using PayACharity. We hope the GiveALittle touch screen and tailored appeals will engage more donors and raise more funds! While Anna was there, she was pleased to bump into Jim, who has installed the technology that enables St Lawrence’s to stream services online. Find out how they did it here.