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.
Branksome St Aldhelm's Holy Raffle
News from Fr Pip Martin over in Branksome. The church sold ticket 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 the St Aldhelm and churches in Ecuador with which Fr Pip has a link.
Harnham PCC DIY Contactless 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.
Powerstock's QR Code 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
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 I was there, I 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.
Wylye Auction of Promises
Anna says, In July 2023 I visited St Mary the Virgin in Wylye, where I saw their advert for an Auction of Promises taking place in December. The event raised over £4,000 and they have kindly written up a How We Did It! story for us, so we can be inspired. Read all about it here!
Ten Years at St James' Devizes
Anna Hardy remembers the first time she walked into St James’s Church in Devizes, and being blown away. She said "You would never guess from the outside that the inside had been so transformed. I asked them how they did it – imagining that there must have been a significant element of grant fundraising. It turns out, they raised it all through faith. So inspiring!"
St James Devizes- How it started...
St James Devizes- 10 years later, what happened next...
