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ACAT training for Treasurers – 2025 ACAT Conference ACAT membership Data Developments Return of Parish Finance Preparing the Financial Statements Church of England Webinars
Treasurer training and support is available from the Generous Giving Team. If you require support or would like to suggest a training topic please contact our Finance Resources Co-ordinator Samantha.amsden@durham.anglican.org
ACAT training for treasurers
Autumn 2025 training dates are now available via the ACAT website. Sessions include Treasurer Basics, Computer Security and Gift Aid. These sessions are not recorded so to fully benefit you will need to attended each live webinar. https://www.acat.uk.com/
Treasurer Forum (Diocese of Durham) – Exploring Cashbook Systems for Churches: From Spreadsheets to Specialist Software (Meeting over Zoom)
Thursday, 18 September, 12.30pm
This session is specifically for church treasurers, PCC members, and finance volunteers looking to simplify and strengthen their financial record-keeping. We’ll look at how to set up a cashbook system that meets Church of England and Charity Commission standards, explore both spreadsheet-based and specialist software options. Whether you're starting afresh or looking to refine your current setup, this session will provide an overview of options available to help your church stay financially confident and compliant. Book here.
Saturday, 1 November, Manchester and online
A one-day event focused on church finance, governance, and giving with keynote speaker Bishop of Middleton, the Rt Revd Mark Davies. Topics will include: Gift Aid, SORP updates, CIOs, tax issues, and more. Tickets cost £20 (includes lunch and materials). Find out more here.
If you are new to the role of Treasurer or feel it helpful for other members of your PCC to understand your role, the Association of Church Accountants and Treasurers (ACAT) provide an introductory Guide for New Church Treasurers available here.
The Diocese of Durham provides block membership to ACAT for all parish treasurers. ACAT, the charity for Treasurers of Christian churches, provide members with advice, training and information on accounting, financial, legal and other related issues. Treasures will need a ‘block member’ code to access to log in the ACAT. Please contact Samantha.amsden@durham.anglican.org for your block member code.
Data Developments hold regular training webinars aimed at helping treasurers and Gift Aid Secretaries understand their role, the different types of fund, SORP, financial controls and Gift Aid. You can sign up to individual weeks or to all the sessions; the course is entirely free.
The course explains the requirements with practical examples and give useful hints and tips for both new and existing treasurers. Time is left at the end of each session for live Q&A.
If you are unable to join the webinars, please register anyway and you will receive recorded versions to view at your own convenience. The courses are regularly repeated, so don’t worry if you miss one. To view the latest schedule and register for a webinar visit the Data Developments Training Page here.
Accounting Software Training
Many parishes are using the Data Developments software (My Fund Accounting & Finance Co-ordinator) for both accounts and gift aid claims. There are training opportunities on the Data Developments website for £12 per module. Visit the Data Developments training pages to access. Scroll down the page to select the appropriate module for your software.
Here is a recorded training session on making an annual Return of Parish Finance (RPF) . The RPF is a summary report of each parish’s financial position and is used to monitor and inform national, diocese and denary plans. Each parish in the Church of England is required to complete this return via the Online Parish Returns System once the parish financial statements have been approved by the PCC.
Preparing the Financial Statements
Treasurer Forum (Diocese of Durham) - Preparing the Financial Statements (Meeting over Zoom) - Tuesday 4th February 12:30am
If this is your first year preparing the financial statements then this session is a must! Seasoned treasurers are also welcome if you would like a refresher. We will discuss fund accounting, records and the type of financial statements you need to prepare. We will also look at the approval process and annual returns. Please register using the link below, this is a free lunch time session. https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/E6uXeiphTmSSBdWFYgWFdw
Here is a recording of the 2024 session:
The Church of England offer a range of webinars to resource you and your church. You can sign up to upcoming webinars and access previous recordings from the Church of England website here.