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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
Summer 2025 training dates will be available shortly via the ACAT website. These sessions are not recorded so to fully benefit you will need to attended each live webinar. We will continue to advise you of the latest session through the e-bulletin - Durham Diocese News Round-Up.
Treasurer Forum (Diocese of Durham) – RPF Making a return (Meeting over Zoom) – Wednesday 21st May 12 noon
If this is your first year making a return then this session is a must! Seasoned treasurers are also welcome if you would like a refresher. We will look at how to access the online returns system, how to access your parish data and go through an example return. This is a free lunch time session. Please register using this link.
Treasurer Forum (Diocese of Durham) - Treasurer Essentials: Online Tools and Resources (Meeting over Zoom) – Thursday 19th June 12 noon
A short session to equip new treasurers on where to find information and resources to confidently manage and report on parish finances. We will look at the key training providers and platforms commonly used by churches, plus touch on guidance from the regulator. This is a gree lunch time session. Please register using this link.
The ACAT Annual Conference is held in October each year. The conference is ideal for anyone connected with the finances or management of a church, whether you are the Treasurer, Chair or a member of your PCC. As the 2024 conference has closed, ACAT have provided a wrap-up via the ACAT website here where you’ll find post-conference resources, including session slides, sponsor and exhibitor information, and related articles. Do sign up to the ACAT newsletter to kept abreast of 2025 dates.
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.