Financials & Legals

Budgeting and Accounting Made Easy!

This Section Contains:

  • Cash Reconciliation
  • Cash Safety
  • Banking
  • Health & Safety
  • Insurance
  • Collecting and using data (GDPR)

 

An event plan (below) and accompanying event budget will help you reach a target amount for your fundraising event and make decisions on ticket price, admission fee, suggested donations.

It’s best to keep accurate records for your event, so that you can look back and see the success of your hard work and explain the figures to others if needs be. Our event budget template can help get you started.

Event Plan

Keep your receipts and once you have entered your costs into the accounting sheet make sure to store them securely.  When purchasing items that have VAT shown on them, the whole gross cost has to be shown as a cost, as we are unable to claim back the VAT.

 

Working out your income

The easiest method is to split your thoughts into two columns, one for INCOME, and one for COSTS.

Then you can brainstorm with a pen and paper, or a spreadsheet. all your thoughts for each column. Here’s some ideas to get you started:

 

Income

  • Ticket Price
  • Maximum Number of Tickets we could sell
  • Estimated Number of Tickets we will sell
  • How many tickets can be sold in advance
  • How many tickets can be sold on the door (if applicable)
  • Raffle Income
  • Bar Income
  • Income from Family Games/Challenges – Jenga Challenge, Connect 4 Challenge (everyone pays £1 to have a go, and the best result receives 25% of the pot)
  • Money received from Sponsorship
  • Money/Vouchers received from Donations (Supermarkets, etc.)
  • Raffle Prizes donated

 

Costs

  • Cost of Food
    (If food or vouchers is donated, you should include the cost here, and offset it with the same value of income as above, so you have a record of the full details of the event)
  • Cost of Drinks (as above, with food)
  • Cost of Entertainment – Musicians, Artists, Expenses for Performers, etc.
  • Raffle Ticket Books
  • Raffle Prizes (if not donated)
  • Hire of Hall, if applicable
  • Hire of glasses (often )‘free’ from supermarkets)
  • Cost of Ice, Lemons
  • Loan of Ice Buckets (if applicable)
  • Loan of Crockery and Cutlery (if applicable)
  • Liquor Licence (£21 from your local council)
  • Napkins and Table Decorations (Flowers, etc.)

 

Cash Reconciliation

Make sure you have paid everyone to whom you owe money.
Florist – Printer – Hall Hire – Food – Drinks, etc., etc.
Add all these expenses into your COSTS section.

Once you have received all your money from ticket sales, bar, raffle, etc., this should also be entered under INCOME, and then you can simply calculate the CONTRIBUTION you have made.

The word ‘profit’ sounds as though someone or some group will benefit financially. The word ‘Contribution’ indicates that you are raising funds for a better cause, and at the CCT, we will gratefully receive your contribution towards keeping your local church alive, available and in excellent condition for visitors and residents alike.


Cash Safety

During the event, you, as organiser, should remove large amounts of cash away from the cash box – at the ticket sales point, at the bar, raffle, etc., etc. This prevents any loss or accidents, and you can keep the money in separate bags in a safe or locked cupboard, until you collect it all together at the end of the event.


Banking

To bank your contribution to the CCT please contact our Finance team at finance@thecct.org.uk

Please liaise with your Local Community Officer to check that your money is credited to your church, and so that you can be thanked and recognised for your generous donation of money, time and effort.


Health and Safety

You can find out more about planning and holding an event safely using our events toolkit here: Planning and Holding an Event Safely

Our churches have lots of risks and we need to work together with volunteers and Friends groups to ensure that any risks are managed and prevent damage to the health and safety of our volunteers, our staff, or our visitors.

By completing CCT booking forms and Risk Assessments, this ensures your event is covered by the CCT insurance policy.

 

Risk Assessment

A Risk Assessment Form should be completed and sent to the Regional Office well in advance of the event date. The details on the form need to be communicated to all those who are helping at the event, and high risk items need to be communicated to visitors to ensure they take around the potential risk. More guidance can be found here:

How to Complete a Risk Assessment

Events Risk Assessment Template

It takes time to think through a Risk Assessment, and the person completing it needs to put themselves into the position of any person who may cause damage to themselves or others.

Incidents such as dealing with boiling water, liquid spillages, trip hazards, fire and evacuation risk, damaged electrical and cooking equipment, obstacles in a strange building, unfamiliarity of working inside the strange building, external hazards, including car driving, parking, potholes, poor visibility, etc.

  • The organiser and key helpers should know where the First Aid kit is stored, and how to use it.
  • There should be mobile phone contact, in case of emergency.
  • Cash Collection should be completed by two people.

When completing your Risk Assessment, each risk should be graded as a ‘1’ High Risk, down to ‘4’ Low Risk. This will help to determine the time that should be spent in managing the risk.

You can obtain advice on Risk Assessments from your Local Community Officer.

 

Safeguarding

CCT believes that everyone we come into contact with has the right to be protected from all forms of harm. We want everyone visiting our churches, volunteering with us, or working with us to have a safe and enjoyable experience. We will not tolerate abuse, maltreatment, or exploitation by or to our staff, volunteers, or members of the public.

If you are a CCT volunteer you can find out more about safeguarding  here: Safeguarding for Volunteers

If you have a concern about safeguarding at CCT please visit our Safeguarding Page for more information.

 

Lost and Missing Persons

If you are running an event in a CCT church you should have a plan for lost or missing persons.

If you are a CCT volunteer you can find out more about safeguarding here: Lost or Missing Persons Guidance

 

Insurance

If the event is solely to raise funds for the benefit of the CCT, our insurance policy will cover the event for public liability.

By organising a fundraising event you are responsible for taking adequate steps to ensure the event poses no risk to others. You might consider arranging public liability cover for your event. Public Liability Insurance covers against accidental injuries to third parties (other people) and damage to property in the case of negligence.

CCT’s own public liability insurance policy is unable to provide protection for external fundraising events and activities, but we have arranged with our insurers,

Ecclesiastical, for discounted premiums to be made available to supporters who organise fundraising events. Nevertheless, it may still be worth seeking alternative advice and quotes.

 

Data Collection and Use

  • The General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) does not permit any organisation to hold data on any individual, without their permission. In addition, the organisation must have a confirmed record (written or electronic) that can identify exactly the service/product that the individual can be communicated to.
  • A processor of personal data must clearly –
    • disclose any data collection
    • declare the lawful basis and purpose for data processing
    • state how long data is being retained
    • if it is being shared with any third parties or outside of the EU.
  • Data subjects have the right to request a copy of the data collected by a processor in a common format, and the right to have their data erased under certain circumstances.
  • Public authorities, and businesses whose core activities centre around regular or systematic processing of personal data, are required to employ a data protection officer (DPO), who is responsible for managing compliance with the GDPR.

It is not acceptable to set up a database of people who have just purchased a raffle ticket, for example, unless each ticket comes with a signed declaration by the individual to confirm they are happy to receive further information by post or email or phone.