Lancashire Methodist District

Charlotte Betts joined the Property Support Team at the start of this year and she has this to say:

I am so pleased to have the opportunity of coming to work for the Methodist Church with its guiding ethos of doing all the good it can. With so many churches facing challenges in terms of declining memberships, maintenance backlogs and energy costs, it has been inspirational to see members across the country at the centre of some very ambitious property projects. The time, effort and above all tenacity that have gone into these projects is amazing.

I have worked for most of my career in housing and have dealt with acquisitions, disposals, contracts, development projects and service level agreements. I hope to use the experience and skills that I gained leading on property for a large charity to help churches with their projects. This may be advice, signposting or sometimes acting as a sounding board at the start of thinking about a new project or a circuit property review. I am also here to advise if projects hit difficulties (as they often do). Sometimes it's a matter of keeping faith with a project and looking at alternative solutions.

One of the things that I am passionate about is developing partnerships, particularly developers and housing associations. It’s my experience that the most effective way of delivering a vision is to work with experienced partners who share your values and want to create a lasting legacy in the community you work in. I have already started to speak with some of these parterns and have received a very positive response about the concept of working with churches. Possible partnerships could involve selling land/churches to house people in need, or to work on joint ventures where partners build a new worship space combined with, for example, residential units on site.

I am aware of the challenges that some churches have experienced making partnerships work. I am particularly interested in learning more about real-life examples of partnerships, successful and unsuccessful, so do feel free to get in touch.  As a team, we need to know what went well, and what needs to change/improve so we can work with others to make sure the right processes and support is in place.

I am really looking forward to travelling round the country this year meeting more churches. The hospitality and kindness that has been shown to me has made me feel welcomed and value.

Click here to view contact details.

Planning for the King's Coronation

As we count down to 6 May 2023 festivities, many churches will be hard at work planning events.

You can use our checklist of considerations to help your event run smoothly and keep everyone safe.

Guide for events planning

Fundraising for Your Church's Core Costs

Core costs are the common, essential expenditures needed to keep your church running day-to-day. This could include expenses such as heating, lighting, postage, internet access or the all-important tea and coffee.

Use our top tips from fundraising experts on how you can better secure funding for your church's essential costs.

Find out more

Use of Ladders

Ladders and stepladders are practical options for low-risk tasks however, they must be used with caution.

Taking simple steps like checking the ladders for defects and making sure they are appropriately positioned and secured will help to avoid injury.

Read more about using ladders safely

Inflation and Indexation

Your church’s building and contents valuations are index linked each year, taking into account increases in material and labour costs. This ensures that your valuation remains adequate in the event of a claim.

Following unprecedented world events such as the Pandemic and Ukraine war, the cost of labour and materials used in the construction of churches has increased significantly. Therefore, as building cost inflation is running much higher than normal, this may be reflected in your renewal premium. Learn more

Securing Your Bicycle

If you’re getting your bicycle back out for spring, remember it’s important to keep it safe from thieves.

Read more about securing your bicycle both at home and when you are out and about.

Safe bicycle storage

The History of Methodist Insurance

If you’re interested in the history of the Methodist Insurance Company, you can read more in a recently published book that celebrates the 150 years anniversary since its foundation in 1872.  This book tells the story of how Methodists acted, from the earliest days, to protect their chapels and other buildings from fire and other risks.  
Order a copy

Refurbished Killinghall Methodist Church reopens to serve its growing community

A £30,000 grant from Benefact Trust’s Methodist Grants Programme has supported the refurbishment of Killinghall Methodist Church in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. The new and improved building is now a modern and usable space to meet local needs, and will accommodate a new ‘pay as you feel’ community café.
Find out more

Did you know that you can now follow Methodist Insurance on Twitter?

Get fundraising tips, risk advice and other updates for your church straight to your Twitter feed.

Follow us

HSE launches Asbestos and You campaign

This week HSE has launched a new campaign called Asbestos and You to remind people working in construction trades to manage the risks associated with asbestos.  Despite it being banned in the building industry since 1999, figures show that 5,000 people a year still die from asbestos-related diseases. It didn’t disappear when it was banned in the UK and we know that asbestos remains in millions of homes and buildings.  

Those carrying out repairs or refurbishment work are at a higher risk of disturbing asbestos, especially when working in houses. Builders, carpenters, electricians, joiners, plasterers, plumbers and roofers are just some of the trades being urged to take the risks of asbestos seriously.

The campaign particularly wants to reach those who started their careers from the year 2000, after the use of asbestos was banned, so they know the risk still remains.

Visit the Asbestos and You website for more information about the campaign and how you can support it. You can also:

• Download our new quick guide for trades
• View our Asbestos essentials guidance
• Read HSE's asbestos campaign press release

Safe use of Ladders and Stepladders at work

Ladders and stepladders are not banned under health and safety law. They can be a sensible and practical option for low-risk, short-duration tasks, although they should not automatically be your first choice.

To help you make sure you use the right type of ladder, and that you know how to use it safely, our website has guidance on staying safe when using ladders at work. It includes:

• more detail on competency, and what that means for ladder users and those managing ladder use on site
• key safety advice for using telescopic ladders
• practical tips for using combination and multi-purpose ladders
• good practice for securing ladders

You can also download the guidance document Safe use of ladders and stepladders, which was jointly produced by HSE and the Ladder Association.  For more information and advice visit HSE's working at height website.

Ten years ago, a long-standing church family, Mr & Mrs B, who attended St Andrew's Methodist Church in Filton, were hit by illness, which meant that Mr B became wheelchair bound. They continued to struggle to come to church with Mrs B having to handle the wheelchair to bring Mr B. The church is 60 years old and although we had put in a ramp and automatic doors to the main entrance, once inside disability access was difficult with static pews and no suitable toilet facilities.  Coffee was served after the service, but this was in a backroom up some stairs, thus reducing the chance for Mr & Mrs B to socialise.  Mr & Mrs B had given a lifetime of service to the church through Scouts, Guides and the Junior Church and it was very sad to see that they were finding it very difficult to participate in the life of the church.  A plan began to form to refurbish the interior of the church to include a flexible worship space, with ancillary rooms including a basic kitchen, a gathering space and an accessible toilet.
Click here to read their story.

Click here to view a short video about the refurbishment.

National Churches Trust has set aside a £1.9m grant to boost skills, resources and funding for historic places of worship via the Cherish Partnership.  It includes:

• Three-year grant programme partnering with The National Lottery Heritage Fund expands a proven model supporting the sector
• Cherish partnership will focus on Wales, Scotland and the North West of England
• Grant will safeguard the future for some of the oldest and most treasured historic buildings in UK – otherwise at threat of closure
• Scotland and North West of England will be supported in identifying potential community use for places of worship
• Wales will benefit from developing the visitor offer of places of worship in Wales

The funding will target the most critical areas improving economic and community resources, providing important benefits to places of worship and communities. These include grants, maintenance, crisis support, resourcing, digital toolkit, training and visitors.  Click here for more.

The Legal & Constitutional Practice Team produced a new resource for Managing Trustees called The Five Golden Rules of being a Trustee.  This new guidance will be essential reading for all members of Local Church Councils, Circuit Meetings, and any of the other Methodist bodies of Managing Trustees. It reminds us that if you are a member of any of these bodies then you are a charity trustee and are obliged to follow the duties placed on you under charity law. The guidance is a helpful reference tool summarising what it means to be a Methodist charity trustee and encapsulates the duties placed on you in five golden rules. The document also contains practical guidance on how to follow these rules in your day-to-day life as a Methodist charity trustee, gives information on trustee liability and provides links to further help and assistance from the Charity Commission.  Click here to read more.

The Charity Commission has launched the next stage of its campaign to raise awareness of core

trustee duties and available guidance. The core suite of 5-minute guides covers the following subject

areas:

• Delivering purpose – advice on how to use your charity’s governing document, how to deliver on your charity’s purposes, and the law.
• Managing finances – advice on how to ensure that your charity’s money is safe, properly used and accounted for.
• Conflicts of interest – advice on how to identify and deal with conflicts of interest in your charity.
• Making decisions – advice on how to make valid trustee decisions that are in your charity’s best interests.
• Reporting information – advice on how and what you need to report to the Commission.
• Safeguarding people – advice on your responsibilities to keep everyone who comes into contact with your charity safe from harm.
• Political activity & campaigning – advice for charities that want to support, or oppose, a change in Government policy or the law

Lexology has published a helpful series of articles by Brodies LLP on the provisions of the Charities

(Regulation and Administration) (Scotland) Bill currently before the Scottish Parliament:

• Charity Law Reform in Scotland: Part 1: Charities (Regulation and Administration) (Scotland) Bill - what happens next?
• Charity Law Reform in Scotland: Part 2: Charities (Regulation and Administration) (Scotland) Bill - a register of charity trustees - both "on" and "off the record".
• Charity Law Reform in Scotland: Part 3: Charities (Regulation and Administration) (Scotland) Bill - Charity Mergers and Legacies.
• Charity Law Reform in Scotland: Part 4: Charities (Regulation and Administration) (Scotland) Bill - OSCR's powers.

Warning - Fake 'Docusign' emails

Please be advised that we have been made aware that several Managing Trustees have recently received fake ‘Docusign’ emails purporting to originate from TMCP Legal.  We can confirm that TMCP Legal do not send documents by Docusign for signature and that you should ignore and delete any such messages received and do not click any links contained therein.  We would assure you that these messages have not originated from TMCP’s IT systems, which are secure and monitored, but are the result of a third party imitating our email address.

If you are unsure about any correspondence received, especially if this is unexpected, contains links or does not contain any details of a matter you are dealing with, please treat with caution and contact us if you need to check its validity.  Click here to get in touch.

Church at the Margins:  Rural Network

Come along on 28 March and join an online space aimed at encouraging people who are supporting or nurturing new Christian communities amongst economically marginalised people. 
Click here for more information and to book.

Positively Rural:  EDI in a Rural Context

How do rural churches engage with Equality, Diversity and Inclusion work?

On 26 April the Revd Jill Marsh, the Inclusive Church Officer for the Methodist Church, will be  helping us think about this question as we aim to reflect God’s inclusive love for all people in our own local communities. 

Find out more and sign up here.

The Methodist Church is committed to treating each person’s experience with dignity. Similar to the bricks and mortar that hold our buildings together, a churches social environment hold together the community and all in it. However, sometimes it can be difficult to understand what hinders some of our members from worshiping in its full sense. James Carver, Youth President 2022-23, gives five tips to help create a supportive church for those living with neurodiverse conditions such as Autism, ADHD, or Dyslexia.  Click here to read more.

To mark Neurodiversity Celebration Week from 13 - 19 March, the Methodist Youth President, James Carver, shares this insightful blog called ADHS Uncensored:  The realities of living with ADHD where he allowed his own ADHD to take full reign of his writing.  Click here to read the his blog.

"Our Methodist visions and values are the cornerstones of The Wesley hotels. We follow our moral and ethical convictions by doing the right thing even if no one is watching.”

The Wesley, Euston has been recognised in a national newspaper for its outstanding location and environment credentials. And in the same week as the article, a sister hotel, The Wesley Camden Town, was opened by the President and Vice President of the Methodist Conference.  You can find out more here.

Love your Burial Ground Week is a celebratory week which has been running for many years. Caring for God’s Acre has been encouraging all who help to look after churchyards, chapel yards and cemeteries to celebrate these fantastic places in the lovely month of June – in any way you choose.  This year, it will be held from Saturday, 3 June - Sunday, 11 June 2023.

Burial grounds can be ideal places for introducing people to wildlife and local heritage. Activities in previous years have included teddy bear picnics, family bug hunts, dawn chorus (followed by breakfast!), illustrated talks, wildflower identification, tree trails, leaf bingo, tower tours, family history, memorial recording, volunteer work party sessions and more!

Churches Count on Nature 2023 is part of Love Your Burial Ground Week, focusing on the brilliant wildlife to be found in churchyards and chapel yards. It is a joint initiative promoted by Caring for God’s Acre, the Church of England, the Church in Wales and A Rocha UK.  

Click here to register and download free resources.

Listed Building Advisory Committee (LBAC) Meeting Dates:  

• 18 April 2023 - Deadline for paper is 28 March 2023
• 18 July 2023 - Deadline for paper is 27 June 2023

Supporting the Methodist Connexion

Methodist Insurance has been protecting the property of the Methodist Church since 1872.  We are a Public Limited Company owned by shareholders and independent of the Methodist Church. The company operates like a mutual by returning most of our profits back to our community in the form of a significant financial contribution to the Methodist Connexion.  Find out more.