What do we need to submit and by when?
- When you log in to the Church of England's Online Parish Returns System, you will be offered the opportunity to make use of the Energy Footprint Tool (EFT). This helps your parish calculate the efficiency of its energy use and its emissions of greenhouse gases; you also contribute to building a picture of the situation across the Church of England is it seeks to become carbon-neutral by 2030. See our Environmental team and section at www.dioceseofyork.org.uk/environment, and 'Net Zero 2030' at www.parishbuying.org.uk.
The returns you are asked to submit fall into several parts, with the following deadlines in 2024:
- 31st January (national target date): Statistics for Mission. System Open now. EXTENDED TO 17TH MARCH
- 31st May: Electoral Roll.
- 28th June (or sooner - see below): Annual Report, Accounts & Budget - (within 28 days of the Annual Parochial Church Meeting, which must be held between 1st January and 31st May). In addition to the accounts themselves this includes the Trustees' annual report and the independent examination.
- 28th June (national target date): Return of Parish Finance – (to allow parishes sufficient time to prepare the figures from the independently examined or audited financial statements that will have been approved by the PCC). System opens early 2023.
- 31st July (national deadline): Energy Footprint Tool (EFT)
- accessed when you log in to the Online Parish Returns system. - 31st October: Charity Commission.