Dioceses will be better placed to meet financial challenges in 2012 after the Archbishops’ Council cut its request for funding next year by £0.5 million.
The Council has decided to request the same overall level of funding for its work in 2012 as in 2011, rather than the 1.8 per cent increase approved by the General Synod in July.
Although dioceses have already set their 2012 budgets, the resulting saving of £0.5 million will help dioceses meet other financial challenges whilst enabling the Council to meet all the commitments made when its budget was approved by General Synod in July.
The General Synod approved the Archbishops’ Council’s 2012 budget in July and an apportionment (funding request) to dioceses of £28.65 million (see http://www.churchofengland.org/media/1281161/gs%201842.pdf), £498,700 (1.8%) above the 2011 level. This was within the financial framework for 2010-2015 set by the Council and approved by General Synod in July 2009.
It has been possible to reduce the request to dioceses as the current forecast for the Council’s expenditure in 2011 and 2012 is now less than when the 2012 budget was approved. The forecast savings compared with the original budgets are partly for ordination training in 2011/12 and partly in staff and accommodation costs for work done at national level as the Council continues to implement its financial strategy.
The Council’s reserves are well placed to meet any expenditure over and above the apportionment request should the need arise. A revised apportionment table has been issued to dioceses.