Finance

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What AM uses money for

Hampshire and Islands Area Quaker Meeting is a registered charity (1186058) supported by the donations and legacies of Members and Attenders and income from its assets i.e. hire charges for Meeting Houses, rent for residential lettings, stock market gains and bank interest. The proportions of these vary and can be seen for previous years in our Annual Report and Accounts .


We use our income to enrich the spiritual lives of Friends by supporting learning, conference and meeting attendance, especially for children and young people, and paying for outreach, website and social media presence, and leaflets and books. We also have support costs including maintenance of our Meeting Houses and burial grounds, fuel and water, insurance, hire charges for meetings in other premises, travel and expenses for office holders, and essential admin such as having our financial books examined annually.

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How to give to Hampshire and Islands Area Quaker Meeting

Our usual practice is for members and attenders to be invited to support their meeting with a regular donation. Your local meeting treasurer can help you to set this up. Other options for giving include - 

  • At your Local Meeting – put cash or a cheque in the bowl, using a Gift Aid envelope if you pay tax. If it is more convenient for you, set up a standing order to your Local Meeting. Your Local Meeting Treasurer should have forms for this, and can give you the bank account name and details;
  • Directly to Area Meeting – contact the Area Meeting Treasurer here for bank details
    for a standing order, or send a cheque payable to “Hampshire and Islands Area Quaker Meeting” to the treasurer’s address;
  • (At Winchester only) – use the credit card donation machine.

Gift Aid

If you are a UK taxpayer then HIAQM can claim Gift Aid on those donations for which you have completed a Gift Aid form. One is available online using the link below, or ask your local meeting treasurer. 

Your donation will be increased by 25% of reclaimed tax. If you are a higher-rate taxpayer you must declare donations on which the charity claims Gift Aid.

Wills and Legacies

If you want to leave money to your Local Meeting or HIAQM in your will, there is special wording to use because the money has to be left to Friends Trusts Ltd. with directions to send it on to HIAQM and how it is to be spent/divided. Britain Yearly Meeting’s advice on how to leave money in a will , including sample wording, is here. We can’t give more specific advice here: please consult a professional if you are uncertain what to do.

Expenses

If you incur expenses on behalf of the Area Meeting, e.g. in attending a conference to which you were nominated, please use an expense claim form (available here as a Word doc or pdf), print it and send it to the Area Meeting treasurer with copies of the receipts and other proof of payment.

Giving to Britain Yearly Meeting

Britain Yearly Meeting (BYM) is the central organisation of Quakers in Great Britain and carries out the discernments of the Yearly Meeting in promoting Quakers and Quaker work. This includes upholding testimonies such as Peace and Equality, doing publicity and outreach to inform the public about Quakerism, supporting Area and Local Meetings with
advice, conferences and Local Development Workers, and maintaining the British Quaker heritage, including the library in Friends House. It publishes an annual appeal for funds. Please do review the webpage on giving to BYM , and complete their Gift Aid form if you are a taxpayer.

Giving online to support Quaker work is easy, quick and secure.
This secure giving form is managed on our behalf by CAF who handle the processing of our online payments.

Giving to other Quaker bodies

Most other Quaker bodies (which usually have “Quaker” in their names) are independent charities not connected to either BYM or HIAQM. To donate to them, follow their instructions (usually on websites; or email their treasurer) and complete their own Gift Aid forms if relevant.
Even with Quakers you should always take precautions such as ringing the treasurer to check bank details taken from an email, and check on the Charity Commission’s website and BYM’s list of registered Quaker bodies  if you are uncertain whether a Quaker body is a genuine charity. Some Area Meetings (smaller than HIAQM) are not yet registered.

Grants and Bursaries

Grant-making is an important part of turning our Quaker faith into action. Through our grants we support individuals in their work and development around our values.

Britain Yearly Meeting has launched a new grants scheme supporting young adult Quakers (18–35) to attend events and courses, to live adventurously as part of their Quaker witness, or who are in need of financial assistance. Find out more here.

Friends shouldn't be put off coming to Yearly Meeting because they can't afford it. For Friends of all ages, there is a Yearly Meeting Bursary Fund. Find out how to get help, or donate to the fund here

Hope Grants are small grants to improve the quality of life of Quaker members and attenders who are unemployed or unable to make a living wage, and Prospect Grants are to help Quaker members or attenders move from unemployment to self-employment. 

If you are newly appointed to an Area Meeting role, it is strongly recommended that you take a relevant Woodbrooke training course, and funding is available for you to do this. Please contact our treasurer for more details.

 

Our current Area Meeting Treasurer is Sheila Peacock

You can send Sheila a message using the contact form here.