In common with other churches, we as a congregation are responsible for raising the money we need to run St. Luke's and support our work in the community. This which includes paying £60,898 a year in Parish Share, used to fund the provision of clergy, their housing costs, and some central church costs. We also have to pay to insure the church building (£7,402 p.a.), heat and light it (£8,000 p.a.), and run our church office, as well as the all the normal church expenditure on music, flowers and so on. In total we will spend around £100,100 in 2018 on these "General Fund" expenses.
In addition, and perhaps most importantly, we are proud to help others by giving to charity 5% of our General Fund income. This is topped up with special collections so that, for example, in 2017 we gave away £9,194.
We are also legally responsible for the maintenance of our large Victorian building. Given its size even small jobs can prove expensive, as access to upper areas requires specialised equipment. The church is also listed (Grade II) and as such repairs can cost more than on unlisted buildings, as materials have to match what is already there.
We receive no public funding for our activities so any gift we receive from our community is vitally important for our work to continue.