Legacy Officers

As a major way forward for our churches I cannot emphasise enough how important it is that we get a Legacy Officer on each PCC.

Some may argue that we have a very small congregation and don’t need one but legacies can quite often come from people outside of our church communities. As the Parish Legacy Officer it would be your responsibility to promote legacies to people in your local community who don’t necessarily come to church on a regular basis, if at all, but who love the fact that there is a church in their local community. For example this may involve an article in the parish magazine, a piece on your church’s website/ Facebook page or a leaflet drop in your town or village. There is not a massive amount of work involved, and there is plenty of support.

Please read the following to see if you are the person to take on this important task.

The role of a Parish Legacy Officer is to provide a friendly, supportive and confidential ear to church members and others regarding will writing and leaving a gift in their will. You do not need to have specialist legal or financial knowledge because your role is not to give advice, but to sign post individuals to further information and appropriate professionals.

The core role requires you to:

• Encourage the PCC to make and communicate a PCC Legacy Policy (sample policy available)
• Understand the church’s history of encouraging and receiving gifts in wills
• Promoting legacies within the parish through circulating leaflets, producing magazine articles, resourcing clergy and Readers etc
• Encourage those who preach to talk on the importance of gifts in wills
• Talking with an individual about a gift in their will
• Act as the main point of contact in the parish for all legacy enquiries
• Organising an annual event or occasion to celebrate gifts in wills
• Ensuring the church honours and thanks the family of any legacies received
• Being a point of contact for the parish with the Diocesan Parish Funding Support Officers and attending training when organised by the Diocese.

Ideal Personal qualities:

• Sensitive to people and able to maintain total personal confidentiality
• A good listener
• A well organised individual, used to dealing with official paperwork
• Well respected and well liked within the church and community
• Enthusiastic and able to motivate other people to give to God
• Knowledge of legal and financial matters is beneficial, but not required
• Preferably has made their own will including a charitable legacy.