Friends of Newport Minster - How you can help

Every little helps and with your help there is much that we can do. There are various ways you can get involved:

Give your support in time

We welcome offers of volunteer time for many purposes in aid of the work of the Friends. If you have time to spare and would like to be involved, please contact us to discuss mutually beneficial arrangements - even a few hours here and there could be enormously rewarding for us and for you!

Make a donation

Even if you can give time, you might also like to support us with gifts of money and there are various options for making a personal gift: Gift Aid, Online donations, Pledges, Legacies, a Gift in Memory, Share Giving, Corporate Gifts, Trust donations or Making a Dedicated Gift are all effective and attractive methods of donating to the Friends of Newport Minster.

If you want more information about any of these methods of support, please contact the Campaign Office. As a donor we will keep you up-to-date via the Campaign e-newsletter. Public donor recognition will be given to every individual or business or organisation supporting the Renewal Campaign, if they so wish. The Campaign Officer will be glad to discuss details in complete confidence.

Gift Aid

Since April 2000, Gift Aid has been the principal means for making a tax efficient gift to charity. You can make any donation from £10 upwards. If you are a standard-rate UK tax-payer, we can reclaim £250 from HM Revenue & Customs for every £1,000 you donate. If you are a higher-rate tax-payer, you can also reclaim £250 personally on every £1,000 you donate (assuming a basic rate of tax of 20% and a higher rate of 40%) by including the details on your tax return. Until 2011 the Revenue will also add another 2% transitional relief to compensate for the lowering of the basic tax rate from 22%.

Examples, including transitional relief:

Download a Gift Aid form here

Online donations

Private gifts, which can also include recovery of tax under Gift Aid, are now very easy to make online at www.justgiving.com/ststhomas/donate. Justgiving will handle Gift Aid claims and allow anonymity if required.

Pledges

If you feel able to sign a pledge form promising to make a donation of the same amount every month, quarter or year, this is a particularly helpful way of supporting the Renewal Campaign as it provides a known cash flow. It can be even more effective if the pledged amounts can be made under Gift Aid.

Download Pledge Form here

Legacies

A legacy to the Friends of Newport Minster is one of the most generous gifts you can give. You can leave a purely financial donation naming a sum of money in your will. Or you could simply make a 'residuary bequest', leaving us a part of your estate after all other legacies and expenses have been paid. You will need a solicitor to arrange this for you, but you do not need to tell us you have included the Friends in your will unless you wish to. All bequests to the Friends are exempt from Inheritance Tax (currently at 40%).

However you decide to leave a legacy, your name will be inscribed in the Roll of Honour Book at Newport Minster once the benefit becomes payable, in grateful thanks for your generosity.

If you are interested in how you can continue to support us with a legacy, please contact us at the Campaign Office. Your confidentially will be protected as you wish.

A Gift in Memory

Making a donation to the Friends of Newport Minster in memory of a family member or friends, particularly of someone baptised or married in the Church, can be a more lasting way to remember them than with flowers. Every gift will be individually acknowledged and the next of kin advised of the names of donors and of the total amount of the specific Memorial Fund.

Share Giving

If you donate shares as an individual there is a potential double tax advantage: not only is the gift exempt from Capital Gains Tax but also you can claim Income Tax relief on the value of your donation. This means that giving shares is especially attractive for higher-rate tax-payers and people whose shares have been significantly increased in value. For example, if you are a 40% tax-payer and give shares worth £10,000 to the Friends, you can claim Income Tax relief of £4,000. So your donation has effectively cost you £6,000. You would also be exempt from Capital Gains Tax due if the shares had increased in value and you had sold them.

Corporate Gifts

Spirit of 150 is a group of leading Island businesses and organisations providing a vital secure foundation for funding the Renewal of Newport Minster. Participation in the Group is limited to 150 members. Corporation Tax relief may be claimed on these donations, on gifts of shares and on any Gift Aided donations.

Trust Donations

A number of respected private Trusts are supporting the Renewal Campaign, in addition to generous support from English Heritage, the National Churches Trust and similar large grant making bodies. If you have connections with any private trust and would be prepared to support the Campaign, please contact the Campaign Office to discuss how you might help.

Making a Dedicated Gift

In making a contribution to the Renewal Campaign you may be interested in supporting a specific project or element. A costed list of a range of Dedicated Gifts of all kinds is available from the Campaign Office.

How the money will be used

The Trustees will release funds raised for each phase of this project as funds are available. It is the intention of the Trustees that as much work as possible will be carried out, but if for any reason the project cannot be achieved fully or if any surplus should arise, the remaining funds would be applied towards the charitable objectives of the Parochial Church Council and the Friends of Newport Minster, Isle of Wight.

Thank you for your gift and interest.