The Church of England's online Parish Return system allows parishes to submit three key sets of data, which build up a valuable picture of parish life across our diocese.
Statistics for Mission - open now for October count submissions, deadline 31 Jan 2025 (for 2024 data)
Return of Parish Finance - opens 1 Jan, deadline 28 June 2025 (for 2024 data)
Energy Footprint Tool - opens 1 Feb, deadline 30 June 2025 (for 2024 data)
Wherever possible, please complete your return online via the Parish Return portal.
Frequently Asked Questions...
How do I begin / am I set up as a user / do I have to complete all three parts?
For any login queries please contact catherine.stephenson@coventry.anglican.org. It's possible to have multiple users for a parish who may be responsible for different parts of the return - eg. the PCC Treasurer might fill in the Return of Parish Finance, with one of the Church Wardens completing the Statistics for Mission and Energy Footprint Tool. To add new users please get in touch.
Do we have to answer all of the questions / what happens if we don't have all of the information?
The online system allows the option of entering "unknown". If you are unable to complete any particular questions please leave them and enter what you can. A partial response is still very useful and far better than having no data from a parish.
Do we have to enter the data online?
Please enter the data online wherever possible. If this isn't possible, a word or pdf version of the questions can be downloaded/provided to enable you to fill in and return to the diocesan office. If you use this method please allow time before the deadline to allow the data to be manually entered once received.
Is there a user guide?
A full user guide to the Parish Return system can be downloaded here. Please note that the guide was prepared before the introduction of the Energy Footprint Tool.
We've provided a copy of our annual accounts, do we also need to complete the Return of Parish Finance?
The online Return of Parish Finance uses a standard format so that the infomration can be processed and analysed by the national statistics team and the diocesan finance team. The online return is additional to the requirement for PCCs to submit accounts to the diocesan office.
What happens to the data / what it is used for?
All three data submissions are hugely helpful at a diocesan and national level. They enable us to put together a detailed picture of parish life and ministry across the diocese. This helps us to better tailor support and interventions (eg. Mission Fund grants, assistance with heating costs, deanery planning etc). Previous national reports can be downloaded here.
Where can I find further help?
For any queries about the online Parish Return system, please contact helen.groocock@coventry.anglican.org