Once submitted, your data will be available to you and the diocese to help understand the activities and needs of your church and to help support your mission.
Information provided through this system will be included in statistical publications and made available online and to the Central Church of England.
If you have any issues, queries, or comments, please contact the diocesan database administrator: dbadmin@stalbans.anglican.org
How to return…..
| Document | Where to submit |
| Parish Finance Returns or Statistics for Mission | Go to the Church of England Parish Return Portal https://parishreturns.churchofengland.org/ |
| Independently examined/audited parish accounts & reports | Sending in by email to: parishaccounts@stalbansdiocese.org – Please include the parish and deanery name in the subject of the email. |
*Both the ‘Parish Finance Return’ and ‘Independently examined accounts’ need to be done.
Parish Finance Returns and Accounts
Important Update: Parish Returns for 2024
We now use the national church’s Parish Returns portal for submitting the Return of Parish Finance (sometimes called the one-page financial return) .
An email about this change was sent on 21 January 2025 from Emma Critchley to all parish clergy (or the churchwarden in cases of vacancy, extended study leave, etc.). The email requests each parish to identify a key contact who will:
- Set up an account on the new Parish Returns portal.
- Manage parish users for the system.
If you have not received this email or are unsure who the key contact is in your parish, please check with your team.
For any questions or further assistance, please contact us at parishreturns@stalbansdiocese.org.
Energy Footprint Tool
We now use the national church’s Parish Returns portal for submitting Energy Footprint Tool data.
- Just go to Parish Returns and login.
- If you wish to see the questions (less than before) before you complete the form, then they can be accessed from the bottom left quadrant of the first page. If not, then click ‘Enter your data’.
- On the next page pick your church, and then in the ‘Energy Footprint Tool’ section click ‘Enter your data’.
- Pick the buildings you wish to enter data for, and then click ‘Start EFT Return(s)’
- Complete the forms, and press the ‘Next’ button at the bottom of each page.
- At the end of the forms please click ‘Submit’ to ensure the data is entered into the system (you can unsubmit later if you wish to change anything).
- You will then be provided with a calculation of your churches carbon footprint, along with the answers you submitted, and links to further information and guidance.
More detailed guidance is available in the EFT section of the Net Zero Carbon page.
An email about this change was sent on 21 January 2025 from Emma Critchley to all parish clergy (or the churchwarden in cases of vacancy, extended study leave, etc.). The email requests each parish to identify a key contact who will:
- Set up an account on the new Parish Returns portal.
- Manage parish users for the system.
If you have not received this email or are unsure who the key contact is in your parish, please check with your team.
For any questions or further assistance, please contact us at parishreturns@stalbansdiocese.org.
Statistics for Mission
We now use the national church’s Parish Returns portal for submitting Statistics for Mission. All Parishes should now have at least one key contact who has a login for this portal – they should already have used this to submit this year’s finance return. The key contact can add other parish contacts to submit statistics if required, please check with your team if you are unsure who your key contact is. If you require further assistance, please contact us at parishreturns@stalbansdiocese.org.
The Portal to submit this year’s Statistics for Mission will open on 6 October 2025.
Database Administrator Details
Áine Edwards
Database Administrator / ReceptionistThe Database Administrator / Receptionist provides administrative support to the diocesan office and maintains the databases of clergy, parish volunteers and committee members.
