Parish Appeal 2024
There is never a good time to be asking for increased financial giving but unfortunately needs must. Whilst the parish has fared better than many other parishes across the Archdiocese in terms of Mass attendance following lockdown in 2020, nevertheless it is estimated that the parish is currently running an average monthly deficit of approximately £725. At this rate the parish will exhaust its current savings on or about July 2025.
What is Needed?
Realistically the only way to close this gap is to ask you to consider reviewing your financial support to the parish. Given an Archdiocesan Levy of 27½% applies to all donations this means that, just to break even, we need to raise an additional £1,000 per month now and potentially a further £1,000 per month from remaining Mass-goers from October 2025 when current permission for the Latin Mass is due to expire.
The table below summarises the estimated† average level of giving per household in 2022-23 (pink) along with the corresponding estimated average levels of giving per household required from today (blue) and also those from October 2025 (gold) that would be needed simply to break even. Note that these figures include no allowance for saving for any unforeseen future capital expenditure (e.g. building repairs, replacement of equipment, etc.).
A printable version of the Parish Appeal can be downloaded here.
† The calculations are based on the following estimates and assumptions:
a) 80 households contributing at present, reducing to 60 when the Latin Mass ceases from Oct 2025;
b) Inflation (CPI) continuing at the Nov 2023 rate of 4.7% per annum;
c) Archdiocesan Levy remains unchanged at 27½ % of Giving; and
d) each figure is rounded up to whole pounds.
Ways to Contribute
Planned Giving: | To obtain a set of weekly Planned Giving envelopes please contact Una Morgan: T: 01531 - 631 347 |
Bank Account Details: | Account
Name: “Archdiocese of Cardiff – A Registered Charity – |
Gift Aid: | UK taxpayers may supplement their contributions by a further 25% at no extra cost to themselves by registering their contributions for Gift Aid. To register for Gift Aid simply complete and return the following Declaration to the Parish Office: |
Thank you!
Fr Adrian and the Parish Advisory Group wish to thank you in advance for whatever you might be able to contribute to help keep our parish afloat.
Context to the Appeal
Ledbury Mass attendance trends and key forthcoming dates
Note: The Mass attendance figures included for 2024 are for the first three Sundays of the year.
Decline in Mass attendance across the Archdiocese of Cardiff - 2022 v. 2019
Absolute Changes in Mass attendance
Ledbury is one of the half of the Archdiocese’s small
parishes attended by fewer than 120 Mass-goers.
It is highlighted in two
positions in each graph: where it is at
present (blue) and where it would be without the present permission for the
Latin Mass (gold). The pink bars
represent the number of those who have not returned to Mass.
Proportional Changes in Mass attendance
By October 2022 only 58% of pre-lockdown Mass-goers had returned across the Archdiocese. Ledbury is the fifteenth most successful relative to 2019 out of the 50 parishes shown. Only one parish – St Alban’s, Splott (Cardiff Oratory-in-Formation) – had attracted increased Mass attendance, increasing by 120% from 270 to 605 Mass-goers. Sadly, at the other extreme, Maesteg had still lost 77% (320 out of 416) Mass-goers.