[clerk.stjohnswilton]

Annette

Happy to help – please contact me (email address below). I can also help on a newsletter format!

Nick Stiven
clerk@stjohnswilton.org.uk

[clerk.stjohnswilton]

Please tell us how to contact you.

Nick Stiven
clerk@stjohnswilton.org.uk

[clerk.stjohnswilton]

Margaret

Have you seen this? (You need to click/tap on any picture).

Hoarding

I seem to remember that there was a seminar on hoarding a couple of years ago, organised by the Almshouse Association, located in Tiverton. Perhaps you could contact the Association for information about the seminar contents and see if they have the names of helpful contacts?

Nick Stiven
clerk@stjohnswilton.org.uk

[clerk.stjohnswilton]

Mandy

Mmmm. You’re right (and BrightPay’s website needs to be updated).

BrightPay will not continue with free licences for registered charities, but Benchmark Business Software will.

Interestingly, BirightPay Cloud-based payroll software for 1 employer and 5 employees costs £152.64 pa including VAT and covers pension auto-enrolment and unlimited support. Benchmark’s PY2 payroll software is free for charities but charges £144 pa including VAT for their supporrt package (which I think is important to have).

There’s not much in it, when you have low employee numbers, so I’ll probably stay with BrightPay, as I’m familiar with its layouts etc.

I wonder if anyone uses Benchmark’s PY2 software and could comment on it?

Nick Stiven
clerk@stjohnswilton.org.uk

[clerk.stjohnswilton]

Mandy

Thank you for that. However, interestingly, BrightPay’s website is still saying they are donating free licences to registered charities:

https://www.brightpay.co.uk/pages/communities/

I’ll give them a ring and see if left hand is aware of what right hand is doing/saying! Maybe there will be no NEW licences?

Thankfully, BrightPay’s remarkably cheap for small numbers of employees.

Nick Stiven
clerk@stjohnswilton.org.uk

[clerk.stjohnswilton]

Tina

We don’t, as it happens. But free ‘attendance’ on a Fire Awareness online training course (available on this website) should cover most of what your people need to know, I would have thought.

Nick Stiven
clerk@stjohnswilton.org.uk

[clerk.stjohnswilton]

Hazel

I tend to prefer employment under PAYE arrangements, so I have clearly defined employment rights in law, and running a payroll is simple enough. And (using BrightPay) it can absolutely be done for free by any almshouse charity.

But you could:

1. Google ‘simple standard editable self employed contract suitable for Almshouse new Clerk in UK’, and accept a free trial with Law Depot (which comes up near the top of the list). Their Free Independent Contractor Template is as good a start as any, I would have thought.

2. Add to it, as an annex or schedule, the job specification for a Clerk, to be found in SAM – so it is clear to all parties what is expected of you. And then invite your trustees to examine the draft contract for flaws.

3. After incorporating their comments, and provided you are happy with it too, you should have a pretty good contract.

4. If you still have worries about it, show it to your own, or the charity’s, solicitor, for comment.

Nick Stiven
clerk@stjohnswilton.org.uk

[clerk.stjohnswilton]

In 2025/26, the minimum total auto-enrolment pension contribution is 8% of qualifying earnings, with employers contributing at least 3%. Employees are typically required to contribute 5% to make up the remaining 8%. This minimum contribution applies to earnings between £6,240 and £50,270.
Here’s a breakdown of the minimum contributions:

Employer: 3%
Employee: 5%
Total: 8%

The 5% employee contribution is typically made up of a 4% contribution from their salary, and a 1% tax relief contribution from the government.

Nick Stiven
clerk@stjohnswilton.org.uk

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