Dear Friends

I write to you as one who identifies themself as a member or friend of our parish, and in what is an important year for one of our legal processes.

You may know that churches are required to create and maintain a list of members, known as the Electoral Roll. Entry on the Roll allows members to vote in the Annual Church Meetings, become members of the Parochial Church Council and means that you are formally recognised as a stakeholder in the parish as a whole. For the parish, it the only way that we can measure our membership and has a direct impact on the scale of our representation on local or diocesan councils. During times of clergy vacancy, the viability of parishes is also measured by the Electoral Roll among other factors.

Every six years, all parishes are required to revise their Electoral Rolls in their entirety, which means that all previous versions are set aside and we begin again. Revision takes place this year, with the new Electoral Roll presented the Annual Church Meeting in April.

It is important to note that, unless you add yourself to the new Electoral Roll, your membership will lapse automatically. Each qualifying member of your family must do likewise. 

For members with children who are approaching applications for school admissions, the Electoral Roll will be the mechanism by which we will qualify your association with the parish. School Supplementary Forms will only be signed, therefore, for one or more parent listed on the Electoral Roll.

In previous years, this has been a purely paper-based exercise but I have taken the step to create the standard diocesan Application Form digitally so that you can complete the Form in your own time and in comfort. If you prefer to use a paper version of the form, copies will be available in church from this Sunday. The digital form can be accessed below:

Application for the Electoral Roll 2025

I encourage you all to complete your forms as soon as possible and thank you for the time taken to do so. If you need help with the digital or paper form, please do not hesitate to ask for my help, the help of Jennifer our Electoral Roll Officer, or the staff in the parish office. We are here to support you.

I close with my thanks for your attention in this small but important piece of work, and with my gratitude for all that you do in and for the parish.

Fr David

The Revd David Cloake
Vicar
St Mary with St Alban, Teddington
vicar@teddingtonparish.org