Winchester approves cuts to beat recession

Winchester Diocese has approved a new budget for 2010 that may see the end of diocesan and clergy posts.

Jobs facing the axe include Canon Missioner, Partnership Development Director, chaplains at Southampton University, Southampton Solent University and Bournemouth FE/HE College, and Chaplain for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

Diocesan Secretary Andrew Robinson said the aim was to produce a 'budget for change' rather than a 'budget of cuts'.

The reduced budget was passed by the Winchester diocesan synod on Saturday to save it from a £1.6 million shortfall in income threatened by the recession.

Bishop of Winchester the Rt Rev Michael Scott-Joynt said the recession had affected the ability of people to give generously.

"The Diocese of Winchester is dependent on generous giving,"he said. "We have very little historic income and we face the likelihood of less income from the parishes next year than we would need to sustain all our present expenditure.

"We therefore judged it right to produce a realistic, balanced budget which will enable us to sustain our vision and our mission."

Mr Robinson said the diocese was trying to find alternative sources of funding in order to avoid making some of the 32 proposed cuts.

"A budget of this kind can be seen as difficult but necessary and indeed if parishes and other partners respond positively we may be able to retain more of the work which we aspire to undertake," he said.

"As a diocese we are optimistic that by taking these necessary and realistic measures in 2010 we will be able to make our resources work to best effect for our mission as a whole, and thereby sustain and grow that vision in the years ahead."