Can some Financial Regulation be set aside for petty cash account to support volunteers shopping for the vulnerable?

Question

As a Parish Council we are setting up volunteers throughout the parish to support vulnerable people. with emergency shopping Please do you have ideas how we can establish a Petty Cash system? This fund would be available to protect volunteers own funds, where vulnerable people cannot get to the bank and do not have cheques, contactless cards or other means of payment. Our own Parish Clerk is not will to help in any way; if we obtain approval from the Council, can she be 'encouraged' to help with this support scheme? After all these are strange and uncertain times where none of us have been.

Keep safe.

Answer 1

I cannot see how a parish council can be allowed to do this, despite the good intentions behind it.  There are schemes for vulnerable people to receive food packages and food banks are still operating.  Some retailers are offering to take payments over the phone.

I would suggest that if the parish council want to help, compiling a list of local retailers who can take phone payments and allow collection or offer a delivery service would be a better option.

Despite these unusual times, parish councils still have to have a power to act.  I am not sure that acting like a bank is covered in any power.

Comments

No
Your Council can give to an organisation.(S137)
But never to an individual.