Parish Database Software

[Hare]

Does anyone have any experience please of managing parish databases on PC, either using commercially available or customized software? A Google search reveals a number of suppliers abroad but not in the UK (although Google always works differently for everyone else apart from me! )

Any information gratefully received please.

Thank you

[SOP]

Do you mean Access or an Excel spreadsheet?

"Database" means different things to different people. To me it means something along he lines of Access where you put in the information once and build logical views to produce reports. To others, an simple Excel spreadsheet is what they mean and work with very happily.

[Hare]

Do you mean Access or an Excel spreadsheet?

"Database" means different things to different people. To me it means something along he lines of Access where you put in the information once and build logical views to produce reports. To others, an simple Excel spreadsheet is what they mean and work with very happily.

I mean, I haven't a clue. My wife has been asked by the PP to "put the parish database on the computer" and, whilst she is familiar with spreadsheets, wondered if there are any dedicated programmes out there for parish use.?

[musicus]

There may be one or two database programs designed for parishes - though I don't know of any - but most are not. Database applications like Access and Filemaker Pro are designed to be customisable, so you can store and retrieve data on anything at all: CDs, customers, cars, parishioners, etc.

To be honest, if you haven't built and used a database before, I would find someone else in the parish who has. You could go out and buy in a consultant - if the parish is very rich - but there's bound to be someone in the parish who could do the job in Access for you. You would be dealing with sensitive information about people and (probably) money - much of which is subject to some pretty heavy legislation. Privacy, security, on-going maintenance, robust backup... There's a lot to consider.

Spreadsheets (like Excel) are OK for lists (like names and addresses), but if your data is more complex you really need a database application.

All this is IMHO, of course.

[monty]

Sounds as if the first step would be to do lists in something like Excel. Get them right and then if you do move on to a DB program like Access you should be able to upload from the spreadsheet.

Could be worth asking if any other parishes in the deanery use a database package because then there would be help and support when queries arose.

[Southern Comfort]

Sounds as if the first step would be to do lists in something like Excel.

I've never understood why people choose to do lists, timetables and heaven-knows-what-else in Excel. These are all much easier to handle in other programmes, such as Word, using tables. Excel is only useful if you want cells to do calculations for you, which might of course be the case if the parish wants to record how much individuals are giving.

[Hare]

Thanks for all the info so far - don't stop it coming! - looks like we shall go down the database route rather than spreadsheets.