Bristol, Guildford (pictured below), Liverpool, St Paul’s and St Edmundsbury are among twelve landmarks participating in the pilot scheme, due to start later this year.

Rev David Potterton from Romsey Abbey, which is also taking part, told the Sunday Telegraph: “We hope that giving everyone, particularly people who aren’t carrying cash anymore, the opportunity to donate will increase the abbey’s visitor donations substantially.”

The announcement comes after a report by UK Finance last week concluded that charities missed out on £160 million during the past twelve months because fewer people are carrying coins and notes.

Guildford Cathedral in Surrey said its 30,000 visitors annually offer donations of £10,000 per year – an average of 30p per person.

Like most other cathedral, the landmark is free to enter but secure containers, dubbed ‘honesty boxes’, encourage guests to make a suggested donation.

Matt O’Grady from Guildford Cathedral told the Sunday Telegraph: “We definitely don’t want to impose a fee; in our case, we think that would be a barrier to people coming here.”

During the summer, contactless payment terminals were passed around with traditional collection plates at approximately 40 Church of England congregations, as part of a separate pilot scheme.

National stewardship officer at the Church of…

The Diocese of Europe warned a reliance on reserve funds in the current budget “could not continue indefinitely” as it approved plans for greater contributions to help meet costs.

Ten per cent of each church’s annual income will go towards meeting diocese-wide costs via the Common Fund by 2020, double the current five per cent figure.

Similar to Diocesan Share payments made by Church of England congregations in the UK, the Common Fund raises money for services which benefit the diocese as a whole, such as safeguarding.

Following a two-day meeting of the Bishop’s Council in London this week, leaders also gave the green light to plans to tackle the “pressure” facing its seven Archdeacons, many of whom also lead churches of their own.

It came after the Archdeacon of North-West Europe, Ven Dr Paul Vrolijk and the Archdeacon of France Ven Meurig Williams gave accounts during the summit of the strain they have been under.

Under the new financial plan agreed on Friday, the number of full-time Archdeacons in the diocese will increase from one to three during the course of the next three years.

The document also allows for an increase in staffing and support for safeguarding, and new arrangements for the diocese communications department from the end of the year.

The Diocese of Europe has a presence in dozens of European countries, as well as Morocco, the Caucasus and central Asia.

John Lawson handed 50 free copies of his book to a chaplain at HM Prison Lewis (pictured below), only to receive an email two weeks later saying they would not be passed on to inmates.

The 50-year-old from the nearby town of Seaford, said: “My book, ‘If a Wicked Man’, is a true crime biography that contains the Gospel message, so that we can deliver the Gospel to readers who won’t usually pick up a Christian book.”

During the course of a decade, Mr Lawson has shared his testimony in more than 25 countries, visiting some of the world’s most challenging prisons in doing so.

He said: “I was quite shocked; I get many requests from prison chaplains for copies of my book. [Lewis] is the only prison where this has ever happened.”

The Prison Service said jail governors can exercise discretion is deciding which books are “suitable” for offenders, in order to “maintain good order”.

It also said: “If a book is deemed unsuitable or would risk creating disorder, Governors have the discretion to take the book out of circulation.”

In the past fortnight, copies of his book have been accepted into HM Prison La Moye in Jersey and HM Prison Wandsworth in south London.

A former gang enforcer, Mr Lawson, who became a Christian while in jail, said it was “essential” inmates at Lewis Prison heard the Gospel.

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