Published: 30 October 2024
Benefact Trust has awarded over £300,000 to inspiring church and charity projects across the UK and Ireland.
We’re delighted to support a range of incredible initiatives through our Community Impact and Building Improvement grants programmes, which are helping communities to thrive and are cherishing our rich heritage.
Here are some of the latest projects we’re supporting:
Community Impact Grants
Potter’s House Christian Fellowship Church, Kingston Upon Thames
Potter’s House has developed a new project, No More Knives, which is a vital initiative aimed at addressing the rising issue of knife crime among young people in its community.
Knife crime has become an increasing issue in the local area, mirroring a worrying national trend. Recent statistics from local authorities indicate a rapid rise in knife-related incidents among young people, many of whom believe that carrying a weapon is necessary for self-protection. This problem is compounded by social and economic challenges such as poverty, unemployment, and a lack of positive role models.
Through educational workshops, a mentoring programme, and community outreach events, the No More Knives project will help to address this growing issue and give young people a platform to voice their concerns and share their experiences.
A Community Impact Grant of £2,600 will support this vital project.
St Leonard’s Community Church, Sheffield
For many people in St Leonard’s local area, life is challenging. The church works alongside partners to address basic issues such as food poverty, but without employment opportunities, people are trapped in a cycle of day-to-day survival.
In consultation with local women, the church is developing its own ‘Skylines Salon’ which will draw on some of the existing hair and beauty skills in the community. The salon will provide employment opportunities, education and training for the wider community who are seeking employment elsewhere, and socially prescribed bookings for people who are struggling in the community and would benefit from a pampering session.
A grant of £3,800 will be used to set up the salon space, so that this inspirational project can get up and running.
.
Stock image of a salon
Building Improvement Grants
RCCG Living Truth, Ellon, Aberdeenshire
RCCG Living Truth is a church currently based out of a small, timber clad building located in Ellon town centre. The church has ambitions to grow its impact in the wider community by renovating an old car garage into a vibrant church and community centre.
In its new base, the church will be able to expand its work, setting up a food bank and soup kitchen, a youth club, and community space to serve a range of social needs.
A Building Improvement Grant of £7,000 will help to renovate the garage space.
St George and All Saints Church, London
St George’s Church sits at the heart of its local community in Tufnell Park. It’s a busy church with a strong commitment to responding to local need. On average around 450 people use the building for stay and play clubs, free lunches at the wellbeing café, and dance and drama lessons. The church has also recently started a Sensory Drop In for children with additional needs.
The church is vital for the community, but the building itself is in urgent need of repairs. The roof is leaking, the building is losing heat, and the church is spending time and money on temporary solutions.
A grant of £20,000 will help to refurbish this community space, making the roof safe, improving insulation and helping to remodel the kitchen to make it more suitable for community meals.
Cathedral Church of St Barnabas, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
Nottingham’s Roman Catholic Cathedral was designed by the famous architect, AWN Pugin, and completed in 1844. It was then the largest post-reformation Catholic church in the country.
Today, it is the Mother Church of Nottingham Diocese, reaching across five counties. Since 2018, the cathedral has been engaged in a project funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund to uncover and restore the original Pugin paint decorations in the east end of the building. By restoring this historically important artwork, the cathedral aims to attract more visitors to enjoy its incredible heritage.
A grant of £4,875 will help to address the damp and leaks in the east end, which could jeopardise efforts to restore the original paintwork.
.
