Published: 30 April 2024
Churches and Christian charities across the UK and Ireland have been awarded more than £330,000 in our latest round of monthly smaller grants.
We’re delighted to share some of the latest projects to receive funding through our Community Impact and Building Improvement grants programmes. From inspiring the imaginations of disadvantaged young people, to converting a 20th Century cinema into a place of Christian worship – our grants are supporting some incredible projects:
Community Impact Grants
Equipping for Life Limited, Belfast
Northern Ireland is a society slowly moving away from years of conflict and division, but this has resulted in many communities being marginalised and disadvantaged. Equipping for Life (EFL) was formed in 2018 to help address educational underachievement in the most disadvantaged areas. Young people aspire to be what they see around them in everyday life, but it’s difficult to aspire to a future that you never see and don’t know exists.
Inspire is EFL’s most recent programme, equipping volunteers from the world of work to visit primary schools in very disadvantaged areas and engage children in work-related activities to fire their imaginations and inspire them to reach their full potential.
A £9,000 Community Impact Grant will be used to employ a member of staff to coordinate the Inspire Programme and will also be used to create resources for the programme.
St Vincent de Paul Society (SVP), London
SVP Chorley Buddies is a local community group tackling food poverty and social isolation. Its aim is to redistribute surplus food that would otherwise go to landfill, while supporting the community with their weekly shop. The group isn’t a foodbank, it’s a food club – customers can come along and choose their own shopping, which gives them a sense of ownership which can help maintain their feeling of dignity. Currently there are five food clubs in Chorley and over 270 families visit each week.
A grant of £9,600 will help to expand the service, which is so vital to local people.
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Veterans Chaplaincy Scotland, Perth
Veterans Chaplaincy Scotland (VCS) is a proactive, confidential and professional service, providing pastoral care to veterans and their families of all faiths and none. It promotes hope, healing and acceptance for the veteran community in Scotland. Since August 2023, VCS chaplains have engaged with over 1,720 members of the community.
A £9,400 grant will help to fund more roles within the team to ensure the future sustainability of the chaplaincy programme.
Building Improvement Grants
St Mary of Zion Ethiopian Orthodox Church, London
St Mary’s Church is currently renting an Anglican Church whilst its permanent building is being converted. The church’s new home was built in 1896 and originally served as assembly rooms for the local pub. In 1910, it was converted into a cinema and in later years was used as a nightclub.
The building has had a varied life so far, and when completed will serve as a place of Christian worship for a congregation of over 200 people. As well as collaborating with the Anglican Church next door to reach out to struggling members of the community, the church will be a hub for church activities.
A £13,500 Building Improvement Grant will help fund electrical installation and plumbing.
St Swithin's Church, East Riding of Yorkshire
St Swithin’s church restoration project aims to address the structural issues with the building and make it safe for many years to come. It will also improve the church’s facilities to make it a real community building for a variety of activities.
Phase one of the project will address urgent structural repairs to the porch and roof and phase two will install new toilet and servery facilities and improve the efficiency of the heating and lighting.
A £3,900 Benefact Trust grant will support phase one of the restoration project.
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*Header image: Veterans Chaplaincy Scotland. Middle image: SVP food club. Footer image: St Swithin's Church.
