Monthly Grants: our funding in action

Read more about some of the incredible projects we’ve supported through our Community Impact and Building Improvement grant programmes…

Community Impact Grants

St Mark’s MK Church, Milton Keynes

St Mark’s Church believes no child should ever have to go to bed hungry. That’s why it provides a selection of nutritious recipe boxes for children facing poverty, through its St Mark’s Meals project.

The church works with 130 local partner schools, children’s centres and community hubs to distribute the food boxes. Together, they have distributed over 15,300 meal boxes to feed over 61,200 children and families. An amazing achievement, but demand is increasing every year with the rising cost of living.

The church is renting new premises so that it can store more food and create a friendly space for volunteers, community groups and NHS partners. A Benefact Trust Community Impact Grant of £10,000 will help support the refurbishment of this welcoming, new space.

Sale West Community Church, Greater Manchester

Sale West estate is a community struggling with high levels of deprivation, it’s one of the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in the country. For over 14 years, Sale West Community Church has been at the heart of this community, dedicated to supporting families and breaking the cycle of poverty. The church’s outreach work focuses on supporting the most vulnerable families, for example those living with ADHD, Autism and complex needs.

The outreach projects include a weekly craft session, a community outreach programme in local primary schools, and a Sunday programme for children and young people. A £4,900 Community Impact Grant will support the continuation of the Outreach Worker’s role so that the church can keep making a positive impact in the community.

St Mary’s Church, Merthyr Tydfil, Wales

The Breathe community choir was established at St Mary’s Church to provide a space for people suffering with devastating lung conditions. Lung conditions are the third biggest killer in the UK, and Merthyr Tydfil itself has the highest death rate in Wales.

The choir has proved to be very popular and there is a demand for a carer support group to run alongside the choir practices. St Mary’s has even been approached by BBC Wales and Welsh Opera as a concert and performance venue because of its amazing acoustics and inspiring community story. The local community would like to build on this publicity, creating a high-quality venue with concerts and performances for local residents.

A £9,852 grant will help to enhance the venue and expand the support of the community choir.

Building Improvement Grants

City of Wells Almshouses Trust, Wells, Somerset

The Bubwith Chapel restoration project is addressing the urgent need to preserve and revitalise this significant Grade II listed building in Wells. Built in the 15th Century as a hospital, the chapel has long served as a place of friendship and support for the most vulnerable people in society.

Sadly, the chapel is now in a state of disrepair, with issues like damp, poor drainage, inadequate heating, and limited accessibility. These issues are a threat to this medieval building’s structure, and without intervention, this historic chapel and vital community resource is at risk of closure.

The chapel has secured funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to take on this restoration project. A £9,300 Benefact Trust grant will help to restore the chapel and transform it into an accessible space whilst preserving its rich heritage.

Ashbourne Elim Church, Derbyshire

Ashbourne Elim Church moved into its current building in 2012, and since then the church has continued to grow and thrive. The church provides a range of services for its community, such as a foodbank, youth groups, a community café, lunch for older people, and the space is also used by a number of different charities.

To support the growing need for these services, the church is undergoing a two-storey extension to create a permanent foodbank space, new youth and SEN rooms, and a mezzanine balcony as an extension to the main church hall. A £10,000 Building Improvement Grant will support this exciting, new project.