Published: 30 May 2024
We’ve awarded over £300,000 to churches and charities across the UK and Ireland in our latest round of monthly smaller grants.
Here’s a sneak peek at some of the amazing projects to receive funding through our Community Impact and Building Improvement grants programmes. As summer approaches, it’s not just the weather that has us feeling warm and hopeful…
Community Impact Grants
Restore Northampton
Restore runs a Foodbank and Hub in Northampton to serve those in need. The weekly sessions offer a range of services, from crisis support, to providing food and essentials, to offering long term emotional and practical assistance.
A £9,900 Community Impact Grant will help to expand their services to cater for the increasing number of referrals. In 2023, the foodbank gave out 9,000 food parcels and the need continues to grow.
The Restore Foodbank and Hub offers a ‘hand up’ rather than a ‘hand out’ so that people are given opportunities to thrive and gain their own independence.
St Luke’s Community and Regeneration Enterprises, Leeds
St Luke’s provides a variety of community projects to meet the needs of vulnerable and disadvantaged young people and families living within inner South Leeds. These estates are renowned for violent crime, poverty, isolation and deprivation. In the Beeston and Holbeck Ward, 31.4% of children live in poverty and crime rates are among the highest in the city.
The Rise and Shine project works hard to raise awareness and tackle issues around youth violence, child criminal exploitation and gangs in inner South Leeds. The work seeks to change the direction of travel for these young people and give them hope for the future through; complex needs mentoring, crisis support, afterschool groups, in-school & in-community courses, violence reduction workshops, sports activities, social action and young leaders’ programmes.
A £5,300 grant from Benefact Trust will help to expand the project’s reach by employing a new youth worker.
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Building Improvement Grants
Hillsong Church North London, London
Hillsong Church’s grade II listed building spreads over three main levels, encompassing a huge auditorium, three studios and 46 other rooms. Hillsong purchased the hippodrome in a very poor state. Originally owned by the BBC until 2003, when the building was vacated, it deteriorated considerably to the extent that it was placed on the English Heritage ‘buildings at risk’ register in 2005.
After purchasing the building in 2022, Hillsong undertook urgent repairs to the roof to make the building watertight and to stop any further deterioration. The hippodrome is now home to an active congregation and Hillsong’s performing arts programme for young people.
A Building Improvement Grant of £9,100 will help to refurbish the building to maximise the space and increase the capacity for worship, as well as reopening the facility as a historic arts venue to be enjoyed by the wider community.
Lifehouse (Worcester) Elim Church, Worcestershire
Lifehouse Church is centrally located in some of the more disadvantaged areas of the city. Worcester’s population has risen by more than 6% over the last 10 years, and although it has areas of relative affluence it now rates among the worst in England for rising levels of deprivation.
The church’s vision and activities focus on outreach support in the local community, through youth events, a community café, and partnerships with local support services.
An £11,000 grant will help to repair, refurbish and reconfigure the building to allow the congregation and community facilities to grow.
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*Header image: Restore Northampton. Middle image: St Luke’s Community and Regeneration Enterprises. Footer image: Hillsong Church
