We have a number of funding opportunities which churches can explore to help support them with their mission and ministry.
On this page we give details of:
The Missional Property Fund
The Children and Young People Fund
The Covid Emergency-19 Fund
Other external funding opportunities
We also provide some information about other organisations with funding opportunities that churches may be interested in exploring.
The Missional Property Fund
- roof repairs
- tower repairs
- stonework
- church floors
- new heating and lighting*
- new toilets
- adaptations for disabled access
- reordering including kitchen facilities, as long as they are within the footprint of the church
- sound systems
- rewiring
- mullions (not glazing)
* The Trustees would like to encourage churches to consider installing heating systems based on renewable technologies (e.g. air source heat pumps) or micro-generation of electricity. An application for such a system is likely to be considered for the maximum possible grant.
- professional fees
- works outside the footprint of the church, including:
- church halls
- external meeting rooms and facilities
- church grounds
- boundary walls and fences
- redecoration including re-gilding
- bells
- organs
- clocks
- monuments
- brasses
- stained glass
Please note that this fund is only able to make grants to Anglican Parish Churches. The Fund is run with the support of Marshalls Charity. The Trustees will never award a grant for more than the amount requested, and so you should ask for what you need.
The same church must not reapply within 3 years of a previous grant whether successful or unsuccessful. There should be at least 1 communion service a month held at the church. Grants need to be claimed within 2 years of being awarded.
Parishes applying for the Fund must have a project which:
- Has a positive impact on the local community
- Takes into account the volume of other community facilities in the area
- Has support in principle from the Diocesan Advisory Committee (DAC)
And in addition, meets the following criteria:
- Makes the building fit for identified mission and ministry needs
- Increases accessibility, including to people with disabilities, and those with young children
- Enables new use for a property that otherwise is at risk of closure or disrepair
If you are invited to proceed to the second stage, you will need to upload copies of the church accounts for the past three years. You may also wish to provide other documents to support your application, for example:
- your Mission Action Plan
- recent church newsletter
- parish magazines
- financial accounts
If you meet the criteria, please complete a stage one application form. The 2022 deadline for applications is Monday 20 June. Successful applicants will be notified by Friday 1 July and assisted to complete a stage two application form, with support from the Diocese, which must be completed by 2 September. Successful applications will be notified by November 2022.
The Children and Young People Fund
Its ambition is to provide a base from which small projects and ministry can build up and be linked to the Diocesan Called Together Framework. The fund has been made possible through the significant financial support of Colyer-Fergusson Charitable Trust
- discipleship
- transformation
- vocation
- participation; and
- raising low aspiration and self-esteem.
Grants can fund anything from resources and trips to food and practical supplies. Our vision is to Grow, Enrich and Resource our communities, giving our children and young people hope, identity, and a lifelong encounter with Jesus Christ.
- salaries for employing a worker
- commercial enterprises
- buildings
The fund aims to nurture the development of new, existing and extended work in parallel with existing ministries.
Applications will only be accepted on the CYP application form which can be found at or by contacting sarah.cabella@rochester.anglican.org. All applications must be returned to Sarah Cabella – sarah.cabella@rochester.anglican.org, preferably by email, or by post to Diocesan Office, St Nicholas Church, Boley Hill, Rochester, Kent. ME1 1SL
The Covid Emergency-19 Fund
- Loans of between £2,000 and £25,000 for any parish who would like one, interest and repayment free for the first year.
- Small support grants of £5,000 for those parishes in most acute financial need.
- For grants: sue.davis@rochester.anglican.org
- For loans: gerry.hughes@rochester.anglican.org
Other external funding opportunities
The Church of England gives grants for the conservation of historic churchyard interiors and churchyard structures in partnership with other grant making bodies. There are various deadlines for various categories throughout the year.
The National Churches Trust gives grants ranging from small grants for maintenance issues, to larger grants for building repairs and the installation of toilets and kitchens. Parishes need to have approval in place before applying for a grant. There are usually two funding rounds a year.
The Friends of Kent Churches gives grants to churches for maintenance works and also considers applications for toilets and kitchens. There are two applications rounds each year, with deadlines of 1st May and 1st November.
Please note that churches within the London Boroughs of Bromley and Bexley are eligible for grants from the Friends of Kent Churches.
The Benefact Trust gives grants to Christian organisations, including for repairs and improvements, especially where works support wider community use.