Grants

Grants

A group of young people make funny poses and raise their hands in the air in front of a 'green screen' as part of a film project funded by the Children and Young People Fund.

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
This fund has been established with a primary aim to support projects which allow parishes to open up church buildings for mission.
The Fund has been made possible by generous support from Marshalls Charity, match-funded by the Diocese of Rochester by funds from restricted funds. In a number of parishes, the property is hindering rather than supporting the mission of the Church. The Missional Property Fund hopes to offer support in this area, increase the funds available, and provide a transparent process for application and allocation. Please see examples of reordering case studies from Rochester and Canterbury dioceses here
Amount available
Each financial year the Missional Property Fund will make grants of up to £20,000 to repair or improve church buildings, where this will enable the mission plans for the area.
What do you give money towards?
Grants are given towards the repair or improvement of church buildings.  Grants have been given in the past for:
  • 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. 

What is not funded
We do not give grants for:
  • 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
The application process

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
Key contacts
For more information, dates for the next round of applications, please contacts: claire.boxall@rochester.anglican.org .

 

The Children and Young People Fund
The Fund
The Children and Young People (CYP) Fund aims to support ideas that will give children and young people lifelong encounters with Jesus; grants can fund anything from resources and trips to food and practical supplies.
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
Amount available
Grants can be made from £1,000 - £5,000.  Grants can also be accepted up to £10,000 in exceptional circumstances if it is for churches working collaboratively within the deaneries.  Applications can be “fast-tracked” for grants under £1,500
What can be funded
Grants will be considered for projects that focus on:
  • 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.

What is not funded
The fund does not cover:
  • 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.

The application process
Applications are welcomed from parishes and deaneries and in conjunction with partnering organisations working collaboratively, known to the Diocese of Rochester.

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 
 
Key documents:
CYP Fund Application Form
CYP Fund Guidelines
CYP Fund Criteria ticklist
CYP Fund Budget Sheet
Key contacts
For details of future application dates please email: sarah.cabella@rochester.anglican.org Please also see the documentation below.
 
The Covid-19 Emergency Relief Fund
The Fund
The financial strain on parishes however has been real and painful. Through prayerful consideration and by listening to the experiences of parishes, the Diocese was pleased to be able to launch the Diocese of Rochester Covid-19 Emergency Relief Fund in April 2020.
Amount available
The support available consists of:
  • 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.  
What can be funded
The grants are aimed at those parishes in most acute financial need to help them cover short-term running costs.
The loans aim to provide a parish with additional funds to help them meet its operating costs and financial obligations, including maintaining its Parish Offer.
The application process
The application process for both the loans and the grants is intended to be swift and simple, with decisions taken on the best available information and understanding ADD USEFUL DOCUMENTS
Key contacts
For more details please contact:
  • For grants: sue.davis@rochester.anglican.org
  • For loans: gerry.hughes@rochester.anglican.org
 
Other external funding opportunities
Church of England Conservation Grants

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.

National Churches Trust

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.

Friends of Kent Churches

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.

Congregational and General Trust
Congregational and General trust gives grants ranging from £1000 to £25,000 for capital projects involving repairs, improvements or extensions. Applications are considered quarterly. Please see their website for the next application deadline.
Benefact Trust

The Benefact Trust gives grants to Christian organisations, including for repairs and improvements, especially where works support wider community use.