Grant Stories

Grant stories

One of the ways we equip our circuits and churches to respond to the gospel of God's love in Christ and to live out their discipleship is by offering grants to support risk-taking mission. Recent grants awarded include:

Transforming Mission Grants

• Facilities and Community Manager: £20,000 to Trinity Circuit (November 2023), working initially across two key sites, The Crossing (Worksop) and The Grove (Retford). To increase usage of both sites in line with the ethos of each church's mission plan and in proactive response to the needs of the local community, with resulting partnerships underpinning a new sustainable operational and financial model. 
• NPNP Rossington: £20,000 with a further £20,000 subject to availability of funds, to Doncaster Circuit (July 2022), starting a new Christian community with initial focus of young people, mindfulness and new housing chaplaincy identified through community consultations
• Mental Health Coordinator: £20,000 to Sheffield Circuit (September 2022), providing training in Mental Health First Aid across the circuit and supporting churches to create mental health supporting activities in their local neighbourhoods
• Community Cohesion & Outreach Worker: £23,023 to Manor Church & Community Project (July 2022), taking next steps in developing community relationships and partnerships and intentional Christian outreach in the economically deprived Manor & Castle Ward in Sheffield
• New Places for New People Pilot: £20,000 to Derbyshire North East Circuit (September 2021), starting new forms of Christian community in Barrow Hill and Rother area of Chesterfield, "left behind" places

Properties Fit for Mission Grants

• Youth House roof replacement: £4,000 to St John's Methodist Church Swinton (July 2023), the final phase of modernising a vital community asset and highly engaged congregation in an economically challenged neighbourhood
• Riverbank stabilization: £3,000 to Totley Rise Methodist Church (May 2023), preventing the active church premises and quiet garden from being lost to river erosion
• Emergency spire repair: £12,000 to St Andrews Psalter Lane Church, Sheffield (March 2023)
• Community Hub: £20,000 to Stocksbridge Christian Centre (November 2022), making the church building fit for a new partnership with the Food Matters foodbank, including a community shop and café
• Peak Wesley Way: £14,000 to Peak Circuit (September 2022), preparation of chapels for a new pilgrimage trail to engage walkers of all faiths and none and strengthen relationships between chapels and village residents
• Flexible seating:£6,900 to The Foundry Sheffield (Victoria Hall), making the magnificent main hall a flexible space for church, charitable and city centre events
• Growth of The Grove: £20,000 to The Grove Methodist Church Retford January 2022, converting a once unsafe chapel into a multi-purpose sacred space with a story to share

Warm Space Grants

Warm Space grants totalling £20,500 were awarded to 41 churches providing warm spaces over the winter of 2022/23 in response to the cost of living crisis.

Energy Efficiency Fund

During 2022/23 grants totalling £2,618 were made towards bespoke surveys advising on reducing carbon footprint and increasing energy efficiency of ten chapel buildings. This scheme remains open for new applications for a limited period.