Our Organisation grants are awarded to an organisation or, in some cases, a diocese, where multiple clergy households may benefit from the grant.
This often includes activity days for clergy children, partners, widows or widowers; retreat centres, providing counselling, psychotherapy or art therapy; and care homes or sheltered housing for Anglican clergy. These grants cannot, however, be used to subsidise costs that are the responsibility of the diocese or national church institution (eg. the maintenance of vicarages, pastoral supervision, staffing costs, etc).
This month, our Trustees have approved applications for over £160,000 in grants, towards a range of organisations and projects having a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of clergy and their families.
The Society of Mary and Martha run the Sheldon Retreat Centre in Devon, a Christian community offering retreats to clergy and/or their spouses/partners, especially at times of stress, crisis, burnout or breakdown. We have awarded them a £60,000 grant, to support their ongoing mission to provide safe space for rest, reflection and recovery.
"Sheldon provides peace and quiet in beautiful surroundings, with gentle support and solitude, yet not isolated. A womb-like feel, healing and restorative."
The College of St Barnabas is a residential community of retired clergy, set in the beautiful Surrey countryside, providing holistic care through supported living flats, and this year, we have provided them with £71,000 in funding.
We have also granted £16,000 to St Beuno’s, a retreat house and spirituality centre, providing a range of individual guided retreats and courses to restore and reinvigorate the clergy who so often burn the candle at both ends, to take the time for introspection and recouperation.
An outdoor activity day for young clergy children, and a weekend for clergy teenagers, in the Diocese of Bath and Wells, Life to the Max and Family Max bring clergy kids together to make friends and share their unique experiences, while taking part in archery, tobogganing and even axe throwing. We will provide these projects with £14,813 over the next three years.
"It was a real blessing to have a relaxed, fun day with similar families. We made new friends, tried new things, and enjoyed having the space to be together."
From picking blackberries to toasting marshmallows, caving to bushcraft, Rock and Wild Weekend similarly brings clergy children from across the six dioceses of the Church in Wales together. We're privileged to provide this project with £4,000 to welcome more clergy kids to the Summit Centre in Trelewis.
"The main feeling coming from the young people was that they wanted the weekend to be longer, so they could spend more time together!"