Submitted by george.somers@… on

Our Organisation grants are awarded to an organisation - or towards a specific project - which benefits Anglican clergy, their families or another beneficiary group.

Last month, our Trustees approved applications for over £160,000 in grants, towards a range of organisations and projects making a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of clergy households.

The Society of Mary and Martha run the Sheldon Retreat Centre in Devon, a Christian community offering retreats, especially at times of stress, crisis, burnout or breakdown. We have awarded a £60,000 grant to support their ongoing mission, to provide a safe space for rest, reflection and recovery, for Anglican clergy and their spouses/partners.

"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 and cared for community, set in the beautiful Surrey countryside. We have provided them with £71,000 in funding, towards shortfalls in nursing/care costs and housing costs for Anglican clergy and their spouses/widows.

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 clergy who so often burn the candle at both ends, to take the time for introspection and recuperation.

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, at the Summit Centre in Trelewis. We're privileged to provide £4,000 to support this project.

"The main feeling coming from the young people was that they wanted the weekend to be longer, so they could spend more time together!"

NOTES FOR EDITORS
Photo credit: Clergy Support Trust x Canva.
Clergy Support Trust is the largest and oldest charity focussed on the wellbeing of clergy and their families. The Trust, originally founded in 1655, provides confidential help for Anglican clergy and their families across the UK, Ireland, Isle of Man, and Diocese in Europe. The Trust are confidential, independent, inclusive, and impartial, and we support clergy from training through to retirement. In 2024, we supported over 2,800 households with more than 7,300 grants.
For media enquiries, please email our External Relations team at hello@clergysupport.org.uk.