A total of £1m of funding is to be allocated to Christian organisations by grant-maker, Allchurches Trust.
Grants of up to £25,000 will be awarded to churches running “innovative, impactful projects” and “major social initiatives”. The trust hopes that the grants will encourage religion among youth and improve church infrastructure.
It comes after the trust polled 800 churches to gain an insight into the issues they face.
Sir Philip Mawer, chairman of Allchurches Trust, said: “It’s inspiring to read that 96 per cent of the churches we asked said they would love to run more activities for children and young people if they had all of the right resources and skills, but it is important not to under-estimate the scale of the challenge.
“While our survey uncovered some truly inspiring examples of churches running innovative projects that are addressing a very real need in their communities, it’s clear that many are struggling to run activities at all or are offering support that they feel lacks relevance or is unattractive to local families. Many are hampered by buildings that are not fit for purpose and outdated equipment.
“We hope to help overcome some of these practical problems through our new grants programme. We also aim to share shining examples of projects making a difference and encouraging church growth, so that more churches and Christian organisations feel inspired and confident to help young people in their communities reach their potential, spiritually and in other ways.”
Applicants can present project pitches to the trust and grants will fund between 10 per cent and 80 per cent of the costs.
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