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Grant funding information 2024 - 2025

Tony Trevers


The District Advance Fund (DAF)


Grants policy

Grant applications will be considered for work, satisfying one or more of the following criteria:
  • Mission and Pastoral Initiatives
  • New ways of being church
  • Ecumenical initiatives
  • Community based initiatives, especially in areas of new housing development
  • Warm Spaces - grants towards providing a warm space over the period November 2024 to April 2025
  • Beyond Warm Spaces
  • Development of property - prepared to consider up to 25% of the total cost of the scheme, with normally a maximum of £50,000, with a clear mission strategy
  • Extraordinary church repairs - prepared to consider up to 25% of the total cost, with normally a maximum of £50,000
  • Manse energy efficiency up to EPC standard C - up to 50% of the cost, with matched funding from circuit
  • Church energy efficient/Eco Church improvements - will consider grants up to one third of the project cost up to a maximum of £40,000, with one third matched funding from the circuit and one third matched funding from the church
  • Training - grants will be considered on their merits for ministerial and lay training
  • Attendance at 3Generate (children and young people)
For non-property grants, an annual report will be called for and evaluated by the District Grants Committee before the release of subsequent grants.
 
Applications Timetable: September 2024 - August 2025

 

The District Grants Committee meet three times per year.  Applications for non-property grants to be considered at these meetings should be made on the District Grant Application Form.  Applications for property grants should be made on the Property Grant Application Form.  Forms should be sent to the Grants Secretary, Tony Trevers, by:
  • 24 September 2024
  • 4 February 2025
  • 27 May 2025
This timetable allows time for queries and for circulation to committee members ahead of the meeting.

To help churches make decisions sooner there will now be two levels of entry into Church Energy Efficiency/Eco Improvement and Manse Energy Efficiency/Eco improvement grants.  The entry levels will be up to £2,000 and above £2,001.  Applications for up to £2,000 will be agreed or otherwise and the church advised within seven days of receipt of the application.
 
It is also recognised that for some extraordinary church repairs the current timetable to process a grant application is not very helpful, e.g. having to replace a boiler in November.  We are therefore introducing an emergency/fast-track emergency process for Extraordinary Church Repairs grants which should provide the church with an answer within ten days of the receipt of the application.  This process should not be used for late applications!!
 
As we move towards the Methodist Church’s target of net zero by 2030, the Grants Committee anticipate that churches will be undertaking projects which, as we have learnt from a recent application, are way above the previous maximum value of a grant (£10,000) which could be applied for.

It has therefore been agreed that for Church Energy Efficiency/Eco Church Improvement grants be increased to a maximum of £40,000 with equal matched funding from both the circuit and church.  This now means we will be assisting with projects costing up to £120,000.  There is also provision for exceptional applications which may be even higher, and these will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

 

Bedfordshire, Essex and Hertfordshire District Training Grants 

Training grants will be considered on their merits by the District Grants Committee for ministerial and lay training that supports the mission of the Church and is not otherwise available through the Learning Network.  Click for a Training grant application form.

Manse Energy Performance Improvement

Consideration will be given by the District Grants Committee for a grant to improve the energy efficiency of the manse property occupied by a Presbyter or Deacon with matched funding by the circuit, unless it already possesses a 'C' rating.  Click for a Manse energy performance improvement application form.

Warm Spaces Grants

The district is making grants available to local churches to assist in providing 'warm spaces' over the period November 2024 to April 2025.  The grant is up to £1,000, payable on approval of the application.  Churches must demonstrate how they intend to fulfil the purposes of the warm spaces initiative.  Please see Responding to fuel poverty (methodist.org.uk) before completing the application.  A Methodist Church webinar is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIzxX9zAhqk.  Click for a Warm Spaces grant application form.
 

Beyond Warm Spaces Grants


In some of our churches the Warm Spaces initiative has continued beyond or morphed into something bigger and continued beyond April.  Our churches are doing a fantastic job helping some of the neediest in our society, not just financially.  The district is making grants available to churches to help support these projects.  The grant is up to £1,000, payable on approval of the application.  Click for a Beyond Warm Spaces grant application form.

It should be noted that a church can only apply for either a Warm Spaces or a Beyond Warm Spaces grant.


3Generate


The district provides funding to cover the cost of tickets for children and young people.  The circuit submits the application form on behalf of their churches and then reimburses the individual churches.  Click for a 3Generate application form.

Bedfordshire, Essex and Hertfordshire District Benevolence Fund

Applications from lay and ordained - please contact the District Chair.

London Mission Fund

These funds are allocated annually to the District and distributed via the District Grants Committee.

The Osborne Trust

This is a trust established for the use of Methodist churches in the 'ancient county of Essex', administered by The Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes, Central Buildings, Oldham Street, Manchester, M1 1JQ; e-mail: tmcp@tmcp.methodist.org.uk.  Funding is available for building and development work in particular.  Applications are considered during the months of February, March, June, October and November.   Please click to download an application form for the Osborne Trust.  Completed forms should be sent to the District Grants Secretary at grants@behdistrict.org.uk.

The Rock Trust

This Trust offers funding for residential courses and other youth activities within the former London North East boundaries. Please contact the Grants Secretary, Tony Trevers, for information.  Please click to download an application form for the Rock Trust.

The Jean Richardson Fund

This is in the circuits formerly in the London North West District, to provide for exchange visits between young people in the UK and overseas.  Please contact Mr George Kulasingham, Treasurer of the London Methodist District, at admin@methodistlondon.org.uk.

The Joseph Rank Trust

Full details and guidance can be found on the Joseph Rank Trust website.  Applications must be sent to the Grants Secretary, Tony Trevers, for consideration by the District Grants Committee and then a hard copy sent to the Synod Secretary.  Applications must NOT be sent direct to the Trust.  Please check the Trust website for details of application deadlines.

Methodist Insurance Grants

Methodist Insurance Grants are awarded for building development, for mission, outreach and community benefit, with some demonstration of energy efficiency.  Recent changes to the Methodist Grants Programme mean funding is now also available for repair and maintenance projects.

Benefact Trust 

Benefact Trust was established to empower Christian organisations, giving them the means to make a positive difference in the lives of the people and communities they serve.

Benefact Trust's Methodist Grants Programme seeks to enhance the mission and ministry of the Methodist Church in the UK and Ireland.  The programme provides grants to Methodist churches to run building development projects that focus on church growth, community engagement and improving accessibility.  Applicants are also encouraged to demonstrate how their planned projects will give an environmental benefit.  In a recent update to the programme criteria, Methodist Grants are available for repair and maintenance projects that are essential for the ongoing mission and ministry of an organisation.  Grants of up to £100,000 are available.  Individual Methodist churches who are part of the Methodist Connexion are able to apply, along with Methodist circuits and districts.

National Churches Trust 

The National Churches Trust supports a wide variety of projects through grant programmes, helping to keep churches open for worship and community activities and allowing them to continue serving people in all sorts of ways.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund

The National Lottery Heritage Fund helps people of all faiths and denominations to conserve, restore and make places of worship more available.  Projects funded include vital repairs, preserving architectural and historical features, researching the history of a building, helping congregations find additional uses for their buildings, providing new facilities, and creating new community spaces and social enterprises.
 

Application forms:


District Grant Application Form

District Training Fund

Manse Energy Performance Improvement Grant

Osborne Trust Grant

Rock Trust Grant

Warm Spaces

Beyond Warm Spaces

Property Grant Application Form

3Generate 






 


 
 

 

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