This report tells the story of the past year through the work of our Parish Support Team and the wider diocesan family.

It highlights the ways in which churches, leaders, volunteers and staff have worked together to serve our communities, deepen faith, challenge injustice, and sustain the shared life of our diocese.

We produced this report for three reasons:

1. To give thanks. Much of what happens across our diocese is faithful, often unseen work. The report celebrates the commitment of clergy, lay leaders, volunteers and staff who serve their communities with dedication and hope.
2. To be transparent. As a diocese, we hold responsibilities in common; safeguarding, finance, governance, buildings, vocations, mission support and more. This report sets out how those responsibilities have been carried, and how shared resources have been used to support ministry in every place.
3. To help us learn together. The report includes areas of growth as well as the challenges we have faced. We want this to be a tool for reflection, conversation and shared discernment as we continue to shape our life together.

You can send feedback, questions and suggestions to: communications@derby.anglican.org.

If you would like further copies, please get in touch with our communications team at communciations@derby.anglican.org

>> 2025 Annual Impact Report [PDF]

The Church of England has apologised for its role in historical adoption practices, particularly in mother and baby homes. Mothers and adoptees who came into contact with these homes have described the profound and lasting impact of these experiences. Published alongside research into these homes, the apology recognises the impact on people affected and sets out the Church’s commitment to listening, learning and responding with honesty and compassion.

Please note: The contents of this page include references to historical adoption practices, including the separation of mothers and babies, stigma, and experiences of trauma and lasting emotional harm. Details of support services are included lower down this page.

Giving the apology on behalf of the Church of England, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally, said:

“We are profoundly sorry for the pain, trauma and stigma experienced - and still carried - by many people because of historical adoption practices in homes affiliated to the Church of England. We have heard first-hand the accounts of mothers who were separated from their babies in circumstances where they had very few meaningful choices.  We know that many women and girls were at times made to carry out menial and manual work as a form of ‘correction’. We also recognise where prejudice - including on the grounds of race and disability - shaped and defined experiences and outcomes.”

 “We are listening to the voices of people affected. They have told us about the pain, shame and indignity experienced both then and now. Today, we say to each of you: the shame you were made to feel was wrong. You have nothing to be ashamed of. Rather, we are deeply ashamed that this happened to people in the care of Christian communities. All of this took place in a society that often valued secrecy and respectability over compassion and care. The Church of England was part of that society and helped to sustain those attitudes. While homes were encouraged to keep mothers and babies together, this often did not happen.  For many mothers, children, fathers and wider families affected by these practices, the impact has been lifelong. These practices are in the past and must never happen again. We will not condone or repeat them. Our commitment now is to listen, to lament and to learn – to acknowledge this history and respond with openness, reflection and learning, and to ensure that this leads to change.

 “We pay tribute to the people who have shared their stories and brought these personal and painful experiences to light. Their courage has helped to deepen our understanding of this history and the harm caused, and to ensure that first-hand accounts are heard. We want to acknowledge the important and often unseen work of organisations and charities who for many years have supported mothers, adoptees and families affected by adoption, and whose knowledge and care are invaluable. We pray for all people who carry these experiences, and for the grace to be a Church where everyone is treated with the love and dignity that comes from being made in God’s image.”

Listening and learning from lived experience

Listening to people directly affected has been an important part of this work.

We have heard first-hand accounts through the research project, as well as testimony shared via dioceses and other Church contexts. We have also carefully considered accounts shared publicly, including in media coverage, Parliamentary scrutiny, and by campaign and support organisations.

These testimonies have been deeply moving, speaking to the lasting impact carried by many. We are very grateful to all those who have shared their experiences, whether directly with this work or more widely.

Our research

• Research report - Historical Adoption Practices

Summary

The Church of England has carried out research into its involvement in mother and baby homes between 1949 and 1976. (The period 1949 to 1976 reflects the definition used by the Joint Committee on Human Rights, which examined adoption practices affecting unmarried mothers and their children during these years, which were bookended by landmark adoption legislation.)

The aim of the Church of England’s work was to better understand its role within a wider system shaped by the social attitudes and laws of the time, when unmarried mothers often faced stigma and had limited support.

The research draws mainly on archival records held at Lambeth Palace Library, including material from the Church of England’s Moral Welfare Council and its successor, the Board for Social Responsibility. It also includes documents such as meeting minutes, policy papers, annual reports from homes, and guidance issued to staff and chaplains.

These records were used to understand how homes were run, how decisions were made, and how they were connected to dioceses and wider Church structures.

It was not possible to produce a complete history. Records are incomplete, spread across many organisations, and in some cases have been lost or were never kept. Many records are held separately in local archives, and some no longer exist.

The research is based on evidence, but it can only tell part of the story because it relies on whatever information has survived and is still available. It is also limited because it reflects the perspectives of officials and people in administrative roles.

Improving access to records is important. We welcome the Government’s work to make it easier for people to find and access personal records, so individuals and families can learn more about their own histories. Dioceses should no longer hold adoption records and, where they do, we are encouraging dioceses to transfer them to relevant local archives as soon as possible.

Findings

The Church of England was a significant provider of mother and baby homes. We believe the number of mothers and babies connected to Church of England-affiliated homes is likely to be in the tens of thousands across the period. However, because of the nature of the records that still exist, it is not possible to give a precise figure with confidence.

We cannot give a precise number because we only have a sample of records, we can say with confidence:

• Around 185,000 children born to unmarried mothers were adopted across England and Wales during this period altogether, in all contexts.
• The Church of England was one of a number of providers of mother and baby homes within that wider system. 
• The Church of England was involved in a large number of homes (potentially over 200 over time), though not all operated simultaneously and the level of central oversight varied.

The homes operated under decentralised systems. Responsibility and decision-making were not held in one place.

Some homes were run directly by dioceses. Others were run by independent or semi-independent committees, with different levels of Church oversight.

At a national level, the Church’s Moral Welfare Council (later the Board for Social Responsibility) provided guidance, training and coordination. It advised dioceses and sought to influence government policy and practice.

The Church of England Moral Welfare Council’s guidance was clear that mothers and babies should be kept together where possible, and that any adoption should be with the mother’s consent. However, we are aware that this was not always followed in practice.

Standards and experience varied between homes. In some cases, attitudes were judgemental, and conditions were difficult. Limited resources, lack of alternative support, and wider social pressures often shaped what happened in practice.

Church bodies were aware that some homes did not meet acceptable standards and, following internal reviews in the late 1960s, they began to assess homes, identify those below standard, and consider whether some should improve, change their arrangements, or close if they could not meet acceptable levels of care.

They also knew that pressure on staff and services could affect the care and support offered.

These findings are based on the records that have been identified so far. Experiences varied widely, and this history cannot be reduced to a single account.

Conclusions

The research and personal testimonies show that there were examples of care and kindness in some homes and that many staff sought to provide what they believed was support in difficult circumstances.

However, many people have described experiences of harm and lasting trauma associated with their time in these settings.

Among the harms experienced by mothers and children, accounts describe people being categorised or treated differently because of physical disability or the colour of their skin, including being considered less likely to be adopted or placed into long-term institutional care. Some testimonies speak powerfully of the lasting impact of this – including experiences of exclusion and stigma both within care settings and wider society.

One clear gap in the records is the voices of people most affected. The experiences of mothers, their children and families are often missing or only partly recorded. During this work, we have listened to people who were affected, including through meetings and personal testimonies alongside the archival research and are continuing to do so.

Some accounts are included here. Each is personal. There are also shared themes of life in these homes. We are grateful to everyone who has shared their experiences.

Finding support

If you have been affected by this news or would like to speak to someone, a range of options are listed below. This includes specialist agencies and charities we have worked with, followed by details of how to contact the Church of England.

Government resources

The Adoption Contact Register

The Adoption Contact Register enables adopted adults and birth relatives to register their wish to make contact with one another. Where both parties have registered and consented, the service can help facilitate contact and reconnect family members separated by adoption.

Website: gov.uk/adoption-records/the-adoption-contact-register
Phone: 0300 123 1837

Specialist advice

National PAC-UK Advice Line

The National PAC-UK Advice Line provides independent, confidential advice and information for people affected by adoption, special guardianship and other forms of permanent care. The service is staffed by qualified and experienced PAC-UK counsellors and social workers with specialist expertise in these areas.

Website: family-action.org.uk/pac-uk
Email: advice@pac-uk.org
Phone: 0300 1800 090

FamilyConnect Advice Line

Delivered by Family Action's adoption support agency PAC-UK, FamilyConnect provides information, support and guidance on tracing and reconnecting with family members, the services available, and whether you may be eligible for funding.

Website: familyconnect.org.uk
Email: familyconnect@pac-uk.org
Phone: 0300 1800 205

Adoption UK

Practical suggestions, information and encouragement with signposting to specialist help

Website: adoptionuk.org/information-and-support-service
Information and support service: 0300 666 0006
Email: informationsupport@adoptionuk.org.uk

Contacting the Church of England

Within the Church of England, you can speak to your vicar or contact your diocese who will listen. Where helpful, they may suggest you contact specialist services, some of which are listed above.

You can find out your local parish details by visiting A Church Near You

Safe Spaces

Provides a confidential, personal and safe space for anyone who has been abused by someone in the Church
Website: safespacesenglandandwales.org.uk
Helpline: 0300 303 1056

Alternatively, you may wish to contact the diocesan safeguarding team at safeguarding@derby.anglican.org or the National Safeguarding Team at safeguarding@churchofengland.org.

Additional services 

Barnardo’s Adoption Support

Support for adoptees, birth families, and adoptive families
Website: barnardos.org.uk/adopt/link-adoption-support-service
Email: link.referralhub@barnardos.org.uk

Samaritans

24/7 emotional support for anyone in distress
Website: samaritans.org
Phone: 116 123

On Saturday 18 April 2026, nine people will be admitted to the office of Licensed Lay Minister (Reader) at a special service at Derby Cathedral. 

Licensed Lay Ministers are volunteers who are called and theologically trained to teach, lead, and equip the church for mission. They are people from a variety of backgrounds, occupations, and contexts who have heard God's call. They work collaboratively with clergy as fellow ministers with complementary gifts and callings.

Those being licensed are:

Craig Cowdroy
Amanda Foulkes
Anne Musson
James Neve
Ruth Neve
Alison Waltho
Chris Ward
Lynda Warner
Si Belcher 

You can read more about each of them on our Instagram page 

30 January 2026

The Revd Canon Christopher (Michael) Brinkworth, Curate of Lancaster St Mary (Blackburn) 1967-1970, Curate of Milton (Portsmouth) 1970-1974, Vicar of Ault Hucknall (Derby) 1974-1984, Vicar of Derby St Anne and St John 1984-2006, Honorary Canan of Derby Cathedral 2000-2006, who retired in 2006 and held the Bishop of Derby’s Permission to Officiate from 2006-2026, died on 24 January 2026. Details of the funeral will be announced once confirmed.

The Bishop of Derby is delighted to announce that the Revd Adam Watkinson, Chaplain of Repton School, Diocese of Derby, has been appointed Chaplain to the Bishop of Derby in the same diocese. Adam will begin his induction on 1 February 2026 on a part-time basis, with his full-time role starting on 1 May 2026. His last day in post at Repton School will be 30 April 2026.

29 January 2026

The Bishop of Derby is delighted to announce that the Revd Mark Griffin, Priest-in-Charge of the benefice of Beeley and Edensor, Diocese of Derby, has been appointed Vicar of the same benefice, subject to all legal and safeguarding requirements being fulfilled.

22 January 2026

The Revd Jeremy Allum, Curate of Hornchurch St Andrew (Chelmsford) 1962-1967, Priest-in-Charge of West Derby St Luke (Liverpool) 1967-1969, Vicar of the same benefice 1969-1975, Priest-in-Charge of Boulton (Derby) 1975-1990, Rural Dean of Melbourne 1986-1990, Vicar of Hathersage 1990-1998, who retired in 1998 and held the Bishop of Derby’s Permission to Officiate 1998-2021, died on 2 January, 2026. His funeral will take place on Friday, 6 February 2026 at 11.30 am at Derby Cathedral.

The Revd Dawn Knight will be collated as Vicar of the benefice of Cotmanhay and Shipley, Diocese of Derby, on Wednesday, 4 February 2026 at 7 pm at Christ Church Cotmanhay by the Bishop of Repton and inducted by the Acting Archdeacon of East Derbyshire.

The Bishop of Derby is delighted to announce that the Revd Prebendary Romita Shrisunder, Bishop's Director of Ordinands, Diocese of Lichfield, has been appointed Canon for Community Outreach and Social Justice at Derby Cathedral, Diocese of Derby, subject to all legal and safeguarding requirements being fulfilled.

15 January 2026

The Revd Esther (Rachma) Abbott will be licensed as Priest-in-Charge (House for Duty) of the benefice of Ault Hucknall and Scarcliffe and Assistant Curate (Associate Priest) of the benefice of Bolsover, Diocese of Derby, on Saturday, 7 March at 3 pm at St John the Baptist Ault Hucknall by the Bishop of Derby assisted by the Acting Archdeacon of East Derbyshire, subject to all legal and safeguarding requirements being fulfilled.

8 January 2026

The Bishop of Derby is delighted to announce that the Revd Esther (Rachma) Abbott, who holds the Bishop of Salisbury’s Permission to Officiate, has been appointed Priest-in-Charge (House for Duty) of the benefice of Ault Hucknall and Scarcliffe and Assistant Curate (Associate Priest) of the benefice of Bolsover, Diocese of Derby, subject to all legal and safeguarding requirements being fulfilled.

The Revd Fiona Barber will be licensed as Associate Minister (Assistant Curate) of the benefice of Sinfin Moor, Diocese of Derby, on Saturday 28th February at 3 pm at Sinfin Moor Church by the Bishop of Derby.

The angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see - I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people ...’

Luke 2.10-11

The Church of England’s Advent and Christmas theme for 2025 revolves round a single word: Joy!  Our churches will - as always - be seeking to make the most of the opportunity December brings to share The Joy of Christmas with their communities.

The great joy of Christmas, of course, is the good news the angel declared to the shepherds - the news of Jesus’ birth as Emmanuel (God With Us).

Click here to find a church near you 

On this page you will find Advent and Christmas resources for churches, individuals and schools designed to help all ages to be drawn into the joy of the first Christmas.

We will be posting weekly videos and daily prayers on our Facebook and Instagram pages. 

Watch Advent Sunday with Bishop Libby here 

Watch 'What brings you Joy at Christmas' with St Peter's Belper community here

Watch 'Hope in the season of Advent' with Canon Julian Hollywell here 

Watch 'What's your favourite Christmas Carol?' here

Watch ' Christmas Joy' with Steve Johnson here

As I write it is not even December yet but by 4pm it is already nearly dark!  All the darker as the weather gets wilder and wetter, with the promise of the white stuff coming any day now. At least in the dark the snow will bring its own unique reflective brightness. 

Whilst officially still autumn until December 21st – by which time the last leaf in Derbyshire will surely have fallen - these rapidly shortening days and lengthening hours of night shroud us in this season with foreboding, as much as in anticipation. These are the days we learn to appreciate the light, and begin to pine for more of it long before Spring comes. 

Our regular seasonal gathering gloom is more than matched by the dark shadows which prevail in our nation and in the wider world. Like buses it seems existential crises all arrive at once – poverty and inequality, destructive weather events caused by climate change, and persistent conflict erupting in devastating wars. Dark days indeed for a world that had come to believe in progress. And most especially, for the poor, the vulnerable, and the dispossessed. 

At our churches in Advent, Sunday by Sunday we hear the words of the Hebrew prophets. They were realistic about darkness, about human failure and sin, and its impact on the whole of society, especially on those who were most vulnerable – in that time the orphan, the widow, the alien or stranger. A society that failed to live up to God’s call to justice, integrity, and compassion was doomed to fail. Judgment was inevitable where people turned their back on the responsibilities of being human. 

In the days of the Hebrew prophets there were those who thought you could away with thinking of your own nation only. But this was not the whole picture.  In the scriptures and most especially in the New Testament we see a different perspective emerging – the recognition of the whole human family as created by God, invited to share in the ‘fullness of life’ which is Jesus’ gift to us. 

The internationalism of the Gospel is a core value of the Christian faith. Contemporary versions of Christianity that revert to the attitudes of the Crusades are perversions of our faith. As the established church in England we have to be careful not to misrepresent Jesus, the Saviour not just of our people, but of all people. Why? Because ‘God so loved the world.’ Not just me and the people who agree with me. Not just my people, not just my ethnic group or my country, but the whole wide world. This includes everyone:

The orphaned child taken care of within a family fleeing the fighting in Sudan. The elderly woman who cannot understand why she has to leave her pacific island home, soon to be devoured by the rising sea. The young man fleeing persecution for his faith. All these, along with our friends and neighbours here at home and at school and at work, are part of that same human family into which Jesus was born, and for which Christ died and rose again. And yet the journey is so hard, and the way is so dark, for many today. 

John Donne, 16th Century poet and Dean of St Paul’s in London, published a poem expressing the darkness of his grief at the loss of his beloved. On St Lucy’s day, 13th December, then believed to be the shortest day, he wrote of his experience of loss: ‘It is the year’s midnight, the Dies Lucies’. Not from 13th December, but from the end of the month, the days do begin to turn brighter and longer again. Donne in his darkness did not despair absolutely – he knew the light would return. So even in the thick darkness of December we detect the seeds of hope. As someone reminded me recently, during the winter there is life and growth – we just don’t see it because it is going on underground.

This theme of light and darkness stays with us throughout Advent, and then on Christmas morning the Gospel hope resounds: with Jesus coming ‘The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.’ 

May the light of Christ shine ever more brightly in our world and in our time, and in each one of us. We do well to learn from the Jewish Rabbi who asked his students: “how do we know when the night has ended and the day has begun?” 

One bright student offered an answer: “When I look out at the fields and I can distinguish between my field and the field of my neighbour’s, that’s when the night has ended and day has begun.” 

The rabbi shook his head. That was not it. 

Another student answered: “When I look from the fields and I see a house and I can tell that it’s my house and not my neighbour’s house, that’s when the night has ended and the day has begun.” 

No – that wasn’t it either. 

A third student suggested: “When I can distinguish the animals in the yard – and I can tell a cow from a horse – that’s when the night has ended.” 

Disappointed in his students, the Rabbi replied, and went on to say: 

“When you look into the eyes of the person who is beside you and you can see that that person is your brother or your sister, when you can recognize that person as a friend, then, finally, the night has ended and the day has begun.”

May God open our eyes to the true light that has come into the world, and make us able to live in this light always. 

‘The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world’   John 1.9.  Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. 

The Rt Revd Malcolm Macnaughton 

The Bishop of Repton 

28 November 

The Bishop of Derby is delighted to announce that the Revd Gillian (Gill) Ball, Assistant Curate (SSM) of the benefice of Old Brampton and Great Barlow and of the benefice of Loundsley Green, The Ascension LEP, Diocese of Derby, has been appointed Assistant Curate (Associate Priest-SSM) of the same benefice, subject to all legal and safeguarding requirements being fulfilled 

21 November 

Revd Matthew (Matt) Green will be instituted as Rector of the Benefice of Aston-on-Trent, Elvaston, Weston-on-Trent and Shardlow, Barrow-upon-Trent with Twyford and Swarkestone, on Saturday, 24 January 2026, at 3 pm at All Saints, Aston-on-Trent by the Bishop of Derby and inducted by the Archdeacon of Derby City and South Derbyshire, subject to all legal and safeguarding requirements being fulfilled.

Revd Frances (Fran) Smettem will be licensed as Priest-in-Charge of the benefice of Eyam with Foolow and Baslow, and Priest-in-Charge of the parishes of Curbar and Stoney Middleton, on Wednesday, 18 March 2026, at 7 pm at St Lawrence’s Eyam, by the Bishop of Derby, assisted by the Archdeacon of Derbyshire Peak and Dales, subject to all legal and safeguarding requirements being fulfilled.

6 November 

Canon Jack Cooper, Lay Canon of Derby Cathedral until 17th October, when his term of office came to an end, has been appointed Lay Canon Emeritus with effect from 18 October 2025.

The Revd Susannah (Susie) Curtis, Ordained Ministry Development Officer and holder of the Bishop of Derby’s Permission to Officiate, Diocese of Derby, has stepped down as Assistant Area Dean of Derby City. Her last day in this role was 14 September 2025.

The Revd Alan Winfield, Associate Priest of Melbourne, Smisby, Stanton-by-Bridge and Ticknall, Diocese of Debry, has been appointed Assistant Area Dean of Mercia. His first day in this role was 3 November 2025.

St Peter's Church in Hartshorne is delighted to announce that we have been awarded a generous grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to support essential repairs to our historic building and develop a hub for our local history. The restoration work is scheduled to begin next spring and will focus on preserving the church’s architectural integrity for future generations. 

As part of the project, there will be opportunities for the local community to get involved. This includes educational activities and engagement sessions with our local schools and the village community, offering a chance to learn about heritage conservation and the church’s rich history. 

Debbie Patrick, Churchwarden of St Peters Church. “We are very excited to get this project going; giving us the opportunity to do much needed repairs to our village church, which has stood on the hill in Hartshorne since the 15th century and has played a significant role in the life of our village for many generations; seeing the villagers through good times and bad, feasts and famines, peace time and wars. The restoration works, undertaken by ASBC of Melbourne - www.asbc.ltd - will be the beginning of ongoing work to ensure that our church remains a vital part of our community for many years to come; not to mention the fantastic opportunity this project gives us to explore and display the history for visitors and locals alike for years to come”. 

We are grateful for the support of the The National Lottery Heritage Fund and look forward to working closely with the community throughout this exciting project. 

Madelaine Goddard retired from Derby city deanery after over ten years as their lay chair. At the most recent meeting of the Deanery Synod (October 2025) Madelaine offered a typically grace—filled retirement speech.

Rev’d Sarah Watson, Area Dean of Derby city, thanked Madeline for her support and wisdom and presented her with flowers and a crowd-funded gift as a token of the deanery’s great appreciation.

Archdeacon Matthew Trick, Archdeacon of Derby and South Derbyshire, commented, “Madelaine Goddard has been a faithful servant of Christ, guiding Derby City deanery from the two city deaneries merging into the present deanery, and successive Area and Asst Deans. She has held the deanery as Lay Chair with care and prayerfulness, offering helpful wisdom and insight into discussions across diocesan life. We are truly grateful for Madelaine's long and faithful service”.  

Photo: Revd Mina Mumms presents Madelaine Goddard with a bouquet of flowers.