Items filtered by date: April 2026
SUPPORT SERVICE CONTACTS
Safe Spaces – 0300 303 1056 www.safespacesenglandandwales.org.uk
Safe Spaces is a free and independent support service, providing a confidential, personal, and safe space for anyone who has been abused by someone in the Church or as a result of their relationship with the Church of England, the Catholic Church in England and Wales or the Church in Wales. If you have been affected, however long ago, Safe Spaces can provide you with support. You do not have to have told the Police or church authorities, and you do not have to still be involved with the church. Your information will not be shared without your consent unless you or someone else is in immediate danger.
Childline (0800 1111) www.childline.org.uk
Childline gives advice and support to children who need advice and support, to whom they can share issues and problems and find a listening ear.
Derbyshire Mental Health helpline (0800 028 0077)
24 hours a day service offering support and a listening ear.
Galop (0800 999 5428) Galop - the LGBT+ anti-abuse charity
Galop is the UK’s LGBT+ anti abuse charity. They work with and for LGBT+ victims and survivors of interpersonal abuse and violence.
MACSAS (Minister and Clergy Sexual Abuse Survivors – 08088 01 03 40) https://macsas.org.uk
MACSAS supports women and men who have been sexually abused, as children or adults, by ministers, clergy, or others in the guise of the Church. Telephone and email support for survivors and their families.
Mankind (01823 334244) www.mankind.org.uk
Support for male survivors of domestic abuse, they provide an information, support and signposting service to men suffering from domestic abuse from their current or former wife, partner (including same-sex partner) or husband. This can range from physical violence or object throwing to abuse such as constant bullying or insults.
Mind (0300 123 3393) www.mind.org.uk
Offer support for mental health problems, signpost to local support, raise awareness of treatment options and offer an advocacy service.
NAPAC (08088 0103 31) https://napac.org.uk
National Association for People Abused in Childhood (NAPAC) An organisation supporting adult survivors of any form of child abuse.
Rape Crisis (08088 02 99 99) www.rapecrisis.org.uk
Rape Crisis is a national organisation with local contacts and groups, offering support and counselling for those affected by rape and sexual abuse.
Refuge (0808 2000247) Refuge – For women and children. Against domestic abuse.
Supporting women and children experiencing domestic abuse offering place of safety, advice and support.
Samaritans (Derby and District - 0330 09 5717) https://www.samaritans.org
Offer a phone, email 1:1 and a self-help app to support individuals who are feeling suicidal and desperate.
Stop it now (0808 1000 900) Stop It Now! UK and Ireland | Preventing child sexual abuse
Confidential help and support, via a helpline, live chat or secure email support
Survivors Voices Survivors Voices
Offer peers support and private support groups on facebook
SV2 (01773 746 115) SV2 - Supporting Victims of Sexual Violence - Home
A local 24 Hour service supporting victims of sexual violence in Derbyshire, advice, counselling and therapy available after assessment.
The Survivors Trust (08088 01 08 18) helpline@thesurvivorstrust.org
The Survivors Trust is the largest umbrella agency for specialist rape and sexual abuse services in the UK and has been providing infrastructure support to our members for the past 20 years. We have 120 member agencies based in the UK and Ireland providing information, advice, support and therapy to over 80,000 individual survivors each year. Our services work with victims and survivors of all ages, all genders, of all forms of sexual violence, sexual abuse and sexual exploitation, including support for partners and family members. The Survivors Trust and its members are committed to the fair treatment of people regardless of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, age or physical/learning disability.
Victim support (0808 16 89 111) www.victimsupport.org.uk
Offering those effected by any crime support and advise.
LOCAL SOCIAL CARE CONTACTS:
Derby City Social Care
Childrens 01332 641172
Adults 01332 642855
Out of Hours 01332 956606
Derbyshire (Adults and Children)
Call Derbyshire 01629 533190
Out of Hours 01629 532600
The Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) undertook an audit of the Diocesan Safeguarding arrangements in June 2017.
The report concluded that the safeguarding team is well-resourced and well-established with experienced staff with a good skill mix, who provide sound safeguarding advice and judgments.
They were particularly impressed with the level of decision making regarding case work, and complimented the Diocese on its own self-evaluation, which highlighted realistic areas of development.
The auditors felt the Diocese was committed to learning, and were impressed that a review commissioned by the Bishop had led to the expansion of the safeguarding team, which included a new Chair of the Diocesan Safeguarding Management Committee, who in addition to a number of other roles was the Head of Public Protection for Derby Constabulary.
The world of safeguarding nationally has been experiencing a period of important and sometimes rapid change and the Diocese of Derby along with the Church of England is determined to offer a secure environment in which everyone can thrive, and which earns the confidence of all who are entrusted to its care.
The report states that the Head of HR is supportive, considered and committed and understands the importance of safeguarding. The auditors found that safeguarding operates within a clear line management structure, and a well-functioning Diocesan Office.
The auditors noted that there are strong links between the Diocese and Derby Cathedral. The DSA and safeguarding team provides training for the Cathedral, and a member of Chapter responsible for safeguarding is also a member of the Diocesan Safeguarding Management Team.
Some areas were highlighted for further development by the Diocese.
There remains a backlog in the numbers of people who require training and although there is a plan in place it will need close monitoring by the Diocesan Safeguarding Management Committee.
Since the audit took place, a new part-time Safeguarding Training Officer has been appointed to deal with the training backlog.
The report also highlighted that work was required to develop the overall functioning of the team so that everyone gets an appropriately prompt level of service. Again, since this audit took place, a part-time Safeguarding Administrator has been recruited to deal with general administrative queries.
The Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) has been commissioned to undertake an audit of the safeguarding arrangements of each Diocese of the Church of England. The aim of these audits is to work together to understand how safeguarding is working in each Diocese, and to support the continuing improvements being made.
The audit process in each Diocese involved examination of safeguarding leadership arrangements, local policies and practice guidance, the quality of case work, recruitment and training.
The auditors also looked at the progress being made in reaching nationally agreed standards, informed by central House of Bishops’ approved policies.
An action plan has been produced and agreed by the Diocesan Safeguarding Management Committee to address findings and considerations of the report.
To read the full safeguarding audit for the Diocese of Derby, click here.
To view the Action Plan for the Diocese of Derby, developed in 2017, click here.
What is the Parish Giving Scheme?
The Parish Giving Scheme (PGS) is a direct debit system set up to help parishes in the Diocese of Derby encourage and grow regular donations and is offered to all churches in the diocese free of charge.
Donations can be made on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis by Direct Debit online, on the phone, or using a PGS gift form.
PGS manages the donation process to ensure all donations are delivered quickly and safely to the parish, and will process the gift aid on those donations meaning the parish receives regular gift aid payments each month.
A unique feature of the scheme is the option for the donor to commit in principle to increase their gift annually in line with inflation.
Whilst this is a voluntary decision, it is one that could potentially have a huge impact on the life and future of the church by tackling static giving.
See also: Giving and Generosity
Parish Giving Scheme Key Benefits
The Parish Giving Scheme is a modern and efficient way of managing planned giving to your church. Tried and tested, this scheme will:
- Improve cash flow through the efficient reclaiming of Gift Aid
- Overcome static giving with the option of donations automatically uplifted by inflation each year
- Offer an opportunity for parishes to re-engage people in thinking about their own level of financial generosity
- Reduce the time your Treasurer and Gift Aid Secretairies need to spend on administration
How does the Parish Giving Scheme work?
The Parish Giving Scheme (PGS) enables a planned giver to donate to any parish registered with the scheme. Donations can be made on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis. They are collected by Direct Debit on the first day of the month. The donations are then passed on to the specific parish by the tenth of the month. The Gift Aid is then remitted to the parish once the PGS office has received the money from HMRC. The timing of the Gift Aid payment will accordingly vary each month.
Here is what the process looks like. based on an example gift of £50 a month:
Managing inflation
One of the biggest challenges faced by many of our churches is that of 'static giving'. Churches like every organisation and household, are affected by inflation, eroding the value of your gifts. The Parish Giving Scheme makes it easy for doners to agree, in principle, to increase their donation in line with inflation each year.
Encourage Giving and Generosity in your parish
As well as the benefits listed above, the introduction of such a scheme offers a clear and excellent opportunity to engage people in thinking about leveles of financial generosity.
We are recommending that a Church commits to a stewardship initiative when they join the Parish Giving Scheme.
Parish Giving Scheme resources
Hard copies of all the materials below - plus the PGS Donor Direct Debit Gift Form, Parish Registration Form and PGS Token are available from:
Steve Johnson
Living Generously Advisor
steve.johnson@derby.anglican.org
07359 067631.
For Donors:
- A better way to give financially to your local church - the Parish Giving Scheme explained
- Living Generously - Giving regularly to support mission and ministry in the local church
- Frequently asked Questions by donors
For Church Leaders:
- Parish Giving Scheme Implementation Handbook for Local Churches
- 'Our Annual Review' brochure
- Parish Action List
- Stewardship - Annual Review
- Giving in Grace - Why Preaching Matters
- Frequently Asked Questions by PCCs
Other Resources
The Diocese of Liverpool "Giving in Grace" programme: www.givingingrace.org
An enormous resource for encouraging giving and stewardship. Alongside practical tools for reviewing giving, it includes theological reflections, preaching notes and Bible studies.
The Church of England's Parish Resources Website: www.parishresources.org.uk
Access to a wealth of practical resources to support the life and work of parishes.
Encouraging Giving and Stewardship: www.parishresources.org.uk/giving
Preaching and teaching on giving and stewardship; re-imagining the offertory, moving from 'collection' to 'offering', and helping to generate a sense of joyful offering in responce to God's generosity; and parish-based programmes to review giving and encouraging stewardship (including the parish Funding programme, Giving in Grace, a Simple Giving Programme for Smaller Churches, and Giving for Life).
Gift Aid: www.parishresources.org.uk/giftaid/
Factsheets about Gift Aid, the government scheme that allows parishes to relaim the tax paid on donations, including the Small Donations Scheme.
The Church Legacy website: www.churchlegacy.org.uk
Information about how to encourage individuals to remember the Church in their wills. Parishes receive over 5,000 legacies each year - gifts to finance mission projects, maintain beautiful church buildings and grow faithful communities. These gifts make a real difference to the future work of the Church - as regular giving often concentrates on maintaining the existing mission and ministry.
For further information, please contact:
Steve Johnson, Living Generously Advisor,
steve.johnson@derby.anglican.org
07359 067631.
The Revd Phil Mann, Planting Curate at Holy Trinity Brompton, Diocese of London, will be licensed as Pioneer Minister of the Derby City Bishop's Mission Order, Diocese of Derby, on Tuesday 1st August in the Bishop's Chapel, Duffield, by the Bishop of Derby. Mr Mann will be based at St Werburgh's Church, Friar Gate, Derby. The primary focus will be on young people, including students and yound professionals.
The Revd Canon Jean Burgess, Priest - in - Charge of Derby St Alkmund and St Werburgh, and Dean of Women’s Ministry, Diocese of Derby, has also been appointed Assistant Archdeacon of Derby for the period 1st May - 30th September, 2017.
Stella Greenwood: ordained priest, 2018
Rolls Royce Engineering Operations Controller, Stella Greenwood was ordained Deacon at in 2017.
Stella, from Church Gresley, Swadlincote became Assistant Curate to the parishes of Emmanuel Swadlincote and St Peter’s Hartshorne.
Married to Paul with two children, Stella also works with South Derbyshire Scouts as a Local Training Manager and has been licensed as a Reader since 2006.
As a self-supporting minister, Stella continues in her other roles whilst taking on a new identity as a deacon following studying for ministry at All Saints Centre for Mission and Ministry.
Stella said: “On completion of my Reader training I believed that my calling was to Reader ministry and in many ways, it was. But God had further plans for me and over time and with much prayer and discussion it became clear to me that God was calling me to ordained ministry. Through my training, my understanding of my future ministry has grown clearer as I have learnt a lot about myself and about the way that God wants to use me. This step into ordained ministry is a challenging one but I know that it is me that God is calling to this ministry and he will support me as I move into this new phase of my journey with him.”
She added: “My hope is that I can make my own contribution to the life of these parishes and be an instrument of God's love to these people and these communities. This will be an exciting challenge but one which with God's help I believe I can meet. The biggest thing I have learnt is that God calls and uses all sorts of people. If he is calling you then he wants you as you are.”
Edward Backhouse: ordained priest, 2018
Edward Backhouse joined the Diocese of Derby as Assistant Curate following his ordination in 2017. He serves the communities of Aston on Trent, Weston on Trent, Elvaston, Shardlow, Swarkestone, Barrow upon Trent and Twyford.
Edward was encouraged to explore the possibility of ministry by a local minister after he felt the call at the age of 16. Hew was ordained Deacon when he was 26, having spent five years studying theology both at St John’s Theological College, Nottingham and Cranmer Hall, Durham.
Talking about his new role Edward said:
“I hope that I will see many blessings in my life when I start my new role as a deacon. I hope to see the churches flourish and equip the laity to do God's work in our local area.
"I'm most looking forward to actually doing on-the-ground ministry, after the last five years have been spent in theological college forming myself for that role.
"To anyone considering the step into ministry, I would encourage you to step out and explore the possibility of vocation in the church."
