Mission
Church Urban Fund is a national charity working with local leaders, churches and other faith groups all over England. Our local partners are committed to serving and strengthening the community where they live.
Click on their logo to go to their introduction page.
NEW: easyfundraising Impact Fund : 20 x £500 unrestricted grants
The new easyfundraising Impact Fund is now open with 20 unrestricted grants of £500 for UK not-for-profit organisations to help them continue or enhance their work. The grant is unrestricted, so it can be used wherever the money is needed most to support your work.
When to apply: 23 February – 5 April
Who can apply:
The fund is open to UK based:
- Registered charities
- Other not-for-profit organisations
- Sports clubs and teams
- Schools and education settings
- Social enterprises and CICs
- After-school and youth groups
- Churches and religious organisations
How it’s awarded: The application form is straightforward. Grants will be awarded to organisations that best explain how they would use the £500. The grants will be awarded across a mix of categories and locations, and the fund is open to organisations of all sizes and structures. Apply here: www.easyfundraising.org.uk/impact-fund
The breadth of funding streams potentially available for your project
Note: Many of these funders flow in and out of funding so it will be necessary to check directly to see if they are currently open to applications.
Youth Work Project
- National Lottery Funding – Flexible, supports salaries, equipment, and community-led youth projects.
- The Childs Charitable Trust– Supports Christian organisations sharing the gospel, including youth work.
- John James Charitable Trust – Supports Christian education and youth ministry.
- The Cinnamon Network – Offers micro-grants for churches starting youth-focused projects.
- Laing Family Trusts – Support Christian youth initiatives, including capital improvements.
- Joseph Rank Trust – Supports youth-focused Christian projects and church property improvements.
- Garfield Weston Foundation - Garfield Weston Foundation funding youth work.
Community Outreach Project
- National Lottery Funding– Strong fit for community-led outreach, especially in disadvantaged areas.
- Benefact Trust – Supports projects with community impact and Christian ethos.
- MB Reckitt Trust – Funds Christian social action and community cohesion.
- Sir Halley Stewart Trust – Supports innovative social projects that promote human flourishing.
- The Bishop Radford Trust – Supports Christian ministry with community impact.
Mental Health Support Project
- National Lottery Funding– Supports mental health initiatives, especially in underserved communities.
- Sir Halley Stewart Trust – Funds pioneering social and medical projects.
- Benefact Trust – Supports projects tackling social issues, including mental health.
- Joseph Rank Trust – May support if framed within practical and spiritual needs.
- MB Reckitt Trust – Supports Christian social thought and action, including mental health.
- The Bishop Radford Trust – Supports Christian ministry, including pastoral care.
Funders that May Support Equipment (with the right framing):
- Benefact Trust – Typically funds capital projects, so if the equipment is part of a building upgrade or a tangible, lasting asset, it may be eligible.
- Biffa Award– Focuses on building improvements, but may include fixtures and fittings (e.g. kitchen equipment, heating systems).
- National Lottery Funding– Very flexible and can fund equipment, especially if it supports community benefit.
- Joseph Rank Trust– May support equipment if it’s part of a broader Christian community or educational project.
- Laing Family Trusts– Could support equipment if it’s essential to a Christian youth or community initiative.
- The Cinnamon Network – Their £2,000 micro-grants could be used for small-scale equipment needs tied to a recommended project.
Possibly Suitable for Salaries or Staff Costs
- The Childs Charitable Trust – Supports Christian organisations sharing the gospel; may fund staff if aligned with mission.
- John James Charitable Trust – Supports individuals in ministry training and Christian education; may support youth workers if aligned.
- The Bishop Radford Trust – Supports Christian ministry broadly; may include staffing.
- Benefact Trust - This is another funder that can support salaries for community-based projects.
Building Renovation Project
- Biffa Award – Excellent for community building renovations; must meet location criteria and provide 10% match funding.
- Benefact Trust – Funds capital projects with Christian ethos and community impact.
- Joseph Rank Trust – Supports church property improvements for community use.
- Laing Family Trusts – Fund capital improvements for Christian organisations.
- John James Charitable Trust – May support building improvements for Christian youth work.
Funders Likely to Offer 100% Funding
- National Lottery Funding flexible and equity-based; can fund full project costs including salaries, equipment, and delivery.
- The Childs Charitable Trust No mention of match funding; supports Christian organisations sharing the gospel.
- The Cinnamon Network offers fixed micro-grants (£2,000); no match funding required.
- John James Charitable Trust supports individuals and organisations; no match funding mentioned.
- Sir Halley Stewart Trust focuses on innovative projects; no match funding requirement stated.
- Slavanka Trust supports Christian ministry and education; no match funding mentioned.
- Saltley trust funds Christian learning and education; no match funding requirement noted.
- The Bishop Radford Trust supports Christian ministry; no indication of match funding needed.
- MB Reckitt Trust Funds Christian social thought and action; no match funding required.
Funders That Require or Prefer Match Funding
- · Biffa Award requires a 10% third-party contribution. This is a strict condition for eligibility.
- · Benefact Trust typically funds only a small percentage of the total project cost to support more causes. Match funding is expected.
- · Joseph Rank Trust While not explicitly stated, they often fund part of a project and expect applicants to have other sources of funding.
- · Laing Family Trusts may not fund 100% of a project; co-funding is often expected, especially for capital projects
Be encouraged by stories from parishes across Derbyshire and see how you can pray for children, young people, families, schools, and church communities across the Diocese of Derby.
You never know how far reaching your ministry can be… it is amazing how God uses what we do to reach way beyond our expectations.
Messy Church is just such a ministry, we realise that our ministry goes beyond just the families that come along to our Messy events… who know who the children will speak to about what they got up to at Messy Church and how those stories can be a wonderful vehicle for God’s message of hope.
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We welcomed our new Future Youth Workers!
Follow this link to hear them on the Mission Matters Podcast.
If you have a story to share and encourage others, please get in touch at growingYounger@derby.anglican.org
Primary School Retreat Days & Training delivered by the Peak Centre
Learn how to facilitate retreat days for the local primary schools in your own context! Look out for this training in the new year, offered by the highly qualified team at the Peak Centre.
Book a primary school retreat day here and see the Peak Centre website for more information here.
Looking for material to use for your All Age worship?
Christian cartoons, worship songs, and free resources.
The award-winning Cheeky Pandas is one of a kind: a British-made Christian TV series for kids on YouTube. It is Bible-based, fun, free, friendly and full of music, for children and parents looking for faith-based content. There are also stacks of extra resources to serve parents, schools and churches. This is what you’ve been looking for! Click the Cheeky Panda logo to go the the website.
Messy Church
It’s church, but not as you know it.
Messy Church is a way of being church for families and others. It is Christ-centred, for all ages, based on creativity, hospitality and celebration.
Follow this link to find out more and start your own journey to starting a Messy Church in your parish.
Learn The Lords Prayer with actions... perfect for a Messy Church session
Our Diocesan Vision is that the Kingdom of God is good news for all, and that fundamentally includes Children, Young People and Families. A key priority of our Parish Support Team strategy is to support and enable parishes to Grow Active Young Disciples. The Growing Younger team has been put together around this priority and a lot of our work is based around the national Church of England movement that is Growing Faith.
Growing Faith is the movement that exists to change the culture of the Church of England, so that everyone instinctively puts children, young people and families at the heart of all the ministry and mission of the Church.
Growing Faith involves churches, schools and households working together to help children, young people and families have life in all its fullness.
As a diocese we are adopting Growing Faith as the basis for our strategic plans to grow younger.
Click on the image to read the full booklet
Why is Growing Faith needed?
Jesus (Matt.19:14) and the early church (1. Tim 4:12) placed immense value on the place and role of children and young people in the kingdom of God.
Children, young people and families are vitally important to the church, not merely for our survival into future generations, but because a church that cares about children and young people is indicative of a healthy church.
In this report from the House of Bishops in 2019, there is recognition that ‘it is not always clear that the church is sufficiently focused on the engagement in ministry with children and young people.’
This is despite it being well acknowledged that the vast majority of Christians today have come to faith before the age of 18.
As a church and as a diocese, we have to confess that historically and at present children and young people have not always been intrinsically part of our ministry and mission.
There needs to be a cultural shift.
Growing Faith envisions children, young people and households coming to faith, growing in discipleship and contributing confidently to the Kingdom of God through the community of faith.
It is about how, as members of the whole people of God, children and young people are encouraged and how the whole Church is equipped to think intergenerationally. (A useful summary can be found here )
The Growing Faith Principles
Growing Faith provides a helpful lens for assessing our current practices and potential opportunities.
As we, as churches and as a diocese, seek to give children, young people and families a chance to explore and deepen their faith, it is helpful to look for the meeting places between churches, schools and households.
Alongside our diocesan vision, "The Kingdom of God – good news for all" we are inviting church communities to ask themselves what it would look like to be good news for young people in churches, schools and households.
Three principles are shaping our approach to Growing Faith:
Connected Communities - looking for the meaningful connected community of faith in the intersection between church, school and households.
Spiritual Encounters - engaging in conversations about and expressing faith as people encounter God as individuals and together.
Imaginative Practices - searching for 'a new way of being church' and creating new thinking and new doing in relation to children, young people and households.
FAQs
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What is the current picture? +
Numbers are not always the best way to measure how fruitful a church/ministry is, but they can be a useful tool.
An estimated 95,800 under 16s attended Sunday church before the pandemic, with 1100 in the Diocese of Derby.
Most recent provisional national statistics for mission imply this has dropped by as much as 40% between 2019 and 2021.
Many of our churches are rebuilding their ministries and there is lots of potential across the diocese, but sadly children’s, youth and families ministries were most impacted by the pandemic.
However, the reality is that there are many opportunities to be good news to children, young people and families, especially since the needs for many have increased.
We are supporting and encouraging innovative children’s and youth ministries across the diocese. -
What about small congregations with fewer children? +
Growing Faith is a vision for all churches, large or small.
Every congregation can pray for their community and school(s).
Children, young people and their families need a friendly welcome and the chance to be involved, even if they are just visiting. -
How should we identify opportunities for Growing Faith? +
A key recommendation from the national growing faith movement, is that churches are encouraged to do ministry with and not just for children, young people, and families.
Listening to the voices of children and young people is key if a church is to serve them, but moreover young people are the church of now and we encourage all churches to experience the rich blessing that comes from involving young people as much as possible in all aspects of church life, including decision making structures. -
What is the Church of England doing nationally to develop Growing Faith? +
Details of the Growing Faith Foundation can be found online.
Lucy Moore (formerly of Messy Church) now heads up the team. The work in progress includes:
• Encouraging networking and shared story-telling across dioceses through growing faith champions.
• Learning hubs – investing in 12 learning hubs across the country to foster growing faith in different contexts. As a diocese, we have successfully applied for one of these learning hubs commencing in May 2023.
• Training programmes – developing the pathways for youth, children’s and family workers so that more can explore it as a vocation and progress in it for longer.
• Research - 13 Growing Faith research projects are underway to further our understanding of growing faith in the intersections between households, schools and churches. -
How will the church(es) I’m linked with be part of Growing Faith? +
It’s likely that there will already be areas of GF that are part of your church life.
Perhaps someone visits and helps in the local school, maybe you are engaging with young people in your community through various ministries, or have ways of involving children and young people in your Sunday worship, or perhaps there is a Toddler group or other activity to support carers and parents.
Growing Faith is about prayerfully seeking ways to further develop ministry in schools, homes and churches, so that as many children, young people and families have the opportunity to explore and grow their faith. -
How can we pray? +
Prayer underpins all our local, diocesan and national efforts to reach the younger generations with the good news of the Kingdom of God.
In line with the national bold outcome to double the number of young disciples in the church by 2030, there is a weekly national prayer meeting on zoom every Tuesday 1-1.20pm.
The aim is for 1000 people to pray weekly.
To get the login information visit The Church of England website. See More
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Free Safeguarding Training for all.
Strenthen your understanding of the many issues that impace children. The e-learning course is funded by both local authorities and FREE to complete for all.
Follow this link to get registerd and booked onto a webinar.
Delivered by Ridley Hall, free and fully funded by the Church of England, Catalyst is a dynamic training course which aims to equip and connect those who work with children and young people in the local church. It’s for anyone, whether you are experienced or new to working with children and young people.
Starting this October, you will gain new knowledge and skills, connect with others, and also have the option to complete an assignment and gain 20 credits at level 4 qualification if you would like to.
Find out more, and sign-up on their website here.
We have more training lined up for 2026 so watch this space!
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After finishing university and moving back home, I wanted to gain experience working with children and young people whilst also accessing some further training, so Future Youth was perfect for me.
It also gave me the chance to experience a different type of church and create a new Christian family compared to my normal church that I have grown up in.
Although based at Derby Cathedral, I have been able to explore other youth ministries within the deanery.
I would not have been able to do this scheme if it had not been paid.
Due to travel expenses and the climbing increase of living costs, it would not have been viable for me to start, never mind complete.
It has given me the life experience of working a full-time job and helped me become more independent.
The highlight of my year has been the increase of children attending Sunday morning service and that of messy cathedral.
Bringing part of who I am to the role has been great, including my agricultural background as I brought a lamb to the Easter Messy Cathedral.
Asking colleagues at the Cathedral, they have all commented on how my input has led to an increase Messy Cathedral attendance and sustainability as well as the Sunday school.
I am proud that being a part of this scheme at the cathedral has led to an increase in youth connection and outreach.
How green are we?
How is your parish doing in its quest to become carbon net zero by 2030?
How is the Diocese of Derby doing as a whole?
To know the answers, we need facts and figures.
We track those details using the Energy Footprint Tool that is available to all parishes.
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How green are we?
The Energy Footprint Tool, available to all parishes provides the facts and figures.
This easy-to-use tool will tell your church what your carbon footprint is annually, based on the energy you use to heat and light your buildings. The tool is provided for free!
It is a great feeling to know that you are making a difference and reassuring you that you are on the right Practical Pathway to Net Zero 2030.
All over the diocese, PCCs are moving to green-energy suppliers, others are moving away from fossil-fuel heating systems, some are moving towards more energy-efficient lighting, and all are considering how they can reduce their energy consumption.
Reducing consumption has the obvious benefit of reducing bills. But knowing your carbon footprint may support applications for funding to help you on your Net Zero journey. Reduced energy consumption means you really are caring for God's creation, helping to sustain a greener environment to live and work in, etc.
You are helping the diocese to fulfil elements of its vision – becoming greener, and ultimately challenging climate injustice by reducing inequalities, making the world a better and fairer place. Good news for all!
We should be immensely proud of our continuing efforts to reduce our carbon footprints and being able to demonstrate it with the hard evidence you can get from the Energy Footprint Tool.
The tool makes use of data that the CofE already holds about your church buildings, and that means it needs very little additional input from you.
It was designed to be simple. If you need assistance we are here to help, so get in touch.
All you need is to have your 2024 electricity and gas/oil bills to hand and input the figures to the Energy Footprint Tool by Monday, 30 June 2025.
This will make a huge difference to your church, the diocese, and the CofE.
For further help with the Energy Footprint Tool, contact the Net Zero Carbon Team
Will Rolls
Net Zereo Carbon Program and Project Manager
Are you raising money for projects to help you cut your carbon footprint?
You could access a matched grant of up to £10k
Give To Go Green is a match-funding project from the Church of England helping you double your locally raised donations for carbon-cutting projects.
The scheme is available only in certain dioceses, including the Diocese of Derby!
Through a targeted digital fundraising campaign you will be able to engage your community in building a sustainable future for your church and the world around you.
Applications have re-opened with the following timetable:
Applications Open: 21 October 2024
Applications Close: 16 March 2025
Application Assessment: 31 March 2025 (provisional)
Churches Notified: 7 April (provisional)
Fundraising Period: 17 May - 28 September (provisional)
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Funding is available for churches that want to carry out small to medium sized projects that will reduce their carbon footprint and cost between £5,000 - £20,000.
Churches can access a matched grant of up to £10k towards their project if they can raise the same amount through digital giving (through Give A Little) during a targeted six-week campaign in the autumn.
Ideally, this should cover the total cost of the project so you can get straight on with implementing it after you receive your grant.
>> Start by downloading the application pack
What can be funded?
- Carbon-cutting projects in churches and church halls.
- Eligible measures from the Practical Path to Net Zero.
- Eg: quick win projects to improve heating efficiency, fixing broken windows, heated seat cushions, solar PV (if you’ve done other efficiency measures), insulation, electrical upgrades, LED lights, pew heaters, draught proofing etc. A list of eligible measures can also be found in the Project Pack
- Other measures not on the list can be considered, if it has been recommended for your church to reduce energy and carbon.
Please note if your project will require a faculty or planning permission it will be very challenging to complete this in the required time. Please speak to the DAC office as early as possible to find out what permissions you will need.
What do you need to do?
- Read the Project Application Pack to find out whether your project could be eligible.
- Set up a small project team, and set up a Give A Little account if you don’t have one.
- Think about your project, ideally you’ll need to get three quotes – but if you have a good project and only estimated costs please consider applying.
- Complete the Energy Footprint Tool (see page 8 of the application pack)
- Submit your application by the 16 March 2025.
- If accepted, attend the onboarding webinars and plan your fundraising campaigns.
- Run your fundraising campaign between 17 May - 28 September 2025.
- Deliver your project and spend the grant within 12 months of receiving it.
Apply here
>> Use this link to access the Diocese of Derby application form (opens in a new window)
>> Read the Give to Go Green Privacy Policy which relates to the data collection of these forms.
>> If you need it, you can download a Sample Application Form for reference.
Growing Faith in Churches – Youth Ministry Resources
The wording around the national aim to grow and nurture active young disciples is important. As we strive to develop youth ministry across the diocese, this is about more than numbers in a room, or ticking a box for those who have responded to an altar call, but rather we are about making space for faith to grow and life-long faith journeys to be begun.
Please get in touch by emailing growingyounger@derby.anglican.org
Emotional and mental health resources
For those who have been affected by the recent TV series 'Adolescence', our colleagues at the Diocese of Leeds have collated some useful resources for young people, leaders, and parents to help form positive discussion around mental health and wellbeing.
Find them here.
Here are some more ideas for starting, developing and growing youth ministry in your church.
Confirmation Resources
Our colleagues at the Bath and Wells and Bristol Diocese have produced some excellent downloadable confirmation resources. If you have a young person or a group of young people you are preparing for confirmation and would like to use this resource, then click here to have a look and download your own version.
Youthscape Podcast
A fantastic resource for any Christian working with young people, the youthscape podcast has several years-worth of episodes covering a range of areas so there will be plenty for your context to learn. Find on any major podcast platform or here https://www.youthscape.co.uk/podcast
Youthwork Resources
Various fantastic organisations exist to support churches in running activities for young people with varying levels of faith involvement. Some of our recommendations include:-
Youthscape – originally working Luton, YS now has a national focus and is leading the way in research and innovation for Christian youthwork - https://www.youthscape.co.uk/
Scripture Union – in addition to their decades of church based youth and children’s resources, they are focussing most of their work resourcing churches to reach the 95% of children and young people nationally who have no connection with church - https://content.scriptureunion.org.uk/resources-activities
The RSCM – for more traditional contexts church choirs can provide a way of engaging with young people, including developing them as young leaders. https://www.rscm.org.uk/learn-with-us/
Urban Saints Energize - Thousands of engaging and adaptable biblical sessions, training articles and support resources - https://www.urbansaints.org/what-we-do/online-resources
Living Out Love – a youth group resource
Our colleagues in Birmingham diocese have created a series of short films to help young people think through issues of sexuality, gender, relationships, and justice based on the six pastoral principles which are:
- Acknowledging Prejudice
- Speaking into silence
- Addressing ignorance
- Casting out fear
- Admitting hypocrisy
- Paying attention to power
They come in two versions a 30 min and 60 min versions, they can be used all together or as stand-alone sessions. To download your free copy click here.
Local partners
Valley Cids - an independent Christian charity based in Derbyshire, committed to serving children, young people and families through out-reach work in schools and the wider community. https://www.valleycids.co.uk/
The Peak Centre – A Christian-run activity centre in the Peak district that gives preference to young people - https://www.peakcentre.org.uk/
Training
As a diocese we seek to facilitate training of youth leaders, both paid and volunteer. We are keen to invest in potential youth leaders. For training opportunities and events click here
Alternatively, members of the diocesan staff are ordained/licensed lay readers and can come preach/speak to churches/PCCs about the place of youth ministry in the church. If you would like to do a training day with your volunteer team(s) or to discuss options, then contact growingyounger@derby.anglican.org
Networking with other churches
Across the diocese we are setting up or supporting regional networks of paid/volunteer youth workers. If this would interest you then email growingyounger@derby.anglican.org
We also work with Missional Church Youth Network – an organisation seeking to enable local schools, churches and community projects to work together to reimagine church with young people. They facilitate a Learning Community in order that youth leaders and volunteers can come together for training, encouragement, prayer and support as they build for the future. https://www.mycn.org.uk/
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This page is under development
