USC Grant

United Stockport Circuit Mission Grant Fund For Local Churches

Background

As part of the Covenant Partnership which the United Stockport Circuit is seeking to develop between the Circuit and its Churches, there is the stated intention to distribute financial resources into situations of new mission development and existing work, where the Circuit Leadership team are assured that certain criteria have been met. To further this aim, the Circuit will establish a specific Mission Grant Fund over 5 years, initially ring-fencing £150,000 from 1st September 2021 – 31st August 2026.

The purpose of the Mission Grant Fund is to support work which falls within the 'Public Witness' remit of the Circuit Mission Plan. Projects supported might be under the oversight of a single church, or two or more churches working together (including situations where there is ecumenical involvement).

The Grant Fund will be administered by the Circuit Leadership Team.

Criteria

*Funding is currently only open to churches within the United Stockport Circuit.

• Applications can be made for capital or revenue projects.
• Applications will NOT be received for routine property maintenance or church running costs.

Before applying for a grant, the applicant must meet all of the below criteria:

1 – The grant must be for work that falls within at least one of the Circuit's stated areas of Public Witness

• Communications, Social Media and Campaigns
• Becoming an ecologically and environmentally sustainable Circuit
• Being a church of the margins
• Civic Engagement

2 – Support for the project and the grant application from the Church Council or Leadership Team must be evidenced.

3 – Capacity to offer appropriate governance and management of the project/member of staff must be demonstrated.

4 – A full budget for the entire duration of the project must be presented, showing where the grant falls within the overall expected income of the project.

• it will usually be expected that a local church will input something into the overall costs of the project from its own reserves.
• grants will be awarded on a needs basis; where substantial Church Funds are available, grants are less likely to be awarded.

5 – Evaluation: Churches will be required to submit, after a time period to be specified with the award of the grant, a report from the Church Council on how the money has been used and if applicable, the progress of the project. For ongoing projects, a member of the CLT not connected with the Church will visit from time to time to monitor the work.

You can download the application form by clicking here