Diocesan LIFE Development Fund

Contact

01452 835529

Or write to:
LIFE Development Officer
Church House
College Green
Gloucester
GL1 2LY

Development Fund News

Trinity Cheltenham gets set to launch Spear to support unemployed young people
on 17/10/2022 at 2:20 pm
Bedtime church brings families flocking
on 11/05/2021 at 1:03 pm
Gloucester Cathedral ‘Beacon of Hope’ Appeal
on 29/09/2020 at 2:23 pm
New debt centre planned for Gloucester
on 07/07/2020 at 9:39 am
Life Development Fund: feedback
on 10/02/2020 at 4:25 pm

Guidance notes and forms are available here:

Guidance notes Oct 2022

Risk management
Project risks pro forma
LIFE Development Fund applications and HR
(As above, but a Word doc)
Bank Details Form
Organisation Information Sheet
Outcomes, Activites and Targets Guidance

Outcomes, Activities and Targets Form

Copy of Revenue and Capital Budget Templates

Annual review template

Please contact us using the details above to make an application.

Grants are considered for revenue projects, with grants usually awarded for between one and three years. Capital costs are not normally funded, although they may be considered in exceptional circumstances.

Applications for grants of up to £3,000 should apply, if eligible, to the Mission Grant Scheme, through the Department of Mission and Ministry.

In February 2015, Bishop’s Council approved the launch of the new Diocesan Development Fund to support the work of churches and communities across the diocese.

The assets of the Fund, which include the proceeds from the sale of Glenfall House, enable it to make grants of up to £400,000 p.a. for at least 10 years.

Following an open recruitment process, eight Stewards were originally appointed by Bishop’s Council to oversee the work of the Fund. The first grants were awarded in November 2015. From January 2019, the new LIFE Development Fund Committee (a sub-committee of Bishop’s Council) oversaw the Fund and awarded grants. From January 2023, a new funding framework will be developed and implemented. In the meantime, funding decisions will be made the the LIFE Liaison Group, with the Archdeacons.

Applications are received based on the four key strands of the LIFE vision. We are keen to support projects which are innovative and collaborative. Applicants are therefore encouraged to research what others are doing locally, regionally and nationally, and to explore the potential for partnering with other churches or community groups, before submitting an application.

Role of the LIFE Development Officer:

to provide support and advice to applicants during the application process
to plan and prepare for LIFE Liaison Group meetings, and prepare and circulate papers before the meeting and minutes after the meeting
to notify applicants of the outcome of their application and provide them with support for the next steps of the process
to monitor spend from the annual budget, and keep financial records
to provide an annual review to Bishop’s Council of how the money has been spent
to keep Diocesan staff informed of activity from the Fund
to work with the Communications team to make sure that stories are shared of the difference funding has made to projects

Share your story

If you’ve completed a project and would like to share your story, we’d love to hear it! Please fill out this simple form.

Funding long term sustainable ministry

The Archbishop of York Youth Trust feedback

#OneDiocese blog by Claire Power-Browne, Co Leader of TIC+ – Diocese of Gloucester (anglican.org)

Gloucestershire Credit Union

https://www.gloucester.anglican.org/2020/new-debt-centre-planned-for-gloucester/

Meeting Dates 2023

Please note that a review of how all funding is awarded is taking place, and the LIFE Development Fund Committee has come to an end. In the interim, the Diocesan LIFE Liaison Group will make decisions on funding applications. A new process will be developed and approved by Bishop’s Staff Team and Bishop’s Council, and full details of this will be shared with applicants and grant recipients in due course. In the meantime, a table of dates for initial and full applications can be found in the link below. Please contact the LIFE Development Officer for further information.

Meeting dates 2023

Sylvanus Lysons Trust’s meeting dates for 2023 are:

21 April

14 July

17 November

Further details about Sylvanus can be found on their webpage here: Sylvanus Lysons grant making charity – Diocese of Gloucester (anglican.org)

In November 2022, funding was awarded to Roots Coffee and Community towards their running costs, in order to provide them with a strong basis from which to launch their new project, Roots Refills.

In September 2022, funding was awarded to continue the Gloucester Ministry Experience Scheme – an opportunity for people aged between 18 and 30 to consider their vocation and calling by spending a year in teaching, discipleship, placement in local worshipping communities and community projects, and developing a rule of life in community with other scheme participants. Funding was also awarded to enable the Gloucester funerals project to extend out to all deaneries during 2023 and 2024, providing a central resource and support for funerals across the Diocese. Trinity and St Paul’s Churches in Cheltenham received funding towards the setting up and initial running costs of a SPEAR project – providing training and support to young people who are not in employment, education and training (NEETs).

In June 2022, funding was awarded to 4Front Theatre for taking performances and workshops into primary schools across the Diocese. Funding was also awarded to Viney Hill Christian Adventure Centre towards the cost of supplying and installing a high ropes activity at the centre. Further funding was awarded to Teens in Crisis, to enable them to train two further counsellors for young people.

In April 2022, funding was awarded to the Ugly Duckling Partnership, to develop their resources with schools and young people within the Diocese, providing opportunities for engagement through pre-evangelistic tools. Funding was awarded to Vale and Cotswold Edge (North Cotswold Deanery) to enable their children, families and schools ministry to have a bigger impact on children and young people in the area. The Rock, in Cheltenham, was awarded funding towards their Elevate project – providing support to young people as they transition from Year 6 to senior school. Funding was also given to CaBiC Anna Chaplaincy to enable them to continue developing a chaplaincy with older people in Cheltenham deanery and in Bishop’s Cleeve.

In February 2022, funding was awarded to Cheltenham Christian Arts to continue developing and delivering Christian Arts events and activities in Cheltenham and across the Diocese, to ensure that music and creative arts are continuing to be used to enable people to live LIFE in all its fulness. Covid-related funding was awarded to the Cornerstone Centre in Cheltenham. Gateway Theology School was awarded funding to continue developing and delivering online theology courses to members of worshipping communities across the Diocese. Funding was also awarded to iSingPop to promote their new PopBox resource pack which they have developed to enable churches and schools to continue engaging with iSingPop activities.

Please contact the LIFE Development Officer for further information about these and other applications.