The Parish Mission Fund

The Church Commissioners support clergy stipends, pensions, bishop’s costs, some Cathedral costs and pastoral reorganisation. But they also make available to dioceses money for new mission initiatives and in Leicester Diocese we’ve used some of this money to create a Parish Mission Fund. The Bishop’s Council has allocated £70,000 a year for new mission initiatives, which will be divided between small grants (£20,000 pa) which can be applied for by any project meeting the guidelines (see below), and key strategic appointments (£50,000 pa) which will be made centrally.

Small grants - what can we ask for?
You can ask for not less than £500 and not (normally) more than £3000 in any one year. A grant may be one-off or for up to 3 years.

What sort of thing will it support?
The fund is specifically to support mission work - which in our diocese can be interpreted as work that develops one or more of the nine marks of a healthy, mission-shaped church. It is also available for the support of Fresh Expressions of church. We would not normally expect to make grants for work to buildings.

Who can apply?
Any parish is welcome to apply but priority will be given to applicants where:

the project is in furtherance of work agreed within the context of a developing Mission Partnership
the parish(es) concerned have a good record of payment of parish share, or, if there are problems, where they are clearly being addressed

How do we apply?
Forms are available from the Shaped by God section of the diocesan website, or by application to the Project Director or Diocesan Secretary.

Who will decide, and how?
The Parish Mission Fund committee will decide., It is chaired by Mike Harrison (Director of Mission and Ministry) and includes Richard Atkinson and Paul Hackwood (Archdeacons), Pete Hobson (Director - Shaped by God) and Mr Peter Yates of the Bishop’s Council. The group meets regularly to decide on applications.

Employment of staff
If projects involve the employment of staff then there must be a clear job description, contract and management structure, which the committee will need to see. Advice on all of these issues is available from diocesan officers.

Pete Hobson – Director, Shaped by God