Please find below a number of relevant pieces of information for distribution and consideration by Presbyters.
Rev Stella Campbell has taken up her new role as Presbytery Clerk this week and will be keeping a blog on the Presbytery website here.
An exciting opportunity is being advertised for a 12-month Fixed Team Ministry Team Post in Shetland to cover Worship, Sacrament and Pastoral Care. Follow link for Details.
Informal enquiries to Rev Keith Blackwood (Interim Moderator) kblackwood@churchofscotland.org.uk
Prospects Across Scotland is holding and online training event on Tuesday 20th August at 7.00-9.00pm. It is ‘Autism in the Church Family’ and is aimed at helping church members and leaders to understand, support and welcome autistic people of any age. All the details and tickets can be found here: Autism in the Church Family Tickets, Tue, Aug 20, 2024 at 7:00 PM | Eventbrite
In addition, the volunteers would always be delighted to come and share about the work of Prospects Across Scotland with any church who would be interested. They would love to see every church in Scotland feeling encouraged and enabled to welcome adults with learning disabilities and autism, and see them take their place in the Body of Christ.
From Here to (Financial) Sustainability – The Accelerate Programme
Over the last two years many churches have received an average of 6 days’ free support to help them become more financially sustainable.
Accelerate provides mentoring and guidance and some examples of the sort of support offered include:
- Community research looking at the potential of increasing income through hall lets
- Developing digital strategies
- Developing marketing plans
- Looking at other funding options (note that Accelerate does not offer grant funding itself).
You are invited to a 1 hour webinar on Wednesday 17 July starting at 7pm to hear more about Accelerate, ask questions, and learn how to apply.
The guest speaker is Douglas Westwater, CEO of Community Enterprise which runs Accelerate, with David Williams, Church of Scotland Grants Manager, being the host.
Places on the webinar are limited and will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis.
Register now, email grants@churchofscotland.org.uk with “Accelerate Webinar” as the subject line.
If you have any questions about the webinar or the Accelerate programme you can contact David Williams at dwilliams@churchofscotland.org.uk
This is a fantastic offer and the webinar is likely to be very popular, so register now: grants@churchofscotland.org.uk
Potential External Grant Funding
I’m writing to advise you of potential external funding from the Asda Foundation. Grants of between £10,000 and £25,000 are available for grassroots charitable organisations across the UK to improve community spaces which will make a lasting difference to local communities.
Timings - opens on Tuesday 9 July with a deadline for applications of Sunday 28 July.
o Funder: The Asda Foundation
o Who can apply: UK registered charities, community groups, voluntary organisations and other not-for-profit organisations with an annual income of under £100,000 in areas where Asda has a presence.
The Asda Foundation’s Investing in Places and Spaces Grant Programme is designed to enable small, local grassroots community organisations to improve community spaces which will make a long-term difference to local communities across the United Kingdom.
Applications must be submitted to a Community Champion from an Asda superstore.
Capital grants of between £10,000 and £25,000 are available to cover materials, tradespeople and equipment costs and must not exceed 50% of costs.
Application forms can be obtained from ASDA Community Champions, who are based in local Asda superstores.
Further information about the Invest in Places and Spaces Grants is available on the Foundation’s website.
We would be grateful if you could circulate this information to your Kirk Sessions.