Church Urban Fund press releases

Please contact Emma Bennett if you have any queries about any press release.
E-mail emma.bennett@cuf.org.uk or call 020 7898 1666.

Published: 29/02/2012 - 14:08

Church Urban Fund launch 'Give a Day Back': Bishop of Ripon and Leeds visits homeless project in Westminster

Wednesday 29^th February 2011

The Bishop of Ripon & Leeds visited a homelessness support charity to officially launch Church Urban Fund’s Give a Day Back campaign today. The bishop, alongside Church Urban Fund, encouraged members of the public to use some or all of this leap year’s extra day to volunteer at a local Church Urban Fund-supported project.

Streetlytes-UK, a London-based homelessness project whose management includes people who have overcome addiction or homelessness themselves, is one such project staffed by volunteers. Rudi Richardson, the founder and CEO of Streetlytes-UK who decided to give something back to his community after overcoming homelessness and addiction, added his support the Church Urban Fund campaign.

Published: 06/02/2012 - 17:55

Tackling poverty leads to healthy, growing churches

Churches that find ways to actively meet local community needs and tackle poverty are more likely to attract new members and see increased levels of giving, according to new research carried out by Christian Research Consultancy for Church Urban Fund.

The research combined in-depth interviews with eight church leaders – who had successfully transformed neglected and poorly attended churches in deprived communities – with data from a national online survey of 900 Anglican clergy. The survey also assessed the respondent’s views about the role of churches in addressing issues of poverty.

Published: 12/12/2011 - 17:06

C of E clergy more sympathetic to poverty than their congregations

Church of England clergy understand poverty very differently to their congregations, new research from Church Urban Fund shows.

The findings also suggest that attending church may do little to change people’s underlying opinions about the causes of poverty.

The research, which is ongoing, combines data from the British Social Attitudes Survey with new survey data collected by Church Urban Fund. Church leaders, regular churchgoers and non-churchgoers were asked for their opinions on a range of poverty-related issues, including their perceptions about the extent of child poverty and differences in incomes.

Published: 11/11/2011 - 17:00

Power, poverty and the church

The first in a series of forums took place at St. John's Waterloo on 9th November to look at power and poverty, and the role of churches. The forum was hosted by Church Urban Fund, Church Action of Poverty and St. John's Waterloo.

The event was chaired by Revd Helen Dawes, Deputy Secretary for Public Affairs, Lambeth Palace, and there were speeches from Dr Luke Bretherton, from Kings College London, Canon Paul Hackwood, Chair of Trustees, Church Urban Fund and Niall Cooper, National Coordinator, Church Action on Poverty.

Published: 23/09/2011 - 14:42

Archbishop meets Christian groups tackling poverty in Derby

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, today visited the Restore Project and Derby City Mission as part of a three-day visit to the Diocese of Derby.

Both projects have received financial support from Church Urban Fund. The grants from the Church of England charity, which supports those tackling poverty in the most deprived communities in England, have been vital to both projects, enabling them to develop their work and have a bigger impact on local people and communities.

Published: 09/08/2010 - 10:15

Church of England "Being Neighbourly" proposals

The Church of England is actively discussing with Government plans for a major extension to the pastoral work of parish churches, particularly in multi religious neighbourhoods.

These propose a variety of ways in which the recognised strengths of the Church of England can contribute to the flourishing of people in these neighbourhoods. The Church Urban Fund with its 25 years of experience of supporting local communities in deprived urban areas, will oversee the programme.