Grants and Funding

Synod Mission Fund

The Synod has set aside £75,000 a year and churches can apply for a large grant of up to £25,000 a project or, using the small grant scheme, for up to £2,500 as many times as required. There are even options for smaller amounts of around £100. Grants are for mission projects, not building projects. 

Small grant guidelines

Small grant application

Large grant guidelines 

Large grant application

There is also a Q & A available from Synod Clerk, Rita Griffiths Everything churches need to know about the Synod Mission Fund — URC Mersey

The URC Mission Enabling Grant

Find out about the grants and funding opportunities that the United Reformed Church offers churches, community groups and individuals.

https://urc.org.uk/grants-funding-opportunities/

Trusts

Nathaniel Reyner Trust Fund

One of the principal objects of The Nathaniel Reyner Trust Fund, in Formby, is to provide financial assistance to UR churches within Merseyside. There has been a decline in applications in recent years.  Applications from churches for financial assistance can be sought from them preferably by the end of March and the end of October as the Trust only meet in April and late November.  

You can apply for up to £2500 for various projects including building works (car parks; accessibility etc); there are no application forms to complete, you just write a letter giving as much information as possible and send to Lawrence (address given below) and enclose quotes if it is for building work. 

Applications should go to Lawrence Downey, Secretary at The Nathanial Reyner Trust Fund, Ripley House, 56 Freshfield Road, Formby, Liverpool L37 3HW and you can ring him for advice and information too on Tel 01704 879330.

Further information about the following trusts can be requested via the Synod Office

Joseph and Ruth Evans Trust

The income of this trust is applicable at the trustees’ discretion –

• for the religious and other charitable work of URC churches in the Synod with a preference for Haydock United Reformed Church and other United Reformed Church churches serving the areas of Prescot, Rainhill, Blackbrook, Haydock and Ashton-in-Makerfield, and subject thereto

• in furthering the Protestant evangelical religion (with a preference for the religious and other charitable work of the United Reformed Church in the area of the Synod)

Jessie Anderton Trust

The income of this trust is applicable at the trustees’ discretion –

• in relieving the need of or relieving the sickness (including convalescence) of members and adherents of the United Reformed Church as hereinafter defined situate within the area of the Mersey Synod of the United Reformed Church.

“Members of the United Reformed Church” include the members of local ecumenical partnerships in which the URC is a sharing or partner Church and ‘adherents’ include individuals who have a significant connection with a local church or local ecumenical partnership

The Trustees will give preference to applicants from St Helens and the surrounding district.

Miscellaneous Welfare Funds Charity

The clear income and, at the Trustee’s discretion, the capital thereof to be applied in relieving need, hardship, sickness and distress amongst members (which include ministers) of the United Reformed Church within the area of the Mersey Synod:  PROVIDED that any unapplied income may be paid to the synod’s Welfare Fund.

Rankin Organ Scholarship

The clear income, and at the discretion of the trustee the whole or part of the capital, to be applied in promoting in United Reformed churches in the area of the Mersey Synod –

• in the first place, the good playing of the organ in worship by providing a scholarship or scholarships 

• and subject thereto, in otherwise promoting the use of music by such means as the Trust Company decides.

Provided that any income remaining unspent in any year may be paid to the Synod general purposes or unrestricted fund. 

Mersey Synod Ministers' Widows Fund

The clear income and at the trustee’s discretion the whole or any part of the capital of the fund shall be applied in relieving the surviving spouses or surviving civil partners (which may include former spouses or civil partners) and dependent children of deceased ministers; with preference being given to such spouses and children of ministers who at any time served as a minister in the area of the Mersey Synod or who resided in the said area at the date of their death.

Provided that the amount of such relief may be reduced by the amount of assistance received by the beneficiary from any other Synod.

Eccleston (St Helens) Students for Ministry Fund

The clear income of the The Eccleston (St Helens) Students for Ministry Fund is to be applied –

• in the first place to “support” Mersey Synod students who are training for the ministry  within the URC;

“support” means support their education and training etc, in other words furthering or advancing their education and training, or supporting them financially because they are in need of assistance; people who are in straitened circumstances as a result of their undergoing their training/education courses.   

By ‘straitened circumstances’ we mean that the changes in their income have had a significant detrimental effect on their family or household situation which they are unable to mollify by other household income or reasonable expenditure of savings.

• in the second place, in so far as the income arising in any year remains cannot be applied as above, it is to be spent in supporting as above Mersey Synod students training as church related community workers;  
  

• in the third place, in so far as the income in any year cannot be applied as above, it is to be spent in supporting students from the North Western, Northern and Yorkshire Synods who are training for the ministry of Word and Sacraments by providing grants towards the cost of their books and other educational material;
  

• in the fourth place, if and in so far as the income in any year cannot be applied as above, it is to be paid to the Mersey Synod to be applied towards the training and educational work of and in the Synod.

[1] “the ministry” means ordained ministry of word and sacrament.

[1] In the first two applications of income the Trust Company will apply income after consultation with the Moderator and/or the Training Officer.

[1] For students from North Western, Northern and Yorkshire Synods applications will be received on their behalf from the respective training officers of those other synods –

Ø      stating the name and address of the student

Ø    verifying that the student is studying for the ministry of Word and Sacrament

Ø     verifying that the student needs the books or other material for his or her course of study and

Ø    stating the cost of the books or material

and the trustees will pay the lesser of the cost or £500 to the respective training officers for onward transmission to the students concerned.

John Holgate of Salem Church, Orrell, Trust

The clear income, and at the trustee’s discretion the whole or any part of the capital, of the fund shall be applied so far as practicable in providing books and any other training material for those taking the TLS course (or any similar or replacement course); and subject thereto in otherwise providing training materials or courses for lay members in the area of the Mersey Synod of the United Reformed Church who are undergoing training for any of the ministries of the URC, provided that the trustee shall consult with and have regard to the advice of that synod;  and subject to this, the said income and capital shall be applied otherwise for the religious work of the Mersey Synod.