Thank you to all those of you who were able to highlight Church Urban Fund's work during Lent. I have heard of many retired clergy who take services locally and are able to talk about Church Urban Fund. We are now working with 14 local partnerships in dioceses across the country. We are also using the funds raised in churches and from generous individuals to support new initiatives and projects throughout England that are reaching out to people trapped in poverty, on the margins of society. For many, the most painful aspect of poverty is the poverty of having no one the turn to. Church communities around the country are holding out the hand of friendship and support to those in need. See how money was spent in our annual report here http://www.cuf.org.uk/about-us
Web of Poverty
Are we all better off today? Is everyone sharing in the upturn in the economy? Are all "hard-working" families sharing in the economic growth? If you want to know more about the facts of poverty please look at our latest report on the definition of poverty in England which is the basis of our work http://www.cuf.org.uk/poverty-england And don't forget the Poverty Look Up tool to assess poverty in your parish.
New Research
Another piece of research we have commissioned enables us to demonstrate the enormous effort the church is making in tackling the poverty. In his Christmas address, Archbishop Justin Welby said that the church was in many places the glue holding society together. New research commissioned by Church Urban Fund and conducted by Theos, set out to explore the scale and nature of how churches hold communities together. The full report will be published shortly and will be available on our website. http://www.cuf.org.uk/how-we-help/research
Poverty Sunday
Poverty Sunday is an opportunity for congregations to reflect on the reality of poverty in our society and its effects on individuals and local communities. Poverty Sunday is on 22 June this year and if you are leading a service on that day, you may want to invite the congregation to use some part of your Sunday service to get behind the clashing headlines about economic growth, benefits and the reality of poverty. Resources are available on our website for you to use if not in June then maybe on some other appropriate Sunday or as a study group. http://www.cuf.org.uk/get-involved/act/resources/poverty-sunday
With every blessing,
Canon Paul Hackwood
EXECUTIVE CHAIR
Church Urban Fund
Church House
Great Smith Street
London
SW1P 3AZ
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