COVID projects receive over a million pounds in first wave of Hope Beyond grants
27 OCT 2020
Hundreds of churches and Christian charities have already responded to Allchurches’ call to deliver projects to support communities post COVID. With applications continuing to flood in, Allchurches is delighted to award its first round of grants under its new Hope Beyond programme.
Cheques will be landing on the doormats of 149 churches and Christian charities in the next few days, providing over £1.25 million funding. The projects to benefit will all play a key role in giving communities hope as the longer term impact of the Coronavirus pandemic becomes clearer.
Grants under the Hope Beyond programme will fund projects offering new and enhanced activity and support as a direct response to the pandemic, and that respond to the three areas of major need identified in Allchurches’ recent research:
• Projects responding to issues of loneliness and isolation
• Projects focused on growing community resilience and promoting positive mental health and emotional wellbeing
• Projects focused on growing technology capability and resilience, particularly increasing digital capacity to support communities online
While we continue to assess the hundreds of applications already received, we’re excited to share some of the first examples of projects hoping to make a difference and support their communities in these difficult times…
Youthscape, Luton
Youthscape has developed a new, national online resource hub responding to the urgent mental health crisis among young people that has been exacerbated by the pandemic. Allchurches’ £30,000 grant will support Youthscape to launch the ‘Headstrong’ website and offer young people a lifeline through live support and advice in a format that they can readily access, understand and relate to.
Chris Curtis, CEO of Youthscape, said: “Allchurches Trust has stepped in at a crucial time for our work with young people. Young people aged 12 to 24 are the age group whose mental health has been most impacted by COVID-19 and we are desperate to put the church at the heart of responding to that need. This grant means we can now get to work to make that happen.”



*Header image: Chichester Cathedral