A father and his son A father and his son

How can we help you?

Our financial support grants are designed to help in times of financial difficulty.

We can help if you are:

  • An incumbent, or a clergy person holding the Bishop of Chelmsford’s licence
  • A clergy person retired from stipendiary ministry living in Chelmsford Diocese
  • A widow or widower of a stipendiary or salaried minister (if their last post was in Chelmsford Diocese)
  • A lay minister who holds the Bishop of Chelmsford’s licence (i.e. LLM/Readers, Licensed Lay Workers or Church Army Officers)

As much as we would like to offer help to everyone in these lay ministries, our resources just do not allow us to.

So, for the time being our grants will be primarily for those taking a sole lead role in a parish supported by an incumbent in a neighbouring parish.

Grants are available as follows:

  • We provide fixed grants at the birth of a child to those in stipendiary ministry

  • We provide fixed grants to the next of kin at the death of a minister whose last post was in the diocese and who received a stipend

  • We make means-tested grants for those retiring from stipendiary ministry

  • We make means-tested grants in our ‘Summer Round’ to families in a variety of different ways – children’s grants, children’s clothing, school outings, and visits to universities or colleges.

The Summer Round Form is available to download in late spring each year. Either scroll down and click on "Famil;y grant, 'the summer round'". Or go to the Resources page

  • We give funds to the archdeacons for them to distribute to help towards the costs of family holidays

  • We can help the widows or widowers of those in stipendiary ministry whose last post was in Chelmsford Diocese

  • We give compassionate and emergency grants in times of crisis

Two ministers in a church

If you are in one of the above categories, grants can be accessed in the following ways:

Birth of a child

Congratulations if you are recently celebrating the birth of a child.

Please let your area bishop or archdeacon know, and they will liaise with the Charity

Death of a minister

The Charity is informed by Chelmsford Diocese on the death of a minister.

However, we have no way of finding out about a death of someone who retired to another diocese, so please get in touch if you know of such an event.

Retirement

If you wish to apply for a retirement grant, please contact your area bishop, archdeacon or the Charity Secretary Rev Simon Law who can be contacted here.

Family grant ’the Summer Round’

If you wish to apply for one or more family grants in our ‘Summer Round’, please download the application form below.

Although this form can be filled in electronically, it does need to be printed out, signed, dated, and posted to the Secretary. Unsigned forms are not considered, and an electronic signature is NOT an acceptable substitute.

We write to the area deans when the new form has been uploaded. The Summer Round is administered by the Secretary who can be contacted here for more information.

Download the 2024 application form

Archdeacon’s holiday grant

If you need help with paying for a holiday, please contact your Archdeacon.

Emergency compassionate

If you are a clergy or lay ministry widow or widower in need of help, please contact your area Bishop, Archdeacon or Rev Simon Law Charity secretary who can be contacted here

If you, or anyone you know needs emergency or compassionate assistance please contact your area Bishop, Archdeacon or the Charity Secretary as above.

May the Lord Jesus Christ help us all to remember that in administering the affairs of the Charity we seek to do His will as the servants of the servants of God.