SUPPORT FOR PRIORITY PARISHES
Together for Change delivers community transformation in the most deprived parishes. On behalf of the Diocese of Coventry, Together for Change support parishes in the bottom 20% of deprivation to deliver positive community transformation.
Support for Urban Plants
In 2021, the Diocese of Coventry received substantial investment to support a number of urban church plants serving areas of significant deprivation across Coventry and Warwickshire.
Together for Change partners with the Diocese of Coventry to support these urban plants to positively transform their local communities by sharing best practice for outreach projects, offering project development support, building sustainability plans and providing fundraising advice and support.
Here are some of the ways we have resourced community transformation through our urban plants:
St Oswald’s, Tile Hill
Together for Change has supported the community outreach and ministry of St Oswald’s Tile Hill through fundraising support, project development and partnership building. As a result, the church has become a vibrant hub for the local community. St Oswald’s offers a thriving men’s ministry, a warm hub providing free warm food, a continually growing care-home ministry and a variety of outreach activities throughout the week.
St Peter’s, Hillfields
Together for Change has supported the community outreach and ministry of St Peter’s Hillfields through fundraising support, project development and partnership working. Alongside working in partnership with the church to transfer the management of our Fresh Start project, TFC have provided additional fundraising support and project development support to St Peter’s. This has enabled the church to upgrade their kitchen facilities and launch their thriving Children’s and Youth Ministry.
Responding in Crisis: Winter Warm Hubs
As the Cost of Living Crisis took hold, many people and churches were at dire straits, struggling to pay for essentials. Together for Change through Aviva Community Fund and the Church Commissioners supported ‘’Warm Hubs’’, targeting our poorest parishes. A Warm Hub is a place where local people can go to stay warm, access free or subsidised food, and enjoy a hot drink. For the lonely and isolated, it became a space to reconnect.
Our network of winter warm hubs across our subregion included places in Radford, Willenhall and Stoke Aldermoor in Coventry. Also, others in Coventry, Nuneaton, Bedworth, Rugby, and rural areas.
Through this Warm Hub project, TFC expanded its support to the most deprived parishes. This included providing fundraising support for urgent renovations to ensure the sustainability of church buildings, as well as offering advice and training to help churches better meet the needs of their communities.
