The new Clergy Support Trust name and branding were launched at CRE Manchester in March 2019 and we returned to CRE in October, this time to the National event at Sandown Park. It was a great opportunity to highlight our new approach to grants, launched in July.
Six of our staff took turns to be on the stand, and enjoyed meeting many past and potential beneficiaries, and explaining the range of grants and services we provide. Several attendees expressed their thanks in person for our past support; others were surprised to hear that our beneficiaries included self-supporting and retired ministers. Applicants can of course check their eligibility via our online eligibility checker.
The new grants which generated significant interest were:
- Emergency Grants of up to £500 twice a year for unexpected events, from car breakdown to funeral costs.
- Wellbeing Grants focused on looking after yourself and your family, from gym membership to breaks, including sabbaticals.
- Debt support, both advice and potential debt relief for serving clergy.
Also exhibiting at CRE were several or our partners, including SPCK Publishing, which provides the Clergy Support Trust Library, and the College of St Barnabas.
