The Disability Project Parish Grant Scheme was launched in September 2024 for parishes in the twelve dioceses of the Northern Province and has attracted almost 70 applications so far.
The parishes and churches applied for funding to help improve their accessibility, with project aims ranging from installing accessible toilets to fitting handrails to difficult steps, setting up hearing-aid loop systems, and sourcing numerous small items which make a big difference.
You can see below some of the beneficial outcomes achieved through the use of this funding.
At the foot of the page, click on the link to access a map showing the different parishes which have been successful in their application. The size of each dot shows how much funding was awarded, and clicking on the dot shows links to the parish webpage, and to information from Church Urban Fund about the local demographics.
If you would like to find out more about the scheme and whether your parish could apply for a funded accessibility project, contact us at [email protected] .
St Andrew's, Leam Lane
The leadership team at St Andrew’s Leam Lane applied to the Parish Grants Fund to improve the accessibility of their church hall. This involved building a ramp into the building and reconfiguring the existing facilities to create an accessible toilet.
The hall is used not only by the church but also by many different groups and hirers from the local community.
Read more..St John Baptist, Broughton
Rev Canon Fleur Green at the parish of Broughton saw the information about the Disability Project Parish Grant Scheme, circulated in her diocese of Blackburn by Disability Adviser Joy Rushton, and immediately saw an opportunity to set something right, and improve access even in just a small way, in St John Baptist.
Read more...St Andrew's, Otterington
St Andrew’s Church is one of the three churches of the parish of “The Thorntons and Otteringtons” and is a Grade II listed building. Writing to the Disability Project’s Parish Grants Scheme, vicar Stephen Treasure talks of their vision, “that St Andrews Church will be a fully accessible and inclusive community asset, embedded within the local community, meeting their needs and aspirations.”.
Read more...Map of Grants Awarded
Click here to see a representative map of the locations and amounts of Accessibility Grants awarded through the Disability Project 2024-26.