Benefact Trust

A message from Helen Gray, Benefact Trust Director ✨ For many churches and charities, this year has been filled with challenges and triumphs, but we at Benefact Trust are incredibly grateful for the dedication and hard work of all those we support. Their efforts have made a profound impact on countless lives and communities. We invite you to watch this special message from our Trust Director, Helen Gray, where she expresses our heartfelt thank you and shares our hopeful message for the future:

With Christmas just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to provide vital support to inspiring charities, churches, and organisations across the UK and Ireland. That’s why Benefact Trust has awarded £250,000 to Methodist churches and organisations in our latest wave of Methodist Grants. Benefact Trust’s Methodist Grants programme is funded by donations from Methodist Insurance PLC.  To learn more about the latest projects to receive funding, visit:  https://bit.ly/3VB0hMj #methodistgrants

How do you revive a divided and fractured community? What can churches and charities do to better support those in need? And why is this support needed now more than ever? In the first part of this two-part series, we join Andrew Bass, Senior Grants Officer at Benefact Trust, as he visits East Belfast Mission to explore how this charity is transforming and renewing their community. Watch as we talk to the East Belfast Mission team about their work and visit one of the projects we’ve supported. 🎬 Watch part one of 'From Chaos to Calm' here: https://bit.ly/3B3dBSY

Ask Julian: Why is the Church of England setting such an ambitious net zero target? With the ambition of reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2030, The Church of England is taking action to help protect our planet for future generations. This includes their Demonstrator Churches project, funded with support from Benefact Trust, which aims to help 60 churches achieve net zero (or close to it) by the end of 2025. This initiative will provide valuable learning opportunities for churches across the country, and is one of a series of Church of England projects designed to support dioceses, parishes, and other buildings in their care in achieving net zero. But why such an ambitious target? Julian Atkins, Net Zero Programme Director for The Church of England, answers in this clip: 🎬 Watch the full video with Julian here: https://bit.ly/4gmRwhc #netzero #ecochurch #climatechange #demonstratorchurches

Investing in the next generation of charity professionals with Depaul Ireland In today’s rapidly evolving world, and with the challenges the charity sector is facing, it’s vital that we invest in the next generation of charity professionals. This year, Benefact Trust has awarded £67,000 to Depaul Ireland - a leading cross-border charity supporting people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness - to develop their innovative graduate programme, which will attract, train and develop young people to work in the homeless sector. Through this, Depaul Ireland are working to future proof the sector by bringing in new talent to help contribute fresh, modern, and sustainable ideas. Here’s Matthew Carter OBE, Group CEO of Depaul International, to tell you more about the programme: https://lnkd.in/eVCrbmSi Read more here: https://bit.ly/3D33DkZ #charityjobs #charitysector #graduatescheme #homelessness #depaulireland #charityinsight #thirdsectorcareers

Net Zero and the church: the Church of England talks climate action🌿 While many want to take part in climate action, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the complexity of the problem, the need for immediate action, and the abundance of information making it hard to know where to start. Benefact Trust is supporting The Church of England to reach their net zero target by pledging £1.5 million towards their Demonstrator Churches project, which will support 60 churches to achieve net zero (or close to) by the end of 2025 and allow them to provide valuable learning to churches across the country. In this video Julian Atkins, Net Zero Programme Director for the Church of England, answers frequently asked questions about the Church’s Net Zero target and shares his advice on how churches can reduce their carbon emissions. Watch the video here: https://bit.ly/4gmRwhc #netzero #demonstratorchurches #climate #climateaction #ecochurch

From Merseyside to London, Edinburgh to Cumbria, we’ve awarded over £250,000 to communities across the UK and Ireland this festive season. It’s a time for giving, and we’re delighted to be supporting a variety of projects through our Community Impact and Building Improvement grants programmes. Including a project providing counselling to adults in Carlisle, and a project improving a 19th-century church’s ecological footprint. Read more about the latest projects to receive a festive funding boost here: https://bit.ly/3BcqWbs #CommunityImpact #BuildingImprovement #BenefactTrust #Charity #Grants #SocialChange

Benefact Trust teams up with Christian funders to support charities this Christmas ✨ Benefact Trust has teamed up with members of the Christian Funders’ Forum to donate up to £196,740 to 59 charities in this year’s Big Give Christmas Challenge. Big Give’s Christmas Challenge, running from the 3rd to 10th December, is the UK’s biggest collaborative fundraising campaign. It connects charities to funders and the public to help address major social issues. As part of The Together Fund, we’re looking forward to giving a festive funding boost to small charities. “We’re proud to join with other Christian funders once again to support up to 59 inspiring charities through The Together Fund... We invite everyone to join in where they can and help make a difference to those in need this Christmas.” – Helen Gray, Director of Benefact Trust For more on the Christmas Challenge and The Together Fund, visit: https://bit.ly/4gciF6a #BigGive #BigGiveChristmasChallenge #ChristianFundersForum

Trailer | From Chaos to Calm: How this Belfast charity is transforming its community... Belfast is a city with a rich history. In the 19th century, it played an important role in the shipbuilding trade, with many locals working in the shipyards and building families and communities in East Belfast. However, in the mid-20th century, the decline of Belfast's shipbuilding industry led to widespread job losses and economic hardship which, exacerbated by the Troubles, resulted in long-term poverty, division, and lack of opportunity. East Belfast Mission is a charity transforming the lives of its community by giving the people of East Belfast the building blocks they need to create better futures and opportunities for themselves. Supported by funding from Benefact Trust, East Belfast Mission applies a holistic approach, offering services to alleviate the numerous challenges their community faces. Join Andrew Bass (Senior Grants Officer at Benefact Trust) in this short film as he meets the EBM team and visits the community fridge funded with support from a Benefact Trust Community Impact Grant. Watch the trailer below: 🎬 Watch the full video on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/eKvPzBy7 #communityimpact #eastbelfast #eastbelfastmission #charity

Improving the wellbeing of children through life-changing experiences ⭐ Viney Hill is a charity and adventure centre dedicated to helping children and young people enhance their physical, mental, and spiritual well-being through outdoor activities and residential stays. By leveraging the beauty of nature, Viney Hill provides a supportive environment for school children and young people from marginalised groups. In 2023, Viney Hill realised that their facilities urgently needed an upgrade. Their tents were no longer viable due to accessibility issues, security and privacy concerns, and impracticality in adverse weather, limiting there operational capacity to seasonal use, despite experiencing increased demand. With support from a Benefact Trust Community Impact Grant, Viney Hill is building six new eco-accommodation pods to allow them to support more children and vulnerable young people. Creating further opportunities to facilitate personal development, and improved mental health and wellbeing all year-round. For more information about our Community Impact Grants programme, visit: https://bit.ly/3ULoi3H #communityimpact #mentalhealth #mentalwellbeing