Community mission funding and training ideas
 Resources available to churches and Christian organisations include funding for young people, training events for charities and Christmas resources.
FUNDING
LandAid is a grant funder established by the UK property industry to help young people aged 16-25 to access the facilities, skills and opportunities to achieve their potential. They have two funds available, each offering between £5,000-£25,000 to UK-based charities. The Training, Education and Support grant is to help young people receive recognised qualifications and the Capital Projects Fund is for refurbishment, conversion, extension or new build of facilitates for young people including hostels, youth centres and accommodation. The deadline for both grants is 31 January 2012.
StreetSmart raises thousands of pounds for homeless charities in the UK every winter by offering restaurant diners the ability to add a donation to their bill. StreetSmart has now announced that homeless charities can apply for between £500-£15,000 to help homeless people make a better life for themselves. Particular focus will be on projects addressing mental and physical health, employability and sustainable independent living. There is no formal application process but charities must outline their aims, current achievements and the specific area of work that they are fundraising for. The deadline for applications is the end of December 2011. If the project meets the criteria, a StreetSmart representative will visit the project during January or February 2012.
TRAINING AND EVENTS
 Breaking Barriers is the theme for the 2012 Poverty and Homelessness Action Week, which is jointly organised by Church Action on Poverty, Housing Justice and Scottish Churches Housing Action and supported by a range of organisations to raise awareness of the issues of poverty and homelessness in the UK. The week runs from 28 January to 5 February 2012, though you could use the resources at any time. You can download free materials and event ideas – from games and activities for children, to preaching suggestions and prayers.
All charities find it hard to find the time and energy for developing and maintaining good governance, but having engaged and qualified trustees can make all the difference to your effectiveness and sustainability. Livability has teamed up with Neil Casey from Wild Goose Consulting to offer a training day on these issues. Trustees: can’t work with them – or without them will take place in Leeds on 31 January 2012 and London on 22 February 2012. The cost for both days is £20 per person, including lunch, though the London day will revert to the usual price of £30 if booked after 22 January.
STORIES AND RESOURCES
 I remember my first Christmas when I was healed,’ says Uma from Nepal. These are the words of a mother featured in Tearfund’s First Christmas 2011 resources which includes a nativity play script, a three-minute film, a children’s craft activity and much more….
It’s not too late to plan to use them in your church or small group. Find out how you can help the local church to transform the lives of individuals in some of the poorest communities around the world.
Order your free copy by visiting www.tearfund.org/christmas
Loneliness affects people of all ages and is particularly acute around the Christmas period. Joseph Rowntree Foundation has been researching the issue by working with four Northern communities to find local solutions. Their Neighbourhood approaches to loneliness research is identifying initiatives designed to reduce social isolation that communities are trialling or are already running.
The Christian Homeless Forum and Housing Justice have produced A Charter for Christian Homelessness Agencies aiming to articulate the integration between providing excellent support for homeless people and a confident practical expression of Christian spirituality. Housing Justice have also recently published a Mentoring and Befriending in Shelters Toolkit aimed at winter night shelters wanting to offer a mentoring/or befriending service.
Churches and projects wanting to engage locally and nationally with the issue of prostitution and people trafficking – which will be particularly in the spotlight around the Olympics - should read the Signpost series from the National Christian Alliance on Prostitution. Papers cover what churches can do; substance abuse; prostitution and sex trafficking, and the language and labels we use.
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