Premier Radio recently interviewed Brian Anderson of East Belfast Mission, David Barclay, Campaign Manager for Warm Welcome and our CEO, Stewart McCulloch to find out how the cost of living crisis has been impacting UK churches.
East Belfast Mission is one of the charities we partner with who has recently received a grant from our Cost of Living Response Fund. The Warm Welcome Campaign has been another focus of our support in the crisis; we helped to fund and launch the initiative which now has over 4,000 churches and community groups who have opened safe, warm spaces for their neighbours throughout the winter.
In this interview, Premier's Esther Higham asks about both the Cost of Living Response Fund and Warm Welcome, and how churches themselves are coping in the crisis while trying to meet the needs of their communities.
Stewart outlines three ways in which we are offering support:
- We have been coming alongside churches to provide advice and guidance on how to steward their resources well.
- We have been signposting to donors opportunities to support the great work going on in churches in response to the crisis.
- We have set up the Cost of Living Response Fund and supported Warm Welcome.
"We're in the fourth most deprived ward in Northern Ireland...a lot of church capacity has moved to the suburbs... Therefore our relationship with the likes of Stewardship is essential to meet the needs." Brian Anderson, East Belfast Mission.
"It's a perfect storm. The cost of living crisis is affecting churches' communities, congregation and staff. So you've got needs rising and costs rising at a time when there's downward pressure on donations. So it really is very, very challenging." Stewart McCulloch, CEO, Stewardship.
Listen to the Premier Radio interview
The recording is of a live interview that was aired on Premier Christian Radio's Inspirational Breakfast Show on 24th January 2023.
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Ruth Jackson
Ruth is leading the PR and Communications for Stewardship. She joined Stewardship in April 2022.
She has over 25 years’ marketing communications experience across a range of sectors, including higher education, technology and the arts, both business- and customer-facing.
Ruth worships at C3 Church in Cambridge, where she lives with her husband and two teenage daughters. When she’s not at her desk, you might find her rowing on the River Cam, in a ballet class or out for a walk.
She supports causes that are focused on alleviating global poverty and injustice, with a particular interest in supporting vulnerable children.
