Church Urban Fund

The Church Urban Fund is a national Christian organisation, founded in 1988 following the Faith in the City Report, makes a significant and lasting difference in the lives of individuals and communities blighted by enduring poverty. It especially delivers help to those places falling within the 10% most deprived wards (IMD 2004). Coventry Diocese has received over 100 awards of funding with currently between 5-10 new awards being made annually.

There are two CUF funding streams:

Mustard Seed grants – these are designed to enable groups to turn their ideas into action. CUF’s role is to hear what groups are saying to us and not create barriers to applications, so the Mustard Seed Programme application process has been made as simple as possible. Any church or faith-based group can apply but CUF are particularly keen to hear from groups that have new ideas they really want to test and try out. Amounts given are up to £5,000.
Main Programme grants – up to £30,000 over a three year period. This maximum sum is reserved for those projects with the highest priority and in general awards are between £15,000 and £25,000. The minimum level that can be granted is £5,000 for capital and £5,000 per annum for revenue. Revenue grants are normally spread over a period of three years. Projects can be awarded for less than the minimum award level if they request such an amount.

All CUF applications should be discussed in the first instance with the Diocesan CUF link officer – John Hall. Applications have to be signed off by him and by the Bishop of Coventry. For more information on CUF, visit their website on www.cuf.org.uk

New 2007: Church Urban Fund Relaunch

On a drizzly Saturday 13 Oct '07, the Church Urban Fund took over the cathedral ruins to stage a relaunch in Coventry Diocese. Over the years, CUF has granted nearly £1m to projects in Coventry and Warwickshire, and this was a chance to show off what has been achieved.

Open Hands Project

Graham Caldicott runs 'Open Hands', a home in the centre of Coventry for men recovering from alcohol addiction. So far, all of the residents have remained free from alcohol, a remarkableachievement. Other projects featured on the day included Kairos, which is transforming the lives ofprostitutes, and St Thomas Longford, which has used CUF money to open up their building for many community uses, including a cafe church.

Live Band

Music was provided by Nexus, an Earlsdon-based national charity which trains the church's musicians of the future. Students attending the university open day came in to see what it was all about, and Nexus brought plenty of their own fans in too. At the other end of the age spectrum, elderly people from the Coundon Care Centre Charity performed chair exercises, with parachute, ball and singing accompaniment!

Coventry Peace House

Volunteers from Coventry Peace House staged a powerful piece of drama highlighting the experience of refugees once they reach this country. Churches Together with Refugees in Coventry (CTRIC) were also on hand to explain their work.