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UPDATE (3 Feb 2025) *

Managing Trustees of Churches and Circuits are welcome to apply for Property Project Feasibility Funding.

Background information

The Fund for Property exists to provide support to trustees of Methodist properties in the Districts in relation to property matters. (All our Funds - The Methodist Church)

The Connexional Property Support Team exists to enable the Methodist Church to fulfil Our Calling to be an inclusive, justice seeking, evangelistic, and growing church through the effective and sustainable use our properties.

As churches and circuits explore how property meets the needs of its mission plans, it is important that both these opportunities for support are integrated – alongside local support through the District Property Officer.

It is often in the initial stages of exploring potential in a church property, or a portfolio of properties, where significant funds can be spent without any guarantee of a return or satisfactory outcome.  As part of the direct support offered by the Connexional Property Support Team it has been agreed to make finance available from the Fund for Property in these exploratory stages.

Therefore, 60% of the total exploratory costs, up to a maximum of £10,000, can be made available to a body of managing trustees to cover the costs for this work.  It is expected the remaining 40% is funded by the local Church, Circuit or District.

Application criteria

In making this application, managing trustees are asked to provide the following information:

  1. Description of the current church site/potential church site, its current use and the limitations of the current church site that the managing trustees are seeking to address;
  2. Confirmation they have engaged with the Connexional Property Support Team, the District Property Officer, and the Connexional Net Zero Property Officer. Also, if the church building is listed or in a conservation area, then engagement has commenced with the Connexional Conservation Officer;
  3. Explain how the feasibility funding will help the church with our commitment to be a net zero carbon emissions church by 2030. For more information, please visit the website for Action for Hope - The Methodist Church;
  4. Include or reference the local Church mission development plan and Circuit mission development plan;
  5. Key ministry and missional needs that the local Church has identified (if not set out in the mission development plan) and how these fit within the Circuit mission development plan;
  6. Copy of District Development/Mission plans (or draft if not finalised);
  7. Confirmation of support from District and Circuit (if local Church application);
  8. What the vision of the local Church and/or Circuit is in respect of current buildings/land, or buildings/land that might be purchased and how will this vision be seeking to further Our Calling;
  9. If the church building is listed or in a conservation area, please explain how the historic/architectural significance of the building will be safeguarded, promoted, and enhanced. (Only applicable if the church building is listed or in a conservation area).
  10. Explanation of how feasibility funding will be used by the managing trustees Please tell us the specifics of how the funding will be used and include a summary of the total costs estimates for undertaking this work. For example, what specific objectives does the church which to achieve with the funding;
  11. Where the other 40% of the funding is bring provided from;
  12. Confirmation from the District Property Secretary to the application being made.

You may find it helpful to look at www.methodist.org.uk/property/project as an additional resource.

Click here to download the application form.  The documents for the application should be sent to the Property Resources Officer, Daniel Hekel,  at

property@methodistchurch.org.uk

The Property Support Team will then review the application.    They may also ask for additional information before deciding on an award.

Terms of the Funding 

  • Feasibility funding will be on the basis that it is a repayable grant unless the land or property is retained for mission;
  • There will be no interest charged;
  • The grant will be repayable if the property or land that the Feasibility Funding relates to, is disposed of within 5 years of the grant being awarded.

Feasibility Funding will not be provided for costs that relate to:

  1. Residential property (manse or a residential property that was purchased or retained for income generation) unless part of a larger, mission driven property proposal.
  2. Property that was purchased or gifted to the local church or circuit purely for income generation.
  3. The repair or maintenance of property;

(Note:  There may be exceptions to this restriction if it can be exceptions to this restriction if it can be demonstrated that the repair and maintenance of a property is part of the local Church or Circuit seeking to furthering Our Calling and give expression to the mission development plan of the local Church, Circuit and District.   It should however be noted that the funding available is only for the speculative stages, the cost of repair and maintenance will not be covered by the fund. It is advised to speak to the Team in advance if this route is being explored).