The Church in Society Action Network has been established to encourage local churches to work with others for the benefit of the whole community – and to take risks in living and sharing the Gospel in relevant ways.
The Network wants to help local churches develop partnerships, networks and engagement with other agencies and charities that seek to respond to the needs of the local community.
Your local churches may already be involved in a wide range of activities. To help establish and develop these initiatives, small grants may be available from the Diocese and the Province.
Local Action
We have begun recording community action carried out by our churches. So far, details are available from:
Our Remit
It is not in our remit to instigate or direct particular projects, only to offer support if requested and to facilitate communications and the sharing of good practice. Our remit is:
- To gather information about social problems and needs within the diocese, to draw the attention of the Bishop and Diocesan Council to these matters, and to provide information relevant to the solution or alleviation of these problems. To propose responses which the Church might make.
- To keep contact with individual churches and groups of churches about social problems particularly relevant to these churches, and to work with them, under the direction of the Diocese.
- To be aware of developing problems and make the Bishop and Diocesan council aware of these situations, if possible, before they become acute.
- To explore sources of funding, and the best ways of accessing these funds. To maintain communication with those who control these funds and to be aware of the parameters in which they work. To ensure that local churches and groups of churches, which need money for these purposes, know how to gain access to it.
- To keep contact with organisations in the Scottish Episcopal Church, or working with the SEC, which deal with social needs, and to ensure that their efforts are coordinated.
- To visit churches and speak about the work of the SEC in providing for social needs.
- To maintain links with other Christian churches, and with other faith communities, insofar as there are social needs which we can better solve together.
Grant Application Forms
The Church in Society Action Network offers grants to help local churches develop partnerships, networks and engagement with other agencies and charities that seek to respond to the needs of the local community.
To apply for a Church in Society Action Network grant, please download the ‘Application Form’ and ‘Guidance Notes’ from the Action Networks directory of this site’s ‘Downloads’ section.
Please be sure to read the ‘Guidance Notes’ before completing the Application Form.
Regional Representatives
Please let us know - through your regional representative listed below - what is going on in your charge.
Ayrshire
Mrs Jennifer FitzGibbon, St Columba’s Largs (Secretary)
j2fg@aol.com
Galloway
Mrs Ann Gault, St Ninian’s Castle Douglas
clem@cbgault.wanadoo.co.uk
Glasgow North East
Sue Cobb, St James the Less, Bishopbriggs
Glasgow North West
Mr Ron Hockey, St Silas’ Glasgow
ron@hockey18.freeserve.co.uk
Glasgow South
Mrs Marie Ferrari, Church of the Good Shepherd Hillington
Tel: 0141 882 4248
Lanarkshire
Rev. Ian Barcroft, St Mary’s Hamilton (Convener)
ian.barcroft@btopenworld.com
Renfrewshire
Mrs Margaret Hanley, St John’s Greenock
mhnly@fsmail.net
