Spiritual and vocational wellbeing
The London Centre for Spiritual Direction offers resources and support for all those interested in Christian spiritual direction or exploring their faith formation. It includes a directory of spiritual directors across the country. www.lcsd.org.uk
The Retreat Association is a national Christian organisation set up to help people find ways of exploring and deepening their journey with God through spirituality and prayer. Their website includes information about retreat houses and programmes, spiritual direction, events, training and other resources. www.retreats.org.uk
The Sheldon Hub is for clergy, ordinands and others in ministry, offering an independent supportive online community, a live directory of people and places, and a bank of trustworthy advice covering most areas of wellbeing. www.sheldonhub.org/
Physical and mental wellbeing
St Luke's supports the mental health of Anglican clergy and ordinands, working through dioceses and directly with individuals, and providing online information and resources about wellbeing. www.stlukesforclergy.org.uk/
The Society of Mary and Martha at Sheldon is a community and retreat house specialising in supporting people in Christian ministry. See also the Sheldon Hub, in the spiritual & vocational wellbeing section above. www.sheldon.uk.com/
Every Mind Matters is an NHS resource that provides expert advice and practical tips to help you look after your mental health and wellbeing. www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/
Mindful Employer provides guidance and signposting for individuals to maintain their own wellbeing and where to go when in need of extra support, as well as resources on how to be a good employer by supporting the mental wellbeing of staff. mindfulemployertensteps.co.uk
Mind advises and supports anyone experiencing a mental health problem, through information and signposting, local support and care, networks and membership, campaigning, and training. www.mind.org.uk/
The Mind and Soul Foundation aims to bridge the gap between mental health and Christian spirituality through sharing the best of Christian theology and scientific advances; helping people meet with God and recover from emotional distress; and engaging with the local church and mental health services. www.mindandsoulfoundation.org/
Relationships
Bridge Builders provides training and shares resources and ideas to support church leaders and congregations in the challenging task of living as models of reconciliation. www.bbministries.org.uk/
The Family Mediation Council provides information about suitable local mediation services, as well as offering mediation itself. www.familymediationcouncil.org.uk
Broken Rites supports clergy spouses/partners who are experiencing difficulty in their relationships, including providing practical information, one-to-one support, group meetings and a facebook group. www.facebook.com/BrokenRites/ http://brokenrites.org/
Lawworks is a charity offering legal advice to those who are not eligible for legal aid and cannot afford to pay. www.lawworks.org.uk/
There are various Facebook groups to support clergy, including Clergy Mummies, Clergy Spice (for spouses of clergy), Clergy Family Network, Curates in Training and Female Ordinands and Curates.
Financial and Material Wellbeing
The Clergy Support Trust aims to promote and sustain the wellbeing of Anglican clergy and their dependants. One of the ways it does this is through providing financial grants to households experiencing hardship or other need. Eligible beneficiaries include members of the clergy, ordinands and the spouses, former spouses, children and dependants of living or deceased members or former members of the clergy or ordinands. www.clergysupport.org.uk/
The LMDC (formerly Essex Clergy Charity) supports clergy and licensed people in financial hardship, who minister within the Diocese of Chelmsford. Their grants are for those who take a sole lead role in a parish. https://www.lmdccharity.org.uk/
The English Clergy Association provides holiday grants in order to give clergy and their families a rest from duty and contribute to their enjoyment of human life. www.clergyassoc.co.uk/content/home.htm
The Cleaver Ordination Candidates Fund supports Anglican ordinands committed to a traditional Catholic understanding of the priesthood and episcopate and offers grants to support candidates exploring a vocation to the priesthood, and undertaking a parish placement as part of this process; book grants for ordinands; and financial support towards fees. Grants are also available for clergy engaged in post-ordination study. www.cleaver.org.uk/
The Church of England Pensions Board has a section on the Church of England website with information about how clergy pensions work and how to get further advice. There is a Pensions Helpline, on 020 788 1802 or pensions@churchofengland.org, and you can also ask to speak to an Engagement Officer for information on support provided by your diocese. www.churchofengland.org/about/leadership-and-governance/church-england-pensions-board
The Money Advice Service is a government website giving free, impartial advice on money matters including dealing with different economic, health and relational situations. www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en
The State Pension Entitlement website will help you to calculate your state pension entitlement at retirement. www.gov.uk/state-pension-age
Turn2Us is a charitable service helping people access money available to them through welfare, benefits, grants and other help. It gives a wealth of information and provides its own direct grants to people with or connected to a professional background (including religious leaders), and to those who have experienced a recent life-changing event. www.turn2us.org.uk/
The Foundation of Edward Storey can provide help, grants and accommodation or offer a number of services to those closely connected to the clergy of the Church of England. http://edwardstorey.org.uk
Citizens Advice is the online help from the Citizens Advice Bureau and provides information on your rights covering a range of topics. www.citizensadvice.org.uk/
The website of the Ordinands’ Association lists several funds that can help ordinands in financial need, including the Church Times TAP Fund, CPAS, the Ellend Society, St Aidan’s College Charity, the Anglo-Catholic Ordination Candidates Fund, the Leathersellers’ Company, the Richards Trust and the Tim Burke Memorial Fund. https://ordinands.wordpress.com/finance/financial-hardship/
There are also several charities that support clergy in a specific geographical area: ask your diocese for details of any in your locality.
Participation Wellbeing
Inclusive Church is a network of churches, groups and individuals uniting together around a shared vision of a church which celebrates and affirms every person and does not discriminate. http://www.inclusive-church.org/
WATCH (Women and the Church) is a national organisation working actively for gender justice, equality and inclusion in the Church of England. https://womenandthechurch.org/
AWESOME (Anglican Women Evangelicals: Supporting our Ordained Ministries) is a network of women ordained into the Anglican Church from across the evangelical spectrum. It includes all stages of ministry, from ordinands to those who are retired, and exists to support and pray for one another in ministry, learning from scripture, the Spirit and one another, and to give a voice to ordained evangelical women in the wider Church. https://awesome.org.uk/
The role of the Church of England’s Committee for Minority Ethnic Anglican Concerns (CMEAC) is to identify, monitor and take forward concerns of BAME Anglicans and make recommendations for change. www.churchofengland.org/about/views/race-and-ethnicity
AMEN (Anglican Minority Ethnic Network) is an independent group promoting the presence and participation of Minority Ethnic Anglicans in all structures of the Church of England in the service of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. https://www.amenanglican.org.uk/home Workplace Chaplaincy Mission UK (WCM UK) is a British network of over 500 practitioners engaged in workplace chaplaincy mission. http://www.workchaplaincyuk.org.uk/
CHRISM is the national association for all Christians who see their secular employment as their primary Christian ministry and for those who support that vision. http://chrism.org.uk/
OneBodyOneFaith is an ecumenical movement that wants to help churches and faith communities to have intelligent and compassionate conversations about sexuality, and wants individuals to be able to integrate their sexuality and spirituality in ways which are healthy and life-affirming. http://onebodyonefaith.org.uk/
Living Out is an evangelical group helping churches and same-sex attracted Christians find a plausible way of living out a biblical perspective on sexuality. https://www.livingout.org/
The main group in the Church of England which focusses on disability is the Committee for the Ministry of and among Deaf and Disabled People (CMDDP). You can contact the National Disability Advisor and the National Deaf Advisor through the CofE website. www.churchofengland.org/resources/barrier-free-belonging
