CUF research

June 2013

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April 2013

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February 2013

Church Urban Fund has submitted its response to the government consultation on measuring child poverty. 

In summary: Read more »

A National Survey of Church-led Social Action Read more »

A survey of the impact of the current economic climate on community organisations in the most deprived areas of England

January 2013 Read more »

The transformational power of relationships

November 2012

This research project explored the impact of church-led community work on the relationships between three groups: churchgoers, community workers and people in poverty (understood broadly as material/resource poverty). It sought to identify the barriers that exist between these three groups and the bridges that bring them together.

Comissioned by Church Urban Fund and conducted independantly by Christian Research Consultancy, this research is based on 40 face-to-face, in-depth interviews with people involved with church-led community centres in Newcastle, Preston, Birmingham and Camborne. This paper summarises the key findings from those interviews and looks at what can be done to develop community work that breaks down barriers between these three groups. Read more »

Regional variations in volunteering in England

November 2012

The 2012 Olympics placed the role of volunteering firmly in the public spotlight. In contrast, however, many community groups and local projects struggle to attract volunteers to support their work, particulary where this involves helping people in need.

We wanted to find out the extent to which people give their time as volunteers, and what they volunteer for. The Government's Citizenship Survey, which typically includes this data, was scrapped this year so we commissioned Ipsos MORI to survey a representative cohort of adults across England. Read more »

Supporting faith-based community work in deprived areas

July 2012

Leading a church or running a community group in a deprived area is very challenging, as well as rewarding. At Church Urban Fund, we are committed to supporting those who serve these communities, as they live and work alongside some of the poorest and most marginalised people in England.

As part of this work, we have been organising a series of overnight consultations for clergy and community workers from deprived parishes to reflect on the key challenges they face and to begin to develop a shared vision for tackling poverty in their diocese. What are the main issues affecting their communities and their ministry, what would help them to be more effective, and how could the wider Church support them? Read more »

Online lookup tool for parishes in England

May 2012 Read more »