What does the budget mean for you and your community?
Date Posted: Nov 24, 2025.
Where we live and the needs of our neighbours differs drastically around the country. As church and lay leaders, we’ll be called to support our communities in all sorts of ways as the impact of today’s budget is felt.
But where do we put our energy, resources and prayers for best effect?
Our Look Up Tool can help you get a clear picture of poverty and the issues in your community, and how these compare locally and across England.
The Look Up Tool has information on levels of child, working age and pensioner poverty, alongside life expectancy. It can help you understand how many of your neighbours are living alone, or looking after children by themselves, how many have no qualifications or rely on social housing.
The Tool has proved useful to clergy, to treasurers, teachers, volunteers, church leaders and churchwardens. It shows them data and statistics for their parish - the problems and issues which need work and action.
Over 2,600 people have used it in the past year alone to:
- plan for mission
- support grant applications
- inform their prayers for the communities they serve.
Armed with local knowledge you can navigate your way through the complex issues of social inequality with hope and compassion, and make a meaningful difference in your community.
Shine a new light on your parish and make more meaningful change with CUF’s Look Up Tool
Magali van der Merwe, Lead Community Engagement Adviser, Diocese of Rochester“CUF’s Look Up Tool is a really useful resource that I use on a regular basis. The data not only helps support local churches in their understanding of their local communities but also serves as a great basis for targeted outreach.”