Next steps: sharing the news about your large grant
First of all, congratulations. We are excited for how your project is going to make a difference for your congregation, and in your community too. Thank you for the role that you are playing in helping to keep churches across the UK maintained, in good repair and open for all.
Next steps for you (and why it matters)
We have pulled together a list of the different ways you can share the news of your church project and how we can continue to support you and your church with this. There are also some required actions for you to do as part of your grant agreement, so please read through the sections below.
From your newsletter to the local newspaper, posting on social media and updating your website, there are many ways we can get your good news out. Doing this can not only help with further fundraising for your church project should you still need it, but it also lets people know about your church.
It gives you the opportunity to share why you’re carrying out the project and how it will make a difference in the life of your local community. Being open about this could mean more visitors to your church and more engagement in any social or community activities that you are running.
Press and media
A press release is a type of communication that is sent to journalists or producers in the hope that they will publish the story contained in them.
Working together on an initial press release for your church
As you have received a Large grant from us, we will be supporting you with getting this good news out to the media. Using information from your grant application, we have prepared a press release that we will share with you. Please look out for this in your inbox.
Here’s what you need to do when you receive this
- Review the press release to make sure the information about your church is correct.
- Add in a quote from a named person in your church eg your Vicar, Reverand, Priest or Pastor or the person leading on your project. The quote should cover your response to receiving the grant, your vision for why you’re undertaking the project and the difference it will make for not only your church congregation, but in the life of your local community. Please note that quotes may be edited for length, brevity and clarity.
- We will create a final press release and share it with you. We will send out the press release to any contacts we have, but please share the press release yourself with your local media contacts, including any relevant local religious or denominational publications. When you send out the press release yourself, please either send the press release individually to your contacts or BCC them into one email.
If possible, please do not announce anything publicly about our grant award until we have finalised the exact wording of the press release with you, as this is likely to affect how much news coverage the announcement gets.
Future press releases
When something notable happens in the life of your project, such as reaching a new phase or completing the project, you may want to create a new press release about it. For more help on writing press releases, here’s a guide we have created.
If something new happens, please let our team know. It may be something we can also publicise through the National Churches Trust in our newsletters, website and on social media. You can do this by emailing our wonderful team at grants@nationalchurchestrust.org
Please note, if you are planning to send a press release out, make sure you don’t make the announcement first publicly on your social media accounts, in your newsletter or on your website, as this could stop a journalist from covering the story.
Updating your church website and newsletters
Did you know that 80 per cent of people will check out a church’s website before visiting a church in person for the first time? Having information about your project on your website could be a useful way of sharing what’s happening at your church and could even result in support from individuals not previously known to you.
Here’s what we need you to do
- As requested in your grant offer, please do add information about our grant award and about the National Churches Trust to your website. Our website template guide can help you to do this.
- Please feature something about your grant award in any newsletter or other regular publication produced by your place of worship. Our newsletter template guide can help you with this.
Future updates
Your website and newsletter are great tools for updating people about where you’re at with your project, any milestones you hit and any further support you need. Keeping them both regularly updated will help your congregation and local community feel more invested in your project.
Posting on social media
Social media is a great way to connect with your congregation, your local community and also with potential visitors to your church.
Here’s what we need you to do
- If possible, we’d love you to share the wonderful news about receiving a grant from us on your social media channels. Our social media template can help you to do this.
Please do wait until the press release has been shared with journalists before you do this.
Printed leaflets
Please help us to spread the word about the National Churches Trust, so that more people can join with us in protecting the UK’s churches – keeping them in good repair and open for all.
Here’s what we need you to do
If possible, we’d love you to please display information about the National Churches Trust in your church or chapel for your congregation and visitors. We have posters and leaflets about our work and our impact that can help with this.
Please email our team at grants@nationalchurchestrust.org if you would like us to send you any posters or leaflets. Spreading the word about our work means that we can do more to support places of worship and ensure that they continue to play a vital role for local communities for generations to come.
Invite your local representatives to your church
Inviting your local elected representatives, such as your MP, to your church to see the work being done and the finished result can help show the positive impact your church has for your community and the need to make sure churches, like yours, are properly funded.
In doing this, it shows elected representatives – including local Councillors who set the budgets for your area – how important it is to properly fund churches so they can continue to benefit local people and build stronger communities.
Please do let your elected representatives know about the grant you have received from the National Churches Trust and how this has helped your project.
How we can help you
Our Head of Policy and Public Affairs, Eddie Tulasiewicz, is championing the case for churches – and particularly for more funding support for churches – in the UK. He is meeting with MPs, Peers and other elected representatives across the UK to do this.
If you would like any support in engaging with your local representatives, please email policy@nationalchurchestrust.org
We would also love to hear about if any MPs or other elected representatives are planning to visit your church. Please let us know at policy@nationalchurchestrust.org