United Reformed Church Thames North Synod Charities

United Reformed Church Thames North Synod Charities, established in the 1970s alongside the United Reformed Church's synodical structure, advances the Christian faith according to URC doctrines, principles, and usages. It primarily resources over 100 local URC congregations across North London and neighboring counties—Berkshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, and Essex—fostering collective discipleship, mutual support, mission partnerships, inclusion, and public benefit through strong governance and stewardship. Its distinctive approach blends ecclesial oversight, property expertise, and community-oriented mission support, enabling churches to collaborate for greater impact in worship, outreach, and social action.

The funder prioritizes capital grants for building maintenance, refurbishments, accessibility improvements, environmental sustainability, and mission-focused premises upgrades; it also supports project grants for mission, discipleship, community engagement, outreach to youth, children, older people, vulnerable groups, and those in hardship, plus occasional loans for major developments. Beneficiaries are exclusively URC congregations, their members, and served communities, with grants requiring alignment to church mission statements, local engagement, and sustainable community benefit.

Eligible applicants are UK-registered URC congregations or affiliated bodies within the defined geographic area, favoring small to medium-sized churches (typically £10,000–£250,000 annual income, no strict limits). Non-URC organizations and unrestricted/core funding for non-church charities are excluded. Unsolicited applications via official website forms are accepted by email, with preliminary discussions advised; submit at least four weeks before triannual meetings (March, June, November). Typical grants range £2,000–£20,000 for projects and £20,000–£100,000+ for capital works, with decisions in 8–12 weeks. This funder uniquely emphasizes infrastructure for long-term congregational and community transformation within a rigorous URC framework.