Good communication helps people feel welcome, understand what is happening, and get involved in the life of their local church.
The Diocesan Communications Team helps parishes share their stories, reach their communities, and communicate with confidence and care. Whether you’re promoting an event, sharing good news, improving your website, or handling a difficult media enquiry, we’re here to help.
How we can help
We offer practical advice on a range of communications activities, including social media, newsletters, websites, photography, video, graphic design, branding, printing, and working with the media.
We can also help you understand your responsibilities when using images, sharing personal information, or publishing content online.
If you’re not sure where to start, please get in touch.
Share your church’s story
Every church has stories worth telling. They might be about people coming to faith, supporting their neighbours, trying something new, or making a difference in their community.
We want to share these stories across the diocese and help others see how churches are living Christ’s story in their communities.
You don’t need to write a finished article or produce a professional video. Tell us what’s happening, and we can help you share it.
Photography, video, and consent
Photos and videos are a wonderful way to show church life, but sharing them brings responsibilities. We encourage you to respect people’s choices, protect their privacy, and consider how images might be used or shared.
We have guidance and consent forms to help you use photography and video responsibly, including additional advice about sharing images of children and young people online.
Working with the media
Local newspapers, radio, television, and online news can help you reach people beyond your regular congregation.
We can advise on sharing news with local journalists, preparing press releases, and responding to media enquiries.
If a journalist contacts you about a sensitive or difficult issue, please get in touch with the Communications Team as soon as possible. We can help you decide how best to respond.
For urgent media enquiries, call 01904 699530 or email comms@yorkdiocese.org.uk.
If the matter involves a safeguarding concern, you must also follow the diocesan safeguarding procedures.
Useful resources
Subscribe to diocesan updates
Update your parish contact details
Data protection guidance for parishes
Copyright and licensing for churches
AI guidance for parishes
Our approach to artificial intelligence (AI)
As a small communications team supporting many priorities across the Diocese of York, we use artificial intelligence (AI) where it can help us work more effectively. This gives us more time to support parishes, build relationships, and share the stories of people and communities living Christ’s story across the diocese.
We aim to remain AI-neutral: open to the opportunities AI offers, while staying informed about its risks and limitations. This helps us make thoughtful choices about whether, when, and how to use it. We believe technology should serve people, promote human flourishing, respect human dignity, and reflect our responsibility to care for creation.
We are open about how and why we use AI, particularly when it helps us create content or generate or change images. AI supports our work, but it doesn’t replace human judgement, creativity, or the relationships at the heart of what we do.
We remain responsible for everything we publish and are committed to representing people’s voices and experiences accurately and authentically.
Our approach follows the Diocese of York’s AI Usage Policy.
You can also explore our AI guidance and resources for parishes.
Contact the Communications Team
Need some advice, have a story to share, or want to talk through an idea? Email comms@yorkdiocese.org.uk or call 01904 699530.
You can also contact team members directly using the details below.
Laura Beesley
Head of Communications
Lou Dover
Communications Officer