Ministers’ Relief Fund
The Ministers’ Relief Fund
The York Diocesan Ministers’ Relief (2009) Fund (charity registration number 1134193) seeks to relieve need, hardship and distress among clergy and licensed lay workers and their dependant families who are resident in or who have served in the Diocese of York (A licensed lay worker has a different licence from that of a Reader).
Often problems arise as a result of the ordinary, everyday, ups and downs of life. Illness, infirmity, unexpected costs, unemployment or a change of circumstances are just some of the events that can give rise to financial stress and anxiety.
Facing up to financial problems is not easy, and it is often only when the problem becomes a crisis that people seek help.
If you find yourself in a situation like those described in the paragraph above, whatever the cause, the trustees would encourage you to approach any Archdeacon who will be happy to talk to you about this in complete confidence and who may be able to offer some practical help.
An application form may be obtained from Catherine Evans (the Clerk to the Trustees) at the Diocesan Office on 01904 699500 or email: catherine.evans@yorkdiocese.org, or downloaded below.
The application process is straightforward, but the more complete the picture of the problem you face, the easier it is for the Trustees to consider how they might respond. Also, the earlier a problem is acknowledged and brought to the attention of the Charity, the sooner the stress and anxiety might be eased.
Many times, when making an application to the Charity, the request is simply to meet an immediate crisis (like needing help to get the car through its MOT). However, this can be merely a symptom of more challenging and underlying problems that you or your family are facing.
Applicants are encouraged to set out their difficulties as fully as they are able. It is helpful if there has been a thorough review of your financial situation.
Acknowledging the fact that there are financial problems is difficult for any of us. For those involved in Christian ministry, it can be even more difficult.
The Charity offers confidential help and support which can ease the stress and hardship of ministers, lay workers and their dependants.
Your Situation
It can be helpful to draw up a budget and check to see if there are any insurance policies on which a claim might be made. This is NOT a requirement for an application, but it can sometimes enable an effective decision to be reached quickly.
A useful tool for those who feel able to undertake a more detailed review of their finances can be found at www.moneymadeclear.org.uk
This excellent website provides lots of information, as well as a financial health check. Indeed, it would be good if everyone undertook such a review from time to time, as it can help to identify issues before they become crises.
Preparing a realistic budget is made easier by using a pro forma budget sheet rather than attempting to make your own list of income and expenditure.
An excellent example of a budget sheet can be found at www.creditaction.org.uk/resources/infosheets.html
This website also offers guidelines to help with the process of preparing a budget.
The questions below may help you to think about the issues you face and enable you to describe your situation to the Charity more clearly:
- Are you able to meet all your day-to-day bills as they come in?
- Do you have to use an overdraft regularly to get through the month?
- Are you able to pay off your credit card every month?
- If not, do you know when you will be able to pay off the outstanding balance?
- Do you have contents insurance or any other insurance policy that you can claim on to meet your current need?
- Is your difficulty caused by a change of circumstances (illness, accident, etc)?
- Have your problems been building up over a longer period?
- Do you have any savings to help you cope with the ups and downs of life?
If some of these questions touch on areas of difficulty that you are experiencing, we would be happy to talk to you about your situation. You can contact us through any of the Archdeacons.
An application form can be obtained from Catherine Evans at the Diocesan Office on 01904 699500 or email: catherine.evans@yorkdiocese.org, or downloaded below.