21A Grosvenor Crescent ● Edinburgh ● EH12 5EL ● office@edinburgh.anglican.org ● 0131 538 7033 Charity Number: SC001214

The Communicant News & Notices for the Diocese of Edinburgh

22nd July 2020

Rosslyn Chapel (featured in this issue) photographed last Saturday

Published by the Diocesan Office fortnightly, and circulated to all Clergy, Lay Readers, Treasurers & Vestry Secretaries, and Diocesan Synod Lay & Alternate Lay Representatives

NEXT EDITION: 5th August 2020

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DIOCESAN OFFICE NEWS

NEWS FROM 21A

The COVID-19 Phase 3 guidance for the opening of churches for worship is now available. The links to the guidance are elsewhere in this edition, leading you to the SEC and diocesan websites. All clergy and Vestry Secretaries should have received a direct email as well.

Simon Filsell is on annual leave this week, but he has asked to say how touched he was by the amount of good wishes he received from many individuals, after mentioning he would be away, when emailing the latest Phase 3 guidance. It was very much appreciated. SF

With Simon on annual leave, it seemed appropriate for me to ‘step out from the shadows’ and write something along the lines of an editorial. As the new Administrative Assistant here at the Diocesan Office one of my main responsibilities is putting together the fortnightly issue of The Communicant. You might have already noticed my ‘hand’ in the various articles published over the last four or five issues, since Becky Fletcher moved on from being our interim Assistant in anticipation of her degree course at Durham University. I think everyone in the office can agree that Becky did a fantastic job, and I am indebted to both her and Simon for being on hand to make my transition into the permanent role as smooth as possible – especially as I had to get to grips with the job amid the height of lockdown!

As we have moved into Phase 3 of the Scottish Government’s COVID-19 guidance there has been a potent mix of anxiety and cautious optimism within the church. We are all balancing the financial, pastoral and operational demands of being ‘church’ amid an international crisis, while trying to plan for a potentially alien future. However, there seems to be an increasing dialogue in society about how we can support our religious institutions, and gradually some concrete solutions are being found. A significant portion of this issue of The Communicant is dedicated to a new grant scheme, ‘Hope Beyond’, by the Allchurches Trust (you can read more about this and how to apply on pages 4 to 8).

In putting together the scheme the trust commissioned a survey into the needs of church communities during and after the Coronavirus crisis, and any potential effects (positive or negative) of trying to meet those needs. It provides an illuminating insight into how the pandemic will shape the church in the future. The results can be viewed here: http://www.allchurches.co.uk/documents/Hope-Beyond-church-survey-results.pdf; I’d thoroughly recommend reading them to anyone involved in church management at the moment! Perhaps a surprising result was that only 20% of churches thought a lack of digital knowledge among staff/volunteers would be a hindrance to their community work – reflecting some of the feedback I’ve received saying that online church, while a daunting prospect initially, can be remarkably intuitive.

Hopefully much of our remaining uncertainty will be alleviated in the coming months. In the meanwhile stay strong, and stay safe.

David Lewis Administrative Assistant (Finance & Management)

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NOTICES COVID-19: UPDATED GUIDANCE

The most up-to-date guidance regarding the Coronavirus (COVID 19) for the Scottish Episcopal Church can be found at https://www.scotland.anglican.org/coronavirus-updates/. Please familiarise

yourself with this guidance to minimise risk to yourself and others. We encourage you to check this webpage frequently, to ensure you are up to date with the latest guidelines and developments of the

situation.

As we have now officially moved into Phase 3 of the Scottish Government’s pandemic ‘Route Map’ the SEC’s Phase 3 Guidance takes precedence. Please note that due to changes to the particulars of the ‘Route Map’ some of the SEC Guidance has altered since first published – it is therefore essential to consult the most up to date documents on the website directly (rather than

using a version previously downloaded).

HELPFUL LINKS

We have produced a list of churches in the Diocese offering online worship. This can be found at https://edinburgh.anglican.org/coronavirus-resources/ (‘Directory of Online Worship’). If your SEC

congregation in Edinburgh Diocese is not included in this list, or you would like to add further details to your church’s listing, such as service times or Zoom details, please contact dlewis@dioceseofedinburgh.org.

The Diocesan website also has a list of online resources that may be of use at this time. https://edinburgh.anglican.org/coronavirus-resources/ (‘Resources for Churches & Church Members’).

Ecclesiastical Insurance has produced guidance on re-opening churches after lockdown. This advice could be invaluable during the coming months. It can be viewed here:

https://www.ecclesiastical.com/latest-news/opening-places-of-worship-after-lockdown/

DIARY

Due to the current situation we have had to postpone all Diocesan gatherings and events until further notice. Thank you for your patience; we will provide updates on this matter whenever possible.

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NEWS FROM THE YOUTH & CHILDREN OFFICER Beki Cansdale is a Mixed Mode student with the SEI who is based at St John's Princes St. During lockdown she has produced some great resources for the young people at St John's: they're ideal for helping families nurture faith at home during these socially-distanced times. Highly recommended! You'll find Lectionary-based reflections, prayers, craft activities, games and more on Beki's blog here.

You can find more news about how churches are connecting with young people during COVID-19 in the latest Youth and Children Newsletter. Discover new ideas and resources for bringing children, families and young people together while remaining socially-distanced! You will also find important information about the latest SEC safeguarding guidelines for online youth work. Read more here.

Claire Benton-Evans

‘HOPE BEYOND’ Grants for Churches The Allchurches Trust has launched a new grants programme, ‘Hope Beyond’, which offers grants to churches to support their work in the wake of the Covid-19 Pandemic. Allchurches Trust is one of the UK’s largest grant-making charities, having given over £180 million in grants since it was founded in 1972, and is the owner of the Ecclesiastical Insurance group. With the ‘Hope Beyond’ scheme they “aim to fund innovative, impactful projects that will enable people, organisations and communities to flourish in life after lockdown, building resilience and encouraging hope”. Any churches feeling under financial pressure in these times would be encouraged to look into what the trust is offering.

On the following pages you can find the main information and some FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) about the scheme. For the full details visit http://www.allchurches.co.uk/what-we-fund/hopebeyond/.

The following pages are reproduced from freely available material on the Allchurches Trust website; any opinion or policy expressed is that of the Allchurches Trust.

Hope Beyond: Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the overall aim of the Hope Beyond programme? A: Our Hope Beyond grants programme aims to enable churches and Christian charities to meet

changing needs within their communities, helping them and the communities they support to adapt to the challenges and opportunities presented by the Coronavirus pandemic.

Q: Who can apply for a Hope Beyond grant? A: Churches, cathedrals and Christian denominational bodies, and Christian charities in the UK

and the Republic of Ireland are eligible to apply. Churches will normally need to be part of a denomination that is a member of Churches Together in England or the equivalent in Scotland, Wales and Ireland, or belong to a local ecumenical ‘churches together’ group. Unfortunately schools and other educational establishments are not eligible to apply, but can apply for grants for other purposes through our general grants programme. Further details are available here

Q: What kinds of projects are Hope Beyond grants available for? A: Our Hope Beyond funding will look to address these three key themes:

• Projects responding to the issues of loneliness and isolation exacerbated by the Coronavirus pandemic where new and/or enhanced support is being proposed. This could include enabling improved accessibility to buildings/activities, including making buildings COVID-19 safe for access – as long this is to enable new and/or enhanced support to be offered.

• Projects focused on growing community resilience and promoting mental and emotional health and wellbeing, including the provision of mental health and wellbeing support groups and 1:1 counselling for people of all ages (including clergy).

• Projects focused on growing technological capability and resilience, particularly increasing digital capacity and provision, and supporting those without online access to get online through training and support.

When applying, you will need to demonstrate how your project is seeking to directly respond to increasing and/or new need as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic

Q: What kinds of project costs are Hope Beyond grants available for? A: Hope Beyond grants are available to help fund:

• Capital costs, such as adaptation of buildings and the purchase of equipment • Project-related salaries and some other revenue costs (to the end of 2021), such as

training of staff and/or volunteers, hire of buildings and/or equipment, and promotion and marketing of new activities

All costs must be those that are necessary to enable new and/or enhanced support and activities to meet changing needs, and you will need to demonstrate how your project will continue to be sustainable in the longer term. General ‘business as usual’ running costs can’t be funded under this programme.

Q: What size of grants are available? A: Grants of up to £50,000 are available, and if your application is successful, the amount you

receive will depend upon the cost of your project and (where applicable) the level of need in your community (which we will assess based on applicable deprivation indices), ranging from 10% of project cost through to 80%.

Q: Can we apply for a specific grant amount?

A: No. We ask you to provide us with the cost of your project and a high-level budget. Guidance on how to provide a high-level budget is available here. If your application is successful, a grant will be awarded based on the cost of your project and (where applicable) the level of need in your community (which we will assess based on applicable deprivation indices), ranging from 10% of project cost through to 80%.

Q: Do we need to have raised any funds towards the cost of our project before applying? A: No. You can apply regardless of what stage your other fundraising efforts are at. However, it

will be helpful if you can show that you have at least some funds in place, and our trustees will expect to see a realistic funding plan in place to meet the costs of your project, and where possible, to see a contribution towards project costs from your existing resources.

Q: We’ve recently had a grant from Allchurches Trust under a different programme. Can we still

apply? A: Yes, you can apply for funding under the Hope Beyond programme even if you have received

a grant from Allchurches Trust within the last two years, as long as the Hope Beyond application is for a different project.

Q: Is there a deadline for applications? A: Applications will be considered on a rolling basis and there is no fixed deadline while funds

for the programme are still available. Q: How soon can we expect to know the outcome of our application? A: We normally aim to respond to applications within 3 months Q: How can we apply for a grant? A: All applications must be submitted via our online application form. Just visit

www.allchurches.co.uk/hopebeyond and click on ‘Apply now’. You don’t have to complete your application in one session as you can save your progress and return to the application when you are ready.

Q: Is it possible to see the application form questions before starting the process? A: Yes. The first page of the application form process provides a link that will enable you to read

through the questions before you start your application. Q: How can we get some guidance on planning our project? A: Guidance and tools for project planning, reporting and impact evaluation tools, as well as

advice on applying for funding, publicising your project and much more are available on our advice and resources hub.

Q: If we are successful, will you expect us to promote news of our grant in any way? A: Yes. As a condition of receiving a grant, we will ask you to acknowledge the grant on your

website, in your Annual Report and in any publicity about the project for which the grant was awarded. We’ll also send you publicity resources, and a certificate to display.

Q: What are your reporting requirements if we are successful in our application? A: Successful applicants will be asked to complete an online report form one year after the

award of their grant, reporting on the extent to which the outcomes set out in their original application have been achieved.

Q: Where can we get further help and advice if our question hasn’t been covered? A: Please e-mail us at atl@allchurches.co.uk and we will respond as soon as possible. You may

also like to read this article, which addresses some other frequently asked questions about applying for grants, though please note this is written with our general application form in mind.

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AROUND THE DIOCESE

JUST FESTIVAL 2020

Just Festival is Edinburgh’s social justice and human rights festival, part of the Edinburgh Fringe, with a mission statement to '[create] a space for dialogue and platforms for engagement in local, national and international questions of social justice, equality and identity, both from the religious and non-religious perspectives.’ Although the pandemic has curtailed the original plans for this year’s festival, a contingent programme has been devised, taking place between the 16th and 23rd of August. The Scottish Episcopal Church is a proud partner of the festival, which includes contributions from our own +John, as well as film-maker Stewart Kyasimire, alt-country/post-punk band ‘The Countess of Fife’, Chair of Global Public Health at Edinburgh University Devi Sridhar and public philosopher Roman Krznaric, to name but a few. Festival Director, Helen Trew, had this to say:

“Just Festival has been an important part of the Fringe for many years – this being our 20th anniversary. This my first Festival as Director and when I took over I hadn’t expected it to be under the strange and unusual circumstances we all find ourselves in! However, we decided to carry on and rethink our programme in a way that would best maintain the unique spirit of the Just Festival, and create the space

for people to gather online to discuss those issues that most affect our lives today with our fantastic range of eclectic and expert panellists.

I also want to highlight our live event ‘Of All the People in All the World’ by Stans Café. Please pop along to St Johns Church at the west end of Princes St, Edinburgh to experience this extraordinary theatre installation where art meets science in an insightful

challenging representation of our contemporary world. The content of the installation is responsive to its place and its time so I look forward to being refreshed, uplifted and challenged during my walk through.

Comedy collective ‘No Direction Home’ presents a live, online show on Friday 21st August

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Earlier this year we had lots of exciting performances lined up which sadly the pandemic has put on hold, but be reassured Just Festival will be back for ‘coming of age’ celebrations in 2021 with a full live programme including a new touring exhibition of British and Japanese contemporary artists, incorporating 140,000 origami peace cranes in St Johns, and a groundbreaking documentary-theatre piece from Northern Ireland ‘Blood Red Lines’ by Robert Rae.

This year has brought serious difficulties to our lives, and we are mindful of the insecurity left by the lockdown for many people. As a result, we have decided not to charge for our events, however if you are able, we would appreciate your support through our donation scheme on registration which will enable the Just Festival charity to sustain its work.

I look forward to meeting you all online, in spirit and face to face 2 metres away!”

Helen Trew Festival Director

You can view the full programme, as well as a list of contributors and information about the festival in other years at the website: https://just-festival.org/

SOFTWARE EXPERT NEEDED!

Lynne Niven will soon be retiring from her long-standing role as Stewardship Recorder at Old St Paul’s Church. The majority of the work for the role has been done using ‘Data Developments’ – a software package specifically designed for churches and charities. Although Lynne will mostly be on hand to help her successor she would like to ensure they receive adequate support in the use of the software.

So, to get to the point: do you use ‘Data Developments’ finance software, and would you potentially be willing to act as a stand-by tutor/troubleshooter to the incoming Stewardship Recorder? If so please contact Lynne at lynne.niven@gmail.com.

Local band ‘The Countess of Fife’, featuring post-punk icon Fay Fife, closes the festival on Sunday 23rd August

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ROSSLYN CHAPEL REOPENS TO VISITORS

Rosslyn Chapel – one of the most stunning examples of medieval architecture in Scotland (and an Episcopal church in our Diocese) has reopened to visitors as of the 15th of this month. Ian Gardner sent us the following about how this will go ahead amid the continuing restrictions.

“The medieval Chapel, in Midlothian, closed to visitors on 18 March due to the coronavirus pandemic. It will reopen with reduced visitor numbers, as part of the safety measures being introduced, and all tickets will have to be bought online in advance of the visit. The first tickets will be available to purchase on Friday 10 July.

We are all delighted to be in a position to welcome visitors back to enjoy Rosslyn Chapel from 15 July. In reopening, the safety of our staff and visitors is our priority and so, as well as enhanced cleaning and

physical distancing, our visitor numbers will be limited every day and advance online booking is essential. We will have set timeslots throughout the day, carefully limiting numbers and giving visitors an hour and a half to enjoy the architecture and stone carvings, inside and outside, and learn more about this unique building at a leisurely pace. I am delighted that Rosslyn Chapel will be among the first attractions in Scotland to reopen and, as Rosslyn Chapel Trust is a recognised charity, every visit will support our conservation work. Full details about our visitor experience and booking can be found on our website, www.rosslynchapel.com – we look forward to welcoming our visitors back.

Rosslyn Chapel was founded in 1446 by Sir William St Clair. The beauty of its setting, in rural Midlothian, and the mysterious symbolism of its ornate stonework have inspired, attracted and intrigued visitors for generations. The Chapel rose to worldwide fame when it was included in Dan

Brown’s book The da Vinci Code and featured in the subsequent film. The Chapel was named ‘Best Heritage Tourism Experience’ at the Regional Finals of the Scottish Thistle Awards last year.”

Ian Gardner Director of Rosslyn Chapel Trust

To find out more about the Chapel and its reopening please visit https://www.rosslynchapel.com. Although the Chapel (managed by the Rosslyn Chapel Trust) is now open to visitors, please note that the vestry of St Matthew’s Rosslyn, the Episcopal congregation that meets at the Chapel, has decided it is not yet practical to hold public worship in the building. Nevertheless the congregation still gathers online at 11am each Sunday for worship (http://www.stmatthews-rosslynchapel.org.uk/services).

Do you have any notable stories from your church or area that you’d like to see included here? Contact me at dlewis@dioceseofedinburgh.org. If it’s already included in your church newsletter you can simply send that over!

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EVENTS

PLEASE NOTE: Due to the current circumstances, we have decided to omit the flyers we had

previously been featuring which advertised events taking place in person around our diocese. If there is an event you wish to advertise that is still taking place (i.e. something

organised online), do send it over to office@edinburgh.anglican.org

….needs your help tosupport the seafarers whobring to our shores muchof the food and supplieson which we all depend.Many of them are faraway from their familiesfor months on end, sailingacross treacherous seas.We are the friendlypresence that offers thema listening ear, homecomforts and contact withtheir families when theystep ashore.

We currently need to recruit more Trustees to our Board. We work as anexecutive board and each of us has an area of oversight. We meet 4 timesa year, normally in Edinburgh, and travel expenses are offered.

We welcome all business and governance skills, although our currentneeds include:

● Marketing skills● Fundraising/grant-seeking experience● Volunteer coordination

If you think you can help us, and would like to know more, get in touch foran informal conversation with our Chair, without obligation.

Email chair@mtss.scot • visit our website at www.mtss.scot

SCOTLAND

FiOP is grateful to the ‘Scottish Government Wellbeing Fund' for its support

Listening and Caring in Confidence A free, confidential, service for Staff

• Would you find it useful to have a non-judgemental

space to talk?

• Would it help to offload some of the emotional and isolating

impact of the current situation?

Sometimes it is hard to talk about how you feel when surrounded by trauma and anxiety;

Faith in Older People has set up ‘LISTENING AND CARING IN CONFIDENCE’ – a free on-line

service for care home and care at home staff. FiOP also recognises that those providing

pastoral care over the last few months have also faced sadness and stress and the service is open

to all those providing such vital support.

To access the service please use the following link: http://faithinolderpeople.org.uk/listening-service

Our ‘Listeners’ are all experienced and qualified and are giving their time on a voluntary basis. Self-compassion and kindness are important to enable you to care for others and Listening and Caring in Confidence is a step to help all staff do this. It is important to emphasise that it is OK not to be OK and the opportunity to talk can help to prevent anxiety. This free service is independent and there is no monitoring or reporting except for the numbers of people who use the service. The aim is to provide an oasis of time for staff to simply off-load. The wellbeing of staff in our care homes and care at home must be a priority; their health

and resilience are essential in supporting those vulnerable older people who are dependent

on their care. We recognise that this pandemic has put an enormous strain on staff as they

have dealt with unprecedented situations which have left staff feeling vulnerable and

perhaps fearful of the situation for those for whom they care, themselves and their

families. We know that this all takes a toll. Faith in Older People has worked with care

home staff over the years in relation to considering what matters to residents and older

people in the community and we appreciate the commitment and care that staff have shown

over the past few difficult months.