New report reveals Scottish churches deliver over 200,000 individual acts of support during lockdown

A new report published today has calculated that churches across Scotland have delivered 212,214 acts of support during lockdown. The Stories of Hope report, which was requested by the Scottish Government and produced by the Evangelical Alliance and Serve Scotland, found that these acts were delivered by 3,212 volunteers and impacted 55,671 beneficiaries.

The study details how churches in more than180 locations, often in partnership with others, developed support networks and established projects to support the most vulnerable and isolated in their communities. Projects were active across the country from the Highlands to the Borders, across the breadth of denominations and in partnership with a number of charities including Christians Against Poverty Scotland, Bethany Christian Trust, and Glasgow City Mission.

Kieran Turner, public policy officer for the Evangelical Alliance in Scotland, says, “2020 has been a year of disruption for all of us and churches, like many other essential services, have had to adapt. This report has highlighted the significant impact churches up and down the country have had in supporting the most vulnerable in society.”

The report also highlighted the importance of churches partnering with local businesses and other agencies as more than two-thirds of the projects identified were delivered in partnership to provide support to those in need. Supermarkets, community councils, businesses, NHS boards, housing associations, voluntary support groups, and foodbanks have all worked with churches on the ground in these projects. In addition, 11 local authorities were identified, sometimes by multiple projects, as providing emergency funding for weekly support costs.

Turner continues, “Churches have re-purposed existing services and staff and volunteers have been quickly redeployed. New projects have been set up to deliver food, phone the elderly and isolated, support those homeless or claiming asylum, and connect with children and young people who were struggling with their mental health. For many, these services were literally a lifeline – often the only contact in a day when all other normal support networks and buildings were closed.”

The online survey was gathered data from May 2020 to July 2020 by the Evangelical Alliance with the aim of understanding the range and focus of church-based projects taking place across Scotland during the pandemic.

To find out more and download the full report go to https://www.eauk.org/about-us/nations/scotland.