NEWS

An independent report on the work of the Church of Scotland’s Go For It Fund has recognised its success in forming ‘closer bonds’ between congregations and communities. Following the General Assembly’s decision to retire the fund, the Assembly Trustees were instructed to bring forward a closing report sharing the learning that has been gained through the life of the fund, as well as to celebrate all that has been achieved through its funded projects over the last eight years.

Two independent researchers were tasked with evaluating the impact of the fund and have now released their report, which is available on the Church website at www.churchofscotland.org.uk/ news-and-events/news/2020/go-for-itfund- helped-demonstrate-kirk-not-justfor- sunday

The Rev Angus Mathieson, interim head of the Church’s Faith Nurture Forum, said: “I am delighted to welcome the Go For It Fund impact evaluation report, which was requested by last year’s General Assembly and will be presented as part of the Faith Nurture Forum’s overall legacy report at the forthcoming short General Assembly in October.

“The findings of the report, which was independently conducted by external researchers and with thanks to Go For It Fund grant-holders, are gratefully received and will help towards assisting the Church of Scotland in its future missional work.”

The fund allocated just over £7m in the form of 377 grants to 237 organisations and was open to any Church of Scotland congregation, as well as to voluntary sector organisations and faith-based groups with a close working partnership with a local church.

It was designed to encourage creative ways of working which could both develop the life and mission of the local church and transform communities and congregations.

Of the grant-holders who responded to the researchers, 74% agreed they were ‘exploring a new or different model of mission’, 89% said their community viewed their church as ‘more outward-looking’, and 40% that they had brought more young people into their church congregation as a result of Go For It funding.

The report also points to funded projects’ success in tackling poverty and social injustice; and to partnerships with other organisations, local groups, charities, health, education and social services and education providers.

The retirement of the Go For It Fund was due to coincide with the launch of a new Growth Fund, which has been put on hold due to the financial uncertainties caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, the Church of Scotland’s Chief Officer, Dave Kendall, said: “We do believe there are sound reasons for introducing a system which would make some element of funding available to the local church for pilot schemes. Assembly Trustees, in consultation with others, are in the process of developing plans to support that.”

A short General Assembly is due to be held in early October, which will include the presentation of the Faith Nurture Forum’s legacy report in full.