ChurchWorks for Wellbeing research finds churches are making a significant difference to people's wellbeing- with potential for even more impact

The ChurchWorks Commission has published its first report into the Church’s Response to Wellbeing in the UK which finds that more than 2 million people have been positively impacted this year by wellbeing projects run through churches.

Across the UK there are 38,500 buildings used for Christian worship, many of which are responding to the wellbeing needs of their communities.

Churchworks for Wellbeing seeks to encourage, equip and connect churches to better support the wellbeing of local people. To inform its research, ChurchWorks has worked with its partner organisations that include Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries, AtALoss, and Renew Wellbeing to gather a snapshot of the current engagement of churches in wellbeing initiatives in the UK.

The report, published on the ChurchWorks website demonstrates the incredible impact that churches have across their communities in supporting better wellbeing and help make the case for greater partnership with the NHS.

It also encourages more churches across the country to get involved with offering high-quality and high-impact wellbeing initiatives as a missionary priority.

The ChurchWorks Commission brings together the Church and the Government to support the vulnerable in our communities and enable positive change through the work of the church.

The report found that 17% of churches in the UK are engaging in wellbeing initiatives. A third of these are offering a mental health course and a third are offering a drop-in space for the community. Both of these initiatives can equip local people to understand more about their mental health as well as provide them with a safe space to speak with people they trust. In this way, church initiatives are playing an important role in preventing mental ill-health while also offering spaces for social prescribing link workers, and other health professionals, to meet those in the community who may not access NHS primary care.  The report calls for further exploration into how relationships between the NHS and local churches can be developed, particularly in regards to social prescribing and chaplaincy.

Read the full report here

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Thank you so much to all of our partners for your support with developing this report.