The page gives you an overview of the support available for ordinands and their families to support your wellbeing. The grants and services you can access expand when you finish your training and become a curate.

Clergy Support Trust is here to serve you, as you serve others. From training through retirement. In most cases, you can access the grants and services we offer by applying online.

Health grants for ordinands

We may be able to help you, as an ordinand, or a member of your household living with a temporary or long-term health condition (physical or mental).

There are a lot of categories under the health grant, from occupational therapy to dentistry, but please be assured that this isn't an exhaustive list. Please contact us about what would help, and -if needed- our medical adviser can add professional advice.

For Long Covid, please let us know what would support your recovery or independence.

Health Grants

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Counselling service (part of health grants)

Counselling is available for clergy (training, serving and retired) and their partners experiencing a range of difficulties such as:

  • Anxiety & depression
  • Separation
  • Other family relationship issues
  • Bereavement
  • Post-traumatic stress
  • Pastoral issues
  • Bullying or dealing with difficult relationships

The counselling sessions, funded by Clergy Support Trust, are confidential, independent and are not means-tested.

You can use an existing counsellor, or we can provide one.

Counselling service

Poor sleep and insomnia

The quality of your sleep can affect all aspects of your life. If you struggle with insomnia or poor quality sleep then you may want to register with our partner Sleepstation.

Available to ordinands and their spouses/partners, this is a web-based programme approved by the NHS. You complete a sleep assessment, with support and, if appropriate, CBT for insomnia.

Sleepstation

Note: this is not suitable for under 18s or those with conditions & disorders listed on the page.

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Clergy Support Trust ebook library

Partnering with SPCK and IVP, you can access over 1,200 ebooks for free. This includes all the latest publications. Your access continues while a curate in training.

The library is both a website and apps (iOS and Android). There is also an inbuilt citation tool (Chicago) to copy-paste locations within ebooks into papers.

To access the library, you need to get a 6-digit code to signup and renew annually. You can get this code from your DDO, librarian or via your e-learning/Moodle. Details in the FAQs.

Get the Library

Watch Helen's story, who needed help purchasing equipment for her son with a new health condition. Or see Matt's story who was an ordinand in a difficult situation during the pandemic.

If you're not sure whether we can help, please do get in touch, confidentially, with our grants and services team. We may also be able to signpost you to other support.

If you haven't already, please do use our eligibility checker. It is quick and helps ensure you that aren't disappointed when you apply for help. Most of the support we offer isn't means-tested.

Eligibility Checker

You may also find it helpful to check what benefits you are entitled to from the Government. The Benefits Calculator from Turn2Us does just that and takes about 20 minutes to complete.

Whether you are the spouse/partner or clergy person, contact our confidential grants and services team on 0800 389 5182 (Mon-Fri 9-4pm) or grants@clergysupport.org.uk