Church and Community

Church and Community Support

Samuel Pedlar is our Church and Community Support Adviser, working in the Church Buildings Team. In his role as a buildings support officer, Samuel gives targeted support to individual churches - and those who love them, care for them, and use them. Samuel works alongside Holly Robinson, who focuses on fundraising and fabric, whereas Samuel works to support the PCCs to build their projects, and people resources so that they be sustainable, have manpower to carry our projects, reach out their community and make sure each church is well cared for and future proofed.

Samuel can be found to be:

• Working with PCCs to do community consultation and engagement initiatives, including helping with questionnaires/surveys, meetings, and events.
• Supporting PCCs to build organisational sustainability.
• Helping PCCs to consider and implement new models of governance.
• Supporting the creation of Friends/Action Groups.
• Advising on projects and working alongside our HCBSO to help to build towards grant bids.
• Connecting PCCs with experts and stakeholder in the Diocese, in their communities, and in partner organisations.  
• Planning and running training events for PCCs and Friends Groups.
• Working with partner organisations (e.g. the Cambridgeshire Historic Churches Trust) to develop new projects.
• Supporting the creation and running of our Church Building Management Partnership project.

The churches that Samuel usually works with are recommended by committees (e.g. the DAC and Church Uses Committee), the archdeacons and or rural deans, and Diocesan colleagues. This may be because they have a small PCC, problems with the fabric of their church, or generally would like help and advice. Samuel also always welcomes contact from individual churches, by emailing samuel.pedlar@elydiocese.org.