Significant investment for our market towns
The Changing Market Towns project was been awarded £2.13 million of Strategic Development Funding from the Church of England, which was matched by the Diocese to bring the total investment over a five year period to £4.36 million.
The project is focussed on the towns of: Wisbech, Chatteris, Littleport, Ramsey, Huntingdon. The project is an expression of one of the Levers for Change within the Diocese of Ely's Ely 2025 Growth Strategy - Targeting Resources to Key Areas.
It focuses on enabling and sustaining church growth in small and medium-sized towns and will significantly enhance the Diocese's ability to realise its commitment to:
- engage fully and courageously with the needs of our communities, locally and globally,
- grow God's church by finding disciples and nurturing leaders, and
- deepen our commitment to God through word, worship and prayer. It aims to work across whole towns, and not be constrained by some of the ancient parish boundaries.
The funding is enabling the Diocese to transform its engagement with a number of market towns, bringing in new congregations and fresh expressions of church. It is supported by the organisational changes necessary to provide our church leaders with the freedom to focus on town ministry.
[Picture Right; Volunteers at Chatteris]
It is also helping to pay for a network of community support workers with family, youth and other specialisms - leading the work of our churches in transforming their communities.
CMT becomes part of Ministry and Mission
- In mid-2024 the Changing Market Towns project became part of the Ministry and Mission team within the Diocese of Ely.
Changing Market Towns Leadership
- In June 2024, Mike Kelly became CMT Program Lead, with Martin Kenward as Project Manager and Peter Leech providing oversight as Director of Mission and Ministry.
- The CMT Project reports to a CMT Board, chaired by the Ven Richard Harlow (Archdeacon of Huntingdon and Wisbech). The project leadership team is supported by central Operations Managers (Rebecca McRoberts and David Wells).
[Picture Right: St George's, Littleport, Youth and Sports Ministry]
2024 Reviews and 2021 Mid-Term Reviews
- In 2024, the Changing Market Towns Project Board asked Jon Randell to summarise the benefits of the CMT Project and an external consultant, John Truscott to look at the lessons learnt.
- These reviews built on an earlier a mid-term review of the Project done by John Truscott in 2021. Further details on these can be found on the pages linked below.
Changing Market Towns Prayer
This is the Changing Market Towns prayer, written by Iain Osborne, Incumbent of Ramsey, and commended for use in every town.
God of hope, we pray for our market towns,
and the churches that serve them.
We thank you for your faithful care, that has made us who we are,
and we trust you for our future.
Unite us, give us heart and hope, and build up your kingdom
in the places we love.
We pray in the name of the carpenter of Nazareth,
Jesus Christ, our Lord.Amen.
