Nearly a quarter of Britain’s population have received support or assistance from a church or Christian organisation in the last five years, new research has shown.
A poll of 2,000 people conducted by Opinium and commissioned by Christians Against Poverty (CAP) found that 23 per cent of adults have received such support in the last five years.
Support from churches takes many forms, with the most common being provision of food, particularly during Christmas (16 per cent of all support).
Mental health and emotional support accounted for around eight per cent. Only slightly less frequent was assistance in finding employment, claiming benefits, help managing money or debt, and the provision of toiletries.
Stewart McCulloch, Chief Executive Officer of CAP, said that for many in Britain the economic outlook had been bleak.
“Life is, and has been, very tough for millions of low-income households in recent years, with the price of essentials, such as food and energy, consistently rising and continuing to do so.”
He added, “At CAP, we see how when local churches show love in action in their local area, it strengthens the community, reduces poverty and transforms lives.”
The research also showed that despite its reputation as an economic power-house, London had by far the highest proportion of people saying they or someone they knew had made use of church or Christian assistance (52 per cent).
By way of comparison, the next highest was Yorkshire at 29 per cent. In the south of England typically only 13 per cent of adults access, or know someone who accesses, use of such assistance.
Some support can be small-scale, but in other cases it can be life changing. CAP used the example of Jade, a single mother of three struggling with debt.
Sharing her experience, Jade said, “At the time, I felt like I just couldn’t do it anymore. I was on my own with three small children and I was thinking to myself, ‘How on earth am I going to sort this out?’ I called CAP and instantly they were like, ‘How can we help? Do you need food? Do you need an energy top-up?’ It really was the turning point in my life.”
Now free of debt, Jade spoke of the spiritual as well as material effects CAP’s intervention has had on her life.
“My son was really struggling, he had some medical issues. My local debt coach, Ben, and a befriender from my church offered to pray for him and he was healed. The issues just stopped. I suddenly realised that they prayed and he was healed, and that’s when I gave my life to Jesus.
“I fully believe Jesus exists. Being supported by CAP and Holy Trinity Church [Barnstaple] has completely transformed our lives," she said.
