Here for individuals
During 2021 unprecedented numbers of clergy sought help from St Luke’s. We referred 375 people in 2021 for specialist help, either for assessment, diagnosis or, in some cases, treatment. Of these, almost a quarter sought psychological or psychiatric help from St Luke’s, no doubt exacerbated by the pandemic. Our colleagues at Cognacity, qualified psychologists and psychiatrists, have built up huge experience of working with clergy and we are immensely grateful to them for offering their expertise to St Luke’s at a rate far below their normal rate, as part of their charitable giving.
Last year the ‘reparative’ part of our work cost St Luke’s over £200,000; in the same period our entire income from fundraising was only £120,000. The gap will be bigger this year. Unless we can increase support from donations and legacies, we will soon be unable to offer the range of services that clergy so urgently need. This is a sobering prospect as we enter 2022 and we ask everyone who values our work to please redouble their efforts to help us. More donations and gifts in Wills are needed in 2022 and beyond.
Plans for 2022
Our pilot project with the British Army offering regular pastoral supervision for Army Chaplains has gone very well and St Luke’s will bid to run the roll-out of the scheme to enable a bigger group of Chaplains to benefit from this form of support in their special and very challenging ministry. Read more here
We have developed new approaches to enabling clergy to flourish in their ministry; these include helping them to reflect on their experiences during the pandemic and address their needs for spiritual nourishment and emotional and psychological support. We are working with dioceses by tailoring workshops and group sessions to meet the needs of the clergy. Find out more here
New telephone number
Please note that St Luke’s has a new telephone number for all calls – 020 45 46 7000. While the office team is largely working from home in January, please leave a message and the relevant person will get back to you.
Every gift and legacy, no matter what size, means we can continue to care for the health and wellbeing of clergy. Please give today – click here to donate – and contact Sam Appleby for more information about leaving a gift in your Will by emailing sam.appleby@stlukesforclergy.org.uk.