Click on your region on the map below to see local estate church support groups in that area. Groups on the page are organised north to south.
North East
Newcastle Group
The group combines housing estate and urban and is known as the “Estates and Urban Task Group”. We meet 3 or 4 times a year for support an discussions on various relevant topics. We try and visit another Diocese once a year to meet with estate practitioners to share ideas and good practice. We also send delegates to the NECN Conference. There are about 25 people on our mailing list.
Contact: Rev’d Canon Alan Paterson CMP
About: Priest in Charge of St Peter & St Luke, Wallsend
Phone: 0191 716 8033
Email: fatheralan64@btinternet.com
Durham Estates Ministry Group
The Durham Diocese stretches from the Tyne to the Tees and the dales to the sea. The estates and Low Income Communities practitioners forum meeting in the diocese was formed in response to the recognition that in these places lie some of their richest assets: people who are extraordinarily gifted and able.
Meetings and events are publicised by e-mail and on our Facebook page.
Facebook: Being Church from the Tyne to the Tees
Contacts: Revd. Lesley Sutherland
Email: reverendsutherland@gmail.com
North West
Greater Manchester Estates Network
The Manchester NECN group, ‘Greater Manchester Estates Network’, was established in 2016.
They meet once or twice a year for sharing resources and stories, support and prayer and have guest speakers. They also aim to set up smaller local groups in Greater Manchester.
They have no strict geographical area, although the focus is generally on ministry within Greater Manchester. Members of all Christian denominations are welcome.
Contact: Vacant at the moment. If you are interested contact Sara Barron through info@estatechurches.org
About:
Phone:
Email:
Get the latest news from NECN Manchester
Blackburn
Contact: Rev’d Kat Gregory-Witham
About: Associate Priest at St Matthew’s Church, Burnley
Phone: 07397 775388
Email: revkatgw@gmail.com
Yorkshire
Hull
Our group is called the ‘not only outer-estates group’ a.k.a coming to some common understanding of what it means to be the body of Christ on outer estates (and anywhere else too).
We meet every couple of months or so for a couple of hours. The meetings began about 25 years ago. They have always been very informal, have included generally more lay people than ordained and are also very ecumenical.
At each meeting we usually get eight to a dozen out an e-mail list of thirty members. There is a high degree of honesty, probably because most people know each other pretty well but at the same time it doesn’t feel like a clique. Most people bring a bit of lunch and chat for a while at the start.
Example topics covered (pre-covid gap):
- ‘Fatherlessness’, ‘attachment issues’, childhood trauma also affecting adults we work with.
- The effects of Hull being UK City of Culture
- Diocesan plans to ‘reach’ ‘people in poverty’.
- Being landless (for generations) – how disconnection from anything natural and having no control over your own wellbeing affects people on estates.
Contact: Andrew Dorton
Phone: 01482 821242
Email: andrew@dorton.karoo.co.uk
Leeds
The Leeds Estates Group has been running for three years. They have an annual conference day with keynote speakers such as +Philip North and Revd Dr Stephen Edwards. The group is currently looking at how to facilitate support networks around the area. You can contact us at info@estatechurches.org
Facebook: @leedsestateschurch
Twitter: @estatesleeds
Contact: Vacant at the moment. If you are interested contact Sara Barron through info@estatechurches.org
About:
Email:
Get the latest news from NECN Leeds
Wales
Wales does not yet have an NECN group – learn how to create a group here.
East Midlands
East Midlands does not yet have an NECN group – learn how to create a group here.
West Midlands
Birmingham
Get the latest news from NECN Birmingham.
Urban Network is a group for estate church leaders within Church of England Birmingham. There is an annual residential, along side a couple of other events in the year.
Contact: Revd Guy Donegan-Cross
About: Director of Learning for Discipleship and Mission
Phone: 07769 260807
Lichfield
The Lichfield Diocese Urban Estates support group has 15 members including an Archdeacon with experience of estates and the Director of Mission. They meet two or three times per year for mutual sharing, support, news and discussion. Issues / ideas – both local and national – are passed on to diocesan senior staff. There is a also weekly prayer email where a member is asked for their prayer requests and these are then sent round the group, with the option of anyone using this to highlight prayer needs at any point. The group is also aiming to organise gatherings for a wider group of those who minister on urban estates with an outside speaker every 18/24 months.
Contact: Fr Mark McIntyre
Email: stgabriels.frmark@gmail.com
East Anglia
Chelmsford
Darren McIndoe co-ordinates the Chelmsford Diocese NECN Group, which was set up in May 2018 by Carol Richards (then Diocesean Regeneration Advisor) following a visit by Andy Delmege (NECN chair) to the diocese. The aim of the group is to support clergy and lay workers on the Estates in the diocese and to share learning and encouragement. With the help of Bishop Lynne Cullens, after a dormant period during Covid lockdown, we are now ready to explore together how we might work effectively in the East London and Essex area.
If you are interested in being part of this local network, or being linked to a regional meeting in your part of the Diocese, get in touch with Darren who will keep you in the loop.
Contact: Darren McIndoe
About: Darren is a Priest in Charge in Harlow, and Coordinator of the Chelmsford Estates Churches Network.
Email: estatechurchnetwork@chelmsford.anglican.org
Phone: 07886 502307
Norwich
The Norwich NECN group is starting afresh after lockdown and have set up a working group to facilitate this. We hope to move forward with regular times together on Zoom and once a year in person with a guest speaker and more open invitation.
Contact: Rev’d Matthew Price
About: Bishop’s Adviser for Urban and Estates Ministry and Vicar at St Mary Magdalene Church, Gorleston
Phone: 01493 494248
Email: matthew.price@dioceseofnorwich.org
Peterborough
NECN Peterborough has informal gatherings of 10-15 people. These are an opportunity to network with fellow ministers who work in similar settings, ask questions of each other in terms of ideas and resources, share good news stories and be honest about difficulties and disappointments too. They also run an annual Diocesan Urban Day, with guest speaker which has 35 in attendance.
Contact: Roger Woods
About: Diocesan Urban Support Officer & Vicar of Church on the Heath, Kings Heath
E-mail: roger.woods@peterborough-diocese.org.uk
Phone: 07817 636714
London
London
Contact: Vacant at the moment. If you are interested contact Sara Barron through info@estatechurches.org
South West
Bath and Wells
Magnificat Parishes Group
Contact: Claire Horton
About: Deanery and Parish Development Adviser (Magnificat Advocate)
Phone: 07736 903841
E-mail: Claire.Horton@bathwells.anglican.org
The Bristol Diocese Estates and Urban Ministry Network
Bristol Diocese has a renewed vision to support ministries in lower income communities to enable them to flourish. This recently formed network will be a platform for grass roots practitioners to connect for mutual support, encouragement and a sense of togetherness as we seek to implement the fresh vision for the transformation of these communities.
Contact: Andy Murray
About: Diocesan Estates’ Network Lead and Vicar St Andrew’s & St Peter’s Church
Phone: 07966 790 535
E-mail: andy@standrews-stpeters.org
South East
Guildford: MITE (Mission in the Edges)
We meet three or four times a year, usually for an afternoon meeting to support and encourage each other in our mission across estates in our diocese sharing good practice and resources that work in our settings.
A key priority for the Group is getting the needs and circumstances of estate churches understood across the diocese.
If your parish covers an area that has 500 units of social housing and we can help you in any way please do get in touch.
Currently, our meetings are a mixture of in person and online.
Contact: Kirsten Rosslyn-Smith
About: Vicar at St Peter’s Shared Church
E-mail: kirsten.rs@btinternet.com
Contact: Danny Wignall
About: Parish Development and Evangelism Team
E-mail: Danny.Wignall@cofeguildford.org.uk
Rochester
This group has been meeting for three years in its current format. Participants meet 3-4 times a year for encouragement and ideas and with a view to expanding the network. We also hold at least one webinar a year with invited speakers to look at key issues, share reflections and raise awareness among colleagues.
Contact: Simon Burton-Jones
About: Bishop of Tonbridge
E-mail: bishop.tonbridge@rochester.anglican.org
Other groups
Please contact us for any corrections or additions.