Photo: World Council of Churches
Through the Pauline Webb Fund, CTBI awards grants to support women’s participation in ecumenical work. The programme was established with the support of the late Dr Pauline Webb of the Methodist Church in honour of her leadership in ecumenism, internationally and closer to home. Throughout her career Dr Webb held a series of significant leadership roles in the World Council of Churches and the Methodist Conference of Great Britain. She played a key role in significant ecumenical dialogues and campaigns and in the world of religious affairs broadcasting. She was a powerful advocate for women’s rights and leadership through her speeches and publications, but above all through her example.
She was keen to support and encourage the participation of women in the ecumenical movement, especially through support for younger leaders to gain ecumenical experience early in their careers. The Fund was established before her death in 2017 and since then has continued in her memory. CTBI wishes to acknowledge with deep appreciation the personal contribution of Dr Webb to this fund through a legacy donation.
Programme overview
The fund awards grants of up to £1000 as a contribution towards travel or other costs to enable women to:
- Attend an ecumenical event
- Undertake a course or study visit in the area of ecumenism
- Conduct research in the area of ecumenism
As part of the application process participants are asked to provide details of how they will use the experience gained to contribute to the promotion of ecumenism.
Please note that grants are only awarded where other financial support for this activity is unavailable.
Grants do not normally cover more than 75% of the total cost.
Who can apply?
The fund is open to people who meeting the following criteria:
- Women, normally resident in Britain or Ireland, and
- Members of a church that is in membership of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, or one of the national ecumenical instruments. (Evidence of support from a sponsoring church or ecumenical body is required as part of the application process.)
In accordance with the focus of this fund on enabling early career leaders to have an experience of ecumenical engagement, preference is given to women under forty years old.
We particularly encourage applications from women from minority ethnic communities in Britain and Ireland, and those working in areas where access to funding and other resources limits opportunities for engagement.
How to apply
Please download the application pack (Word) and return the completed form by email.
Decisions on the awarding of grants are made by the trustees of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland.
The deadline for the current round of applications is the 31 December 2024.
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