Changing Market Towns

Significant investment for our market towns

The Changing Market Towns project was 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 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.

Chatteris - Changing Market Towns Toddler Group Volunteers 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. It is also helping to fund a network of community support workers with family, youth and other specialisms - leading the work of our churches in transforming their communities.

[Picture Right: Volunteers at Chatteris]

Changing Market Towns 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.

Leadership

Martin Kenward is the Project Manager, with 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).

2024 Reviews and 2021 Mid-Term Reviews

St George’s, Littleport, Sport and Wellbeing In 2024, the Changing Market Towns Project Board asked Jon Randall to summarise the benefits of the CMT Project and an external consultant, John Truscott to look at the lessons learnt. As the Changing Market Towns Project nears the end of its period of national funding, and as we look towards developing new missional projects within the diocese, the CMT Project Board commissioned two reports for publication:

Impact Report - that highlights the impact the project has had on the lives of individuals and the communities.
Lessons Learned - this report seeks to identify and articulate learning that we can take from the CMT project and then apply to other missional projects in the coming months and years.
Both reports are informed through contributions by those involved in the development and delivery of the project as well as an analysis of data collected. The CMT Project Board thanks the authors of both reports and all those who have contributed to them.

These reviews built on an earlier a mid-term review of the project done by John Truscott in 2021.

[Picture Right: St George's, Littleport, Youth and Sports Ministry]

Changing Market Towns Prayer

A prayer for our Market Towns, 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.