On Monday 19 January 2026, the Church of England announced that the Diocese of St Albans had been awarded £2.3m funding towards strengthening mission in the Diocese— especially among children, young people and young adults—and supporting growth in some of our most densely populated and diverse communities. This award was part of our larger £3.5m bid to the Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment Board (SMIBB).
- See the news announcement from the Diocese here
- Read an update from the Revd Dan Drew here about next steps
Discover more about the vision and the three core areas of work that will be enabled and strengthened as a result of the funding.
A vision to strengthen mission and support growth
Our vision is to accelerate mission to grow younger and more diverse communities through: revitalising strategic churches and planting new congregations; growing younger and more diverse disciples and strengthening leadership development and mission in schools.
The vision is to support parish mission on the ground, spotting where God is already at work and strengthening what is fruitful. Over the last year, we have listened carefully across the Diocese. We spent time with clergy and lay leaders, parishioners, young people and local partners, listening to where God may be calling us to step in to help meet needs.
Funding summary
At a glance, the outcome of our bid for the £3.5m funding can be understood in three parts:
1. Awarded in full: £1.14m for education and leadership
2. Awarded subject to clarification: £1.13m for church planting and revitalisation (Hatfield, Luton, and Watford)
3. Agreed in principle, pending updated proposals: £1.23m for children & young people’s workers (Hatfield, Luton, and Watford).
Read more about each part in the ‘Key areas of work’ links below.
Updated Thursday 22 January
Impact across the Diocese
The intention behind this vision has a diocese-wide benefit, even where investment is focused on particular places or roles. This includes shared learning, training pathways, resources for parishes, and stronger pipelines for younger and more diverse leaders and disciples.
Developing a bid of this size and quality takes significant time and resources. To make this possible, funding was secured so that the development and consultation work could be carried out without any cost to parish share. In the submitted bid, most roles (around 80%) are local positions supporting parishes, with only a small proportion dedicated to essential central roles that enable effective delivery, support, and accountability.
Hear more from the Revd Dan Drew, who is overseeing the delivery of the strategic funding here regarding practical next steps, and the first news announcement from the Diocese regarding the funding here.
Key areas of work
Learn more about what has been funded or agreed in principle
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is SMMIB funding, in plain terms?
SMMIB is a national Church of England investment programme that supports strategic mission and ministry in dioceses — helping to develop, revitalise and scale mission approaches, and to build sustainable capacity.
How was our diocesan bid developed?
Our bid was shaped through extensive grass roots consultation across Luton, Watford and Hatfield. We listened to parishioners, clergy, lay leaders, young people, and local partners—discerning where God is already at work and where there are clear missional opportunities that could be strengthened.
Support and grants for parishes
Not every parish will be a direct recipient of SMMIB-funded posts or projects—especially in Phase 1, which focuses on the specific geographies of Watford, Hatfield and Luton, plus diocese-wide leadership/education streams.
As you will be aware, funding bodies have specific requirements and areas of work they fund, but every parish can still access diocesan support and mission funding.
If your parish is not directly receiving SMMIB funding, you can still access diocesan grants and support.
Diocesan grants
Small Grants: (up to £1,000) for projects such as Messy Church, youth work or community action. These grants exist to help get new and exciting ideas off the ground.
Major Grants: (over £1,000) to support parishes to initiate larger missional activity or multi-year mission initiatives with the specific objectives of evangelism and discipleship.
Full grants list: There are a range of diocesan grants for parishes covering specific areas such as Net Zero Carbon, Pastoral Aid and Church Buildings.