CiC's response to COVID-19
When the prime minister announced lockdown on 23rd March, CiC implemented a series of measures to ensure the continuation of operations and support for members. Close communication between the board and staff team enabled the swift response, as outlined below.
Staff and remote working - CiC staff and freelancers have been supported to adjust their work patterns and work locations in order to continue providing an excellent service to the charity. Thankfully, in 2019, CiC transitioned to an online work platform which made this change very easy. A weekly online staff meeting provides line management and encouragement for staff members.
Governance and leadership - as with many other UK charities, our executive team and board have been working hard to ensure the financial resilience of CiC during this unprecedented time. Anticipating a drop of income caused by members defaulting on subscription payments, we took the difficult but necessary decision to furlough an executive team member whilst retaining the remaining staff team. This step has served to enable us to continue operations and make the necessary savings.
Communication - following the prime minister’s announcement on 23rd March, both the president and the board of CiC wrote to all CiC members, to provide reassurance and to encourage prayerfulness. Now, a weekly newsletter is sent to all members, containing links to useful references and inviting requests for support and help. The CiC website was immediately updated with a dedicated COVID-19 resource area where members can access a series of articles that help to explain government and PHE guidelines and thus implement best practice. Our membership of CTE, Free Churches Group and CLAS have been helpful in this regard, allowing us to easily share relevant resources with our members.
Supporting our members - following a needs analysis, we recognised that the impact of lockdown and COVID-19 would vary greatly across our diverse membership and, as such, tailored support would be required. Initially, we brought members together for a time of collective encouragement through an online Ministers’ Fellowship May, which saw over 100 members register. Building on the success of this event, a series of online meetings were held for different segments of our membership, including healthcare chaplains, prison chaplains and church leaders. Having received such positive feedback from attendees, we are planning a schedule of regular online meetings which will continue beyond lockdown.
Future planning - having successfully adapted, CiC is now considering what the future will look as the UK moves from response to recovery. Senior leaders in the charity are aware that the effects of lockdown and COVID-19 might have an enduring impact on the charity and faith sector. Maintaining strong and close relationships with other denominations and organisations that are also pursuing change will help to inform our approach to developmental strategy.
In summary, we are thankful that our leadership, decision making processes and existing use of online platforms allowed us to adapt quickly in the wake of lockdown and COVID-19. The positive feedback from members, including requests for some reactive activities to continue beyond lockdown, confirms that we managed this change successfully with unexpected benefits arising. It is also encouraging to report that new membership applications are being received and processed during this unprecedented time.