St Martin-in-the-Fields is a landmark Church of England church in Trafalgar Square in London. It is a nationally and internationally recognised institution rooted in a vibrant congregational life, providing regular worship, music and education, and working for the prevention and relief of poverty.

The £1,000 donation from Ecclesiastical will help support ‘The Nazareth Community’. This is a structured programme for 47 people to grow in prayer and compassionate discipleship. It is a dispersed community that joins together in five shared disciplines: silence, sacrament, service, sacred study and sharing.

The 47 participants come from many different walks of life, including those who have known homelessness and those who are refugees.

Ecclesiastical’s donation will specifically fund a retreat weekend for reflection, prayer and spiritual growth at St Columba Retreat House in Woking. It will also help fund written materials, refreshments and transport, so that all members of the community can be included, as well as paying for the small crosses that each member of the community receives and which have become such a powerful expression of community life and prayer.