About us

OUR STORY

Single Friendly Church Network encourages churches to welcome and value single people at every stage of life. Our work started more than five years ago and came about as the result of a piece of research commissioned by Christian Connection, focusing on the experiences of single people in church.  Receiving over 3,000 responses from single Christians, overwhelmingly the findings highlighted common themes of people feeling excluded, hurt, isolated and unwelcome, to the point that some had left church altogether. We realised that something needed to be done, and Single Friendly Church Network was formed. 

OUR MISSION

To inspire a movement that welcomes and values single people in all our churches.

OUR AIMS 

  1. To raise awareness of the increase in singleness in UK society and the need for churches to recognise and reflect this change. 
  2. To equip church leaders through our 5 Steps Guided Audit, training and further resources, to make positive changes in their churches and to ensure all single people are welcomed, valued and included. 
  3. To build a network of Single Friendly Churches across the UK who have completed the Audit and committed to making positive changes in their churches. 

OUR PEOPLE

Founder: Jackie Elton
Executive Director: Mike Simpson
Communications Director: Beth Collingridge 
Church Engagement Officer: Liz Dunbar
Social Media Manager: Vacant

OUR TRUSTEES

Amelia Gosal (chair), Jackie Elton, Rev'd Kate Wharton, Tim Hall, Warren Nettleford.

OUR PATRONS

  • Cardinal Vincent Nichols. Cardinal Archbishop of the Westminster, President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, Chancellor of St Mary's University, Twickenham 
  • Archbishop Stephen Cottrell, formerly Bishop of Chelmsford, now the Archbishop of York.
  • John Bell. Author, songwriter, broadcaster, member of the Iona Community 
  • Bishop Pete Broadbent. Bishop of Willesden 
  • Chine McDonald. Director of Theos, Trustee of Greenbelt, broadcaster and writer 
  • Rev’d Canon Steve Chalke MBE. Baptist minister, Senior Leader of OASIS Waterloo, founder of OASIS, Founder and Chair of Stop the Traffik and Faithworks, broadcaster and social activist, Honorary Fellow of Sarum College, Salisbury.

OUR SPONSOR 

Single Friendly Church Network is supported by Christian Connection.