Each year Church Times readers give generously to the Train-a-Priest (TAP) Fund, providing much-needed financial support to Church of England ordinands and their families. Over £4.7 million has been raised since 1952 and, as the Church Times keeps nothing for administering the fund, every penny goes to help train the next generation of priests.

For Lent 2025, all the money raised will go to support clergy training in Africa.

Donate to the TAP Fund online

Download the TAP Fund Gift Aid form for donations by post

What does the TAP Fund do?

Read more about the TAP Fund this year

The TAP Fund was conceived by Rosamund Essex, a former Church Times editor, in response to hearing of the hardship experienced by married ordinands on grants calculated for single, young men.

Since 1952 more than 6000 ordinands and their families have received valuable help from the Fund, in the form of top-up grants to help with living expenses and emergency grants from the Special Hardship Fund.

Thanks to a substantial legacy, we already have sufficient funds to support any Church of England ordinand who comes up against an unexpected financial crisis.

For the fifth year running, therefore, for our 2025 TAP appeal, everything raised will go to ordinands in Africa who face financial difficulty, to support them as they complete their training. 

We developed plans for the TAP Africa appeal in con­sulta­tion with the Revd Dr Stephen Spencer, director for theological edu­­ca­tion at the Anglican Commun­ion Office, and the Revd Duncan Dormor, general secretary of USPG.

We also are delighted to be working with the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa (CAPA), who will process requests for grants.

CAPA, Fr Dormor writes, “has long experience of helping to equip priests — through a variety of con­texts of theological training and ministerial formation — to serve their communities, drawing on a wealth of experience and good prac­tice across the continent. To train a priest within the Church in Africa is to invest in the transformation of whole communities.”

Give to the Fund

Please consider a donation to TAP Africa this Lent, in the knowledge that anything you give will have a tremendous impact on the lives of those training for the priesthood in some of the toughest situations in the world.

If you prefer your donation to go to Church of England ordinands, please indicate in a covering note, and we shall be happy to honour your wishes.

Give online
The easiest way to donate is online: www.hymnsam.co.uk/donations/tap-fund
This is a secure page, and so your donation can be given safely, in just a few moments. If your donation is eligible for Gift Aid please remember to select this option on the online form.

Send a cheque
We still accept cheques, postal orders, cash and charity cheques. Please make cheques payable to "The TAP Fund" and send to:

TAP Fund
Church Times
Hymns Ancient & Modern
13a Hellesdon Park Road
NORWICH
NR6 5DR

If your donation is eligible for Gift Aid please include a completed TAP Gift Aid form with your cheque.

Charity vouchers
If you have a charity account with Sovereign Giving or the Charities Aid Foundation, you can give by charity cheque.

Church of England ordinands: apply for an emergency grant

Anyone in training for the priesthood, whether full- or part-time, at a college or on a course, can apply for an emergency grant from the Fund. 

The grants are designed to provide immediate assistance in the event of an unforeseen financial crisis - a broken-down car, a failed computer, a faulty heating boiler, or something more serious, such as funeral expenses.

Grant applications are assessed by the Ministry Division.

If you need to apply for a special hardship grant you can do so through your diocese or college/course.

Find out more about the financial support available to ordinands.

A TAP prayer for Lent

For all who are training to be priests in the  Church of England

Almighty God,
look mercifully on your Church
and on all who offer themselves
      to be trained for the priesthood;
so that by their labours your light
may shine in the world,
and the coming of your kingdom
      may be hastened;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
      Amen