Celebrating science club funding in Hyde

St George’s Church Hyde in Tameside, Greater Manchester has been awarded a grant of £8,562 to run a monthly children’s Science Club and a series of science-focused community events across 2026-2027.

The grant programme is run by Equipping Christian Leadership in an Age of Science, for 2026-27. Recipients include a cathedral, a community farm, and a Methodist art project. (Full list below.)

From September 2026 St George’s will put on a monthly science club for those in school years 5-7, focussing on a different area of science every month covering everything from astronomy to DNA to robots and AI.

Each session will feature hands on science experiments, crafts, demos and opportunities to meet real-life scientists and quiz them about their work! The Science Club will run on a Tuesday evening in the middle of the month. You will be able to find out more details and sign up to join the Club on our Facebook page and website towards the summer. Alongside the Club there will also be a series of science events for the wider community including family days, trips and shows across the time of the Club

Gavin Merrifield, one of the Club’s organisers said “Science is such an incredibly important part of living well in our world today and is full of wonder, curiosity and imagination. In recent years it has become increasingly fashionable to be sceptical of science. Our aim though is to show how learning to enjoy science and understanding its possibilities benefits us all, as individuals and as a society. And to have a lot of fun on the way!”

David Wilkinson, ECLAS Project Director, said: “We are proud to make this significant investment into advancing the science-faith dialogue in the UK and Ireland. These projects, which represent a wide range of topics, faith traditions, and geographic reach, will become exemplars to other churches and theological colleges who want to weave engagement with science and scientists into their mission and ministry.”

ECLAS and the Scientists in Congregations grant programme are funded by the John Templeton Foundation.

Scientists in Congregations awardees and projects, 2026-27:

●     GoHealth (£8,295). Spiritual Intelligence in Practice: Breath Prayers

●     St Matthew’s Church, Walsall (£9,850). Embodied Faith: How Does God Meet us in Body?

●     Farnham Churches Network (£4,750). Caring for Planet Earth: Science and Christian Responses to Climate Change.

●     Christleton Parish Church (£7,700). The Role of Science in the Coming of God’s Kingdom.

●     St Nic’s Church, Durham (£10,000). Enduring Call, Changing Climate.

●     Shieldfield Art Works (10,328). Creating Fallow.

●     King’s Church, Warrington (£8,000). Escape Room

●     St George’s Church, Hyde (£8,562). The Science Club.

●     Carlisle Cathedral (£9,850). Land, Landscape and Faith.

●     Jubilee Farm, Co. Antrim (£9,546). Eating Creation: Exploring the Relationship Between Food, Health and the Environment.

●     Youthscape with Christians in Science (£5,000). Wonder, Wow, Worship @Satellites 2026.

●     The Projection Studio (£9,600). Without a Voice, They Speak.

●     Lanchester Methodist Church (£3,260). The Mustard Seed Microscope.

●     St Olave, Hart Street, London (£8,000). Fire and Faith: Exploring Science and Theology Through the Great Fire of London.

●     Church of Ireland (£2,071.20). How Can You Be a Scientist and a Christian?