More than 40,000 people have been supported by church-led projects last year, as new figures revealed the growing human impact of Christian social action across the West of England.

The Diocese of Bristol said its parishes were creating spaces of “welcome, comfort, and hope”, while partnerships and campaigns officer Naomi Jervis told Premier Christian News that “faith underpins it all”.

The 2025 Social Action Audit, carried out with the Cinnamon Network, a charity dedicated to supporting and strengthening Christian social action. The report celebrates the impact of local church initiatives and identifies opportunities for further development.

It found that 418 activities were delivered, supporting around 40,773 people. A total of 1,634 volunteers gave 121,660 hours of service to achieve this.

Jervis said churches were “really showing up for people”, with 50 per cent of activities focused on reducing social isolation and building community cohesion.

“People want to be the hands and feet of Jesus,” she said. “It’s about being Jesus to our local communities.”

She highlighted Shine Pinehurst in Swindon, where young people ran the ‘Wonky Pizza Co’, and a south Bristol church where foodbank users later returned for meals, activities and even baptism.

Kate Sharma from the Cinnamon Network told Premier Christian News that the team was “thrilled to see the encouraging results”, calling it “a testament to the hard work and dedication of churches and local people”.

She said audits helped churches gather clear evidence of what God was doing through them, enabling councils and funders to “really take notice” and opening doors to new partnerships.

The Rt Rev Neil Warwick, acting Bishop of Bristol, said parishes were “beacons of hope”, providing “community, food and compassion to those who need it most”.