Why It Matters
Being church means being safe. It’s not enough to say “all are welcome” — welcome only works when people know they’ll be protected, respected, and treated with dignity. Safeguarding is not a tick-box or an afterthought. It’s the way we live out Jesus’ command to love one another.
Safeguarding for Everyone
We believe safeguarding is for everyone, not just children or people labelled “vulnerable.” Every person who walks through our doors deserves safety. We follow best practice and external training, and all our ministers and key volunteers undergo background checks (DBS). Concerns are always taken seriously, handled transparently, and acted on promptly.
Our safeguarding training includes training from Thirtyone:eight, an independent Christian safeguarding charity who provide our training, guidance, and external advice. This ensures our processes are accountable and up to date.
Our Policies
For the sake of clarity and trust, we make our policies public. Here you’ll find documents covering, click to view each one:
- Safeguarding
- Equality, Inclusion & Interfaith
- Accessibility
- Theory of Change
- Data Protection & Privacy
- Health & Safety
- Financial Controls & Transparency
- Complaints & Whistleblowing
- Governance & Trusteeship
We don’t hide these away because they belong to everyone. Anyone should be able to see how we work, what we stand for, and how we handle issues if they arise.
Culture of Care
Policies matter, but culture matters more. A file in a drawer won’t make people safe. What does is a community where people listen, where power is shared, and where concerns can be raised without fear. We want to be a church where safeguarding is part of our DNA — a culture of kindness, honesty, and accountability.
Raising a Concern
If you ever need to raise a safeguarding concern, you can do so in confidence. Contact details for our Safeguarding Officer are below. If you would rather speak to someone external, you can contact Thirtyone:eight directly or independent advice and support.
Safeguarding officer
Leanne Hanson
safeguarding@lightshope.org.uk
Get In touch
We’d love to hear from you. Whether you have a question, a prayer request, or simply want to know more about Light’s Hope, just fill in our contact form and a member of our team will get back to you as soon as we can.
We also welcome enquiries about church planting and leadership training. If you feel called to start a new community or explore ministry with us, let us know and we’ll be glad to walk with you.