In 2019 The Church of England awarded a major national Strategic Development Fund (SDF) grant of £2.57m to help the Diocese of Leicester better serve people from our diverse communities.
We created five Intercultural Worshipping Communities (IWCs), with the aim of serving and enabling more participation and leadership in church life by Global Majority Heritage worshippers.
The project aims to encourage more Global Majority Heritage Christians to get involved and lead in a range of areas in Anglican parish and diocesan life, including lay leadership and ordained ministry.
An IWC is a church community where people from different cultural and ethnic heritage deliberately interact with one another in order to deepen their understanding and experience of God and of each other. They learn and grow together to build communities which are transformed, shaped, and moulded from each other’s experiences.
The IWC project ended in June 2026, marked by a Celebration and Learning Event, but, as a diocese, we remain committed to our strategic priority of Intercultural Communities.
Watch clips from the Celebration and Learning Event (YouTube)
IWC Legacy
The Legacy Handbook, which gathers stories, learning and experience gained throught the IWC project, is offered to inspire and resource our ongoing intercultural journey.
Download the Legacy Handbook
This series of four 5-minute videos profiles some of our Intercultural Worshipping Communities: