Empowering Lasting Change: Jubilee Life College, Hull.

Across the UK, churches are playing a vital role in supporting people through hardship. From foodbanks and debt advice to community projects and pastoral care, thousands of churches are responding with compassion to the needs around them. 

A report published last year found that more than 12.5 million people across the UK have received support from local churches and Christian organisations over the past five years. This is a remarkable testament to the Church's commitment to serving its communities. 

But alongside meeting immediate needs, many of us are asking a deeper question: how do we help people move beyond crisis support into lasting change? 

At Jubilee Church Hull, that question has shaped the development of Jubilee Life College. Read on as Dan Fryer shares how they're seeking to equip people not just to survive hardship, but to flourish. 

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Here in Hull, it has been a privilege to serve those experiencing hardship, and in recent years we have only seen the need grow. Twelve years ago, we launched an informal education programme for people facing long-term unemployment, Jubilee Life College. Since then, over 1,000 individuals have engaged with our courses. It has been a joy to see some of these individuals become part of our church community and encounter Jesus. 

Yet, like many churches serving the marginalised, we often feel we are only scratching the surface. While we meet immediate needs, lasting transformation can feel just out of reach. 

We long to see lives truly transformed, people empowered to rebuild their futures. As described in Isaiah 61, we want to see individuals become “oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendour.” This means equipping people not just to cope, but to flourish. 

For those facing long-term unemployment, the barriers to work are complex. An employability course can be a starting point, but it is rarely sufficient on its own. 

What We Do 

First, aspirations need to be restored. Many people we meet carry the weight of discouragement and low self-worth. Helping them rediscover their value, as people made in the image of God, is foundational. Each summer, we host a graduation ceremony for those who have engaged with our courses, and it is a highlight of the year to see the delight on people’s faces as they receive a certificate. Some will bring family members with them, and you realise what a big deal this is for people to have their efforts publicly recognised.   

Second, people need meaningful next steps. For many participants, joining a course is their first step toward change. But navigating what comes next can be daunting. Questions around leaving benefits, adapting to workplace expectations, and sustaining new routines can feel overwhelming. We realised that while we were equipping people with employability skills, we were not fully preparing them for a new way of life. 

As as result, some individuals entered employment but struggled to sustain it, either because the environment was too unfamiliar or because employers were not equipped to support their transition. Many others never reached that stage at all. With little or no work history and an empty C.V (apart from a couple of courses ran by a church), meant that they never got an opportunity to demonstrate their potential. 

In response, we have begun launching businesses within the church to bridge this gap. These ventures currently in events and hospitality industry provide supported work placements and employment opportunities within a grace-filled environment. Here, individuals can gain experience, build confidence, and develop a track record of work. Our hope is that this becomes a stepping stone: equipping people with the skills, experience, and self-belief they need to move forward into sustainable employment. 

The needs in our communities continue to grow. With significant changes to the welfare system expected in the coming years, the Church has a vital opportunity to respond. 

This presents both a challenge and an opportunity. The Church is uniquely positioned to walk alongside people in this moment: to help them rediscover their identity, recognise their potential, and take meaningful steps toward a different future. 

Find out more about Jubilee Life College HERE.