The Wilberforce Academy is the launch pad into the Wilberforce Collective, a community of young adults who are collaborating in bold, beautiful and creative ways to bring the hope of Jesus to the heart of society.

An intensive, one-week residential, the Academy will provide you with a biblical foundation for cultural engagement, teaching on key issues facing society today, access to expert thinkers and practitioners, inspiring testimonies from courageous Christians and opportunities to talk, pray and worship with Christians who share your desire to see society transformed by Jesus.

You will be equipped to respond to crucial issues in contemporary culture and to understand what it means to live for God's glory in every area of life.

Successful completion of the Academy leads to membership of the Wilberforce Collective. Through the Collective you will have access not only to a network of passionate Christian cultural ambassadors but to ongoing training, tools and resources, such as our cultural leadership programme and Refocus events.

Applying for the 2026 Wilberforce Academy

Dates

The 2026 Academy will run from the afternoon of Sunday 6 September to the morning of Saturday 12 September 2026.

Location

The 2026 Academy will take place in London.

Cost

If you apply by Friday 31 October 2025 you will qualify for early-bird pricing of £599 for the 2026 Academy.

This price includes teaching, course materials, accommodation and meals at the Academy. Successful completion of the Academy brings free membership of the Wilberforce Collective.

Bursaries (of up to £200) may be available for students and others in need of support. 

A monthly payment plan option may also be available.

Submitting your application

To apply for the Academy, please complete the form on the next page.

You will probably need between 30 and 60 minutes to answer the questions. You may want to look over all the questions before beginning the form so that you can check that you have all the information to hand.

You can save the form at any stage using the button at the bottom. If you use this facility, you should receive an email with a link that you can use to return to the form at a later point.

To complete your application, you will need:

• A recent CV (in PDF format)
• A recent front-facing photo (in JPG or PNG format)
• Contact details for a leader at your church who is happy to provide a reference

Before you can submit your application, you will need to indicate that you have permission from your referee to pass on their contact details.

Selection process

Much as we would we like to accept all suitable candidates, we anticipate receiving more applications than we have places available.

We will review applications as we receive them. 

We may invite you to interview (either in-person or online) to discuss your application further. 

We are likely to offer places at the Academy on a rolling basis and we reserve the right to close applications before the deadline.

We encourage you, therefore, to apply as soon as you can.

To qualify for early-bird pricing for the 2026 Academy, please apply by Friday 31 October 2025.

Application Form

Contact details

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Education

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Your Application

Please note that all responses in this section are limited to 200 words.

Church leader reference

Please provide the name and contact details of a leader at your church who is happy to support your application and provide a reference. Please ensure that they have agreed to be a referee and that you have their permission to pass on their contact details before you submit your application.

Supporting documents

Communications

Wilberforce Academy and Wilberforce Collective

If your application is accepted we will send you information and updates about the Wilberforce Academy and the Wilberforce Collective by email and mobile phone. You can unsubscribe at any time.

 

Christian Concern

The Wilberforce Academy and Wilberforce Collective are initiatives of Christian Concern. We will send you information and updates about Christian Concern's ministry by post, from time to time. 

We would also like to send you updates by email to keep your informed and equip you for prayer and action. If you would like to receive these, please tick the box below.

You can unsubscribe from any or all of these communications at any time. 

Your privacy is important to us. You can find out more about how we use your personal information at www.christianconcern.com/privacy

‘Christian Concern’ is a trading name of CCFON Ltd. CCFON Ltd is registered in England and Wales. Company Number 06628490. Registered office: 70 Wimpole Street, London, W1G 8AX.

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