AN idea by a Huddersfield vicar has started a flood of copycat schemes.

Richard Steel took up the Parable of the Talents scheme at Kirkheaton Church and handed out money to parishioners for them to boost church funds.

Now the Bishop of Wakefield will give every church in the diocese £100 to help kick-start a community initiative.

It will mark his tenth anniversary as diocesan bishop and celebrate the Christian Churches year of mission, Hope 2014.

There are 248 churches in the diocese so if all take up the offer it will involve an outlay of £24,800.

The Bishop, the Right Rev Stephen Platten, said he had been inspired by what had been achieved with the Parable of the Talents initiative in Kirkheaton.

Mr Steel handed out dozens of crisp £10 notes to anyone who wanted them last November.

The idea was based on Jesus’s famous Parable of the Talents, whereby a man entrusts money to his servants. On his return he finds two of them have doubled the investment while the third has simply buried his money in the ground.

Mr Steel gave his parishioners £10 as seed capital to help boost the church’s fundraising project and a staggering £11,400 was raised.

The Bishop said he hoped some parishes might take their £100 and “grow it in their own way”.

He will hand out the money at a special 10th anniversary service in Wakefield Cathedral on September 22 at 4pm. The funds will be supported by the Bishop’s Development Fund.

It will be up to each church how they use the money, but it has to be used for a community project that will touch as many people – young and old – as possible.

Each church will be asked to submit their idea for their community project before Christmas and the event or project must be recorded in pictures for everyone to share at an event in 2014 to tie in with the big mission project Hope 2014.

Hope 2014 is an initiative by the Christian Churches to work together around the Christian calendar throughout 2014 to put faith into action and make a real difference in our local communities with a year of mission.

The Bishop said: “I have been encouraged by how people really connected with the Parable of the Talents; people were doing all sorts of clever things – dog walking, bird boxes, chocolate truffles – it really inspired people.

“I want to encourage each church to look outward into their communities and use this money to provide something that will touch and connect with those around them for some time to come,” he said.

Mr Steel said he was delighted the idea had been taken up by the Diocese.

“The response we had was astounding, with the total standing now at £11,400.

“It did everything I hoped it would.

“I know other churches around the country have been inspired to do similar things and it will be fascinating to see how it works for the Diocese.”