News, Funding and Training
News
Church Monuments Essay Prize
The Church Monuments Society offers a biennial prize of £500 for the best essay on an aspect of church monuments of any period in Britain or abroad, along with publication of the winning essay in the peer-reviewed international annual Church Monuments, the CMS journal. The competition is open only to those who have not previously published an article in Church Monuments. The length (including notes) shall not exceed 10,000 words and a maximum of 10 illustrations, preferably in colour. The closing date for new entries is 31 December 2020. For a copy of the rules and for the guidelines to contributors https://churchmonumentssociety.org/get-involved/competitions/essay-competition
New guidance document on how to care for stained glass
Published by Historic England in close association with the glass conservation community, this recognises the impact environmental factors have on the state of windows and leading. Stained Glass Windows: Managing Environmental Deterioration is free to access here https://historicengland.org.uk/images-books/publications/stained-glass-windows-managing-environmental-deterioration/ The publication includes a chapter on Environmental Protective Glazing (EPG) based on extensive field and laboratory research prepared for Historic England. https://research.historicengland.org.uk/Report.aspx?i=15635
Heritage Open Days 11th – 20th September 2020
Heritage Open Days (HODS) has confirmed that its festival will go ahead this year. Online events will be offered for the first time as well as any in-person opportunities possible within government guidelines at the time of the festival. More information about the festival can be found here https://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/
Open House London 2020 Invitation to Participate: 14th – 27th September 2020
Open House London, the city’s largest annual architecture festival is opening up its programme to proposals for physical and virtual events from across the city. The Open House festival programme of events has always been led by Londoners but this year they are trying to include a diverse range of events and activities for the public — experimenting with new formats alongside carefully-managed traditional ones. If you are interested in participating please look at their Open Call: https://open-city.org.uk/blog/open-call
Resources from ExploreChurches and the National Churches Trust
ExploreChurches have created a detailed page on the NCT website. It contains links to all current advice and support, and is updated weekly on reopening and ideas for engaging with your visitors and community https://www.nationalchurchestrust.org/reopening-churches
Essential tourism information (in English and Welsh) can be found here https://www.explorechurches.org/covid19
They have also developed a set of FREE downloadable resources for you to use. They include posters, seat and hand washing / sanitising notices, prayer station notices etc: https://www.nationalchurchestrust.org/news/advice-reopening-your-church#practicalresources
Welsh churches and chapels under threat
It has been predicted that Wales could lose up to 70 per cent of its places of worship in the next 20 years. The report published by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Buildings in Wales and is available https://rcahmw.gov.uk/the-future-for-places-of-worship/
Plunkett Foundation
You might be interested to read the recent report published by the Plunkett Foundation into community shops and pubs 'A Better form of Business'.
https://plunkett.co.uk/community-pubs-and-shops-booming-against-backdrop-of-closures/
Training
No training opportunities to report at this time
Grant Sources and Funding Information for Historic Places of Worship
Coronavirus Funding for Historic Places of Worship:
Government’s £1.57bn Lifeline for Britain’s Arts, Culture and Heritage Sector
Emergency grants and loans will soon be available to help thousands of organisations across a range of sectors, including theatres and performing arts companies, heritage sites, museums, galleries, live music venues and independent cinemas. Decisions on funding will be made working alongside independent figures from the arts and culture sector, including Arts Council England, and other specialist bodies such as Historic England, the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the British Film Institute. http:// https://www.gov.uk/government/news/157-billion-investment-to-protect-britains-world-class-cultural-arts-and-heritage-institutions
Cultural Recovery Fund For Heritage
- On 29th July, the Government announced £92m of grants for heritage organisations and businesses to manage the economic impacts of the pandemic.
- Grants of £10,000 to £3 million are aimed at heritage organisations which were financially sustainable before COVID-19 but have since then exhausted their funds and risk shutting down.
- This fund for heritage is a part of the wider £1.57bn Cultural Recovery Package and Historic England is administering these grants with the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
- The deadline for applications is 17 August, full eligibility criteria and details can be found here https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/funding/culture-recovery-fund-for-heritage
Allchurches Trust launches new grant programme, Hope Beyond.
Aimed at enabling churches and Christian charities to meet changing need within their communities as the longer-term impact of Covid-19 becomes clearer. In developing this programme, they carried out an online consultation to better understand what their beneficiaries felt the key needs of people of all ages in their communities would be as a direct result of the Coronavirus pandemic. You can find more about the grants programme and the research here http://www.allchurches.co.uk/what-we-fund/hopebeyond/
The National Lottery Community Fund National Lottery Awards for All
Offers funding from £300 to £10,000 to support what matters to people and communities. They're looking to fund COVID-19 projects and will prioritise: organisations supporting people who are at high risk from COVID-19. Places of worship are eligible. https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding/under10k
Advice for grant holders If you have concerns about grants you hold, then the overall advice is to contact the funding body.
Key links are:
National Churches Trust https://www.nationalchurchestrust.org/news/grants-and-looking-after-your-church
Esmee Fairburn https://www.esmeefairbairn.org.uk/coronavirus---reassurance-for-those-we-fund
Garfield Weston https://garfieldweston.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Covid-19-Update.pdf
ChurchCare grants https://www.churchofengland.org/more/church-resources/churchcare/our-conservation-grants
Allchurches Trust https://www.allchurches.co.uk/news/message-of-reassurance-coronavirus/utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=spring_newsletter_2020
National Lottery Heritage Fund http:// https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/responding-coronavirus-covid-19
The Heritage Alliance’s Funding Hub The Heritage Alliance has created a separate Funding Hub listing potential sources of funding for heritage organisations during the Coronavirus crisis. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1V6-GBdlYNmqNscLc4khj0HGhD3sSqicQ/view
Coronavirus Response – Funding Opportunities for Charities National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) have compiled a list of funding opportunities and news relating to coronavirus.http:// https://www.ncvo.org.uk/practical-support/information/coronavirus
Free searchable database of Coronavirus funders The Charity Excellence website has a new, free database of funders supporting charities during the crisis. https://www.charityexcellence.co.uk/
Other Funding information:
Veolia Environmental Trust
Is now accepting applications for January 2021 projects Not-for-profit organisations can apply now for funding for environmental or community-based projects that are located within five miles of an operating Veolia site in England and starting from 11 January 2021. https://www.veoliatrust.org/funding/
Changes to roof alarm grant funding
With metal theft continuing to be such a challenging issue, Allchurches Trust, owners of Ecclesiastical Insurance Group, has increased the amount of funding available to churches under its Roof Protection Scheme, with grants now funding up to 50% of the cost of the alarm, up to a maximum of £2500. Scheme now extended until the end of 2020. http://www.allchurches.co.uk/what-we-fund/roof-alarm-grants/
Places of Worship Protective Security Fund still open for applications
The Scheme can include more secure gates, locks, alarms and CCTV in order to deter and prevent hate crime attacks. Now in its fifth year, the Home Office is providing a further £3.2 million. The deadline is 9th August 2020 to make an application. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/places-of-worship-security-funding-scheme On the 4th July, in response to an MP’s questions, the Minister, Kit Malthouse, reported that ‘In the first three years of the Places of Worship Protective Security Scheme (2016-2019), £800,000 wais available each year. In the fourth year (2019-2020) this was doubled to £1.6 million. All faiths, apart from the Jewish faith (who have access to a separate funding scheme), are eligible to apply for funding under this scheme. Over the last four years, we have allocated £1,643,732 to mosques, £869,858 to churches, £210,989 to temples, and £676,115 to gurdwaras’.
National Churches Trust Foundation Grant Programme
Run in partnership with the Pilgrim Trust, this offers funding for small works to your church building that cost up to £10,000 (excluding VAT) with grants of up to 50% of the cost (up to £5,000). Works would need to have 2 quotes in place and permissions if required. Decisions are made on a monthly basis. Final deadline for 2020 funding through this programme will be 30 October 2020. https://www.nationalchurchestrust.org/foundationgrants
Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme
Information about the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme can be found at www.lpwscheme.org.uk. Please note that this scheme has now been extended until March 2021.
Community buildings, places of worship and faith groups - a guide for constituents (National Assembly for Wales). This funding guide outlines and signposts sources of financial assistance available to organisations and groups for the construction, development and maintenance of community buildings and places of worship. This guide also includes sources of financial assistance available for faith groups in Wales.
Historic Environment Scotland - Grants and Funding - Explore the wide range of grants and funding available to projects that share Historic Environment Scotland's aims to protect and promote the historic environment of Scotland.
The Heritage Funding Directory - Managed by The Heritage Alliance and the Architectural Heritage Fund, the Heritage Funding Directory is a free, easy-to-use guide to financial and other support for anyone undertaking UK related heritage projects.
The National Churches Trust - The National Churches Trust now offer three types of grant - Cornerstone, Gateway and Foundation Grants for Maintenance. Full details can be found by going to the individual grant programme pages accessed via the above link, which also includes important information about deadline dates. The Trust also provides Preventative Maintenance Micro-Grants for churches towards the cost of building maintenance services.
Allchurches Trust - The Trust support the repair, restoration and re-ordering of churches and cathedrals of many denominations, especially where these changes support wider community use and help those in need. They give grants to churches and charities running projects aimed at tackling homelessness, poverty and loneliness, and many other social issues.
Faith in Maintenance - In 2005 the Methodist Property Office and the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) developed a training course for volunteers responsible for historic chapels. The scheme, entitled Faith in Maintenance, is a unique project that offers training and support to the thousands of volunteers from all faith groups who help to care for historic buildings. It aims to give these volunteers training in recognising potential problems, understanding the use of traditional materials and construction and tackling common maintenance problems, while at the same time encouraging more people to become actively involved in their local community's heritage and to appreciate the importance of historic places of worship. The courses, which are free to attend, offer a full day of training including practical sessions and professional speakers and access to a dedicated telephone advice service.
You can find out more on the Society's website: www.spab.org.uk
How do I make changes to a listed building? How do I apply for listed building approval?
What is the Ecclesiastical Exemption?
What is the Listed Buildings Advisory Committee?
Maintenance and Repairs - Listed Places of Worship
Listed Building Guidance Notes