GrantRadar

Benefact Trust

Heritage Skills for Christian Buildings

Benefact Trust funds heritage skills training that is essential to conserving historic Christian buildings, through apprenticeships, scholarships and training courses. Unusually, the money follows named individuals rather than a cohort: the Trust funds an organisation to train specific people for the duration of their training, up to three years, ending in an accredited qualification recognised in the heritage sector. This is an evolution of the Trust's closed Heritage Grants Programme. There is no application form - the Trust's own grants index lists this under 'Other programmes (by invitation only)' and asks interested organisations to contact it to explore a partnership.

Apply on the funder’s site
You could get
Amount not specified
no fixed round
Deadline
Rolling
apply any time
Effort
Moderate
full application with documents

Who can apply

  • The programme page says it is open to applications from any registered charity offering training in heritage skills, provided the charity can demonstrate that the funding will support skills relevant to the preservation of Christian buildings
  • Benefact Trust's general grant eligibility (set out in its FAQs) is that applicants are Christian charities, churches and representative bodies in the UK and Ireland, and must be registered charities with a minimum annual turnover of £25,000 or hold excepted status
  • Heritage Skills grants are available whether or not you have recently had a grant from the Trust, and you may apply to this and another Trust programme at the same time if eligible
  • In practice the Trust's grants index states it currently supports the Cathedrals' Workshop Fellowship in England and is 'open to discussions about similar partnerships, particularly in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland' - so this reads as a partnership route for training providers rather than an open call

What it funds

  • Training of specific named individuals in heritage skills relevant to the maintenance and preservation of Christian buildings, delivered through apprenticeships, scholarships and training courses
  • Skills likely to be supported include:
  • Stonemasonry
  • Carpentry/joinery
  • Heritage plumbing
  • Heritage electricians
  • Heritage brick laying
  • Lime plastering
  • Thatching
  • Lead work and glazing

Other skills will be considered if they are relevant to preserving Christian buildings.

The Trust supports each individual for the duration of their training up to a maximum of three years, and every individual supported should gain an accredited qualification recognised within the heritage sector.

The Trust says its focus is formal training programmes such as apprenticeships that take place in church or cathedral settings.

What it will not fund

  • General funding across a cohort of students - the programme funds specific individuals only
  • Training that does not lead to an accredited qualification recognised in the heritage sector
  • Training longer than three years per individual

How to apply

  1. Contact Benefact Trust directly - the page states there is no application form for this programme
  2. Discuss your eligibility and your proposed training programme with the grants team before doing any further work

the Trust's grants index lists Heritage Skills for Christian Buildings under 'Other programmes (by invitation only)' and invites organisations interested in a partnership to get in touch

if you have any queries about eligibility, the Trust asks you to contact it so it can provide guidance

More like this

Other grants open to organisations like yours.