Buckinghamshire Historic Churches Trust

Buckinghamshire Historic Churches Trust Grants

Repair and preservation grants for historic churches, chapels and places of worship of all denominations in the Archdeaconry of Buckingham. Grants of up to £10,000 are normally considered, out of a total of around £60,000 distributed a year, and a separate Micro Grant Scheme gives up to £1,000 for urgent repairs with a 28-day turnaround. The Trust is run entirely by volunteers and its focus is narrow and fabric-only: roofs, external stonework and rainwater disposal.

Apply on the funder’s site

You could get: Up to £10,000
Deadline: Not published; no closing date given
Effort: Moderate; full application with documents

Who can apply

'Historic Churches' — churches, chapels or places of worship that are either more than 100 years old or otherwise of particular architectural or historical interest — of all denominations within the Archdeaconry of Buckingham, which the Trust defines as the areas administered by Buckinghamshire Council, Milton Keynes Borough Council and Slough Borough Council
An application is expected to be made under the auspices of a Parochial Church Council or the equivalent body in other denominations
Before applying, the Trust expects applicants to have taken advice from a suitably qualified professional, typically an architect or surveyor accredited in building conservation
Applicants must accept the Trust's Privacy Notice, including the use of Dropbox for submitting applications, and must agree to the Trust publicising the grant and to supplying a high-resolution image of the church

What it funds

Preservation, repair, maintenance and upkeep of the fabric of the building
Most grants awarded relate to the repair of roofs, external stonework and rainwater disposal systems for which a Faculty and/or planning consent has been granted or is being applied for
The Trust may also contribute to the preliminary cost of investigations required by other grant-giving bodies
The Micro Grant Scheme funds urgent repair work emerging from Quinquennial Inspection Reports or from damage by fire, adverse weather, theft or vandalism
The Trust occasionally awards grants, administered by the Archdeacon, to Church of England churches for alarms to prevent lead theft from roofs

What it will not fund

Repairs to bells, bell frames and organs
Fixtures and furnishings
Installation or repair of heating, electrical and lighting systems
Redecoration work, whether occasioned by other qualifying repairs or not
Churchyard structures
Installation of kitchen facilities and lavatories
Work already carried out (except, sometimes, emergency repairs — and Micro Grant applications can be accepted after the work is done)

How to apply

Take advice from a conservation-accredited architect or surveyor before starting
Submit an expression of interest to the Secretary via the contact form, who will provide an application form — or use the online application form or downloadable PDF form on the grants page
Return the completed form with the supplementary information before the application deadline in March, June or September
The Inspection Committee reviews applications and usually arranges a site visit in the third week after the deadline
Trustees decide at their next meeting and successful applicants are told how to claim

exact deadline dates are not published — the grants page says to contact the Secretary to find them out

for urgent repairs apply instead to the Micro Grant Scheme, which has its own online and PDF forms and no deadline

the grant must be claimed in full within two years of the award, though Trustees may extend by up to a further twelve months for delays outside the applicant's control

Have ready

Copy of DAC, denominational, authority or statutory approval
Specification and schedule of works
Estimate of work or schedule with itemised prices
Drawings or photographs of the necessary works
Other photographs in support of the application

after completion, photographic and documentary evidence of the finished work within one month, plus a high-resolution image of the church for the Annual Report

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