Funds for Historic Buildings

The Church Buildings Council (formerly known as the Council for the Care of Churches) is a statutory body accountable to the General Synod.  It supports dioceses and parishes in the use, care and development of parish churches, their contents and churchyards.  Its day-to-day work involves:
•  offering advice to Chancellors, dioceses and parishes on faculty applications;
•  distributing grants for the conservation of church fabric and fittings;
•  organising conferences and seminars and publishing books and other guidance on subjects relating to the care and use of church buildings, their contents and churchyards;
•  advising dioceses and the Church Commissioners on proposals for closing or closed churches.

As regards its grant-making activities, the CBC has two main grants programmes to support parishes in the repair and conservation of objects of artistic/historical significance and in need of urgent repairs:
• Grants for historic furnishings and artworks
• Grants for fabric repairs

The grant programmes are open to all Christian denominations in England, Scotland and Wales. 

GRANTS FOR HISTORIC FURNISHINGS AND ARTWORKS
The following eligibility criteria apply to each type of object:
 
Sculpture & Furnishings 
• Monuments: must be of artistic or historical significance. Monuments of social importance to the parish are also eligible and it is recommended that applications be supported by historical documentation. Works which are purely of a cosmetic nature (e.g. cleaning when no other deterioration occurs) are not eligible. 
• Timberwork: structures must be of artistic or historical significance. It is recommended, when appropriate, that applications address the relationship of timberwork structures with the building fabric. 
• Metalwork and church plate: must be of artistic or historical interest. The conservation and re-mounting of monumental brasses (when the original slab is missing) is eligible but preference is given to the use of stone as mounting material. Proposals should reflect the historical use of objects. 
• Textiles: must be of artistic or historical interest. Victorian and post-Victorian textiles of artistic significance are eligible, provided the provenance is established. The upgrading of storage facilities to conservation standards is also eligible.  
• Churchyard monuments and walls: must be under the responsibility of the PCC. If the wall, monuments, railings or gates are in a closed churchyard and responsibility of the Local Authority they do not qualify for a grant. Works of a cosmetic nature or soft landscaping are not eligible. Churchyard walls must be of archaeological or architectural nature or ancient walls.

Glass
• Stained glass and historic plain glazing can be considered

Paintings & Wall Paintings
• Wall paintings and paintings on canvas and wood (including funerary hatchments and coats of arms)
• Uncovering wall paintings and cosmetic work is not normally eligible for grant aid.

Bells & Bell Frames
• All bells and bell frames identified by the Council as being of historic significance (see the Database on this website), all bells cast before 1700 and historic bell frames.
• Projects must include conservation treatment of the bells themselves (e.g. removal of cast in crown-staples, turning, welding cracked bells) or conservation of a historic bell frame.

Organs & Organ Cases
• Organs of merit over 70 years old in or close to their original condition along with significant instruments of a later date are usually eligible for consideration for grant aid.
• Organ cases of historic merit are eligible for consideration.
• Grants are awarded for conservation work to organs of historic interest, or where the proposed works restore a clearly established earlier historic state.
• Grants will not be awarded for speculative reconstruction or for works which introduce changes from the present condition of the organ, to either the tonal scheme or the action, or which replace earlier parts with non-traditional materials.

Clocks
• All mechanical clocks are eligible.
• The project must involve overhaul and repair of the movement and/or dial motionwork.
• Repair and redecoration of the dial itself is only considered when the dial is ancient and of historical interest and the treatment is conservation-based.

Books & Manuscripts
• Historic books and manuscripts, when in the care of the parish, are eligible for grant aid. Modern printed books cannot be considered.

GRANTS FOR FABRIC REPAIRS
In collaboration with The Wolfson Foundation, the Council is able to assist with the repair of Anglican Church buildings in England, Scotland and Wales that are listed Grade I or II* and were built before 1850.
 
For further information on grants and to discuss a potential application please contact: Conservation Grant Enquiries, Church Buildings Council at the address below.

In all applications, the parish must demonstrate that the building is in a good state of repair and that suitable measures are in place to prevent future damage to the object concerned. Measures should be taken to ensure that the object is not subjected to adverse environmental conditions within the building (particularly in relation to the type and control of the heating system). 

Grants will only be considered for projects that are supported by a detailed conservation report that fully describe the object's condition, analyse the causes of its deterioration and explain why it is necessary to embark on a conservation programme.  The CCC is also able to award grants towards the preparation of these reports.
 

The Council is a permanent commission of the Church of England's governing body, the General Synod, with a variety of functions.  The Council produces a wide range of publications on the conservation and care of churches and churchyards and maintains a library of 12,000 books and periodicals on church architecture, furnishings and related subjects. These are available to the public for reference. It also holds records of completed conservation projects, which are available for research purposes.