Grants for Church Property

Information on Main Sources of Grants for Church Property Your church building

Church buildings hold of these vital buildings. enormous significance The Representative Church as places of worship ‘in Body seeks to support the which the pure Word parishes in their mission of God is preached, and and administration and the Sacraments be duly this short guide created by ministered’ (Article 19) the Property Department in addition to this they identifies several sources are places of rich history. of grant funding to enable Churches’ architectural work and repairs to keep and artistic value often your parish Church in good means they are listed or repair so as to allow the protected structures. This continuing advancement of combined with the age the mission of the Church of the Church can pose of Ireland in Ireland. challenges for parishes as they seek to fund the upkeep and maintenance “The Church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ our Lord.”

- Rev Samuel John Stone

Grant funding may be other organisations outside available to a parish in the Church but to which need of financial support, Church of Ireland parishes depending on the nature of may apply. Some grants their funding requirement, are for purposes related whether the parish is to the repair of church situated in Northern Ireland buildings and others for the or the Republic of Ireland development of mission, and whether the proposed community, outreach or project meets certain heritage initiatives. eligibility criteria of the awarding body.

The information below refers to both grants administered by the Church of Ireland and those grants administered by Grants Administered by the Church RoI & of Ireland NI

RCB Church Fabric and Marshal Beresford’s Fund Development Fund The Marshal Beresford’s Fund, Grants from the Church although administered by the Fabric & Development Funds RCB, is an external fund under may be awarded for church the control of trustees separate property purposes under the to the RCB. It is for grants for application of the fund which repairs to Church of Ireland allows for the restoration of churches. the fabric of a church building The allocation of the income which is vested in the RCB. is made by the Archbishop of The deadline for applications Armagh, supported by the RCB is the 1st of March and 1st of Property department. Grants October each year. are allocated in conjunction with fabric grants from the Church More information including Fabric and Development Fund. the application criteria and application form can be The deadline for applications found on https://www.ireland. is the 1st of March and 1st of anglican.org/parish-resources/ October each year. land-buildings . More information about the Linked with this are the Central criteria and application forms Development Fund and the can be found on https://www. Local Development Fund and ireland.anglican.org/parish- more information about these resources/land-buildings. can be found on https://www.ireland.anglican. org/parish-resources/parish- finances Grants RoIROI & & Administered NINI by External Organisations

Allchurches Trust SPAB Limited (Northern Ireland & Republic of (Republic of Ireland and Ireland) Northern Ireland) Allchurches Trust Limited is The Society for the Protection a registered charity which of Ancient Buildings has seeks to promote the Christian funded projects in Ireland. religion. It provides grants to Christian churches for initiatives with an emphasis Further information can be on heritage, care and the found on their website at: community. It supports projects for the repair of https://www.spab.org.uk/ and improvement to historic buildings, preservation of heritage, and initiatives around training, mission and church growth.

Grants are made from income derived from Allchurches Trust Limited’s wholly owned subsidiary, Ecclesiastical Insurance Office Plc. Information, guidance on applying and the application form can be found on

www.allchurches.co.uk Grants NI Administered by External Organisations

National Lottery Heritage Fund (Northern Ireland) Formal approval must be sought from the The Heritage Fund makes Diocesan Council and the grants from National Lottery Representative Church Body funds. It funds projects which before an agreement may be make a lasting difference entered into in respect of a for heritage, people and grant. communities, including the preservation and restoration of historic church buildings. The Church of Ireland has benefited considerably from such grants in recent years.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund operates a single open programme for all types of heritage project, new resources and digital guidance support. Grants will be available from £3,000 to £5million.

More information can be found on https://www.heritagefund. org.uk/in-your-area/northern- ireland Grants NI Administered by External Organisations

The National Lottery and £10,000 to support Community Fund local people bringing about (Northern Ireland) positive changes in the community. This can include The Community Fund makes small improvements grants for grants from National Lottery premises. funds. It has a number of programmes to which parishes For more information about in Northern Ireland may apply, the available funding, depending on the level of criteria and making an funding required, type of application see the National work being carried out and Lottery Community Fund eligibility criteria being met. website: https://www. tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/ The People and Communities funding/northern-ireland Programme funds works to buildings such as church Formal approval must be halls, if they are used to bring sought from the relevant improvements to the lives of Diocesan Council and the people most in need in their Representative Church Body communities, bringing them before an agreement may be together to enjoy a wide range entered into in respect of a of charitable, community, grant. educational, environmental and health-related activities. Grants can be between £30,000 and £500,000.

The Awards For All Programme makes smaller grants of between £500 Grants NI Administered by External Organisations

National Churches Trust (Northern Ireland) The National Churches Trust Cornerstone Grants – for has changed its funding structural repairs/maintenance programme which is now split issues costed over £100,000; into three separate streams installation of kitchen and instead of the original 5 toilets over £30,000. Grants streams. The new streams are offered of £10,000 - £50,000. as follows: More information can be Foundation Grants – for found on maintenance works, https://www. items identified within in nationalchurchestrust. Quinquennial Inspection org/our-grants Report/survey reports/ other sort of report, small investigative works/surveys. Projects should cost up to £10,000. Grants offered of £500 - £3,000. Gateway Grants – for project development work up to RIBA stage 1; strategic or capacity building projects. Grants offered of £3,000 - £10,000. Grants NI Administered by External Organisations

Treasure Ireland buildings both that are used (Northern Ireland) principally as places of worship and which are now redundant. Treasure Ireland is a new project run by the National Churches The scheme is administered by Trust from 2020 - 2023. It offers the Listed Places of Worship grants for repairs and help and Grant Scheme office of the advice with maintenance. Department for Culture, Media and Sport in the UK. More Treasure Ireland will also provide information can be found at training on funding applications, www.lpwscheme.org.uk building maintenance and tourism. Further information can be found Covid Charity Fund at: (Northern Ireland) https://www. The Covid Charity Fund is nationalchurchestrust.org/ open for applications from treasure-ireland organisations in the Charity Sector in Northern Ireland from 9am on Wednesday 6 January Listed Places of Worship to Friday 22 January. Grant Scheme (Northern More information can be found Ireland) at:

The Listed Places of Worship https:// Grant Scheme provides grants communityfinanceireland.com/ towards VAT paid on eligible covid-charity-fund-is-open-for- repairs, maintenance and applications/ alterations to listed Grants RoI Administered by External Organisations

LEADER Funding heritage and renewal and (Republic of Ireland) development works. LEADER is a European funding Further information on initiative which is managed by LEADER 2014-2020 is the Department of Rural and available on the Department Community Development. It of Rural and Community enables local development Development website: https:// by devolving decision-making drcd.gov.ie/about/rural/rural- to many different companies development/leader/ throughout rural areas in the Republic of Ireland. The name (A Transitional LEADER of the relevant company will Programme will be introduced vary depending on region; in 2021 until the next EU names commonly used are LEADER Programme begins in Integrated Local Development 2023.) Company, Leader Company, For information on how to Leader Partnership or a Local contact your local LEADER Action Group (LAG). group and how to apply for Each LEADER organisation funding: administers a particular rural www.pobal.ie/ development fund and will FundingProgrammes/LEADER/ have different priorities based Pages/LEADER.aspx on their local plan and the needs of the area. The Church of Ireland has benefitted from grants for building works which fall into relevant criteria, such as the upgrading of rural Grants RoI Administered by External Organisations

Built Heritage the scheme is also available Investment Scheme for the conservation of & Historic Structures structures within Architectural Fund (Republic of Conservation Areas (ACAs) Ireland) where, in the opinion of the local authority, a need These are two schemes that for works to enhance the are jointly managed by the character and appearance Department of Housing, Local of an ACA has been Government and Heritage demonstrated. The primary and between them support purpose of the scheme is the owners and custodians to support privately owned of protected structures in properties in need of repair every local authority area in and conservation. This the country in the repair of is achieved through the conservation of the historic leveraging of private capital built environment. They run for investment in a significant from year to year with a number of labour-intensive, limited application window smallcale conservation which is usually between projects throughout the the periods of November to country and to support the February. employment of skilled and experienced conservation Built Heritage Investment professionals, craftspeople and Scheme – This scheme was tradespersons in the repair of developed to assist with the the historic built environment. repair and conservation of structures that are protected Historic Structures Fund under the Planning and (formerly the Structures at Risk Development Act 2000 (as Fund) – This fund will enable amended). In certain cases, Grants Administered by External Organisations

larger scale conservation 2. For a small number of works to be carried out on grants from €50,000 heritage structures which are up to €200,000 for deemed §to be significant and larger enhancement, in need of urgent support, refurbishment or reuse encourage the regeneration projects involving and reuse of heritage heritage structures, properties and to help to where a clear community secure the preservation of or public benefit has protected structures and/or been demonstrated. historic- culturally significant assets and support the More information can be investment of private capital found on in labour-intensive projects to conserve historic structures in https://www.gov.ie/en/publi- public and private ownership cation/32ae3-financial-assis- for community use. tance-for-architectural-heritage/?referrer=http://www. There are two streams of housing.gov.ie/heritage/ funding: - built-heritage/financial-assis- 1. For grants of between tance-architectural-heritage €15,000 and €50,000 for essential repairs and smaller capital works for the refurbishment and conservation of heritage structures. Further Resources for Grant Funding

Irish Georgian Society: Pilgrim Trust

https://www.igs.ie/education/ This trust provides grants to a conservation/sources-of-fund- wide array of organisations in GB ing and Northern Ireland.

https://www.thepilgrimtrust.org. Burial Ground Grants uk/ https://www.tipperarycoco.ie/ There are numerous other grant content/burial-ground-mainte- funding bodies that may provide nance-thurles-md funding for your parish, if you have any further queries feel free Inquire with your local council to contact the Property Depart- ment. With our experience with Grants for Organs: Church restoration and maintenance we are happy to be of https://www.bios.org.uk/ assistance.

British Institute of Organ Stud- ies doesn’t provide grants We can be reached at property@ itself but offers a source of rcbdub.org or by post at Proper- potential grant funders https:// ty Department, Representative www.bios.org.uk/downloads/ Church Body, Church of Ireland biosgran.pdf House, Church Avenue, Rath- mines, Dublin 6, D06 CF67 Further Resources for Grant Funding

Local Authorities reg- council will mean you will ularly offer grants for be up to date on any avail- Community and Heritage able grant funding. purposes, below is a directory of Councils in They often open in Autumn Northern Ireland and the and have deadlines in Jan- Republic. uary. Checking their website is the best way to hear Checking the website of about any new grants on your corresponding local offer.

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland Web Address: Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council http://www.antrimandnewtownabbey. gov.uk/ Ards and North Down Borough Council http://www.ardsandnorthdown.gov.uk/ Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough http://www.armaghbanbridgecraigavon. Council gov.uk/ Belfast City Council http://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/ Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council http://www.causewaycoastandglens.gov. uk/ Derry City and Strabane District Council http://www.derrystrabane.com/ Fermanagh and Omagh District Council - Enni- http://www.fermanaghomagh.com/ skillen Office Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council http://www.lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk/ Mid and East Antrim Borough Council http://www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk/ Mid Ulster District Council - Dungannon http://www.midulstercouncil.org/ Newry, Mourne and Down District Council http://www.newrymournedown.org/ Republic of Ireland Leinster Carlow County Council http://www.carlow.ie/

Dublin City Council http://www.dublincity.ie/ Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown https://www.dlrcoco.ie/en/ County Council Fingal County Council https://www.fingal.ie/

South Dublin County Council https://www.sdcc.ie/en/ Kildare County Council http://kildare.ie/CountyCouncil/ Kilkenny County Council https://www.kilkennycoco.ie/eng/ Laois County Council https://www.laois.ie/ Longford County Council http://www.longfordcoco.ie/ Louth County Council https://www.louthcoco.ie/en/ Meath County Council http://www.meath.ie/ Offaly County Council http://www.offaly.ie/eng/ Westmeath County Council http://www.westmeathcoco.ie/en/ Wexford County Council https://www.wexfordcoco.ie/ Wicklow County Council https://www.wicklow.ie/

Munster Clare County Council http://www.clarecoco.ie/ Cork City Council https://www.corkcity.ie/en/ Cork County Council https://www.corkcoco.ie/ Kerry County Council http://www.kerrycoco.ie/ Limerick City and County https://www.limerick.ie/ Council Tipperary County Council https://www.tipperarycoco.ie/ Waterford City and County http://www.waterfordcouncil.ie/ Council

Connacht Galway City Council https://www.galwaycity.ie/ Galway County Council http://www.galway.ie/en/ Leitrim County Council http://www.leitrimcoco.ie/eng/ Mayo County Council http://www.mayococo.ie/en/ Roscommon County Council http://www.roscommoncoco.ie/en/ Sligo County Council http://www.sligococo.ie/

Ulster Cavan County Council http://www.cavancoco.ie/ Donegal County Council http://www.donegalcoco.ie/ Monaghan County Council https://monaghan.ie/ Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labour in vain.

- Psalm 127:1

For further parish resources https://www.ireland.anglican.org/parish-resources Images from K. Mitch Hodge, Lukas Medvedevas, Sam Henderson, Akira Hojo, Alessandro Valenzano, Gabriel Ramos all available on Unsplash.com Alessandro Valenzano, Akira Hojo, Images from K. Mitch Hodge, Lukas Medvedevas, Sam Henderson,