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St Mary's Whaddon CHURCH HERITAGE News from the Church Buildings and Pastoral Team

Welcome to the newsletter from the Church Buildings and Pastoral Team, giving a quick overview of key information and updates.

All the information in this newsletter is correct at the time of writing. If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact the team directly.

REMINDERS Quinquennial Inspections We know that circumstances over the last year made Quinquennial Inspections difficult, but now that restrictions have been lifted it is important to arrange for any overdue inspections to be completed as soon as possible. This Diocese pays £600 towards the cost of a quinquennial inspection (QI). We will be contacting parishes in due course where QIs are either overdue or due this year. In the meantime, if you are not sure when yours is due, please contact Poppy. It is also important to keep your logbooks, maintenance plans and inventory up to date.

St Peter, Old Hurst - Kevin Sims COVID-19

For the latest information concerning church buildings and Covid-19 please visit the Church of ’s website. The National Churches Trust has advice and resources on the re- opening of church buildings and engaging with new visitors: Re-opening Your Church

Churches, Covid-19 and Communities: “…it really is about buildings…” The results of the “Where do we go from here? Churches, communities, and buildings during COVID and beyond" project have been published. Among the many recommendations, the report highlights the central role that buildings play in the multi-faceted contribution churches make to society. Read more on our website: Key Report Published.

Church Buildings and the Post-Covid Church Sessions St Andrew, Impington During April and May, the Diocese of Worcester pulled together a range of experts to provide practical advice around a range of topics: sustaining and developing our churches adapting to new technology how we secure our buildings whilst remaining open to the community the best ways to fundraise, now and for the future. The advice is relevant to parishes across the country. Recordings of the sessions and presentations can be found here: Church Sessions.

BUILDING VOLUNTEERS

National Volunteers Week: A Time to Say Thanks Volunteers’ Week takes place 1-7 June every year. It's a chance to recognise the fantastic contribution volunteers make to our communities and to say thank you. Find out more about this and FREE training in volunteer management: Volunteer and Community Events In June.

Focus on Volunteers We need to hear from you and yes, that does mean another survey. BUT, this one is aimed at you or the people supporting you – church building volunteers, including PCC members and churchwardens. We know that the care and management of our historic church buildings relies on volunteers. We want to make sure we are providing the right training and support for people, but to do this we need a better understanding of what it means to be a church building volunteer, particularly in light of the pandemic. The survey will be launched later this month, followed by individual and group interviews.

St Peter, - CCT GOOD NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Grant Success for Little Paxton Earlier this year, St James in Little Paxton was one of just a few churches which had success with round two of the Cultural Recovery Fund. This grant scheme focused on revenue costs to help heritage organisations adapt to the impact of Covid-19 and prepare to welcome back visitors. Little Paxton was awarded a grant towards providing new carpet, live streaming equipment and PPE to reopen St James' church safely for its many groups and activities throughout the year. “It was a very tricky form to fill out and thanks go to Kate our treasurer for being able and willing to complete it.” The Revd Canon Annette Reed

Work Starts at St Peter and St Paul It seems hard to believe that it was 2018 when the team at Wisbech started their journey with the National Lottery Heritage Fund, back then it was still called the Heritage Lottery Fund. Thanks to the determination of the volunteers, particularly during 2020, the scaffolding is now up, repairs have begun and the local MP, Steve Barclay, has visited: “It was great to see for myself the renovation work going on at St Peter’s and St Paul’s Church in Wisbech….It’s important we look after the heritage we have inherited and pass it onto future generations in good shape.”

Soham Receives National Churches Trust Grant A grant of just under £4000 might not seem worth the effort when your total repair costs exceed £2 million. But the team at St Andrew’s are taking advantage of every opportunity to slow the deterioration of the building, whilst they navigate the incredibly challenging situation with funding for major repairs. Every little really does help! Read more: Soham Success.

Cultural Recovery Fund It is hotly rumoured that there will be a third round of the Cultural Recovery Fund. We do not know when or what the criteria will be – if it will include a dedicated repairs fund like last summer. All we can say is be prepared as it generally has a short application window. Last year the grants for repairs were up to £25k for works costing up to £30k, so it might be a good idea to have something along those lines prepared just in case! We will share details as soon as we have them.

Ss Peter & Paul, Watlington St Andrew, Soham MAINTENANCE MATTERS

Maintenance Commandments A slightly abbreviated version of some top tips from Southoe St Leonard’s, a runner up at 2020's Nayler Awards for excellence in maintenance.

St Clement's, Outwell 1. Designate leaders who ensure maintenance is carried out and recorded in the logbook. 2. Work closely with the inspecting architect. 3. Work together with other churches in the benefice, and share good practice and knowledge. 4. Foster the input of local volunteers across the benefice. 5. Follow a tailored maintenance plan and review and update it regularly. 6. Include a fabric report at each PCC meeting and note progress or items still to be sorted. 7. Report on fabric matters at each APCM and update on action plans following the QI inspection. 8. Ensure that sufficient funds are available for maintenance and servicing each year. 9. Be courageous when a QI throws up major issues! Develop an action plan, foster a culture of love and appreciation for your building. 10. Use social media and newsletters to keep your local community aware of the progress (and costs!) of maintenance, and to commend your wonderful building to all people, whether of faith or not, as a wonderful community asset. "Don’t give up when faced with big mountains to climb. Keep those basic tasks going... whilst a bigger project may be slowly developing behind the scenes." Read more top tips on the National Churches Trust's website.

Recommended Monthly Tasks From SPAB’s Faith in Maintenance Calendar.

June Inspect all windows. Check the glazing, putty, lead cames and wire ties for signs of damage. Check timberwork for signs of rot including less accessible areas such as floor and roof voids, under stairs and in cupboards. Clear any dirt from condensation drainage channels and holes at the base of windows. Remove any vermin from floor and roof voids.

July Look at timber windows, doors, fascias and bargeboards. Check for cracked and rotten wood. Redecoration may be required. Clear away any plant growth from around the base of the walls and in particular from the drainage channel. Have the lightning conductor system serviced once every five years. If your building has a steeple, consider having it inspected by a steeplejack once every five years.

August Take a break!

St James, Little Paxton ENVIRONMENT

Churches Count on Nature Many readers will be lucky enough to have a churchyard with many wildflowers that are increasingly uncommon in the wider countryside or town. With these and the trees, churchyards can attract animal life, both great and small. Ely diocese encourages churches to care for their churchyards to enhance their nature conservation. This month you can join in a national wildlife watch, a bit like the Big Garden Birdwatch, called “Churches Count on Nature.” It is 5th to 13th June, but choose a later date if need be. You can find out all about it at Caring for God’s Acre. We are promoting the Wildlife Trust’s Churchyard Conservation Award. This will guide you in what to do and motivate people with the award scheme. For more information on this and other projects please see the Environment and Sustainability pages on our website. Diana Cook is generously offering to give personal advice too. Please send your wildlife sightings in the Count to her as well - [email protected]

Trees and Faculties You will know that work to churchyard trees falls under faculty. This is because trees, as well as buildings, are part of our national heritage entrusted to the church. That may feel burdensome in prospect, but, apart from felling a sound tree, tree-work is covered by the light-touch Lists A and B.

List A sets out what a parish can do without reference to the diocese. In simple words, you can: Do what you want to saplings, including felling. These are defined as trees with a diameter of less than 75mm at 1.5m above the ground. Commission pruning of trees that are dead, dying or dangerous. Remove dead wood from a tree Snowdrops at Shouldham Thorpe If the trees are in a Conservation Area or have a Tree Preservation Order, you must first obtain the consent of your local authority. You should also read and make use of the Church Buildings Council’s guidance on Trees. If you want to do more than this, including plant a tree, this is a List B matter and you must apply to the DAC.

Self-guided Checklist to Help Churches on Path to Net Zero The new self-guided checklist accompanies the Practical Path to Net Zero Carbon. The checklist is a clear and simple place for churches to start, considering how to cut their carbon footprint. Webinars on net zero carbon continue across 2021.

GRANTS Introducing… ASDA Foundation: Two Schemes Now Open The Green Token Giving Scheme returns as an online vote. Three local, grassroots community projects are selected per Asda store per month. The one with the most votes received £500, with the other to receiving £200. The new Bringing Communities Back Together Grant has been set up to give a maximum of £1000 to support a celebration event or to get activities and community services back on track. Visit the ASDA Foundation website for more details.

Current Deadlines Grants without Deadlines

All Churches Trust The Archer Trust BIFFA Award - Community Buildings Church Buildings Council Conservation Reports Garfield Weston Geoffrey Watling (Norfolk only) Henry Smith Charity National Lottery Community Fund: Awards for All National Lottery Community Fund: Reaching Communities Fund National Lottery Heritage Fund: Grants for Heritage (upto £250,000) Paul Bassham Charitable Trust (Norfolk only) Suez Community Fund Tarmac Funding Tesco Bags of Help The Barron Bell Trust The Beatrice Laing Trust The Bernard Sunley Foundation The Clothworkers' Foundation The Co-op Local Community Fund The Hobson Charity Ltd The Jack Patston Trust (Cambs only) The John S Cohen Foundation The Round Tower Churches Society The Swire Charitable Trust - grants under £25,000 The Tudor Trust Virridor Credits Environment Co. For more help with church finances, particularly during the current crisis, visit the Financial Guidance and Giving pages of the Diocese’s website. Suspended Deadlines Greggs Foundation – focusing on Covid-19 projects, particularly in North of England. The Prince of Wales' Charitable Fund - closed until further notice. The Idlewild Trust – details for 2021 due to be published in the summer. The Foyle Foundation – all grants have re-opened except for the major capital requests scheme, which is unlikely to re-open before autumn 2021. The Rank Foundation Pebble Grants – priorities for 2021 due to be announced soon. The Jill Franklin Trust – closed until summer 2021 for church restoration projects. The current focus is on Covid-19 related projects, especially in the North of England.

For more advice on grants and lists of grant making organisations, please contact Sue or Holly. If you would prefer to search for grants and receive more frequent updates on funding opportunities, you can register for free with the following websites: • Support • Hunts Forum • Grants Online • My Funding Central • Funds Online Please note that the Diocese of Norwich’s subscription to Fundfinder ended on the 31st May. A similar database can be accessed via some county/district council websites.

OTHER SUPPORT St James, Newton in the Isle A Toolkit for Rural Churches One of the major impacts of Covid-19 has been an increase in isolation and loneliness especially in rural areas. The Arthur Rank Centre have produced a free toolkit to help churches address the issue.

Free Support from Rebuilding Heritage One-to-one and group support is available to heritage organisations including places of worship. Topics include financial literacy, digital marketing, business planning, fundraising, legal issues, leadership and wellbeing. The final round will (to receive support Sept-Oct) will open Thursday 8 July 2021. Deadline: 11pm, Tuesday 27 July 2021. Book now.

Norfolk Community Foundation Launch New Initiative Opportunities4Communities aims to connect charities, community groups and voluntary organisations working in Norfolk. Find out more on the Norfolk Community Foundation website.

New Visitor Engagement and Volunteer Resources Resources and training produced for Cathedrals but worth any sized church having at look at: English Cathedrals Resources. St James, Newton-in-the-Isle Write to your MP The future of funding for churches is being discussed now, but if we are to get an appropriate, realistic level of support, we need decision makers to understand what is needed. Please write to your local MP to highlight both the positives and negatives of recent government support. If you were successful with the Historic England Covid-19 Heritage at Risk Fund (part of the CRF) please highlight how this benefitted your church and the difference government grants can make. Equally, point out any negative aspects i.e. the cap of total costs at £30,000. If you couldn’t access any recent funding or have been negatively impacted by the suspension of and changes to the National Lottery Heritage Fund, please highlight this. Do also draw attention to the Churches, Covid-19 and Communities Report.

TRAINING & EVENTS National Volunteers Week 1st – 7th June Including FREE Connecting Communities Conference on Volunteer Management. See Building Volunteers section.

Love your Burial Ground Week/ Churches Count on Nature: 5th– 13th June See Environment section.

Fascinating Fens Day: 19th June Fascinating Fens are excited to announce the “Celebrate the Fens” Day, will be returning on 19th June 2021 (for the whole weekend 18th-20th). There will be a mixture of actual and virtual events taking place. Visit the Fascinating Fens website.

Learning Hub Family Open Day: 26th June St James, Newton in the Isle Find out more about the Learning Hub at Ely Cathedral Hub (a project to help parish churches work with local schools). There will be activities and taster sessions on offer free of charge during this fun-packed, family event which is open to all ages. More details on our website calendar.

The Churches Conservation Trust Lunchtime Lectures A popular series of online talks every Thursday at 1pm. Find out more at CCT lectures.

Virtual Events Calendar The National Churches Trust are listing events on their website, so that you can support some of the lectures, talks, plays and concerts that are taking place in the UK's church buildings as well as attending conferences and training sessions. Find out more at NCT Events.

Cambridgeshire Historic Churches Trust Online Lectures The series of FREE lectures continues (if you aren’t a Trust member, donations are welcome to support the work of the Trust). Book Now. • Tuesday 20th July 7pm - Change ringing explained - Gareth Davies, Cambridge bellringer • Tuesday 17th August 7pm - Turret clocks - Chris McKay, Horologist • Tuesday 28th September 7pm - Towers and Spires – Robert Walker, Architectural historian

Ride and Stride: Saturday 11th September Ride and Stride will take place again this year, with whatever adaptations are needed to keep people safe whilst exploring our fabulous churches and raising funds. Please join in this year in whatever way you can. More details coming soon on websites for Cambridgeshire and Norfolk. CONTACT DETAILS

Please contact Holly if you:

have any problems with the links contained in this newsletter would like to be added to/removed from the mailing list for the newsletter have a good news story or information you would like included in the next edition; cut-off date 16th August.

All initial enquiries about works to your building or churchyard and queries about the faculty process or applying for consent should please be directed to the Church Buildings office via [email protected]

Geoffrey Hunter - DAC Secretary and Head of the Church Buildings and Pastoral Department. Telephone (01353) 652737 or email [email protected]

Sue Dickinson - Assistant DAC Secretary and Grants Adviser. Telephone (01353) 652705 or 07856 307855 or email [email protected]

Poppy Crooks - Church Buildings Advice Assistant. Telephone (01353) 652729 or email [email protected]

Holly Isted - Historic Church Buildings Support Officer. Telephone (01353) 652720 or 07948 350211 Email [email protected]

Sally Gilson - Pastoral and Elections Secretary. Telephone 07946 715733 Email [email protected]

Ss Peter & Paul, Wisbech