Building Faith in Faith Buildings

The Jerusalem Trust Prize for the Commissioning of New Art in Parish Churches

2012-01-04T03:31:00.000-08:00

The Church Buildings Council invites parishes within the 42 dioceses of the Church of England to apply for a one-off prize of £10,000, generously funded by The Jerusalem Trust, to be awarded for the best developed proposal for commissioning a new work of art in their church. The purpose of the prize is to reward an excellently prepared proposal and not to judge and fund a particular artwork. A commission may take any of the following forms:

Creative textile
Metalwork
Glass
Painting
Installation using mixed media
Sculpture

The essential criterion will be the requirement to use the process outlined in the Council’s

guidance on “Commissioning New Art for Churches”, which is attached and can also be

downloaded from www.churchcare.co.uk/

The competition has two stages:

Stage 1 – Expression of Interest - Deadline: 29 February 2012 (send to Diana Coulter - see below)

Stage 2 – Final Submission - Deadline 1 October 2012

For further information parishes and DACs are invited to contact Diana Coulter, the

Divisional Support Officer in the Cathedral & Church Buildings Division at:

Diana Coulter

Cathedral & Church Buildings Division

Church House

Great Smith Street

London SW1P 3AZ
Phone: 020 7898 1860

email: diana.coulter@churchofengland.org

The form, notes and the Guidelines may be downloaded from the churchcare website: http://www.churchcare.co.uk/

2012 - An exciting New Year

2012-01-03T09:01:00.000-08:00

We have an exciting year beginning in the Diocese of Ripon and Leeds with opportunities to open our church doors to new people from with and without our communities.

Firstly, at the start of June are the Queen's Jubilee celebrations stretching over an extended weekend from Saturday 2nd June to Tuesday 5th June. This weekend communities are being encouraged to hold community events from the Big Lunch to lighting beacons. Information can be found at:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Nl1/Newsroom/DG_197517

I will be sending out further information about the beacons in the next few weeks.

Secondly, the Olympic Torch relay will be travelling through the diocese in June. The dates and places it will be visiting are below:

Tuesday 19 June

Boston Spa, Wetherby, Harewood, Knaresborough, Harrogate, Ripon, York (Evening celebration)

Wednesday 20 June

York, Thirsk, Northallerton, Aiskew, Bedale, Aysgarth, Leyburn, Richmond

Sunday 24 June

Ilkley, Headingley, Potternewton, Harehills, Richmond Hill, Leeds (Evening celebration)

Monday 25 June

Leeds, Hunslet, Beeston, Morley

If the relay is passing your door it's a great opportunity to invite people in for refreshments and to rest their feet.

Before all these national celebrations from Saturday 28th April to Monday 7th May the Treasures Revealed in Leeds week will take place. This is an opportunity to open your doors to new people and explain the treasures of your church.

Finally, on the weekend of the 6th to 9th of September is the Heritage Open Days Weekend. This is a nationally organised and promoted scheme to help people get access to their local heritage, including churches.

So you can see this year more than many others there are ample opportunities to engage new people with our churches. I'll be sending out information in the next few weeks to help you join in with these schemes.

Protecting Your Church from Metal Theft Seminars

2011-12-01T02:05:00.000-08:00

The two metal theft seminars have now taken place and the presentations for the different parts of the diocese are now available on my web page:

http://www.riponleeds.anglican.org/church_buildings.html

links to the presentations are available at the bottom of the page. Thanks to those who made it and particapted.

Protecting your Church from Metal Theft - Ripon - Wednesday 6-9pm

2011-11-28T06:22:00.000-08:00

This is just a reminder that the course will be taking place at the Holy Trinity Church, Ripon on Wednesday between 6pm and 9pm. If you would like to attend it would be helpful if you could let me know at alice.ullathorne@riponleeds-diocese.org.uk or phone 0113 2000544, although you can just turn up on the day.

The course is practical training in how to reduce the risks of metal theft from your church and will include presentations from the Church Building Support Officer, North Yorkshire Police, Ecclesiastical Insurance and English Heritage with a panel for questions at the end.

Inspired or Fazed? - Maggie Durran - This Saturday at Houghton-le-Spring

2011-11-17T05:55:00.000-08:00

At St Michael's and All Angels Church, Houghton-le-Spring near Durham this Saturday between 10am and 3.30pm Inspired North East are holding and event called "Inspired or Fazed? Planning for Church Development Projects". It will be run by the renowned author and church development consultant Maggie Durran. This will be an excellent and practical course about managing church projects at a cost of merely £10, which can be paid on the door.

Details can be seen at:

http://www.inspirednortheast.org.uk/page/current-events/planning-for-church-development-/1027/

Protecting your Church from Metal Theft - Leeds - Wednesday 3-6pm

2011-11-14T08:14:00.000-08:00

This is just a reminder that the course will be taking place at the diocesan office on Wednesday between 3pm and 6pm. If you would like to attend it would be helpful if you could let me know at alice.ullathorne@riponleeds-diocese.org.uk or phone 0113 2000544, although you can just turn up on the day.

The course is practical training in how to reduce the risks of metal theft from your church and will include presentations from the Church Building Support Officer, West Yorkshire Police, Ecclesiastical Insurance and English Heritage with a panel for questions at the end.

Listed Places of Worship Scheme Update

2011-10-28T08:44:00.000-07:00

We have received the first information from the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme to suggest the likely payments that churches will receive from the scheme. The scheme previously repaid the whole cost of VAT on repairs to church buildings. From March 2011 the budget has been capped to £3 million per quarter due to cuts within the department of Culture, Media and Sport. In the first two quarters of 2011/12 financial year (running up to 30th September) churches have received 71.7% of the amount they have claimed for.

Unfortunately, because of the huge demand for the scheme before March 2011 money from the 2011/12 budget has been taken to pay for shortfall, which has meant the budget will be pushed even further.

The key things to remember when making a claim to the scheme from now on is that claims have to be made within a year and that the 2011/12 budget will be £7 million in comparison to the £12 million budget for 2012/13. Therefore, of your claim can wait it might be worth putting it in after March 2012. As we have not seen a whole year of applications it is currently difficult to be able to suggest which of the quarters is best to put a claim in but I will continue to update you on the figures as they are released.

Protecting Your Church from Metal Theft Seminars

2011-10-18T04:07:00.000-07:00

Next month we shall be running two seminars to give you practical guidance about how best to protect your church from metal theft. There will be representatives from Ripon and Leeds Diocese, Ecclesiastical Insurance, English Heritage and the police.

The first seminar will take place at the Ripon and Leeds Diocesan Office in Leeds between 3pm and 6pm on Wednesday 16th November.

The seminar will also be held at Holy Trinity Church, Ripon on Wednesday 30th November between 6pm and 9pm.

To book a place for either event you can email me at Alice.Ullathorne@riponleeds-diocese.org.uk or phone me on 0113 2000544.

Hot off the Press - English Heritage Guidance - Theft of Metal from Church Buildings

2011-09-28T08:19:00.000-07:00

Published this month is updated guidance from English Heritage regarding the Theft of Metal from Church Buildings:

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/professional/advice/advice-by-topic/places-of-worship/theft-protection

The guidance is in two parts: the first offers advice for congregations on the significance of lead, how to protect it, and how to respond to thefts; the second offers detailed practical information about selecting the material to be used for historic church roofs and making it secure.

The guidance makes it clear that English Heritage will try to balance the ideal - which means like-for-like replacement to maintain the significance of a building - and the pragmatic, which recognises another material might be more likely to secure the continued use of the building and the well-being of its structure and contents.

As way of advanced warning we will be holding events in each Archdeaconry in November about Metal theft and how you can help reduce the risk to your church.

Communications Training at the Diocese in Autumn/Winter 2011

2011-09-28T07:35:00.000-07:00

October 12th and December 14th secure your place(s) byNovember 5th (Social Media—benefits and risks) please book by contacting

Coming this autumn.... Practical Essential Media Courses for Churches.

These courses are designed to aid you to find your way through traditional and modern media to help communicate the message of your church. The practical sessions can help you to understand and use new media.

Details of the courses can be seen at:

http://www.riponleeds.anglican.org/pdfs/cms-MM-Sept11-CT.pdf

For all dates booking is essential..

For

contacting Canon John Carter: john.carter@riponleeds-diocese.org.uk or phone

(01423) 530369

Please indicate which date you wish to attend, the name of your church, and names

of all participants you wish to book in - together with a contact phone number/email

address.

For

Liz Williams: liz.williams@riponleeds-diocese.org.uk or phone (0113) 200 0556

Heritage Open Days 2011 - Thursday 8th to Sunday 11th September

2011-09-01T03:30:00.000-07:00

Here's an article published in the Yorkshire Evening Post about Heritage Open Days in Leeds:

http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/latest-news/central-leeds/heritage_open_days_hidden_leeds_gems_to_throw_open_doors_1_3727778

The events take place on 8th - 11th September and are a great opportunity to have a look around churches and other historic buildings you might not usually get the opportunity to see as well as taking part in lots of fun activities.

The directory of Events can be found at:

http://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/directory/

Home Office Petition – theft of metal

2011-08-31T01:12:00.000-07:00

As you will be aware, metal theft is a significant and increasing problem in the UK and an especially big issue for churches. Historically the scrap metal trade has been a cash in hand industry; which creates difficulties as there is no audit trail, making identification of individuals who may be trading stolen metal or who may be committing tax or benefits fraud, a difficult proposition. An amendment to the Scrap Metal Merchants Act 1964 to prohibit cash transactions would make payment by cheque or directly into a bank account mandatory and would be a significant component in reducing metal theft.

Please forward this petition to anyone who you think might be interested.

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/406

Come join the fun at St Agnes' United Church, Burmantofts - Tomorrow 10-3

2011-08-19T02:00:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow St Agnes' United Church will be open it's doors for a community fun day for all the family. The event is an opportunity for people to help shape the vision for the church within Burmantofts. There will be opportunities for those who have views about Burmantofts, the church and its future to have their say and help the church to make decisions about what path to take in the future. All suggestions are welcome from event venue to community cafe to pottery workshop. All you need to bring is your ideas and views about where you live.

Calling All Grade II Listed Churches in need of Urgent Repair - Repair Grants for Places of Worship

2011-08-09T06:58:00.000-07:00

This is a reminder that the deadline for Grade II churches for the Repair Grants for Places of Worship scheme is looming. The deadline for 2011 is September 30th. The scheme is administered by English Heritage with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund. To be eligible for the scheme your church must be in financial need (i.e. you don't have the funds in your reserves) and the works must be urgent (need to be completed within the next year). Details of the scheme and the application form and Guidance can be seen at:

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/professional/funding/grants/grants-available/rgpow/

If your church is in Ripon and Leeds Diocese I can help with any enquiries. You can contact me on 0113 2000544 or Alice.Ullathorne@riponleeds-diocese.org.uk

Long Time no See - Exemplar of the Month-ish - Allerton Bywater

2011-08-03T07:58:00.000-07:00

It's been quite a time since I've posted. I've been away for a while and catching up for the rest but thought I'd start back with a really good example of the development of a church seen at St Mary the Less, Allerton Bywater, Leeds.

Exterior of the extension

The development of St Mary's took several months last year and the fifty strong congregation met in other community facilities while a £216,000 refurbishment scheme was underway to provide a new extension and new flooring to the mid-19th century church.

The new annexe extension built onto the side of the church boasts a new kitchen and toilets, while in the main church the sanctuary floor was lowered, a new floor with under floor heating installed, new seating added and a new Makin electronic organ installed to replace the old Victorian pipe organ.

Interior of the extension showing how it relates to the church

Much of the money for the project came from the sale of a derelict church hall. During the work, original and previously hidden stained glass windows were discovered as well as a blocked off spiral staircase leading to a hidden loft behind the old organ.

The development works really well because it provides all the facilities the church needs under one roof. The congregation no longer need to walk round the corner to the church hall on a cold December morning to use the facilities. Everything is now on hand. The development has also created two spaces that can be used for different events at the same time allowing the church to open its doors more widely to the community.

Kitchen and Toilet Facilities

As you can see the extension blends in very well with the church outside and in. This is a really a very good example of what can be achieved without costing the earth and the benefits of have everything under one roof.

Heritage Open Days 2011 - Thursday 8th to Sunday 11th September

2011-06-17T06:13:00.000-07:00

Heritage Open Day Weekend 2011 is drawing near and I would encourage you to take up the opportunity to open up your churches. Heritage Open Days is a chance to open up the church to a wider audience and help to celebrate with others what is important about your place of worship. All you need to do is open the church during the weekend and have someone available to answer questions about the heritage of the church.

If you would like to take part you can register online following the instructions below:

http://www.riponleeds.anglican.org/pdfs/cms-Heritage%20Open%20Days%20Online%20Registration%20Instructions.pdf

Alternatively, I can register your event for you if you send me the following information:

1. Church Name

2. A Brief Description

3. When the church will be open during the Heritage Open Day Weekend

4. Whether Booking is Essential, if so we need instructions for whom to contact.

5. Whether you are putting on any special events, such as a choral service or treasure hunt for the kids

6. Whether you will be putting refreshments on

7. Contact details for enquiries about the event

The deadline for online registration is the end of July and if you want me to register your event you will need to get the information to me by Friday 15^th July. Could you let me know if you register online so that I have a better picture of the response across the diocese?

Big Society Event - This Friday Evening!!

2011-05-24T07:04:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder that "What Does the Big Society mean for you?" is happening at Chantry Hall Bedale this Thursday evening between 7pm and 9pm. If you want to know about the opportunities now open to your church come along to Chantry Hall, North End, Bedale.

To book a place email alice.ullathorne@riponleeds-diocese.org.uk or phone 0113 2000544.

English Heritage/Heritage Lottery - Repair Grants for Places of Worship Scheme

2011-05-24T06:37:00.000-07:00

The application forms for the English Heritage/Heritage Lottery Fund Repairs Grants for Places of Worship Scheme are now available online at:

Repair Grants for Places of Worship

Alternatively you can get a application form from the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Office at:

37 Tanner Row
York
YO1 6WP
Tel: 01904 601901

Or if you are in the county of Durham from the North East Regional Office at:

Bessie Surtees House
41-44 Sandhill
Newcastle Upon Tyne
NE1 3JF
Tel: 0191 2611130

Application for grade I and II* listed churches and chapels need to be in by 30th June and applications for grade II listed churches need to be in by 30 September.

If you are a grade I or II* and do not wish to accept money from the Heritage Lottery Fund on moral grounds, English Heritage will fund the repairs.

If you are applying for a grant the Regional English Heritage office are very helpful and they prefer have a conversation with you before you put your application in to make sure you are eligible, to help you through the process and to keep track of the number of applications they are likely to receive.

If you need any advice on the scheme, whether to apply and if you are eligible do get in touch:

Alice Ullathorne

Church Building Support Officer,

Ripon & Leeds Diocesan Office,

St Mary's Street,

Leeds LS9 7DP.

Telephone: 0113 2000 544
email: Alice.Ullathorne@riponleeds-diocese.org.uk

Very Exemplar of the month-ish - St Oswald's Askrigg

2011-05-18T09:49:00.000-07:00

I thought it was about time I presented another exemplar of what is possible. This is a simpler example than the last but includes the introduction of a toilet and kitchen into the church in a really sympathetic way. The new facilities exactly meet the needs of Askrigg and allow the congregation to hold a range of different types of events within the church as well as making it more visitor friendly. The design of the new facilities is utterly in keeping and unobtrusive. You can watch about the project on this clip of the Your Church, Your Vision DVD that has been put on YouTube:

What Does the Big Society mean for you? - Event - Bedale - 27th May

2011-05-11T02:04:00.000-07:00

On Friday 27th May, 7-9pm we will be holding an event at Chantry Hall, North End, Bedale (next to St Gregory's Church) to explore what Big Society means, the opportunities for churches and how to engage with the process. The event will also give the opportunity for discussion and look at how churches can open themselves up to wider community uses. To book a place email alice.ullathorne@riponleeds-diocese.org.uk or phone 0113 2000544.

Holy Spirit, Beeston Hill - Treasures Revealed Open House

2011-05-04T07:36:00.000-07:00

Holy Spirit Church, Beeston Hill, Leeds is holding an event this Saturday (7^th May) to help shape the vision for the church within Beeston Hill. The church is opening its doors to young and old for a fun packed day for all the community. There will be opportunities for those who have views about Beeston Hill, the church and its future to have their say and help the church to make decisions about what path to take in the future. All suggestions are welcome from event venue to community café to circus training centre. All you need to bring is your ideas and views about where you live.

English Heritage/Heritage Lottery - Repair Grants for Places of Worship Scheme

2011-04-21T09:09:00.000-07:00

If you're planning to apply for the Repair Grants for Places of Worship scheme for grade I and II* churches at the end of June you will find that you won't be able to get the application form from the regional office or the website until May as the form is currently being approved by both funders before going live in May.

A Plea for Help - Heritage Lottery Fund Consultation - deadline 26th April

2011-04-18T04:22:00.000-07:00

Though it might sound dull it's really important that as many people fill in the current Heritage Lottery Fund Consultation as possible. There is a long and short form. The latter only takes a matter of minutes and can be found by clicking on "Public: register your vote" on the link below:

Heritage Lottery Fund Consultation

At present there has been a low turn out in the consultation from places of worship. The consultation will shape how the HLF spends it's money in the future so if there is not enough representation from faith organisations such as the dioceses and churches schemes like the Repair Grants for Places of Worship will be at risk. The scheme is the largest funder for repairs to churches so the loss of the scheme would be catastrophic for our listed church buildings. So if you want to keep the Repair Grants for Places of worship scheme get online Now!!!

Faith In Maintenance - Bedale - Saturday!!

2011-04-12T10:16:00.000-07:00

Don't forget the Faith in Maintenance course organised by SPAB will be happening this Saturday at Chantry Hall next to St Gregory's Church in Bedale. All your maintenance questions answered with theory put into practice in the afternoon session. Just bring yourselves and don't forget your butties!!

Listed Places of Worship Scheme Update

2011-04-11T08:01:00.000-07:00

The headline changes to the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme announced on 31st March are:

· Applications will be processed on a quarterly basis and the grants paid at the end of the quarter – the application window will open again in July 2011

· There is a fixed budget for each quarter – if applications are for more than the budget a proportional amount of the VAT is paid and if they are less the amount rolls over into the next quarter

· It will not be possible to claim where the supporting invoices are more than one year old

· As there will be a large volume of applications in the first 2 quarters of 2011/12 applications should be made after September 2011, if there is any flexibility

· Eligibility depends on the date the claim is received by the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, not the date the works were carried out, or the invoice date – therefore, the full level of VAT can no longer be guaranteed and professional fees and organ and bell works are now INELIGIBLE

More information has been sent to your clergy and PCC Treasurers or you can go to ChurchCare's website:

http://www.churchcare.co.uk/news.php

Big Society Event - This Thursday!!

2011-03-28T04:42:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder that "What Does the Big Society mean for you?" is happening at the diocesan office this Thursday evening between 7pm and 9pm. If you want to know about the opportunities now open to your church come along to the Ripon and Leeds diocesan office (St Mary's Street, Leeds, LS9 7DP).

To book a place email alice.ullathorne@riponleeds-diocese.org.uk or phone 0113 2000544.

Crossing the Threshold - Reminder

2011-03-16T08:44:00.000-07:00

There are still places left on the Crossing the Threshold conference next Tuesday. The conference is essential training for any church wishing to engage more fully with the community around them and develop their churches for a sustainable future.

The conference will be lead by Inspired North East and takes place at St John's Church, Percy Main, Tyneside on Tuesday 22nd March - to book a place follow the link on the right hand side.

Listed Places of Worship Scheme - Claim Now!!

2011-03-14T02:53:00.000-07:00

The last date for receipt of applications under the current arrangements, of 100% VAT refund on listed places or worship maintenance and repair works, will be the 31st March 2011 so make sure you get your claims in now!!

Funding for the listed places of worship grant scheme will continue until April 2015. To make the scheme financially sustainable the terms have already been tightened by removing professional fees and repair works to fixtures like clocks and bells from January 4th 2011.

It was announced in October that £12 million per year is available for the next four years. That means that there will have to be a new capping arrangement of some sort so that the total paid out is within the total annual sums available. How this will work is currently being reviewed by the Department of Culture Media and Sport and their website states that they will be discussing this with faith groups before making serious alterations to the scheme.

Given that the last date for receipt of applications under the current arrangements is 31st March 2011 it is important that claims that are now ready are submitted before this deadline to make sure that you are eligible for 100% of the VAT on the works (excluding professional fees which remain ineligible).

What does big society mean for you?: Churches, Community and Collaboration - Thursday 31st March, 7-9pm

2011-03-08T05:41:00.000-08:00

On Thursday 31^st March, 7-9pm we will be holding an event at the Ripon and Leeds Diocesan office (St Mary's Street, Leeds LS9 7DP) to explore what Big Society means, the opportunities for churches and how to engage with the process. To book a place email alice.ullathorne@riponleeds-diocese.org.uk or phone 0113 2000544.

Faith in Maintenance - April 16 - Bedale - last few places

2011-03-01T07:23:00.000-08:00

Just a reminder that the Faith in Maintenance course run by the Society for the Preservation of Ancient Buildings is happening on Saturday 16th April at Chantry Hall beside St Gregory's Church at Bedale. At the last count there are less than 10 places left so don't miss your chance to attend the free course. You can sign up online at:

http://www.spabfim.org.uk/events/00145.html

or contact Kate Minnis at:

SPAB Faith in Maintenance,

37 Spital Square, London E1 6DY

Tel: 0207 456 0913 email: katem@spab.org.uk

Great News!! - St Wilfrid's Church, Halton

2011-02-17T06:49:00.000-08:00

Great News has been released today about St Wilfrid's Church, Halton, Leeds. It has been awarded the largest grant nationally by the joint English Heritage and Heritage Lottery Fund Repair Grants for Places of Worship Scheme:

Yorkshire Post Article

The church has been granted nearly £500,000 towards a repair scheme for the roof, which will cost over £650,000.

You can find out more about St Wilfrid's Church at:

St Wilfrid's Church Website

Exemplar of the Month-ish: St George's Church, Leeds

2011-02-10T08:55:00.000-08:00

I've now been writing this blog for a couple of months and this is the first I've presented an example of good practice, so I've changed the title accordingly.
My first exemplar is St George's church right at the centre of the city of Leeds. St George's have been able to marry primary service delivery (St George's Crypt - who have helped the homeless and needy for 80 years this year) without compromising the mission of the church. They are very clear about their vision for their church and they use their resources really well to help them achieve that vision.

Here's their website:

www.stgeorgesleeds.org.uk/

I really like their site. It's very well designed and shows that they're doing really interesting things as well as making sure it has the important fundraising stuff like having a donate here page and having links to the St George's centre, where they hire out function rooms. Importantly they also link up everything they do with videos on youtube, photos on flickr and networking on facebook and twitter. This way they can reach a greater audience and if someone clicks on one site their brought back to the website. It's a really good example of how all the activities the church do are linked virtually.

Shaping the Future - Heritage Lottery Fund Consultation

2011-02-02T04:08:00.000-08:00

The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) have just started a consultation about the way they spend their money after 2013. Why does this matter? The joint scheme between the HLF and English Heritage called the Repair Grants for Places of Worship Scheme is currently due to run until 2013 and after that the future of the scheme will partly be decided by the consultation. The consultation is the really big opportunity to have your say about how great the repair grants for places of worship scheme is, how important it is to protect our religious heritage and how hard times are for getting money to repair our church heritage. The repair grants scheme is one of the only large funding sources for high level repairs so it’s incredibly important that it remains in place after 2013. You can fill in the consultation online at Heritage Lottery Fund Consultation.

2011-01-31T08:10:00.000-08:00

Invitation to attend a workshop on applying for a Repair Grant for Places of Worship

Every year English Heritage receive many applications for grants towards urgent repairs on places of worship. Some of the applications are unfortunately rejected. This may be because the work applied for is not deemed urgent when considered against other applications. However, some are rejected because the information provided is not sufficient, the form is not completed correctly or ineligible work is applied for.

The North West Regional English Heritage office are holding a workshop which will look specifically at how to fill in an application form for a grant, what information they require in support of the application, and what kind of repair work they consider to be eligible for a grant.

Details of the session are as follows:

Date : Thursday 10^th March

Venue : Training Room, 4^th Floor, Church House, 90 Deansgate, Manchester

Time : 2.0pm

If you have a church building which is in need of repair and have been considering whether to apply for a grant from English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund, they hope that you will be able to join them.

Please confirm your attendance by 1^st March 2011 either via email to gillian.laybourn@english-heritage.org.uk or by telephoning 0161 242 1421. If you have any dietary or access requirements, please advise by the same date.

Crossing the Threshold - Churches, Heritage and the Big Society - March 22nd

2011-01-28T05:32:00.000-08:00

On a similar note Inspired North East are running a conference on Tuesday 22nd March called Crossing the Threshold:

Crossing the Threshold

The purpose of the day is to explore new insights and practical experience in the wider use of church buildings, including:Hosting community activities and services

Looking after our built heritage
Improving visitor access and welcome
Sustaining places for worship and community wellbeing.

The conference is aimed at decision makers, professional practitioners, church and community leaders, facilitators and social partners.

If you're planning to develop your church to incorporate community uses this course should give you really good practical advice about how to go about it.

Inspired North East

2011-01-28T05:23:00.000-08:00

My role at Ripon and Leeds is part-funded by English Heritage's Inspired! campaign (the link is on the right if you're interested). There are currently 23 people employed through the scheme. The posts are with a number of diocese and national organisations, such as the Churches Conservation Trust and the National Churches Trust.

My nearest neighbours in terms of support officers have set up the Inspired North East Scheme. They do similar things to me in the Durham and Newcastle Dioceses. The reason I'm posting about them is that I think they have a really great website with very useful information and links:

Inspired North East

I think it's well worth having a look.

Faith in Maintenance - April 16 - Bedale

2011-01-27T03:23:00.000-08:00

On Saturday 16 April there will be a Faith in Maintenance day organised by the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) aimed to help congregations to identify and do simple maintenance tasks to help keep their churches in good condition.

The day will be held at Chantry Hall, Bedale (next door to St Gregory's Church - left) and will have talks as well as practical exercises in and around the church.

You can find out more and book at:

http://www.spabfim.org.uk/events/00145.html

BIG lottery: Reaching Communities

2011-01-18T04:55:00.000-08:00

The BIG lottery Reaching Communities programme recently changed their criteria for funding by opening a building stream of the programme:

http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/prog_reaching_communities?tab=3&regioncode=-uk

The programme will now fund new buildings or adaptation of existing properties that help address community needs. The funding for buildings began in mid December 2010 and currently has no end date. The application process involves an outline proposal of the works and a subsequent formal application. This means they can check whether the project fits in with their criteria before the applicant has spent a lot of time and effort.

The programme is targeted at the most deprived areas of the country and those areas the BIG lottery have not already funded. There is an eligibility checker on the website to put your post code in to check whether you are in an eligible area.

Successful projects will have to show that the buildings will help to address community needs in terms of outcomes. Outcomes are something that the lottery use to assess the difference that a project has made to people's quality of life. For example, helping older people live within their own homes by providing meals on wheels or lunch clubs might be an outcome.

The next question is why do you need to know all of this? If you have a church or buildings in an eligible area and you want to help the community, you might find that the BIG lottery will fund your project. If you are eligible for the scheme and you meet the BIG lottery's criteria you have a 1 in 3 chance of getting funding. If you need any advice, let me know.

Funds for Historic Churches

2011-01-07T09:06:00.000-08:00

One of the main aims of the blog is to help congregations to care for their churches. When I ask people about the training, events and services that they'd like from the diocese number one on the list is always funding advice. Now more than ever the funding climate for churches and heritage in general is challenging, both in terms of the funds available and the application processes.

On the blog I'll update you on funding programmes as they open and close as well as giving tips for how and where to get funding. I'll also give you links to what people have done elsewhere, what works and what doesn't and new ways of paying for facilities, such as ways of moving from funding to levering investment.

From March I will be producing funding bulletins to help keep PCCs and the clergy in touch with funding opportunities for their churches and subsequently I will organise some training in where to go, what information is needed and how to fill in application forms.

Hope this all helps and do let me know if there is other information or advice that would be of use to you.

Putting the Community into Church-Community-Building

2010-12-22T07:56:00.000-08:00

Hello,
I thought a word or two of explanation regarding the name of the Blog might be in order. I decided that the most important word for the blog beside Church Buildings was Community. To be sustainable in the long term churches need to be relevant to the wider community around them, not just those within the Christian Community. The parish church is more often than not the oldest community building in any place and of importance in helping people understand their heritage and identity and the story of the place they live in.

Many current funders require projects to address community needs in order to improve peoples lives. Churches are very well placed to help the poor and needy in every community and therefore engaging with the community can help the church keep their roof on as well as achieving their mission as a Christian congregation.

Within this blog I shall try to help you to engage with the wider community from conducting community audits to using social media to reach out to the widest possible audience.

Hope you have a wonderful Christmas and I shall be back in the New Year.

Welcome to my Blog

2010-12-15T06:33:00.000-08:00

Hello and Welcome to my Blog.
The blog has been created to help update you about issues and opportunities for churches in the Ripon and Leeds Diocese. My role as Church Building Support Officer is to support congregations to understand the cost of keeping their churches in good order and helping them find a way to make their churches viable.

On this blog I will post funding updates, links to exemplary schemes elsewhere, ideas for better community engagement and events across the diocese. Initially I'm supporting 8 churches but I'm more than happy to deal with enquiries and requests. So feel free to comment on the things you like and don't like about the site and the things you'd like to find more about.