Funding

Helping you to secure funding for your organisation

Click through the image slides to see the funding available for VCSE organisations in Northamptonshire.

Open the link below to access the PDF with links to further information.

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Funding for Churches/Chapels

The Northamptonshire Historic Churches Trust gives grants for a wide variety of church projects, from structural repairs to the installation of a toilet and servery. Grants are usually between £300 and £5,000. Visit website >

The National Churches Trust has a range of grants targeted at the repair and maintenance of church buildings. It also runs a Community Grants programme of £5,000 to £20,000 for projects which introduce facilities to enable increased use of places of worship.  Projects must have an estimated cost of at least £25,000 to qualify and provide at least 50% match funding. Visit website >

Allchurches Trust supports appeals from churches for building and restoration projects and church community initiatives. Grants of up to £15,000 are available for projects costing under £1m. Visit website >

The Church Buildings Council, as well as having a website which gives advice and refers churches to other funders, also has its own fabric repair grants, of around £5,000. Details are at. Visit website >

The William and Jane Morris Fund gives grants of between £500 and £5,000 to churches and chapels for the conservation of decorative features and monuments, dated before 1896, but not structural repairs. Visit website >

The Listed Places of Worship (LPW) Grant Scheme gives grants that cover the VAT incurred in making repairs to listed buildings in use as places of worship. The scheme covers repairs to the fabric of the building, along with associated professional fees, plus repairs to turret clocks, pews, bells and pipe organs. Visit website >

The Worshipful Company of Glaziers gives grants to ecclesiastic and other public buildings exclusively for the conservation of historic and/or artistically significant stained and architectural glass. Grants of up to £6,000 are available. Visit website >

The Monumental Brass Society has a Conservation Fund, from which grants are provided to churches for conservation work on brasses. Grants of £50 to £200 are available  However, as a primary fund the M.B.S. Fund frequently opens the door to larger, less publicised resources. Visit website >

The Georgian Group administers the F.E. Cleary Heritage Fund, a small charitable trust whose aim is the conservation of Georgian architecture. Grants of £250 to £1,000 are available. Visit website >

The Garfield Weston Foundation’s Faith funding stream supports large and small church projects. Visit website >

Heritage funders which could fund churches

The National Lottery Heritage Fund has a range of programmes aimed at increasing participation in heritage. These can cover church repairs as part of a community heritage project. Visit website >

Historic England has a grant scheme for the repair and conservation of some of England’s most significant historic buildings, monuments and designed landscapes. Note: they usually only fund important buildings on the Heritage at Risk Register. Visit website >

Historic England has a grant scheme for the repair and conservation of some of England’s most significant historic buildings, monuments and designed landscapes. Note: they usually only fund important buildings on the Heritage at Risk Register. Visit website >

The Architectural Heritage Fund focuses on the preservation of land and buildings. It does not currently run a grant stream funding churches, but its grant funds do change from time to time, so it is worth keeping an eye on. It also gives loans. Visit website >

The National Heritage Memorial Fund was set-up in 1980 to save the most outstanding parts of our heritage at risk of loss to the nation. It focuses on the purchase of historic items, land or buildings and supports exceptional projects only. Visit website >

Funding for Church Community Projects (capital)

Landfill tax funds support community infrastructure projects, including churches which are installing facilities to enable the building to become a better used community space, such as a toilet and servery. The following each cover parts of Northamptonshire:
  • Suez gives up to £50,000. Visit >
  • Biffa gives up to £75,000. Visit >
  • The Mick George Community Fund gives up to £50,000, but more usually up to £35,000. Visit >
  • Augean gives up to £50,000, but usually around £10-20,000. Visit >
  • FCC gives between £2,000 and £100,000. Visit >
  • Viridor for projects near Peterborough. Visit >
Landfill tax funds are available to projects within a certain distance of the company’s landfill site. To check project eligibility, use the postcode checker on each website or email the administrators.

Awards for All is the small funding stream of the National Lottery Community Fund It funds small community projects, which could include community facilities in churches. It gives between £300 and £10,000, with no match funding required. Visit website >

Charitable trusts funding heritage projects, including churches, with preference for Northamptonshire

The John Warren Foundation gives grants to charitable organisations undertaking restoration projects on small churches in Bedfordshire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Nottinghamshire. The scheme is intended to support churches in undertaking building repairs, or religious advancement.

The scheme is also intended to support activities that relieve poverty or disadvantage.

The application process is ongoing and interested applicants may apply at any time.

For further information and to apply, contact: jelamb@lamb-holmes.co.uk

The Francis Coales Charitable Foundation provides grants for the structural repair of buildings built before 1875 in the counties of Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Northamptonshire. Visit website >

The Phillips Charitable Trust has a preference for Midlands projects, esp. Northamptonshire. Grants have been given to local projects relating to heritage. Contact:

Trustee, Mr M J Percival, Oxford House, Cliftonville, Northampton NN1 5PN.

Telephone: 01604 230400. Email: mjp@howes-percival.co.uk

The Eric Stanton Trust funds environment/conservation/heritage. Visit website >

The Constance Travis Charitable Trust supports Northamptonshire projects, including heritage. Visit website >

The Benham Charitable Settlement gives small grants to registered charities working in Northamptonshire for general charitable purposes, education and training, the advancement of health or saving of lives, disability, religious activities, environment, conservation and heritage. Special emphasis is placed upon those churches and charitable organisations within the County of Northamptonshire, where the Trust was founded.

Application is by letter. Applicants will be notified if successful. Unsuccessful applicants will not be notified. The trustees meet formally twice a year and informally meet whenever necessary to consider new grant applications. To apply, contact:

The Secretary, The Benham Charitable Settlement, 1 Virginia Drive, Virginia Water, Surrey
GU25 4RX.

The Timson Family Charitable Trust supports Baptist churches and organisations in Northamptonshire. Grants given in the past range from £50 to £500 and are usually given annually. It is likely that many of the grants are recurrent and particular appeals from new organisations are rare.

For further information and to apply, contact: janebrown710@hotmail.com

National charitable trusts targeting heritage projects

To search for further funders

Managed by The Heritage Alliance and the Architectural Heritage Fund, the Heritage Funding Directory is a free, easy-to-use guide to financial and other support for anyone undertaking UK related heritage projects. Visit website > 

The Diocese of Peterborough also has a dedicated grants page with a list of possible funders. Visit website >

Contact Jon Breckon, Historic Churches Support Officer for the Diocese of Peterborough, for further advice and guidance: jon.breckon@peterborough-diocese.org.uk or call 07732 894457.