The Diocese of Leeds is pleased to award some £72,000 as part of the latest round of the Diocesan Church Buildings Grants and Loans Scheme.
In the June/July round of the Scheme grants have been awarded to 25 parishes, and combined with the first round which took place this year the diocese has awarded grants of some £136,000 in 2024.
In this round there were two applications from the Bradford area, seven from the Huddersfield area, three from the Leeds area, ten from the Ripon area and three from the Wakefield area.
Works supported by grants in this round include roof repairs, improved lighting and heating controls, kitchenette improvements, LED lighting, new handrails and stonework repairs.
The Revd Jeff Payne, Co-Rector of the Jervaulx Group of Churches, said: “East Witton Church in Wensley Deanery, Ripon area is delighted to have been awarded a grant of £4,000 from the Diocesan Church Buildings Grant Fund and Mission Minor Repairs and Improvements Fund for a leak in the tower roof.
“Churches in this area are rarely eligible for grant funding because it is sparsely populated, scores too well on deprivation indices and isn't as diverse as many places.
“Also grant applications can be very complex documents and processes.
“The Diocesan Buildings and Grant Fund and Mission Minor Repairs and Improvements Funds were straightforward to access because there weren't the social restrictions and the application form is a 4 page document that simply requires information about what the money's for and the benefit, the church's financial position and the mission it is involved in.
“I would therefore encourage churches to apply.”
The final round of 2024 will open for applications in September, with a revised application form available from then.
In order to support mission across the diocese, we launched our Church Buildings Grants scheme in 2021, which currently is providing £80,000 of grants per year for a minimum of five years.
Early in 2024 the Diocese of Leeds received additional “Buildings for Mission“ grant funding totalling £272,000 from the Church of England’s 2023 -25 Triennium funding round, providing important investment for the future sustainability of our church buildings.
This additional funding has significantly increased our total grant fund and allowed us to broaden the range of projects that can now be supported.
If your parish is interested in making an application for a grant, we encourage parishes to have conversations early in the process with Alena-Rose Douglas, Church Buildings Support Officer; Janet Edmond, Senior Stewardship Officer; or, for projects specifically relating to works to help your church reach net zero, Fran Taylor, Net Zero Carbon Fundraising Officer.
Please click here to find out more about the Scheme and to get in touch with our team.