Churches and chapels in Scotland needing funding for urgent repairs and maintenance are being encouraged to apply for grants from the National Churches Trust.
In 2021, the church support charity expects to allocate more than £1.5m to churches and chapels throughout the UK. Any church, chapel or meeting house in Scotland that is open for regular public worship can apply.
This year the National Churches Trust will administer £60,000 of funding exclusively earmarked for Scotland, made possible thanks to The Pilgrim Trust. The money will pay for 'Foundation Grants for Maintenance' supporting projects including gutter and roof repairs. The grants will be administered in partnership with Scotland's Churches Trust.
In 2020, the National Churches Trust provided grants to eight churches in Scotland with funding of £75,500. Churches benefitting included St Mary's Scottish Episcopal Church in Port Glasgow, the Cathedral church of St Machar in Aberdeen and Lochgilphead Parish Church. Over the past five years, the Trust has provided grants totalling more than £500,000 to help churches and chapels of a wide range of denominations throughout Scotland.
Catherine Townsend, Head of Church Support for the National Churches Trust said:
"Churches and chapels are a vital part of Scotland's heritage. Although they are currently closed for worship, over the last year they have played a major role in helping people during the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2021, with the support of both The Pilgrim Trust and Scotland's Churches Trust, we look forward to helping more of Scotland's places of worship remain in good repair and at the heart of local communities."
Stuart Beattie, Director of Scotland's Churches Trust welcomed the funding: He said:
"Scotland's Churches Trust is delighted that the National Churches Trust is seeking to boost its grant making in Scotland. We look forward to working closely with it in the administration of its ring fenced 'Foundation Grants for Maintenance'. Scotland's Churches Trust is uniquely placed to provide advice to National Churches Trust on the applications from Scotland using its expertise and knowledge of its places of worship. It will also continue to support places of worship by providing them with advice and making small grants to them when possible."
About Foundation Grants
The Foundation Grant Programme offers grants of between £500 and £5,000 towards urgent maintenance works and small repairs identified as high priority within a recent Quinquennial Inspection or Survey Report, as well as small investigative works and surveys. Project costs should not exceed £10,000 excluding VAT and awards will be up to 50% of the costs. Decisions are made on a rolling basis, roughly monthly. We encourage applicants to submit at their earliest opportunity in the year. Further information can be found on the website and in the guidance note. Applications must be made on online.