“Stave off decay by daily care” Maintenance Co-operatives A new way to support volunteers caring for historic places of worship Sara Crofts ~ 18 May 2012

There are approximately 16,500 listed places of worship in England and Wales and they are all cared for by volunteers

How did Faith in Maintenance help?

Courses One-day training courses Locations throughout England and Wales 150 courses run during 5 year duration of project Available at no charge to volunteers caring for historic places of worship Hosted by a variety of faith groups including Anglicans, Roman Catholics, Methodists, URC and the Jewish community

Project structure Devised by the SPAB Funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, English Heritage and others Courses were led by Sara Crofts (Project Director) Courses were organised by Kate Minnis (Project Administrator) in association with host groups Telephone helpline was staffed on Fridays by David John / Bruce Induni (Technical Officers)

Image from Google Maps Courses Course venues: 150 Participants: c 5,000

Course aims An appreciation of the importance of historic places of worship The ability to recognise potential problems Information on how to tackle common maintenance tasks Access to specialist professional advice Opportunities to share experiences with other volunteers

Maintenance DVD Filmed at a variety of historic places of worship in ,000 copies distributed to volunteers from all denominations

Positive headlines As a result of the course: The average number of hours spent inspecting each place of worship rose from 1.81 to 3.19 hours per month 52% of participants said that they now require their contractors to have more appropriate conservation experience 56% of participants felt more confident about seeking advice from professional advisors after the course 80% of participants agreed or strongly agreed that the course increased their enjoyment of their voluntary role 26% reported that they are updating their maintenance logbook or file more regularly

However… Some issues remain Church heritage sector is still hugely under-resourced High turnover of volunteers ~ churchwardens have a six year term of office Very little practical training for new volunteers ~ they often ‘start from scratch’ Volunteers sometimes feel isolated and unsupported Volunteers would like to be able to exchange ideas and swap experiences with others

A possible answer? Maintenance Co-operative Movement

What will the new project do? Maintenance Co-operative Movement Promote the benefits of timely maintenance / careful repair Increase the number of volunteers actively caring for historic places of worship Build capacity amongst volunteers by providing training and support Allow the sharing of skills, knowledge and resources ~ disseminate best practice widely Provide a variety of online resources for storing and sharing resources, publicising training and events etc. Act as an ‘umbrella body’ for all local maintenance co- operatives and like-minded groups Deliver a national conference / networking opportunity during National Maintenance Week (16 – 23 November 2012)

Progress so far? Pilot phase First round pass from the Heritage Lottery Fund with development funding Project development officer recently appointed Pilot areas now agreed ~ Herefordshire, Worcestershire & Stoke on Trent (+ London) Currently working on building partnerships with other organisations Second stage application due to be submitted in December 2012

More Faith in Maintenance English Heritage has made a substantial grant that will pay 60% of the costs of continuing the project Hosts will be asked to pay £500 per course and to make all local arrangements e.g. provide a venue / take bookings etc SPAB will provide a trainer, equipment and all hand-outs Target of 30 FiM courses over the next two years

Maintenance Co-operatives A new way to support volunteers caring for historic places of worship Sara Crofts ~ Education Team Leader Bruce Induni ~ Project Officer