Historic Religious Buildings Alliance a group within the Heritage Alliance What do we know about Trusts looking after churches? Trevor Cooper Chair, the Historic Religious Buildings Alliance hrballiance.org.uk bringing together those working for a secure future for religious buildings in the UK monthly free newsletter - and more!

Historic Religious Buildings Alliance a group within the Heritage Alliance CHURCHES NOT USED FOR REGULAR WORSHIP sometimes called ‘closed’ churches Multi-building Trust Single-building Trust (local) LIVING CHURCHES, USED FOR REGULAR WORSHIP (two examples known to me) Single-building community Trust (local) Types of Trust caring for CofE churches

Historic Religious Buildings Alliance a group within the Heritage Alliance England ‘Closed’ churches looked after by Trusts WalesScotland Excludes National Trust, English Heritage etc Free, RC, etc AnglcnFree, RC, etc AnglcnFree, RC, etc Churches Conservn Trust Other multi-building Trusts Single-building Trusts ? Open churches ?? ? ? ? 2 ?

Historic Religious Buildings Alliance a group within the Heritage Alliance Churches Conservation Trust – State and CofE (England) partly funded by government and CofE statutory duties urban and rural Multi-building Trusts (‘closed’ churches) 343

Historic Religious Buildings Alliance a group within the Heritage Alliance Stratford Tony, Wiltshire, closed church, CCT

Historic Religious Buildings Alliance a group within the Heritage Alliance Stratford Tony, Wiltshire, closed church, CCT

Historic Religious Buildings Alliance a group within the Heritage Alliance Churches Conservation Trust – State and CofE (England) partly funded by government and CofE statutory duties urban and rural Friends of Friendless Churches – England and Wales, membership, rural, mixed denomn Historic Chapels Trust – England, urban and rural, not Anglican Norwich Historic Churches Trust – England, regional, urban, CofE Norfolk Churches Trust – England, membership, regional, rural, mixed denomn Scottish Redundant Churches Trust – Scotland, rural, mixed denomn Welsh Religious Buildings Trust – Wales, rural, nonconformist Ipswich Historic Churches Trust – England, membership, regional, urban, CofE Multi-building Trusts (‘closed’ churches)

Historic Religious Buildings Alliance a group within the Heritage Alliance Mundon Essex, closed church, FFC

Historic Religious Buildings Alliance a group within the Heritage Alliance Mundon Essex, closed church, FFC

Historic Religious Buildings Alliance a group within the Heritage Alliance Rackheath, Norfolk, closed church Norfolk Churches Trust

Historic Religious Buildings Alliance a group within the Heritage Alliance Yr Hen Gapel, Llwynrhdowen at Rhydowen in care of Welsh Religious Buildings Trust

Historic Religious Buildings Alliance a group within the Heritage Alliance St Margaret, Braemar closed church, Scottish Redundant Churches Trust

Historic Religious Buildings Alliance a group within the Heritage Alliance St Margaret

Historic Religious Buildings Alliance a group within the Heritage Alliance Walpole, Suffolk, Historic Chapels Trust

Historic Religious Buildings Alliance a group within the Heritage Alliance St Margaret’s, Ipswich closed church Ipswich Historic Churches Trust

Historic Religious Buildings Alliance a group within the Heritage Alliance St Mary-de-Westwick, cared for by Norwich Historic Churches Trust

Historic Religious Buildings Alliance a group within the Heritage Alliance Churches Conservation Trust – State and CofE (England) partly funded by government and CofE statutory duties urban and rural Friends of Friendless Churches – England and Wales, membership, rural, mixed denomn Historic Chapels Trust – England, urban and rural, not Anglican Norwich Historic Churches Trust – England, regional, urban, CofE Norfolk Churches Trust – England, membership, regional, rural, mixed denomn Scottish Redundant Churches Trust – Scotland, rural, mixed denomn Welsh Religious Buildings Trust – Wales, rural, nonconformist Ipswich Historic Churches Trust – England, membership, regional, urban, CofE Multi-building Trusts (‘closed’ churches)

Historic Religious Buildings Alliance a group within the Heritage Alliance Churches Conservation Trust – State and CofE (England) partly funded by government and CofE statutory duties urban and rural Friends of Friendless Churches – England and Wales, membership, rural, mixed denomn Historic Chapels Trust – England, urban and rural, not Anglican Norwich Historic Churches Trust – England, regional, urban, CofE Norfolk Churches Trust – England, membership, regional, rural, mixed denomn Scottish Redundant Churches Trust – Scotland, rural, mixed denomn Welsh Religious Buildings Trust – Wales, rural, nonconformist Ipswich Historic Churches Trust – England, membership, regional, urban, CofE Multi-building Trusts (‘closed’ churches)

Historic Religious Buildings Alliance a group within the Heritage Alliance Churches Conservation Trust – State and CofE (England) partly funded by government and CofE statutory duties urban and rural Friends of Friendless Churches – England and Wales, membership, rural, mixed denomn Historic Chapels Trust – England, urban and rural, not Anglican Norwich Historic Churches Trust – England, regional, urban, CofE Norfolk Churches Trust – England, membership, regional, rural, mixed denomn Scottish Redundant Churches Trust – Scotland, rural, mixed denomn Welsh Religious Buildings Trust – Wales, rural, nonconformist Ipswich Historic Churches Trust – England, membership, regional, urban, CofE Multi-building Trusts (‘closed’ churches)

Historic Religious Buildings Alliance a group within the Heritage Alliance Characteristics Use varies from ‘preserve’ (curatorial) to ‘find new use’ Some Trusts have strong membership base Some Trusts set up local groups (related to use?) Issues can be heavy dependence on small number of large funders general pressure (recession) funders less interested now in curatorial model Multi-building Trusts (closed churches)

Historic Religious Buildings Alliance a group within the Heritage Alliance Book deals with England, CofE only No central list – hard to find number unknown – certainly more than 40 Very local – set up by community initiative Reasons for foundation vary stop sale and development / keep valued building / keep graveyard access May own or lease building from diocese Single-building Trusts (‘closed’ churches)

Historic Religious Buildings Alliance a group within the Heritage Alliance Subject is Trusts caring for churches Subect is Trusts paying for all the costs of a church building – not given new purpose – still kept as a church building – so not discussing cases where church converted for other use That is Discussion is not about associations helping with the costs – e.g. ‘Friends Groups’ – Between 500 and 1000 of these groups in England alone – Raise money for projects – Do not have responsibility for all the costs of the building Discussion is not about Trusts using closed church building for new purpose – theatre, museum, concert hall etc etc – important – but a different topic

Historic Religious Buildings Alliance a group within the Heritage Alliance Southolt, Suffolk, closed church, a local Trust

Historic Religious Buildings Alliance a group within the Heritage Alliance Southolt, Suffolk, closed church, a local Trust

Historic Religious Buildings Alliance a group within the Heritage Alliance No Mans Heath, Warwickshire, closed church, a local Trust

Historic Religious Buildings Alliance a group within the Heritage Alliance No Mans Heath, Warwickshire, closed church, a local Trust

Historic Religious Buildings Alliance a group within the Heritage Alliance Usually deconsecrated. Uses vary, but typically: ‘Curatorial’, but willing to modify space to make it usable (e.g. toilets) hold a few services per year (popular / ? nostalgia) use building for fund-raising for operating costs (e.g. concerts, talks) may rent building out as a community space Capital sums raised by grants; no money put aside for future repairs Does purpose slowly change (from ‘keep building’ to ‘use building’)? Cost varies, can be as low as £2k per annum (insurance, quinquennial) but usually around £5k plus or minus Small number fail, most seem to continue Main problem is finding Trustees to continue the work Single-building Trusts (‘closed’ churches)

Historic Religious Buildings Alliance a group within the Heritage Alliance New idea: two examples known to me (may become more popular) Community-run Trust responsible for upkeep of entire building Congregation contribute money to Trust to use building for worship Single-building Community Trusts (OPEN churches)

Historic Religious Buildings Alliance a group within the Heritage Alliance Fernham, Oxfordshire, open church, a community Trust

Historic Religious Buildings Alliance a group within the Heritage Alliance Fernham, Oxfordshire, open church, a community Trust

Historic Religious Buildings Alliance a group within the Heritage Alliance Fernham, Oxfordshire, open church, a community Trust

Historic Religious Buildings Alliance a group within the Heritage Alliance Fernham, Oxfordshire, open church, a community Trust

Historic Religious Buildings Alliance a group within the Heritage Alliance Fernham, Oxfordshire, open church, a community Trust

Historic Religious Buildings Alliance a group within the Heritage Alliance Yarpole, Herefordshire, open church, a community Trust

Historic Religious Buildings Alliance a group within the Heritage Alliance Yarpole, Herefordshire, open church, a community Trust

Historic Religious Buildings Alliance a group within the Heritage Alliance Results: some costs transferred to Trust, financial certainty for congregation Trust has use of building (?nave) when not required by worshippers wider public engagement with building / more income streams organisation in place to do major fund raising if ever necessary or continue with building if congregation fell away Some theoretical issues, but no evidence that they have yet occurred control of the weekly timetable differing views over modification of the building sustainability of the Trust, particularly if costs rise how much rely on individual relationships Modern voluntary version of the original compulsory community-financing arrangements ??? Single-building Community Trusts (OPEN churches)

Historic Religious Buildings Alliance a group within the Heritage Alliance When congregation alone cannot support church building, must somehow involve more people One mechanism is a Trust which has no need for new ‘purpose’ or regular income-generating use though funds must come from somewhere Evidence suggests Trusts may be sustainable and effective BUT for ‘CLOSED’ churches single-building Trusts may sometimes find it hard to recruit new leaders multi-building Trusts rely on large funders whose views change AND for OPEN churches not yet enough evidence of how the partnership will work Conclusions