Dorset Historic Churches Trust exists to help conserve places of Christian worship of all denominations in the administrative county of Dorset, which are open for public worship.
The intention of Grant aid is to assist in the sympathetic repair of historic churches and chapels, or the historic fittings therein, to a standard that their architectural value merits and to ensure their continued use by the communities they serve.
Any cases of exceptional merit or need will be considered for our support if funds are available.
Any church wishing to apply for grant aid should contact their Deanery Area Representative for advice and assistance. A list of their contact details is here. Should you be uncertain about which DAR to contact, please send a message to either [email protected] or to [email protected] asking for their details. We have recently updated our Grant Application form to enable applicants give us a clearer idea of their church's finances. The new Application form can be found here . All completed forms must be sent to your Deanery Area Representative. Applications for the second cycle of 2024 are invited by Friday 24 May to allow due time for consideration.
Beer Hackett - St Michael Towards general repairs £5,000
Church Knowle - St Peter Towards roof repairs £12,000
Okeford Fitzpaine - St Andrew Towards reordering £5,000
Owermoigne - St Michael Towards quinquennial repairs and facilities £8,000
Stoke Abbott - St Mary Towards roof repairs £5,000
Weymouth - Holy Trinity Towards electrical repairs £5,000
Worth Matravers - St Nicholas of Myra Towards roof repairs £5,000
Wraxall - St Mary Towards roof repairs £2,500
While there is much happiness in a church when they learn that the Trust has granted them funds towards a much-needed project, it is the day of the pay-out that is more important! The Parish Organiser completes the Draw-down form here sends it with a certificate from the architect or building surveyor stating that the work for which funds were granted has indeed been done, to the Deanery Area Representative, who checks that all is in order before triggering the BACS payment process. During 2023 the Trust granted a total of £101,000 to only 11 churches in sums ranging from £12,000 to £1,500. So far in 2023, the Trust has paid out grants totalling £76,000 to 14 churches. For more details of actual payments please turn to the News page. The Trust exists for this sole function and, as you can see from the table of grants awarded below, there are more payments in the pipeline.
Dorset Historic Churches Trust exists to help conserve places of Christian worship of all denominations in the administrative county of Dorset.
The intention of Grant aid is to assist in the sympathetic repair of historic churches and chapels, or the historic fittings therein, to a standard that their architectural value merits and to ensure their continued use by the communities they serve.
Any cases of exceptional merit or need will be considered for our support if funds are available. A statement of the types of work which we are able to support and those that regrettably we cannot can be found here. Please note that we are not able to contribute towards VAT, which can often be re-claimed on Listed Buildings, or towards professional fees. Applications are to be submitted on a Dorset Historic Churches Trust application form, with audited financial accounts attached, to the Deanery Area Representative of the Trust in the area in which the Church is located.
A grant cannot be made for repairs started or carried out before the application has been approved by a meeting of the Trustees, except where prior permission has been explicitly given by the Trust. This is obtained by contacting your Deanery Area Representative.
All projects must demonstrate need and a well thought-out approach, backed by professional advice and have the necessary permissions.
Our Grants normally only cover a modest proportion of the cost of repairs, and the church or chapel is expected to make a substantial contribution or to obtain grant-aid from other sources such as the Erskine Muton Trust Fund. Grants will be paid following completion of the works, on submission to the Treasurer of a receipted bill or Architects completion certificate.
The Trust reserves the right to refuse or delay payment where doubt exists over the completion of the works to a satisfactory standard.
Preference for the allocation of Grants will normally be given to applicants with a past record of support for the Trust though gifts or taking part in the annual Ride + Stride fund-raising event.