The Churches Trust for Cumbria wins support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund   

The Churches Trust for Cumbria has received a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant of £75,400 for an exciting heritage project, Caring for Cumbria’s Churches.  Made possible by money raised by National Lottery players, the project focuses on improving the sustainability and resilience of church buildings across Cumbria.
The project will provide those who care for our church buildings with training and skills to better manage these unique buildings. It also aims to realise the potential of church buildings as community assets and raise their profile as places of valuable heritage interest.
Supported through the National Lottery Heritage Lottery Fund (NLHF), the 18 month, ecumenical project will enable those who care for church buildings to improve their maintenance, and develop a long-term strategy for their sustainability and resilience.  A series of videos will  explore their potential as places of worship, heritage and community assets and help us to better understand these unique ‘living’ buildings, in order that they remain for future generations. The series of videos will be produced by specialist TV production company Brilliant Trees Media who have strong links with the region.

CTfC will be hosting a series of workshops, three in May and three September in the north, south and west, I will confirm dates and locations in due course.  I am also looking for churches to pilot a building Inspection template to help with maintenance.  Please get in touch with me if you would like to help, or I will be attending the God for All Big Discussion on 1st March – come and say hello.

The Heritage Lottery Fund have from 29^th January adopted a name changes and will now be known as The National Lottery Heritage Fund.  Along with the new look they also have a new 5 year strategy and a new approach.  The changes are to make a clearer link between playing The National Lottery and the good causes that benefit and they come in The National Lottery’s 25th anniversary year.

New approach

• • A major focus on nature, communities, and on ensuring everyone is able to enjoy heritage – three top priorities for people who responded to the consultation
  • new models of investment, moving beyond grants to include loans and partnerships, designed to attract others to invest money alongside the National Lottery
  • more support for commercial, sustainable approaches to tackling heritage that’s in danger of being lost
  • investment and support to help heritage organisations to be more financially sustainable
  • a requirement for every heritage project that receives funding to be environmentally friendly
  • simpler, streamlined and more efficient funding
  • greater engagement and support to help 13 deprived communities that have in the past been less successful securing funding
  • continued support for large-scale, iconic projects over £5million

Below is a brief breakdown of their new grants.