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Can you tell us about help with funding for unlisted churches? We are keen to extend the use of our church.
PEOPLE contribute to fund-raising programmes because they care about the cause. In the case of unlisted churches, as with all other causes, we have to consider the question: “Who cares?”
Listed churches have many organisations and trusts that do care, and want to take action. Unlisted churches have far fewer sources — there are no outside bodies working to protect them, and there are questions about to whom the church matters.
In considering the maintenance and repair of the building, the chief stakeholders are the congregation and the diocese. If the church has a strong and engaged relationship with people and organisations in the area, they may also help.
For fund-raising, the best methods are to use social events, challenges, sales, and festivals as the means to encourage giving. The Directory of Social Change, a source of information for voluntary and community sectors, publishes books on how to organise and plan events. Its website is www.dsc.org.uk.
Some dioceses have grant or loan possibilities, and you may be able to get a loan from the Incorporated Church Building Society (connected to the National Churches Trust).
For unlisted churches wishing to improve or extend facilities so that the building may be used by other people, at times functioning like a community hall, there are many more sources. There are church and other charitable trusts and foundations who will make grants towards facilities such as lavatories, kitchens, disabled access, or towards a building extension. Unlisted churches have one advantage: it is easier to get permission to alter the building.
I recommend that you undertake an audit of all your resources to see if there is a constructive way to capitalise some assets in order to raise the money you need. You may have land belonging to the church which can be sold or developed; although I notice that many modern, unlisted churches often have minimal land around them.
You may have a church hall that you can let out more fully, or even lease to another organisation, in order to raise the money you need. You will need the advice of a chartered surveyor to assess either of these courses of action; the diocese will be able to advise you of a suitable surveyor.
The complexity of safeguards in the Church of England — as in the other main denominations — means that you will need the permission of the custodian trustees of your property: usually they would be the Board of Finance, but your archdeacon will be able to help you with this.
Some of the new churches of the 1960s were built with materials that have a very short lifespan, and are coming to the end of their lives. If you are from such a church, you might consider the drastic route of rebuilding it.
There are several good examples around the country where churches have been rebuilt as an element of a residential complex, and the houses have, in effect, paid for the church as part of the development. Take the advice of the appropriate professionals, and the diocese, to make sure the sums add up.
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