THE bidding period has opened for the £20-million First World
War Centenary Cathedral Repairs Fund, announced by the Chancellor
of the Exchequer, George Osborne, last month (News,
21 March).
The first round of applications was launched today by the Church
of England, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Government.
To be eligible, applicants must demonstrate that the repairs are
necessary. The repairs must have been identified by the architect
or surveyor responsible for the cathedral, and should be needed "to
keep the building wind-proof, weather-tight, safe, and open to the
public, and done to prevent further deterioration of the fabric of
the listed building".
Applications will be considered by a panel appointed by the
Government, in consultation with both Churches. This panel will
consider the necessity of the repair, the significance of the
building according to English Heritage's conservation principles,
and financial need. The deadline for the first round of grants is
30 May 2014.
For more information visit the
ChurchCare website.
George Osborne, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, explains
why he has created the £20-million fund
BRITAIN's cathedrals are not only at the heart of
Christian worship but also at the root of our shared history. They
gave many of our cities their legal and cultural identity, and will
be a focal point for local and national remembrance as we come
together to commemorate the centenary of the First World
War.
This does not mean they are just icons of the past. They
are active community hubs, and are at the centre of significant
urban regeneration plans: Peterborough, Leicester and Blackburn are
all creating cathedral quarters.
When I visited Derby Cathedral last month, I heard about
their work with some of the most disadvantaged communities, and
their evening lectures and seminars. Near my constituency, there
are back-to-work schemes at Manchester Cathedral. There are
apprenticeships and training opportunities at Canterbury and York,
and even popular concerts at Liverpool Cathedral.
The Church of England's 41 cathedrals welcome over 11
million visitors a year with only 6000 staff but over 15,000
dedicated volunteers - demonstrating how much cathedrals
contribute, but also how much they depend upon the communities
around them.
This has been part of their historical resilience, but
despite this admirable support, upkeep and restoration costs fall
disproportionately on these small dedicated local groups for some
of the oldest working buildings in the country. As a result, the
Church of England predicts a repair funding shortfall over the next
five years of tens of millions of pounds.
Every time money needs to be spent, it has to be
diverted from the valuable front-line community work they do. There
is a misconception that the grandeur of the buildings in some way
reflects an equally impressive cash flow. Hearing from deans and
bishops all over the country, I know this is not the
case.
So I was proud to announce in my Budget that £20 million
will be available over two years for Church of England and Roman
Catholic cathedrals through the First World War Centenary Cathedral
Repairs fund. This will not cover the whole bill, but will provide
essential relief for urgent repairs, and a stimulus for individual
fundraising drives.
It is because of the tough decisions we have taken in
day-to-day spending that we can make targeted and deserved
investments like this, necessary to safeguard these landmarks for
the next generation.