Grants and Loans Application Guidance

Grants and loans are available for the repair of an eligible building and its building services including rewiring and heating projects. We also offer grants and loans for installing new facilities like toilets and kitchens.

Historic churches and chapels of any Christian denomination in Cambridgeshire are eligible, provided they are likely to remain in use for public worship and be properly maintained for the foreseeable future.

Exclusions: We do not offer grants for churchyards, tree work, re-decoration, acquisition of works of art or liturgical re-ordering.

NB: Work should not have been started before the Executive Committee has considered the application and, if an offer is made, the applicant accepts the contract.  However, this does not apply to additional work which could not have been foreseen and has been discovered during the contract.

Grants are available normally to a maximum of £3,000 for projects, having regard to the difference in project costs and the funds already available to you from all sources.

In addition we may offer up to 50% of the cost of work to protect metal roofs, such as applying Smartwater, or the cost of installing an alarm or CCTV system that meets the approval of your insurers. The maximum grant is £1,000.

Interest-free loans may be offered for any project to a maximum of £20,000 (in exceptional circumstances), dependent on the ability of the applicant to repay them. Loans are normally repayable by equal annual instalments over a period of 4 years, but can be repaid earlier.

The Trust aims to help those who are most in need of outside support. We have regard to the following factors:

• The importance of the work in preserving the building as a place of regular worship
• The importance of the building from an architectural, historical or artistic point of view
• The scale of the project
• The funds available to the applicant, including grants offered by others, and the extent of self-help through fundraising activities

• Offers of financial assistance are entirely at the discretion of the Trust’s Executive Committee, which meets every two months (January, March, May, July, September and November).

• Please apply using the online application form or the downloadable form with the required supporting documentation.

• Offers will be made electronically, unless other arrangements are made. You will need to print, sign the contract and return to us by post, thereby acknowledging our terms.

• Churches are also expected to become members of CHCT (if not already) for a minimum 4 years at a cost of £50pa, payable in January each year.

• Loan finance will normally be made available as soon as your project starts.

• Grants will not be paid until the end of the project (or over 75% complete for projects over £50,000). Please supply the Grants Secretary with a certificate of Practical Completion from your architect or professional adviser, together with a copy of the contractor’s final invoice (not including the retention).

• Churches are expected to publish our assistance and an appropriate form of words will be provided.

• Churches are expected to supply digital photos (to a reasonable resolution) during the Works if possible and on completion.

Please enclose with your application:

• Your latest Quinquennial survey supporting the above
• The project specification, schedule of work and any relevant drawings.
• Digital photos to a reasonable resolution to illustrate the areas where work is needed.