Grant Directories

The Cumbria Community Foundation exists to benefit disadvantaged people and communities by making grants to support relevant charitable or voluntary organisations, which make a difference within their local area. Through the Geoffrey Blake Architectural Heritage Fund the foundation provides grants of up to £1,000 to volunteer-led and charitable groups to support community-based projects of architectural merit in Cumbria that enhance people’s experience and understanding of the built environment. Projects must have full access by the public and have a clear benefit to the community.

Historic England is the government’s expert advisory service for England’s historic environment. They give constructive advice to local authorities, owners and the public and champion historic places helping people to understand, value and care for them. Local authorities can apply for funding under the Partnership Schemes in Conservation Areas (PSICA) scheme; these are designed to target funding for the preservation and enhancement of conservation areas. Partnership schemes make grants available to the owners of individual properties, within a conservation area, who want to carry out repairs or other appropriate work which will enhance the area. The PSICA is based on a partnership between Historic England, the Local Authority and other funding bodies.

The Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF) is a registered charity and company limited by guarantee that promotes the conservation and sustainable re-use of historic buildings at risk for the benefit of the public. The Project Viability Grant (PVG) scheme is intended to be an initial assessment of whether it is viable to bring an at risk building that is listed or in a conservation area and of acknowledged architectural or historic merit back into a sustainable use. In particular it aims to enable not for profit organisations to explore the evidence of need for a suggested use, or uses, for a building and the sustainability of that use, with a view to the likely requirements of grant funders. Grants are available up to £15,000.

The AHF is a registered charity and company limited by guarantee that promotes the conservation and sustainable re-use of historic buildings at risk for the benefit of the public. The Project Development Grant (PDG) scheme is intended to assist not for profit organisations looking to put to beneficial use an at risk building that is listed or in a conservation area and of acknowledged architectural or historic merit. Funding will cover some of the costs of developing and co-ordinating a project and taking it towards the start of work on site and can include a combination of non-recoverable professional fees and project organiser costs. Organisations must have established that the end use of the project is likely to be viable and have decided to take the project forward. Grants are available of up to £20,000.

The William and Jane Morris Fund is open to applications from churches, chapels and other places of worship built before 1896. The Fund offers grants of between £500 and £5,000 towards work concerned with the conservation of decorative features such as, stained glass windows, sculpture, furniture, internal monuments and tombs, and wall paintings. To be eligible these features must be dated prior to 1896. Funding is not available for structural repairs and fabric maintenance, alterations or decoration of buildings, bells or organs and anything created after 1896. The committee meets twice a year to consider applications.