Applications to the Cornerstone Grant Programme are welcomed from listed and unlisted Christian places of worship (but not cathedrals), of any denomination, across the UK, although North East England, Northern Ireland and Wales are priority areas.
The programme offers between £10,000 and £50,000 to be put towards the cost of major urgent structural repair projects costed at more than £100,000 including VAT. Also considered are projects that introduce kitchens and accessible toilets to enable increased community use, costed at more than £30,000 including VAT. Grants will never exceed 50 per cent of the project cost.
Further priority is given to the following:
- Work on architecturally and historically significant buildings.
- Urgent/essential structural repair projects (as identified in a recent QIR or building survey as required within two years), with a focus on buildings that are at risk.
- Installation of kitchens and toilets where a strong need can be demonstrated.
- Places of worship that can demonstrate a suitable maintenance system is in place to protect the investment.
- Places of worship with regular opening hours.
- Places of worship that can demonstrate strong community engagement and sound plans for economic viability.
Applications are made online. The Committee meets three times a year – deadlines are posted on the website. The next deadline is July 4th, 2022.
The application process begins with an eligibility quiz – applicants must be able to answer yes to all of the following questions:
- Is yours a Christian place of worship (but not a cathedral) within the UK, and open for at least six services of public worship each year?
- Do you own the building or have the right to carry out the work? If the church is not part of a major denomination then is the denomination registered with Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, or has it got charitable status?
- If the annual income in the accounts is over £100,000 is the building registered with the Charity Commission, or can you evidence that registration is in process?
- Was your place of worship built as a place of worship originally and is it more than 30 years old? And are the works proposed either directly to the building or attached to it?
- Is the building open to the public for a minimum of 100 days a year beyond worship use, or will it be following project completion?
- Is your total project cost estimated at over £100,000 (including VAT and fees) if the project is for repair work, or over £30,000 if it is for the installation of kitchen and accessible toilet facilities?
- Have you already raised at least 50% of the total project cost?
- Is the project being led by a qualified professional, with conservation accreditation from a recognised institution if it is a listed building?
- Have you got all necessary permissions approved and in place before applying?
- Is the project yet to start?
65 Cornerstone grants were made in 2020 - the average grant was £14,260.