Friends of Essex Churches Trust

HOW TO APPLY FOR A GRANT

I  Do we qualify?

• grants are awarded to assist in the preservation of the existing fabric of places of Christian
  
  Great Sampford, St Michael the Archangel
  worship in Essex and the five London boroughs formerly part of the county: Barking & Dagenham, Havering, Newham, Redbridge and Waltham Forest

• grants are not given for new work or annual maintenance, e.g. gutter clearance, or redecoration

• heating systems are excluded

• if there is a written report by a qualified electrician stating that electrical installations are a fire hazard, they will be considered

• If you are unsure whether the work proposed will qualify for a FECT grant, please contact the Secretary of the Grants Committee:

Shield and crest of Thomas Leverton,
architect, Waltham Abbey

II  Procedure

• contact the Secretary of the Grants Committee, who will send you two copies of the application form, which must be completed and returned to him

• applications must be submitted by an officer of the church, otherwise they must be accompanied by a letter of support from the incumbent

• applications by non Anglican places of worship must be supported by a letter from the area/district/circuit superintendent.  Anglican applications require endorsement by your Archdeacon

• no work should commence on site until the Grants Secretary has received the application

• upon receipt of the application, a member of the Grants Committee will arrange a site visit to discuss the proposed work and its funding

• the Grants Committee meets quarterly and a report will be submitted at the next meeting after the visit when a decision will be made.  The applicant will be informed in writing within seven days

III  Requirements

No grant will be considered without the following:

• a copy of the specification and quotations (where an architect’s estimate only is available, a grant may be offered in principle, subject to a quotation being provided at a later date for approval)

• photographs: typically, an exterior view of the church and others showing areas where the proposed work is to be undertaken

• a copy of the most recently approved church accounts

Note: the Grants Committee advises applicants to apply to other grant aiding bodies. A useful and inexpensive book about fund-raising is The Key, available from the Chelmsford Diocesan Resource Centre at 52 New Street, Chelmsford CM1 1AT, 01245 294406