This page is maintained by Gareth Greenwood
Funding
Help with funding ... get in touch as early as possible as it can save a lot of time in the long run!
Raising funds from external sources (charitable trusts, government funding streams, the National Lottery etc) is a complicated and time consuming affair and it needs dedication.
There is a wide range of support available through different agencies across Derbyshire, contact details for which are available from Gareth Greenwood, the Church Buildings Support Officer.
This includes software to search through the many thousands of trusts and funding streams to select those who may be persuaded to fund your initiative.
From time to time specific trusts or funding streams are drawn to our attention and we have listed a few of them here.
Finally please do keep in touch with us, we may be able to offer support and help and we would love to hear how you get on, successful or otherwise, so that others can learn from your experience.
The Cathedral & Church Buildings Department’s expanded £5million conservation grants programme is now open for applications on our website Conservation Grants | The Church of England.
If you have a conservation project in mind relating to bells and bell frames, books and manuscripts, church plate, churchyard structures, clocks, monumental brasses and decorative metalwork, monuments, organs, paintings and wall paintings. stained glass, textiles or wooden objects, you can now include related fabric repairs up to a maximum of £25k.
An example might be a PCC looking to conserve an alabaster sculpture in a niche where there is existing water ingress due to a building defect adversely affecting the area. As part of the application for money to conserve the sculpture, a request for additional monies to rectify that defect can now be considered.
You will be familiar with our conservation grants programme (long funded by The Pilgrim Trust, the Radcliffe Trust and other funders) to support the conservation of special features in church, including bells, clocks, organs, stained glass, wall paintings and monuments. All this remains, with additional funding to help more churches. The expanded programme allows us to make grants towards building repairs of up to £25,000 that are linked to the conservation of an object.
Bids for specialist surveys and help for existing recipients’ conservation projects to reach completion will be considered for funding as well.
For further information, please contact colleagues in CCB via conservationgrants@churchofengland.org
2025
Conservation Reports
rolling deadline - 2 week response time
Monuments, Textiles, Wooden Objects, Books & Manuscripts, Church Plate, Curchyard Sytructures, Monumental Brasses and Decorative Metalwork
13th October - decision by 28th November
Organs and organ cases
6th October - decision by 28th November
2026
Paintings & Wall Paintings
5th January - Decision by 20th February
Bells and Bell Frames
26th January - Decision by 13th March
Stained Glass
23rd February - Decision by 10th April
Clocks
16th March - Deceision by 1st May
The Diocesan Board of Finance has extended a joint subscription so that all churches in the diocese can access this grant searching platform for free.
This gives every PCC the opportunity to search a maintained list of local and national grant funders and trusts, that are tailored towards church buildings and Christian project work.
All you need to start looking for that vital funding is your 6 figure parish reference code and the name of your church building.
If you don't know your parish reference code email the Church Buildings Support Officer or you can find it on the Church Heritage Record portal.
Here is the link to the Diocese of Derby Church Grants site
Fundraising Support and Advice
If you have a clear project plan and are beginning to think about how to fundraise, we have made available 30 minute pro bono bespoke consultations online sessions, with Matthew and Andrew from ChucrhGrants - contact the Chucrh Buildings Support Officer if you would like to arrange a call with the ChurchGrants Team.
Do you have a small church project that could have a big impact?
Are you looking for a relatively small grant that requires no match funding?
If so, this could be just right for you; £5,000 to fund small but not insignificant capital projects that will generate outcomes which achieve and support mission, community or growth.
There are always good ideas on the boil to enhance welcome, improve accessibility, or perhaps to make small but much needed changes to internal areas. So now is the time to make a significant impact through a small change.
Details, including a full list of criteria and downloadable application form, are available below.
If you are successful, you will be expected to draw on the grant within 12 months.
Applications will be considered by Business Committee at their regular meetings.
2025 application deadlines
Wdnesday 17th September - signed application and supporting documents scanned in and emailed to gareth.greenwood@derby.anglican.org - Business Committee consider application on Thursday 9th October
Wdnesday 5th November - signed application and supporting documents scanned in and emailed to gareth.greenwood@derby.anglican.org - Business Committee consider application on Thursday 27th November
For any further information about applying for the Raymond Ross Large Grants email: gareth.greenwood@derby.anglican.org or call on 01332338690 (Mondays/Tuesdays)
This fund offers parishes an exciting opportunity to develop their local church or hall premises, making them more community and mission shaped, and accessible to people of all ages and abilities.
Your project needs to meet outcomes which achieve and support mission, community or growth. A preference will be given to applications from parishes in deprived areas of the Diocese. The maximum grant available will be £25,000 and requires match funding. Parishes will be required to take up grants within two years of a successful application.
The fund is not available for maintenance or repair and cannot be applied for retrospectively.
To download the fund criteria and general information click here
To download an an application form click here
Applications will be assessed by the Business Committee at their regular meetings.
2025 deadlines:
Wdnesday 17th September - signed application and supporting documents scanned in and emailed to gareth.greenwood@derby.anglican.org - Business Committee consider application on Thursday 9th October
Wdnesday 5th November - signed application and supporting documents scanned in and emailed to gareth.greenwood@derby.anglican.org - Business Committee consider application on Thursday 27th November
For any further information about applying for the Raymond Ross Large Grants, email: gareth.greenwood@derby.anglican.org or call on 01332 338690
This fund is aimed at supporting local congregations to act with a generous faith, through engaging with and embracing the communities they seek to serve. The Diocesan Vision encourages us to be outward facing, rooted in and connected to our communities.
There is an expectation that parishes will work in partnership and create networks for the common good, with particular care for the marginalised and vulnerable. The projects this fund is seeking to support are those which see the church proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom in word and action. The church needs to be good news for all, and this means projects that look to include and/or partner with, other groups or individuals in the host community, demonstrating meaningful and open engagement with those who have had little or no contact with the congregation.
The Diocese wishes to particularly encourage churches to reach out to those who have not considered the church community as a group to which they can relate. Projects that build on the notion of tolerance, reconciliation and friendship will be of particular interest, as will projects that clearly demonstrate the key characteristic of outward-facing generosity, impacting the world for good.
You can apply for up to £2000 without match funding required. Further information, criteria and application forms can be downloaded here or requested from the Church Buildings Support Officer, Gareth Greenwood by email at gareth.greenwood@derby.anglican.org
2025 application deadlines
Wdnesday 17th September - signed application and supporting documents scanned in and emailed to gareth.greenwood@derby.anglican.org - Business Committee consider application on Thursday 9th October
Wdnesday 5th November - signed application and supporting documents scanned in and emailed to gareth.greenwood@derby.anglican.org - Business Committee consider application on Thursday 27th November
For any further information about applying for the Building Community Fund, email: gareth.greenwood@derby.anglican.org or call on 01332338690
You can download the application form and criteria here
If you are unsure as to the cicumstances in which you can apply for an interest free loan under this scheme, or have any other questions about the terms, don't hesitate to contact the Head of Finance
EITHER download 'fill in by hand' application to fill out in your own hand, OR
download this 'form field' application, fill in on screen, save and print off, sign and date.
The completed applications must be with the Diocesan Secretary a full month before the Business Committee meeting