Volunteer with us

An opportunity has arisen to become an adviser to the Derby Diocesan Advisory Committee (DAC), our expert committee on church buildings.

• Do you love church buildings and want to see their communities flourish?
• Do you share the goal for churches to become carbon net zero by 2030?
• Have you got the insight and enthusiasm to help drive this mission forward?

The Diocese of Derby (Church of England) would like to hear from specialists in building services – specifically heating, lighting and electrics – with the skills and time to offer advice, in a voluntary capacity, to the DAC.

About us

The Diocese of Derby consists of most of Derbyshire and a couple of parishes on the fringes of Staffordshire.

The diocese serves a population of around one million people and has more than 300 churches.

It works in communities, schools, prisons and hospitals as well being represented in various other aspects of city and county life. Under three archdeacons, the Archdeaconries of Derby City and South Derbyshire, Derbyshire Peak and Dales, and East Derbyshire consist of deaneries and parishes all of which work alongside Christians of other denominations.

Our heritage

There are 318 open church buildings in the diocese, approximately 80% of which are listed as buildings of national significance, including 65 Grade I and 80 Grade II* churches. These church buildings are part of the nation's heritage. It is our duty and privilege to work with local communities to care for them and make sure that they are fit for purpose.

Changes to church buildings, their settings and their contents are managed by a statutory planning system – the Faculty Jurisdiction – of which our committee is an integral part.

Net zero carbon

In 2020 the national Church of England recognised the climate emergency and set a target to reach net zero carbon by 2030.

This commitment requires churches to take action to reduce their carbon footprint. This will involve making material changes to buildings and adopting new behaviours that both reduce energy use and switch usage to renewable sources.

The Derby DAC supports the goal for all church buildings in the diocese to achieve net zero by 2030.

Adviser role

All DAC Advisers are expert volunteers for the Diocese.

The function of the DAC is to advise the diocesan chancellor (decision-maker) on proposals relating to the conservation, alteration and appropriate development of churches.

The primary role of DAC advisers is to give advice to the DAC on matters requiring particular specialist knowledge, including works to churches that specifically relate to net zero carbon.

Applications are invited from individuals in the following separate areas:

• Heating
• Lighting
• Electrics

We are seeking competent and experienced professionals or experts (in practice or retired) who can commit to giving written advice on casework on a rolling programme, as well as undertaking site visits.

The role will involve close working with the DAC secretary, who allocates casework to DAC advisers and coordinates site visits when necessary.

Applications are submitted by parishes through the Church of England's Online Faculty System (OFS), to which DAC Advisers have access (training will be provided).

There is no requirement to attend DAC meetings (held six times a year), either in person in Derby or at one of the churches or online via Teams, though advisers are welcome to do so.

DAC advisers are insured for errors and omissions under the provisions of the Derby Diocesan Board of Finance (DDBF).

For more background information about the role, please see:

• A Brief Guide to the Role of DAC Advisers
• A Note for DAC Members and Advisers Regarding Conflicts of Interest

Benefits

Being a DAC Adviser offers a unique opportunity to help to ensure the long-term protection and sustainability of our churches. The role provides prospects for professional development and personal networking (non-commercial) and will allow engagement with unique situations in special buildings.

You will be part of a wider team of expert DAC Members and Advisers, who have extensive knowledge in a variety of specialist fields, including archaeology, bells, clocks, organs, AV systems, sustainability, stained glass, monuments and liturgical furnishings.

Travel expenses will be paid when undertaking the role.

About you

We are looking for applicants who will bring knowledge and practical expertise but also imagination, insight, and new and diverse perspectives. An important criterion for an Adviser is a familiarity with and understanding of heritage buildings.

Whilst there is no requirement to be a Christian, DAC advisers must act in sympathy with the mission of the Church of England.

All advisers work from the understanding that churches are primarily centres of Christian worship and mission.

As an advisory body, the DAC is keen for its advisers to reflect the diversity of the diocese, particularly in relation to gender, ethnic and geographic location, and to broaden the experience and perspective of the committee.

To apply

If you would like to apply, please send your CV (or equivalent) and a covering note to Kat Alldread, DAC Secretary kat.alldread@derby.anglican.org.

Your covering note should briefly say which position/s you are interested in and why, what skills you would bring, and indicate something about your approach to proposals for works in heritage buildings. Responses will only be used internally by the Diocese.

For further information, please see:

• Diocese of Derby
• Derby DAC

Kat Alldread, DAC Secretary
kat.alldread@derby.anglican.org

The Diocesan Advisory Committee for the Care of Churches (DAC) is a statutory body set up under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction, which provides advice and guidance on the care of churches and churchyards.

Making changes to church buildings, contents or grounds requires submission of a faculty application (a request for permission) to the Chancellor of the Diocese. Faculties are issued by the Chancellor or the Archdeacons, taking the DAC’s advice into account.

If you have questions about whether something you are planning requires permission, please send your enquiry to dac@derby.anglican.org.

>> See the current faculty applications

The DAC is made up of the Chair, the Revd Canon Matt Barnes, the Archdeacons, representatives of the clergy and laity and national heritage organisations together with architects and others with specialist knowledge. The DAC also has a panel of expert advisers who serve in a voluntary capacity and can be called on to provide additional specialist advice. Between them the members and advisers of the DAC have expertise in a wide variety of specialist fields, including architecture, art, archaeology, bells, heating, organs, clocks, sound and audio systems, liturgy and the environment.

The work of the DAC is vital if the Church is to retain freedom to handle its own planning consents and so protect the role of the churches as places used for worship.

For advice or guidance, please contact:

Kat Alldread: 01332 388683 

Email:  dac@derby.anglican.org

New Building Management System

The Church of England has developed a new system for handling Faculty applications. It will replace the current Online Faculty System and is due to go live in October 2025 (this is a revised launch date from the original date of April, in order to allow more time to transition to the new system). The new system is similar in terms of process, but it will include additional functionality for DACs, Registrars, Chancellors, external consultees and advisers to manage Faculty cases. Further communications regarding training, how to register for the system and how active Faculty cases will be transferred to the new system will all follow and be posted on this webpage, as further information is received from the national Church.

Look for further updates regarding the new system in this regular email to church leaders. If you have any questions about this, please email dac@derby.anglican.org.

 

A series of Learning in Faith Bitesize training sessions are available online to guide you through church maintenance and the faculty process. The training sessions are free of charge and available to access at any time.

The Derby Diocesan Registry website has further information on faculty jurisdiction, churchyards, memorials and more.

Churchcare provides a series of guidance notes relating to the care, use and development of church buildings. For further information and guidance, click on the Guidance Notes button below.

REMEMBER : Reguar attention to these things saves you money ...

• inspection: undertake regular inspections, to assess condition, identify problems and to decide whether work is necessary

• regular maintenance tasks: jobs like clearing gutters, testing services, checking for damp and clearing the churchyard

• minor repairs: ongoing minor repairs to the building, perhaps as the result of extreme weather, can include fixing slipped roof tiles, replacing broken glass or making temporary ‘flashband’ repairs

Download your Maintenance Checklist here.

Other helpful information can be found on the National Churches Trust webpages.

To find accredited maintence contractors register for FREE with Maintenance Booker. 

 

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Submitting applications

All applications for works to churches can be made through the Online Faculty System

Online Faculty System

Guidance notes

 

Additonal Matters Orders

The Faculty Jurisdiction Rules allow the Chancellor to make an order for items that are not listed in Lists A and B to be treated as such rather than needing a full faculty.

Links to the AMOs applicable to this diocese are given below.

>> Additional Matters Order - Vaccination Centres [PDF]

>> Additional Matters Order -Trial Pits [PDF]

>> Additional Matters Order - Disposal of Church Contents  [PDF]

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