The North Craven Heritage Trust, in response to a number of requests for financial help for the repair of historic churches and chapels in North Craven, has had a special fund for this purpose for many years. The objectives of the fund are to distribute small grants and interest-free loans to help pay for essential fabric repairs or projects which are beyond the means of their congregations. Aid is normally restricted to buildings erected before World War 1.
The idea behind the fund is that many people, who perhaps are not regular attenders at church or chapel, nevertheless love ancient buildings and wish to see them maintained. The fund is administered by the officers of the North Craven Heritage Trust. The website www.NorthCravenHeritage.org.uk gives details of previous grants.
Grants are available to all churches, of whatever denomination, within the parishes covered by the North Craven Heritage Trust. These are Airton, Arncliffe, Austwick, Bentham, Burton-in-Lonsdale, Clapham-with-Keasden, Giggleswick, Hellifield, Horton-in-Ribblesdale, Ingleton, Kirkby Malham, Langcliffe, Long Preston, Malham, Otterburn, Rathmell, Settle, Stainforth, Thornton-in-Craven, Tosside and Wigglesworth. The following rules apply.
The purpose of the grant must be to help fund a church project of ‘heritage’ value. Grants would normally require some degree of ‘matching’ funding by the recipient church. Applications for grants should be made to the Treasurer, NCHT. Grant applications will be considered by the NCHT Committee four times a year. Grant applications should give full details of the nature of the project, an explanation of the project’s ‘heritage’ value and a full costing of the proposed work. Grants will not be made for retrospective projects.