Celebrating and Supporting
Historic Churches
in Cambridgeshire

Details of our Annual Conference

Materials and Working Methods

Saturday 13 April 2024

Wolfson College, Cambridge

We are pleased to announce details of our conference, which as usual we hope will be of interest to our members and others and will enhance their knowledge and understanding of church buildings in our county and elsewhere. 

We give Grants for repair and restoration

Featured Project: Hail Weston, St Nicolas

The church now has a North Porch and improved access. The new facilities to the south were opened by Claire Artley
Our next round of grants will be decided on 23 May 2024. The application deadline is 16 May 2024.

Cambridgeshire Historic Churches Trust says Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Firstly, to all who took part in the 2023 Ride & Stride fundraising event which raised just over £21,900 to help churches of all denominations in the county of Cambridgeshire in 2024 – an increase of nearly £3000 on 2022!

Churches which raised funds in 2023 include:

Buckden, Cambridge: (Castle Methodist, Gt St Mary’s, St Giles, St Edward’s), Coveney, Dry Drayton, Ely Cathedral, Eltisley, Elton, Farcet, Fenstanton, Godmanchester, Gt. Paxton, Guilden Morden, Hemingford Abbotts, Hemingford Grey, Houghton & Wyton, Kingston, Linton, Little Downham, Little Eversden, Little Thetford, Littleport, Madingley, March, Melbourn, Mepal, Oakington, Somersham, Stapleford, Steeple Morden, Thriplow, Whittlesey and Willingham.

Two churches raised over £1000, and three churches raised over £500!

Secondly to all sponsors – without your sponsorship there would be nothing to celebrate and the Trust will not be able to help as much as they would like do with much needed grants/loans to churches which will apply for funding in 2024.

Thirdly to those churches which opened their doors to this year’s Riders and Striders and made them welcome.

Finally please book the date for the next annual Ride & Stride: Saturday 14th September 2024 – you don’t have to Ride or Stride – do whatever you can and raise funds for your own church and for CHCT at the same time.

To see some of the highlights from the day, or send your own images and stories from the day please visit the Trust’s Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/CambsHCT/

or email:

[email protected]

See elsewhere on our website where you can become a member and/or take out Gift Membership.

40TH ANNIVERSARY LEGACY APPEAL

SUPPORTING CHURCHES OF ALL DENOMINATIONS IN THE COUNTY OF CAMBRIDGESHIRE SINCE 1983

Help us secure the future of these important community buildings

INTRODUCTION FROM THE CHAIR OF TRUSTEES

His Honour Neil McKittrick

FORTY YEARS OF SUPPORT FOR CAMBRIDGESHIRE’S CHURCHES OF ALL DENOMINATIONS

Cambridgeshire has more than 300 churches and chapels of historic and architectural interest.  They span over a thousand years from the Saxon period at Great Paxton to the High Victorian at Waresley and the 20th century at the Good Shepherd, Arbury.

The care of church buildings is the responsibility of the local community, which carries the burdens of continuous maintenance and the raising of funds for repair.

Vital additional funding for some of our finest heritage assets

Since it was founded in 1983 CHCT has raised and distributed over £2 million in loans and over £500,00 in grants helping to preserve, develop and renovate some of the County’s most treasured churches, many of which have iconic status in their villages and localities.  CHCT’s grants and loans are usually the first given to such projects and are known to be catalysts in terms of encouraging and inspiring other donations.

CHCT is particularly keen to fund improvements which enable church buildings to be more widely used by their communities, eg the provision of kitchens and toilets, improved access, heating and modern wiring.  The Trust also awards grants towards the repair and conservation of memorials and monuments, including those in churchyards. 

Alongside this the Trust organises events which encourage everyone to enjoy and to understand the art and architecture of the county’s churches and chapels.  There is an Annual Conference in the Spring and there are Church Tours in the summer led by distinguished local experts in architecture and iconography.

Our vision

Our vision is to ensure that Cambridgeshire’s churches remain fit for their threefold purposes: for worship; as a community resource; as a valued heritage asset.

A special campaign for 2023

In pursuit of these goals, we are launching a Legacy Campaign, which will enable us to increase the help we currently give to churches of all denominations in the county.

How you can support our 40th Anniversary Campaign

There are a number of ways you can support our 40th Anniversary Campaign. 

You can:

  1. make a pledge to leave a gift in your will
  2. gift membership to your family and friends
  3. take part in our 40th anniversary year Ride & Stride
  4. attend our Annual Conference and Summer Church Tours
  5. help us to increase awareness of CHCT and its work.

LEAVE A GIFT IN YOUR WILL

A Pecuniary Legacy allows you to specify a sum of money for the Trust.

A Specific Legacy allows you to leave an asset to the Trust (eg Property, Works of Art, Shares)

A Residuary Legacy allows you to gift all or part of your estate after other legacies and expenses have been paid.

A Reversionary Legacy allows you to leave assets to the Trust while giving a named person the benefit of them during their lifetime.

CHANGING/MAKING A WILL

If you have already made a Will and wish to make a bequest to CHCT, contact your solicitor.

If you need help finding a solicitor go to the Law Society’s website:

(https://solicitors.lawsociety.org.uk/?Pro=True)

For further information about leaving a gift in your Will or adding a Codicil, please contact our Administrator by email ([email protected]) or by phone 01353-668438.

Donate

Join

Making a donation helps to keep church buildings at the centre of the community.

Become a member to both support and benefit.