“They think it’s all over…”
Do you remember the Heritage Lottery funded project for the re-roofing works at All Saints, Bolton Percy? I bet you thought it was all over. Well it is now. (Apologies, but it is a World Cup year).
Those of you who can remember that far back will recall that we had a hog roast event on the village green in July 2017 to celebrate the (virtual) completion of the roof works. And then in October 2017 we had a church service of celebration and thanksgiving to recognise the (actual) completion of the roof works. You could, therefore, be forgiven for thinking it had all been done and dusted. So, why, in June 2018, (at the time of writing) are we only now saying we’re at the stage where the PCC can finally shake hands with the HLF and other grant funding bodies and go their separate ways? Because the project was more than just a re-roofing job.
Heritage Based Activities
Typically, grant funding comes with strings attached such as the requirement to “deliver heritage focused activities” that are intended to provide a continuing legacy and conserve the heritage of the church for future generations. You will have seen much of the output from those activities which have included:
- Restoration and ongoing maintenance of our renowned Cemetery Garden
- Research into the names commemorated on the war memorial and production of a catalogue that registers the background and service record of the individuals where this is known
- Research at the Borthwick Institute and subsequent collation of a copy of Parish Records dating back to the 16th century now available as a valuable source of reference
- Web site development
- Research into various notable historical clerics and other characters associated with All Saints including the acclaimed 17th century metaphysical poet, Andrew Marvell, Archdeacon Creyke and the former curate Henry Hunnings [1] who made a significant contribution to the development of the telephone
- Work undertaken by Sarah and Richard firm of Spirited Heritage. This included extensive research into the history of All Saints and the production of a wealth of information and reference material and numerous short, high quality videos some of which focus on notable features of All Saints, its fabric, monuments, stained glass and the like; others are clips of interviews with volunteers who talk about their area of activity or interest
The vast majority of this work has been undertaken by volunteers and has extended beyond the period of the roofing works with the modest expenses associated with it being captured by the grant funding process. Whilst there are some loose ends to tidy up, we are effectively at a point where the costs to be recovered from grant funding have fully crystallised.
Extended Scope
The genesis of the project lay in the 2013 church architect’s inspection and report. This five yearly “MOT” on the church fabric and fixtures, referred to as the quinquennial inspection (QI), alerts the PCC (and the Diocese) to any issues which might need addressing. Whilst the re-roofing emerged as the marquee project from that inspection there were other issues that needed to be dealt with also, notably restoration of the 17th century bells [2] and 16th century sun dial [3]. Whilst these represented important conservation works the scoping of them was insufficiently advanced to be included at the time of the original grant applications to funding bodies.
However, as the roof project developed, it became apparent we were going to deliver comfortably within the original financial budget and, to their credit, HLF agreed to extend the definition of works attributed to their funding to accommodate the costs of the works to the bells and sun dial and also to extend the period of the project pending their completion. This represented a very significant supplement to other funds that had been pledged specifically for these separate works.
Balancing the Books
After providing for the additional costs of these works the project still ended up within its original budget. The total cost for roofing works, bells, sun dial and heritage activity expenditure was slightly over £260,000 against which HLF have made a final contribution of over £170,000, consistent with their original pledge. Contributions from other grant funders amount to £48,000 in round figures and, with VAT recoveries under a government sponsored scheme, the net cost to the PCC is slightly over £2,000 payable out of its dedicated roof fund.
Acknowledgments
Another qualifying criterion of grant funding is that the relevant body is given appropriate acknowledgement. We have done this through various notices and articles throughout the project and provide a consolidated list in the panel below of all those organisations and bodies that have provided financial support.
Credit should also be given to the volunteers who have given their time and worked so tirelessly in managing the process over an extended period. The combined contributions of funders and volunteers have helped the PCC to undertake important work of conservation whilst the heritage activities will provide a continuing focus for future work on a venerable building and much loved parish church.
In addition to their fund raising events, at the outset, the Friends of All Saints made a crucially important pledge of £50,000 from their funds towards the cost of the roof project. In the event this was not called upon. But it was significant nevertheless because, in the eyes of potential funders, it helped to de-risk the project and was thereby instrumental in persuading them to provide their own financial support.
What Next?
The money previously pledged by The Friends remains available to support future capital projects. Speaking of which, at the time of writing, the next QI inspection is now due. The content of the 2013 QI report turned out to be, as Stephen Fry might say, “quite interesting”. Doubtless this year’s will also set the agenda for the next five years. And so the circle of PCC life keeps turning. So, in a sense, maybe it’s not all over!
Phil Heron
– [1] The book “Henry Hunnings MA: Inventor of the Carbon Granule Telephone Transmitter” is available from the author Alan Swain or Amazon
– [2] Churches Magazine June 2018
– [3] Churches Magazine November 2016