Herefordshire Historic Churches Trust

Herefordshire Historic Churches Trust (HHCT), established in 1954 by local heritage supporters, is dedicated to preserving, repairing, maintaining, and conserving Christian churches and their associated features across Herefordshire. Its core mission safeguards ecclesiastical buildings of historic or community value, ensuring they remain active centres for worship and community life—such as hosting food banks or post offices—while emphasising proactive stewardship over emergency fixes. Guided by the principle of "helping churches help themselves," HHCT supplements local fundraising to enable structural repairs, restoration of features like stained glass or monuments, accessibility improvements, and adaptations that enhance community use, valuing churches as architectural, historical, and social landmarks in rural and urban settings.

The Trust funds projects for parishes and congregations managing actively used Christian churches (any denomination) within Herefordshire boundaries, including Investigative Grants (up to £1,000 for diagnostics), Project Grants (£2,000–£10,000 for repairs and enhancements), rare Cornerstone Grants for exceptional cases, and interest-free loans to bridge gaps. It prioritises smaller grassroots groups with limited capacity, showing no strict income limits but favouring catalytic support alongside other grants and local efforts.

Unsolicited applications are welcomed on a rolling basis via email with a downloadable form and supporting documents (project details, fundraising evidence); submit at least four weeks before quarterly trustee meetings (March, June, September, December) for decisions within six to eight weeks. HHCT excludes new builds, running costs, non-Christian or inactive churches, and projects outside Herefordshire. Distinctively, its hyper-local, decades-long focus on adaptive heritage conservation sets it apart from national funders, fostering church resilience amid modern community needs.