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“ Stave off decay by daily care ” Maintenance Co-operatives

“ Stave off decay by daily care ” Maintenance Co-operatives A new way to support volunteers caring for historic places of worship Sara Crofts ~ 18 May 2012. There are approximately 16,500 listed places of worship in England and Wales and they are all cared for by volunteers.

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“ Stave off decay by daily care ” Maintenance Co-operatives

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  1. “Stave off decay by daily care” Maintenance Co-operatives A new way to support volunteers caring for historic places of worship Sara Crofts ~ 18 May 2012

  2. There are approximately16,500 listed places of worship inEngland and Walesand they are all cared for byvolunteers

  3. How didFaith in Maintenance help?

  4. Courses • One-day training courses • Locations throughout England and Wales • 150 courses run during 5 year duration of project • Available at no charge to volunteers caring for historic places of worship • Hosted by a variety of faith groups including Anglicans, Roman Catholics, Methodists, URC and the Jewish community

  5. Project structure • Devised by the SPAB • Funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, English Heritage and others • Courses were led by Sara Crofts(Project Director) • Courses were organised by Kate Minnis(Project Administrator) in association with host groups • Telephone helpline was staffed on Fridays by David John /Bruce Induni(Technical Officers)

  6. 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Courses Course venues: 150 Participants: c 5,000 Image from Google Maps

  7. Course aims • An appreciation of the importance of historic places of worship • The ability to recognise potential problems • Information on how to tackle common maintenance tasks • Access to specialist professional advice • Opportunities to share experiences with other volunteers

  8. Maintenance DVD • Filmed at a variety of historic places of worship in 2008 • 30,000 copies distributed to volunteers from all denominations

  9. Positive headlines • As a result of the course: • The average number of hours spent inspecting each place of worship rose from 1.81 to 3.19 hours per month • 52% of participants said that they now require their contractors to have more appropriate conservation experience • 56% of participants felt more confident about seeking advice from professional advisors after the course • 80% of participantsagreed or strongly agreed that the course increased their enjoyment of their voluntary role • 26% reported that they are updating their maintenance logbook or file more regularly

  10. However… • Some issues remain • Church heritage sector is still hugely under-resourced • High turnover of volunteers ~ churchwardens have a six year term of office • Very little practical training for new volunteers ~ they often ‘start from scratch’ • Volunteers sometimes feel isolated and unsupported • Volunteers would like to be able to exchange ideas and swap experiences with others

  11. A possible answer? Maintenance Co-operative Movement

  12. What will the new project do? Maintenance Co-operative Movement • Promote the benefits of timely maintenance / careful repair • Increase the number of volunteers actively caring for historic places of worship • Build capacity amongst volunteers by providing training and support • Allow the sharing of skills, knowledge and resources ~ disseminate best practice widely • Provide a variety of online resources for storing and sharing resources, publicising training and events etc. • Act as an ‘umbrella body’ for all local maintenance co-operatives and like-minded groups • Deliver a national conference / networking opportunity during National Maintenance Week (16 – 23 November 2012)

  13. Progress so far? • Pilot phase • First round pass from the Heritage Lottery Fund with development funding • Project development officer recently appointed • Pilot areas now agreed ~ Herefordshire, Worcestershire & Stoke on Trent (+ London) • Currently working on building partnerships with other organisations • Second stage application due to be submitted in December 2012

  14. More Faith in Maintenance • English Heritage has made a substantial grant that will pay 60% of the costs of continuing the project • Hosts will be asked to pay £500 per course and to make all local arrangements e.g. provide a venue / take bookings etc • SPAB will provide a trainer, equipment and all hand-outs • Target of 30 FiM courses over the next two years

  15. www.spabfim.org.uk/blog Maintenance Co-operatives A new way to support volunteers caring for historic places of worship Sara Crofts ~ Education Team Leader Bruce Induni ~ Project Officer

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