Grants are available to help communities across England rescue and repurpose neglected historic buildings, focusing on regenerating historic buildings in town centre locations.
The Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF) is a registered charity, working since 1976 to promote the conservation and sustainable re-use of historic buildings for the benefit of communities across the UK, particularly in economically disadvantaged areas. The AHF exists to help communities find enterprising ways to revitalise the old buildings they love. The Charity helps with advice, grants and loans. Its support is designed to act as a catalyst for putting sustainable heritage at the heart of vibrant local economies.
The AHF’s Heritage Revival Fund is a relatively new grant scheme that has been created to help communities across England rescue and repurpose neglected historic buildings. The programme will focus on regenerating historic buildings in town centre locations.
It will do this by supporting community organisations to take ownership of, adapt and reuse the local heritage assets that matter to them, transforming them into thriving spaces that meet their needs.
The overarching aims of the programme are to:
- Build capacity within local community groups, social enterprise, and charities.
- Maximise the positive social and economic impacts around restoring historic buildings.
- Maximise the regeneration benefits of community ownership and control of heritage assets, assisting in making communities fit for the future.
- Pilot innovative, alternative uses, ownership structures and investment models to facilitate long term regeneration, and
- Protect, enhance and safeguard historic buildings across England, offering viable new uses for disused and underutilised properties.
They offer:
Project Viability Grants – up to £15,000 for up to 12 months for project costs and overheads. Grants can support early-stage work on historic building projects. These grants should help establish whether a project is viable. Work will probably focus on understanding the condition of the building, how it might be used, and whether that intended use is appropriate for the building and likely to be sustainable. While matched funding is preferred, it is not essential. Priority will be given to historic buildings in towns across England.
Project Development Grants - up to £100,000 for up to 12 months for project costs and overheads (please note that the average grant is likely to be £70,000 - £80,000). Grants can support development work on historic building projects, and can contribute towards the costs of developing and co-ordinating a project and taking it towards the start of work on site. To qualify, an organisation must have established that the end use of the project is likely to be viable and have decided to take the project forward. A minimum 10% matched funding contribution is required. Priority will be given to historic buildings in towns across England.
Capital Grants – up to £350,000 for up to 12 months for project costs and overheads. Grants are intended to support projects that will provide excellent examples of how communities can adapt and re-use neglected historic buildings to benefit their local area. Up to 10 grants are expected to be awarded. A minimum 20% match funding is required. Priority will be given to historic buildings in towns across England.
Please note that funding is not available for churches or other places of worship, where the building or the space within the building will be used as an active place of religious worship – defined as hosting regular religious services or religion-based activities such as prayer or religious study – unless the application relates to establishing community ownership of the building.
There are various other restrictions too, so please do check the criteria carefully before applying. They will fund Parish and Town Councils but not Local Authorities or other public bodies.
Further information, guidance and an Expression of Interest Form is available on the Architectural Heritage Fund website.