CHURCH Buildings Support Officers (CBSOs), who were appointed because of grants from the Church of England’s £11 million Buildings for Mission project, met in Peterborough last month to share their experiences.
A complete of £3.2 million was awarded for CBSOs last yr, in 33 dioceses, to offer parishes with advice on the management, conservation, repair, and development of church buildings, including community use alongside worship (News, 9 November 2023).
The recent CBSOs are helping to oversee £6.2 million of grants from the Buildings for Mission fund for repairs to churches, focused on small-scale but urgent works and “stitch-in-time” projects that might save larger sums in the long run. The project, which runs from 2023 to 2025, is funded by the Church Commissioners and administered by the Archbishops’ Council.
Sophie Allen, who previously worked in consultancy within the heritage sector, and took up her post as CBSO within the diocese of Chichester in November, has been overseeing the distribution of funds for minor repairs and enhancements.
Many of the grants have been made to switch and repair guttering in churches, she said, describing this as “unglamorous but so necessary”, designed to save lots of churches from the damaging impact of heavy rain.
“It is wonderful to work so directly with the parishes,” she said. “The diocese has allocated the grants to the areas most in need and the buildings most in danger.”
Alena Douglas, a CBSO within the diocese of Leeds, has visited 29 churches within the diocese over the six months since her appointment. She provides advice in a variety of areas, from starting long-term church reordering projects, to helping with application forms to grants panels. “My work can include going from a city-centre church in Leeds to a tiny medieval chapel within the Dales in an area of a few days.”
Faye Edwardes, a CBSO within the diocese of Truro, supports and advises churches on the subsequent steps in fund-raising. “Even in areas where regular Sunday attendance is low, the emotional connection to the church is big,” she said.
“It is amazing to be instrumental in maintaining what’s a hugely necessary a part of the heritage of England, not only the Church.”
