| The Oxfordshire
Historic
Churches
Trust was set up in 1964 with the aims of helping with grants to repair
and restore the churches of Oxfordshire, of encouraging wider interest
in them and of raising funds for these purposes. During
the year 2006/07 the Trust made 41 grants
to churches and chapels throughout the County,
totaling £216,300. Since its inception the value of its grants has amounted to £2.5 million. Programme of events for members 2007 StRide Final Results
are out! Latest: support us through the tax
efficient on-line charity giving site for OHCT |
 This porch was the gift of a Tudor rector, John Jewel, who went on to become bishop of Salisbury... In December 2006 WREN made a special Gift Aid Grant, through OHCT, of £30,000 grant towards its restoration. |
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There are some 550
churches of all
denominations in the county, some 300 of medieval origin and many
dating back 1000
years. While their continuing primary purpose is to provide places of public worship, they are treasured for their architectural beauty and for their connections with national and local history and as focal points in their communities; without them our landscapes and towns would be much poorer. |
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| In recent years the Trust
has received nearly £400,000 of grants under the Landfill Tax
Credit Scheme, whereby landfill operators may, in return for
distributing a percentage of their profits for environmental purposes,
obtain offsetting company tax benefits. Projects eligible for
funing under these grants include places of worship, with the condition
that they have to be within 10 miles radius of a landfill site.
In Oxfordshire's case this amouts to about one half of the
county. Most of the funds received by the Trust have come from WREN (Waste Recycling Environmental Ltd.), whose parent company operates two sites in the county. In total WREN has contributed to the funding of 67 projects, usually in conjunction with OHCT's own grant and many of these projects have now been completed. They range from Grade 1 Churches of national importance to small, non-conformist village chapels. The Trust and the churches that have benefitted from the scheme are greatly indebted to WREN for its generosity, without which the task would have been that much greater.. |
During the year 2006/7, WREN
grants were made to the following churches: Childrey, St Mary (£5,000); Cumnor, St Michael (£5,000), Freeland, St Mary the Virgin (£300); South Hinksey, St Laurence (£5,000); Sunningwell, St Leonard's (£5,000) and in addition Sunningwell received a further £30,000 under WREN's Gift Aid scheme.  WREN channels its funding for church restoration through OHCT and other county trusts in those counties within which it operates. OHCT welcomes this policy, and looks forward to continuing collaboration with WREN and the other landfill operators in Oxfordshire, notably Viridor and Grunden, both of which have made generous grants. |
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| The links opposite lead
to web pages
describing how churches and chapels of all denominations can apply to
the
Trust for a grant and how you can support it through your personal
involvement
and financial support.
The Trust is a registered charity* and its officials and helpers are all volunteers. *Registered Charity No 235644 |
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 OHCT approved grants totaling £10,000 to this church and its sister church Cowley, St Alban, in 2007 |
Questions about the Trust
(unless answered on the website) may be made to Mr Martin Thompson, Hon Secretary, OHCT, The Corner House, South Stoke, Reading RG8 0JS telephone: 01491 872248. fax: 01491 871154 email: mythompson@btinternet.com The Trust is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr Charles Baker as Chairman. He succeeds Mr Chris Walton, who has been elected President, following the retirement of Mr Robin Cotton MBE. |
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| The following link
provides details of Grants made to Oxfordshire churches in 2005-6 [pdf file] Maps showing the locations of many Oxfordshire churches [by courtesy of Streetmap] The following link provides details of the main features of some 30 churches in Oxfordshire
These web pages are managed by ben.simpson@wolfson.ox.ac.uk to whom technical queries, requests for edits etc may be addressed. |
Link to Dorchester
Abbey site
Link to Oxford Diocesan site Link to National Churches Trust (formerly known as Historic Churches Preservation Trust) Link to Ecclesiological Society site Link to Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme site (VAT
refund scheme for
churches etc)
Link to Funds
for Historic Buildings siteLink to English Heritage's Guide to Easy Access to Historic Buildings Link to http://www.oxfordshirechurches.info/ (A site aiming to show images of all Oxfordshire
Churches and Chapels, run by Brian J Curtis) Link to http://homepage.mac.com/john.ward/oxfordshirechurches
(Another site showing many images of Oxfordshire
Churches, run by John Ward)
Link
to Church
of England Gazette site
Link to a flier (pdf file) about THE CHURCH EXPLORER’S HANDBOOK in which visitors to this site may be interested. |
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