Supporting people
who care for
places
of worship
SPAB Maintenance Cooperative Project
Stave of decay by daily repair
William Morris
Building on the award-winning Faith in
Maintenance programme, the aims of the
Project are:
• to provide training, support and
resources
• to create a sustainable network of
volunteers, supported by SPAB
• to enable volunteers to confidently and
effectively carry out essential preventative
maintenance at their local places of
worship
www.SPABMCP.org.uk
Faith in Maintenance
Faith in Maintenance was a
unique five year project, funded by
the HLF and English Heritage, that
provided free one day training
courses and support for the
thousands of volunteers in
England and Wales who help to
maintain our historic places of
worship.
www.SPABMCP.org.uk
•150 courses run
throughout England and
Wales 2007-11
•Telephone helpline
•Maintenance Calendar
•Good Maintenance
Guide
•Faith in Maintenance
DVD
•Emails, blogs and news
www.SPABMCP.org.uk
As a result of the courses
participants reported that they:
•were spending more time
inspecting their place of worship
per month
•Required contractors to have
more conservation experience
•Felt more confident seeking
advice from professional advisors
•Enjoyed their voluntary role
more
•Updated their maintenance
logbook more regularly
www.SPABMCP.org.uk
…but there is still more that we can do
•
•
•
•
•
Resources for historic places of worship are limited
There is often a high turnover of volunteers
Very little practical training for new volunteers
Volunteers sometimes feel isolated and unsupported
Volunteers would like to be able to exchange ideas and swap
experiences with others
www.SPABMCP.org.uk
Maintenance Cooperatives
The project has received a £907,400 Heritage
Lottery Fund grant towards a total project
cost of £1,202,050
It is working to build capacity at community
level in five target areas of the country:
•Lincolnshire
•Cumbria,
•North East
•Worcestershire/ Herefordshire
•Dorset and Somerset
www.SPABMCP.org.uk
The maintenance co-operatives
allow people to share ideas,
resources and good practice.
Groups benefit from a tailored
training programme designed to
meet local needs and interests on
topics such as:
•Preventative building
maintenance
•understanding traditional building
materials
•working with professionals
•project planning and welcoming
visitors
www.SPABMCP.org.uk
Legacy
•In each region 3-5 cooperatives will be setup with the support of the SPAB team.
•New web-based, social media and printed
educational resources
•An annual conference as part of National
Maintenance Week
•Template for best practise that can be
easily adopted in other regions
Partners
The project is being delivered with the
support and assistance of a number of
national partners including:
•English Heritage
•The Arthur Rank Centre
•The Churches Conservation Trust
•The National Churches Trust
•Caring for Gods Acre
•The War Memorials Trust
As well as many local organisations
www.SPABMCP.org.uk
Get involved!
Places of worship do not have to be old
or listed to be involved, and they can be
used by any faith.
If you would like to know more about the
project including:
•What events are happening in your area
•How to volunteer
Dates for the diary
•How to involve your place of worship
Herefordshire Launch
14th May
or
•How your place of worship can benefit if it
is not located in one of our project areas
Please get in touch!
www.SPABMCP.org.uk
Worcestershire Launch
31st May
South Lincolnshire Launch
31st May
Maintenance Co-operatives
Conference
21st November
Merchant Taylors Hall, York
Tickets coming soon.
Team MCP
Kate Streeter
Project Manager
kate.streeter@spab.org.uk
07776 201484
Alaina Schmisseur,
North East Project Officer
alaina.schmisseur@spab.org.uk
07776 180344
Sheila Christie
Administrator
sheila.christie@spab.org.uk
0207 377 1644
Kate Andrew
Herford and Worcestershire Project Officer
kate.andrew@spab.org.uk
07776 188482
James Innerdale
Technical Officer
james.innerdale@spab.org.uk
07776 204182
Colm O’Kelly, Somerset and Dorset Officer
colm.okelly@spab.org.uk
07776 185668
Stella Jackson
Lincolnshire Project Officer
stella.jackson@spab.org.uk
07776 156274
Sue Manson, Cumbrian Project Officer
sue.manson@spab.org.uk
07776 197143
www.SPABMCP.org.uk