Update on Heritage Lottery Fund [Dec 2022]
With Covid-19 ‘behind us’ and given the news that the Faculty has been granted, the Project Group will now seek to revisit discussions with the Heritage Lottery Fund as part of the fundraising programme. Watch this space!!
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Update on Heritage Lottery Fund [2020]
Response to Covid-19: The HLF announced that it would not be considering any applications for new heritage projects during 2020/21, rather it would focus available funds on previously funded heritage projects to ensure they remained viable during Covid-19. A further announcement detailing the position for 2021/22 should be anticipated.
In the interim the Project Group has been researching other prospective sources of project funding.
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Update on our Church & Village Centre project [Spring 2019]
HERITAGE Lottery Funding (HLF) was the focus of our last news update when we were awaiting the outcome of our grant application. We now have mixed news to report which seems par for the course in this development journey!
The disappointing news first – basically our 2018 application was refused. However we were pleased to be invited to meet HLF officials in Nottingham who encouraged us to make a fresh application! HLF said they recognise there is a case for an award for the conservation of the heritage associated with our existing Grade II* listed buildings. Hence we felt encouraged and are currently planning a fresh application for heritage grant support which would be spent on the listed building part (only) of the project.
Update on our Church & Village Centre project [October 2018]
A round one Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) application was submitted in August which was a very substantial 9,000 word document. Around six months of quite intensive work went into completing this application. Indeed working within the limited word-count was a very useful exercise requiring a concise distillation of the aims and objectives of our project. The section, “What work and consultation have you undertaken to prepare for this project, and why?” required trawling back through many years of efforts and seeing it compiled reminded us of just how far we have come since before the 2006 Parish Plan!
The application also required a name or expression to best reflect what the project is all about, which again required crystal clear clarity of thought . We believe that “Our Church, Our Cossington; Our Story, Our Future” succinctly encapsulates its essence.
There are 3 stages to securing HLF funding which is a lengthy and very considered process. If HLF are impressed with our round one application they will invite us to submit an even more substantial Round Two application. This would require fleshing out exactly how the round one vision and proposals would be developed; essentially it would be a very substantive action plan. Full details would be required for example from planning the proposed guided heritage tours to specifying the type of stone for the new stone floor in the church. It would effectively move our project to a state of readiness, like being at an ‘amber light’. The ‘green light’ would of course depend on HLF approval of any such round two application and the attendant award of the grant.
But of course round one success is required in the first instance.