20/06/12
By Andrew Holt
Trafalgar Square’s historic St Martin-in-the-Fields has been awarded £1 million through the Heritage Lottery Fund’s (HLF) Catalyst Endowment programme.
Designed by architect James Gibbs and opened in 1726, St Martin-in-the-Fields completed a £36m Renewal Project in 2008 that restored the church and created inspirational new spaces beneath its surface that include a chapel, community meeting places, care for homeless people, exhibitions, shop and the award winning Café in the Crypt.
This grant will enable the Church’s Trust to widen its income streams and access private philanthropic giving in order to help build future financial resilience for this remarkable Grade I Listed building.
The Revd Dr Sam Wells, vicar of St Martin-in-the-Fields, said: “St Martin-in-the-Fields is a place where beautiful architecture and heritage meet a vibrant, working church, dedicated in service to the community around it.
"With many hundreds of thousands of people visiting St Martin’s each year, it is vital we keep our buildings in excellent condition. The funding we will receive from this award will go a long way to help us achieve this.
“Each generation has a duty to steward these buildings through into the future. I am delighted that the Heritage Lottery Fund has recognised the importance of St Martin’s to the nation’s heritage in this way. The grant will ensure the church will continue to inspire and serve people for all time.”
With morale in the sector at its lowest ebb, Duncan Jefferies asks what makes an effective leader and how charities can attract and develop the best management talent in the current environment
Target return funds are about being in the right assets at the right time, and being out of assets when they are not performing. Philip Smith weighs up the evidence for charities to take the plunge and Malcolm Herring shows how a targeted return approach seeks to achieve real returns on a consistent basis
Much hope and expectation is on corporates to fill the substantial gap left by government funding cuts and a fall in fundraising revenue. Peter Davy looks at how charities should be dealing with corporates to help fill a vast hole in charity finances
Those hoping to solve the problem of arts funding through private sector sponsorship suffered a further blow in November: Sherlock Holmes thinks it impossible.....