Bell Repair Fund

BRF Grant Application Form 2026 Download the application form and guidance notes
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About the Fund

Bell Repair Fund

A central guild bell repair fund (BRF) was started in 1975 — although branches all had their own repair funds before this date, and continue to now. As a registered charity it attracts further income by use of The Gift Aid Scheme.

Rules

Bell Repair Fund Rules

  • 1.The fund shall be known as the Lincoln Diocesan Guild of Church Bell Ringers Bell Repair Fund (BRF). The object of the BRF shall be to promote, for the benefit of the community, the art of bell ringing by providing financial assistance to churches and other community organisations in the Diocese of Lincoln for the restoration, preservation, improvement, and maintenance of bell installations.
  • 2.The members of the BRF shall be the members of the Lincoln Diocesan Guild of Church Bell Ringers (the Guild). The Guild shall appoint three Trustees of the BRF who will not hold office as the Master, Secretary or Treasurer of the Guild at the same time. The Guild shall also appoint a BRF Administrator who may be one of the appointed Trustees. The Trustees and Administrator shall be appointed for an initial term of three years and may not hold office for more than three consecutive terms. The Guild Committee will have power to fill a casual vacancy which must be ratified at the next general meeting of the Guild.
  • 3.The Trustees shall be responsible for the general control and management of the charity in accordance with the provisions of the Charities Acts. The trustees will meet as and when required but not less than twice in each year. One of the trustees shall be appointed chairperson at each meeting by a simple majority. The minutes of trustee meetings will be held by the BRF administrator. Decisions of Trustees will be made by a simple majority at a meeting when at least two members are present.
  • 4.The Trustees will have the power to invest or otherwise deal with such funds as may be received into the BRF and to make payment out of the BRF of such amounts as is deemed appropriate in accordance with the overall object of the charity set out in Rule 1. Any two of the Fund Administrator and Trustees shall have the authority to act as signatories to the BRF.
  • 5.The income of the BRF is primarily from members' annual subscriptions and donations from parishes within the Diocese of Lincoln through the Affiliation Scheme but also from fund-raising events and personal donations.
  • 6.The Trustees will not employ persons to manage the BRF but will have the power to take professional advice from lawyers, accountants, financial advisors etc. and pay out of the BRF appropriate fees and expenses. The day to day running costs of the BRF such as postage, IT costs etc. will be met from the BRF subject to the agreement of the Trustees.
  • 7.The Guild Committee will appoint an Investment Advisory Committee (IAC) whose purpose will be to advise the Trustees on appropriate investments of BRF funds. The IAC will consist of the Master and Secretary of the Guild, the Trustees, and the BRF Administrator. The Trustees may also take independent investment advice as appropriate. For the avoidance of doubt the Trustees have sole responsibility in relation to investment of the BRF funds.
  • 8.The Guild Committee will appoint a Grants Advisory Committee (GAC) whose role will be to advise the Trustees in relation to grants from the BRF. The GAC shall consist of the Master, the Secretary, the BRF Administrator, the Trustees and two other Guild members appointed annually by the Guild Committee. For the avoidance of doubt the Trustees have sole responsibility in relation to the making of grants from the BRF.
  • 9.Applications for grants shall be submitted on the Grant Application Form via the appropriate Branch Secretary to the BRF Administrator. The application will be considered by the GAC who will make recommendations on the application to the Trustees. Applications should be submitted before any work is commenced. Retrospective applications (maximum twelve months) may be considered for urgent work and in exceptional circumstances.
  • 10.Any grant approval shall be limited to qualifying work and be conditional on compliance with current Church of England Faculty Jurisdiction Rules or any applicable planning, building or listed building regulations.
  • 11.Any approved grant shall be re-assessed as a proportion of the final invoice cost of the project. Payment will not exceed the original offer unless higher costs are due to changes in the project that have been considered by the GAC. At the discretion of the Trustees interim payments or loans may be made to assist the applicant parish with its cash flow and to minimise an escalation of cost because of delays in fundraising. No final payment shall be released until the Trustees are satisfied that all legal requirements in connection with the work have been met and that the work has been satisfactorily completed.
  • 12.The BRF Administrator, on behalf of the Trustees, shall prepare a Balance Sheet as at 31 December each year and an income and expenditure account for the year ended on that date. These accounts shall be examined by the Guild Honorary Inspectors of Accounts, in accordance with Charity Commission rules. The accounts are to be presented to the members at the Annual General Meeting of the Guild first held after the end of the year for which the accounts are prepared.
  • 13.The Trustees shall regularly review the available funds having regard to existing and proposed schemes and determine the level of grant to be paid in respect of future applications. The Trustees may also recommend changes to the scope of qualifying work having regard to the assets of the BRF.
  • 14.In the event of dissolution of the Fund, the assets of the BRF shall be distributed equally among those churches which at the time of dissolution were affiliated with the BRF for disposal in accordance with the objects of the BRF as set out in Rule 1. A Church or Parish will be considered to be affiliated to the BRF in any one calendar year if it has donated to the BRF during the previous calendar year.
  • 15.No alteration of these rules shall be made that will cause the BRF at any time to cease to be a charity in law. Only a General Meeting of the Guild (Annual, Half-Yearly or Special Meeting) may alter the rules and any proposed rule change must be passed by a two-thirds majority of those members present at a meeting of which at least 28 days' notice has been given to each member of the Guild.

Overarching Principles

Objectives of the Guild

The objectives of the Guild were originally drafted in 1899 but have been revised and modernised in recent years. The current objectives are set out below:

  • 1.To strive to provide a service to the Church and Community by ringing for Church Services and Festivals, Community Festivals and Celebrations.
  • 2.To promote and advance change ringing in all the different modes of operation including ringing in or with Churches, Secular Towers, Mini Rings, Hand Bells and Simulators.
  • 3.To promote the care and restoration of bells used for full circle ringing in the Diocese of Lincoln.
  • 4.To recruit, train and develop bell ringers in the art of change ringing and endeavour to ensure the continuing use of bells for the ongoing needs of the church and community.

The decisions of the BRF will be guided by these objectives. Potential applicants should therefore be aware that applications are more likely to be viewed favourably for towers where the prospect of continued use of the bells by an active band can be anticipated, as would schemes that facilitate the training of new ringers. Please address these aspects briefly in any application.

Guidance

Notes to the Rules

  • 1. In these rules —
    • a.All references to bells shall mean bells hung for full circle ringing and which are installed and designed to be heard by the community at large; "mini rings" and "mobile rings" are excluded.
    • b."Churches" in rule 1 includes "redundant churches" that are no longer owned by the Church of England but open to the public; churches exploring closure may be considered by the trustees where bells are to be removed for use elsewhere in the Diocese of Lincoln.
  • 2. Qualifying work includes —
    • a.Overhaul of existing bells, frames and fittings, re-bushing of clappers.
    • b.Supply and installation of new fittings; lifting for cleaning and replacement of bearings.
    • c.Taking out and re-installation of existing bells for work on headstocks, tuning, repair or recasting.
    • d.Removal and transfer of bells from one tower for re-installation in another within the Diocese of Lincoln.
    • e.Augmentation of existing rings of bells up to a maximum ring of 6. Augmentation to higher numbers may be considered exceptionally where the applicant PCC can demonstrate that augmentation will meet the objectives of the Guild and is compliant with the overarching principles of the BRF.
    • f.Repair or removal and replacement of bell frames, including cleaning, preservation, and painting.
    • g.Installation of sound control measures where needed to keep bells being rung.
  • 3. Qualifying work does not include —
    • a.The cost of general building or electrical work other than that required for installation and maintenance of the bells or sound control louvres.
    • b.The cost for supply and fitting of ropes, stays or other consumable items.
    • c.The cost of expert inspection or service visits.
  • 4.The trustees may also consider a contribution to other work that would result in a substantial and significant improvement to the longevity of any bell installation before remedial work is necessary. Such work could include repairs or replacement of louvres, provision of waterproofing membranes and birdproofing mesh to tower openings, repairs to stairs, replacement of ladders and floors, and installation of handrails that are needed to provide safe access to the ringing chamber and belfry. Any other work which the Trustees deem to comply with the object of the fund may also be considered.
  • 5.If a large grant application is anticipated, it is requested that the BRF Administrator is notified at an early stage of the likely project costs to assist the management of BRF investments and cash flow.
  • 6.Please keep the BRF Administrator updated about the progress of any grant-aided project.
  • 7.Grants should be claimed as soon as possible after completion of the work. If a grant is not claimed within two years of the date of approval it may lapse unless confirmation is received that the project remains active.

Funding

Level of Grant

  • 1.The level of grant is at the discretion of the trustees and is subject to change from time to time depending on fund income, investments and liabilities. The current level of grant is set out below and is effective from 1 January 2026.
  • 2.To encourage smaller schemes the first £10,000 of all claims approved in a 10-year period for an individual church will be paid 50% of the gross qualifying work costs.
  • 3.For larger and the aggregate of schemes on the same tower in a 10-year period grants will be paid at 30% of the gross qualifying work costs after the first £10,000 has been claimed.
  • 4.Where local labour has been used to reduce costs, the gross cost quoted by the contractor will be subject to grant. On simple schemes where local labour is used to remove and replace components for repair in the bellhangers' works expenses will be claimable.
  • 5.Value Added Tax will be included in the grantworthy sum unless it is specifically recoverable through the new Places of Worship Grant Scheme.

Revised as at 6 March 2026