Our grants committee
Our grants committees are made up of people from different denominations and backgrounds and help us to decide which churches, chapels and meeting houses will receive grants from us.
On this page, you can find out about members of the National Churches Trust Grants Committee and the Treasure Ireland grants committee.
Grants Committee Members
- Nigel Walter (Chair) is a Specialist Conservation Architect. Through his Cambridge practice, he works with church communities across many denominations to create a better fit between their buildings and their communal life. He is inspecting architect for some 50 historic churches, mostly listed, many Grade I, and a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (FRIBA).
- Judith Alfrey is based in Powys, Wales, and is Head of Conservation and Regeneration at Cadw, the historic environment service of the Welsh Government. She has lead on places of worship strategy, repair grant programmes and listing.
- William Arnold is a licensed Church of England reader and retired civil servant, former the Deputy Chief Executive of the UK Supreme Court, with previous responsibility for regional development agency budgets. William grew up in the North West and attended
a Baptist church, but is now based in London. - Isabel Assaly is Head of Regeneration and Consultancy at the Churches Conservation Trust (CCT). She is responsible for the CCT's regeneration programme and consultancy service and supports communities to keep churches open, sustainable, connected to the community and relevant. Isabel also submits applications for, and advises on, sources of funds. Isabel is based in London but has national oversight as part of her role at CCT.
- Marcus Chantrey is a Conservation Architect with RIBA Specialist Conservation Architect accreditation and AABC accreditation. He's a Member of the Church of England’s Church Buildings Council and Chair of their Stained Glass Grants Committee, as well as a member of the Salisbury Diocesan Advisory Committee. He is based in the South West of England.
- Angie Creswick is the Methodist Resource Manager working with churches to advise on buildings and governance. She is a civil engineer by background with project management experience from the construction industry, and a Masters in Conservation Studies (Historic Buildings) from the University of York. Based in Yorkshire.
- James Crowley is an architectural historian and ecclesiastical heritage consultant. He is also Secretary of the Catholic Historic Churches Committee for Wales and Herefordshire. James is based in the North West of England.
- Robert Gray worked for 40 years as a Chartered Town Planner and Chartered Landscape Architect in both the private and public sectors. His final professional post, prior to taking early retirement, was as Head of Planning at Aberdeenshire Council.
- Edward Kepczyk is a Conservation Architect with RIBA Specialist Conservation Architect accreditation. He's also a Member of Blackburn’s Diocesan Advisory Committee. Edward is based in the North West of England.
- Jill Kerry is a retired conservation architect and former trustee of the Ulster Historic Churches Trust. Currently, Jill is Treasurer and Chair of the IHBC Finance and Resources Committee and sits on the Presbyterian Church in Ireland Property Board. Jill is also a member of our Treasure Ireland Grants Committee and Steering Group and is based in Northern Ireland.
- Donna McDonald has been project manager for several listed churches in the Diocese of London. For seven years she was the London arts correspondent for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, after which she moved into arts management and fundraising. Donna is a published author and is also a trustee of the Landmark Arts Centre.
Find out about the different grants we award
Our grants are available to any Christian place of worship in the UK that is open for regular worship. They help keep church buildings in good repair, open for worship and community activities, and allow them to continue to serve people, communities and visitors in all sorts of ways.
Learn moreTreasure Ireland Grants Committee Members
- June Butler (Chair) served as Diocesan Secretary for Anglican dioceses of Connor and Down and Dromore until 2017, overseeing over 200 churches. She chairs the Places of Worship Forum in Northern Ireland and is a former Assistant Chief Electoral Officer.
- Rósín Doherty, Curator of the Tower Museum, specialises in church heritage. She is a key member of the successful project team at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Strabane, bringing extensive expertise and dedication to her work in preserving ecclesiastical history.
- The Very Rev. Hugh P. Kennedy, a retired priest and chaplain, has served in both country and city parishes. He is a former member of the Ulster Historic Churches Trust and the Ulster Architectural Heritage Committee, with an MA in historical church architecture.
- Jill Kerry is a retired conservation architect and former trustee of the Ulster Historic Churches Trust. Currently, Jill is Treasurer and Chair of the IHBC Finance and Resources Committee and sits on the Presbyterian Church in Ireland Property Board. As well as being a member of our Treasure Ireland Grants Committee and Steering Group, Jill sits on the National Churches Trust Grants Committee. She is based in Northern Ireland.
- Philippa Martin is a Heritage Consultant and Planning and Outreach Officer for the Ulster Architectural Heritage Society. Her expertise includes planning policy and consultation, audience development and education, community engagement, and architecture.
- Neil Moore is a retired Specialist Conservation Accredited architect. He has managed significant capital projects, including Riddel Hall for Queens University Belfast, Crescent Arts Centre, Crumlin Road Gaol, Old Antrim Courthouse, and John Bell House.
- Alastair J. Rankin is a Fee-Paid Judge & Tribunal Chairman, Hon. Secretary of Ulster Architectural Heritage, and Chair of the Hearth Buildings Trust. With 22 years as the General Assembly’s Solicitor for the Presbyterian Church Ireland, he has a deep understanding of Presbyterian Church law and heritage.
- Alan Ross is an architect with experience in church heritage projects. He is currently the Senior Building Surveyor at the National Trust Northern Ireland. He specialises in conservation project management and approaches.
Find out more about the Treasure Ireland project
Northern Ireland has an amazingly rich heritage of church and chapel buildings. This includes 939 listed places of worship, with 45 churches and chapels listed as Category A – building of the highest heritage significance. Treasure Ireland has been set up to help protect Northern Ireland’s historic places of worship.
Learn more