Funding for heritage-led economic & social regeneration projects
Posted on 24 July 2024 by Christie McAlpine in Funding Grants Loans
Helping turn old churches into language centres, disused mills into workspaces, and former police stations into affordable housing: the historic buildings at the heart of communities are full of potential to help drive locally-led positive regeneration.
The Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF) is a registered charity, working since 1976 to promote the conservation and sustainable re-use of historic buildings for the benefit of communities across the UK, particularly in economically disadvantaged areas.
It supports communities to find enterprising ways to revitalise the old buildings they love. It provides charities and social enterprises with a unique mix of advice, grants and loans to help them give valued historic buildings new, relevant and financially sustainable purposes, now and for future generations.
Grant Support
The AHF can provide grants to help with assessing the viability of a project, or to help fund development costs for historic building related regeneration projects.
The AHF’s core grants and project support programme in Scotland is made possible with funding from Historic Environment Scotland. Through the delivery of early-stage Project Viability Grants (up to £10,000) and Project Development Grants (up to £40,000), it provides financial support for groups looking to test potential project ideas, prove the viability of their plans, and then develop these to the point where they are ready to apply to larger capital funders.
Thanks to funding from the William Grant Foundation, projects in Scotland may also be eligible to apply to the Tailored Support Fund, which is intended to help organisations and projects that may not fit within the criteria for the AHF’s core grants programme. With grants of up to £10,000 available, this funding could, for example, be used in situations where an unexpected cost arises, or emergency repairs are required; support meanwhile uses, or other physical enabling works that help sustain the development of a larger project; and support projects or aspects of a project that are particularly innovative or possibly hard to fund through other sources.
Loan Support
As the UK’s only specialist lender for charities and social enterprises working on or operating from historic buildings, the AHF can also support projects in Scotland with loan finance.
Loans of up to £500,000 are available with flexible and competitive terms. This funding could, for example, be used to buy a building; provide working capital; bridge funding gaps until further funding becomes available; help manage cashflow needs; or support the development of new activities or a new service.
The Heritage Impact Fund (£25,000 to £500,000, maximum five-year repayment term) provides finance to projects that support the sustainability of historic buildings, while also seeking to deliver demonstrable local economic and community impact.
The AHF’s General Funds (£25,000 to £500,000) are available to invest in more traditional heritage projects. These include projects which may require longer-term finance or demonstrate less community benefit than is required to access other loan funds.
Example of projects that have benefitted from AHF support
West Boathouse, Glasgow Green, Glasgow
Clydesdale Amateur Rowing Club and Clyde Amateur Rowing Club have occupied West Boathouse since it was built in 1905. However, by the 2010s, despite remaining in active use by the rowing clubs, the building’s condition had deteriorated.
Glasgow Building Preservation Trust and Clydesdale Amateur Rowing Club began working on a project to repair and adapt West Boathouse from broader community uses.
Following full restoration of the building, West Boathouse re-opened in May 2023, with both the Clydesdale and Clyde Amateur Rowing Clubs moving back in alongside the Strathclyde University Rowing Club, offering enhanced facilities, improved accessibility, and a new programme of opportunities for local people to engage with the River Clyde.
Initial viability and development phase work for this project, including a heritage appraisal, business case, condition survey, consultant fees, and conservation reports, was supported by Project Viability and Project Development Grants from the AHF. Once conservation work had been completed, the AHF also gave a loan to support Clydesdale Amateur Rowing Club with fit-out as they moved back into the boathouse.
Old School Thornhill, Thornhill, Dumfries and Galloway
After services were transferred to a modern building nearby in 2010, the Old School closed and was left vacant for many years, subsequently suffering from vandalism and arson.
The project to restore the building to its former glory initially began in 2016, when a small group of local people came together with an idea to buy and transform the Old School into an innovative, design-led, community asset.
The group’s vision was fulfilled when Old School Thornhill officially launched to the public in April 2024 as a new community workspace and youth hub. The restored building has been opened up to an exciting mix of new uses, bringing together local groups, small businesses, freelancers, charities, artists and creatives.
The AHF supported this project from an early stage, initially awarding a Project Viability Grant in 2017 towards business planning and community engagement - this led to a successful Scottish Land Fund application, which enabled Old School Thornhill to acquire the building. Subsequent Project Development Grants in 2019 and 2020 contributed towards staff costs and professional fees, helping the project to secure most of its capital fundraising costs. A further Project Development Grant was awarded in 2022 to progress work with the Architect and Design Team during the critical final stage.
For more information about the AHF and its current funding programmes, including details on eligibility, please visit: www.ahfund.org.uk