Friends of Friendless Churches

The Friends of Friendless Churches is a registered charity active in England and Wales. It was founded by Ivor Bulmer-Thomas in 1957 to save disused but beautiful places of worship from demolition, decay and unsympathetic conversion. The Friends now own 38 redundant churches and chapels, and have campaigned on behalf of hundreds more. A list of their vestings is given on their website.

The Friends conserve the churches in their care, undertaking repair where necessary, and preserving them as former places of worship for visitors and the local community to enjoy. They rely extensively on local volunteers to act as their 'eyes and ears', some of whom have formed themselves into groups of local friends.

Voluntary organisation

The Friends are very small, almost wholly voluntary organisation, with no paid staff in England and a part-time field officer in Wales (where their work is grant-aided by Cadw and the Church in Wales). In England the Friends are sometimes successful in attracting grant aid for their work from English Heritage; but this is by no means guaranteed.

50th anniversary

In 2007 the Friends celebrated their 50th anniversary with a series of events and a campaign of profile- and fund-raising, to help them both to repair the churches already in their care, and to continue to campaign for the appropriate conservation of beautiful and historic but redundant churches and chapels for many years to come.

Partnership with Ancient Monuments Society

Since 1993 the Friends have shared an office and staff, and operated a joint membership scheme, with the Ancient Monuments Society.

ee also

*Ancient Monuments Society

External links

* [http://www.friendsoffriendlesschurches.org.uk/ Friends of Friendless Churches website]