National Churches Trust send their supporters this 52-page account of what they have been up to.
It looks like a colour supplement and is not a financial report. It is a series of articles and interviews, temptingly illustrated with pictures of churches I’d like to visit. Actually, the pictures are the best part for me but then I’m as shallow as something very shallow that I cannot think of, maybe a soup spoon. It must cost a bit to produce and send. I wouldn’t be surprised if the contributions from some supporters doesn’t quite pay for their copy. The NCT makes a valiant attempt to offset the cost of printing this pretty lavish review with advertising revenue but it looks to me as if they have struggled this year, although the recipients of this posh church magazine are stuck at home and maybe receptive to advertising. Fat Beehive has a full page ad that it pretty much had to take as FB maintains the NCT website. Weldon stonemasons have a well positioned quarter page, Maintenance Booker has half a page and, if you aren’t already a client, they keep your church on track with repairs and so on. Creative Audio-Visual Solutions seem to offer virtual services for churches but I have probably misinterpreted their half page ad. These are all embedded in the articles.
At the back there are six pages of ads: metal conservation, stained glass, an architect, a publisher, a foundry, a decorator, a church lighting specialist and a church heating specialist. One advertiser was generous; he paid for a quarter page to advertise his rental house in France. It looks lovely but I doubt the supporters of NCT are his clients at any time and especially not right now. He is Luke March, Chairman of National Churches Trust, and if you look at his ad closely it is inferred that it is dog friendly. Bertie is interested.
In next year’s Annual Review there may be a small ad for this website. But let’s cut to the chase. Here’s a snapshot of the churches it supported in 2019/20.
Much bigger grants than The Benevolent Society of St Patrick gives but lots of smallish grants to help struggling churches. NCT doesn’t get five stars but it gets four and the Blog Bellew inspector will be around next year. Meanwhile, let the sunshine in.