The Trust is dedicated to funding repairs and maintenance of places of worship in the Diocese of Exeter and throughout Devon.
Grants are awarded at the quarterly Trustees meeting, with the funds for these Grants being drawn from fundraising activities, of which the annual Devon Historic Churches Day and Ride+Stride is the largest contributor. Major gifts and legacies are invested to provide further income for grants and ad hoc fundraising events are encouraged to supplement the amount available to assist with church repairs and maintenance.
The Devon Historic Churches Trust was founded on 1st January 1973 by the Lord-Lieutenant of Devon the Rt Hon. Massey Lopes, 2nd Baron Roborough and the Rt. Rev. Robert Mortimer, Lord Bishop of Exeter.
Patrons
The Lord-Lieutenant of Devon David Fursdon and the Bishop of Exeter the Rt. Rev. Robert Attwell are Patrons of the Trust .
Chairmen
Viscount Knutsford was the Chairman of the special Appeal Committee that ran from 1990 – 1993 and served as a Trustee then member of the Finance & General Purposes Committee until he retired in 2009.
Lord Coleridge, KBE,DL was the first Chairman of the Trust commencing in 1973 and was followed by Mr A F Phillpotts until 1987.
Air Commodore C R G Neville CBE DL was chairman from 1987 until 1997 when he was suceeded by
Lady Anne Boles DL.
In the summer of 2013 Lady Burnell-Nugent became the current Chairman.
