York Consortium for Conservation and Craftsmanship scores a double century

With a 2,000 year history and a wonderfully preserved stock of fine buildings, York has for generations been a thriving centre for what we now think of as heritage skills. York Minster and the many medieval churches in the city have long stimulated a demand for masons, carvers, ironworkers, carpenters and stained-glass experts.

Sustaining and developing their heritage skills isn’t easy. The long training and commitment required, usually for modest financial rewards, makes it a challenge to nourish these skills and prevent them dying out. For that reason, in 1999 a group of concerned and interested people in York got together to establish two parallel bodies.

The York Consortium for Conservation and Craftsmanship has over 150 members, mostly heritage practitioners, and exists to provide services to and promote the interests of specialists in the region. Its sister organisation, the York Foundation for Conservation and Craftsmanship, began to raise funds that could be distributed to help craftsmen take on apprentices and to assist determined and talented individuals develop their craft and conservation skills further.

The Foundation has grown steadily and funds now exceed £300,000. Income generated by this fund is spent as bursaries ranging from a maximum of £3,000 to as little as £500. In addition to the Foundation’s own money, a number of other supportive charitable organisations – the York Company of Merchant Taylors, the Historic Houses Association, The Surveyors Club and the Freemasons’ Provincial Grand Charity – provide additional bursary funds.

The Foundation employs no staff and administrative costs are covered by the trustees. A highly efficient methodology has developed over a number of years to target, identify and evaluate suitable bursary recipients. The Foundation aims to spend quite small sums that have the potential to make a big difference.

This year the Foundation achieved a double century – it has awarded its 100th bursary and the total value of bursaries awarded in the Foundation’s relatively short history has exceeded £100,000.

According to Martin Stancliffe, a conservation architect and former Surveyor to St Paul’s Cathedral who is chairman of the Foundation: “It is incredibly encouraging to meet and be able to help so many really worthwhile individuals. We know from quite extensive research into the way our bursary recipients careers’ have developed subsequently that these bursaries make a real difference. It is partly about the money, of course, but also about the confidence and recognition that the awards engender.”

James Grierson, secretary to the Foundation, added: “While we are able to help some terrific individuals, there are many deserving applications that we have to reject every year and this is why we are working very hard to grow our funds. This seems to be striking a chord with many generous individuals. We have raised £95,000 so far this year but are determined to raise more.”

Applications for next year’s bursaries need to be received by the end of March and application forms can be downloaded from the Foundation’s website at www.conservationyork.org.uk. Those interested in proving financial support should email the foundation at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..