Text Glaziers Trust

The Glaziers Trust

The Glaziers' Trust has two principal objectives:

Promotion of the Craft by supporting the education and training of young craftsmen and women in stained and painted glass, and undertaking activities to create public awareness.
The restoration and conservation of historic and important stained glass.

Martin Harrison, the author of 'Victorian Stained Glass', has estimated that some eighty thousand panels of stained glass were created during the Victorian period. Substantial restoration and conservation is needed to preserve the very best examples and The Trust supports the training of young craftsmen to acquire such skills, which are also relevant for making of contemporary stained glass.

In the Church of England, the Parochial Church Council (PCC) of each parish is responsible for the fabric and furnishings of the church building(s), which of course includes any stained glass windows and the funding for any repairs falls upon the parish. The Trust targets its resources to grant aid parishes who have the responsibility of saving the historically important stained glass in their churches for future generations.

The curator of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York described "the two best places in the world to see (16th century) Neave Flemish glass are the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and Llanwenllwyfo church in Anglesea". On the one hand the glass is preserved by one of the best-funded museums in the world, and on the other hand by the small parish of Llanwenllwyfo church. The Trust was able to make a contribution although the church remains in need of further funds.

The Trust does not respond to applications from churches alone, if the restored glass is to be in a public location it is eligible to be considered for a grant, depending on its quality and historical importance. The Trust has recently offered grants to:

the Bromley and Sheppard's Colleges in Bromley, Kent,
The William Morris Gallery in Walthamstow for the restoration of three Christopher Whall panels for an exhibition.
Norwich Hospital towards the restoration of a twentieth century window by Stanley Kennedy-North to be installed in its entrance hall,
the restoration of Burlisson & Grylls windows situated in a mausoleum.

The grants awarded by The Trust are currently spread very thinly, because of limited resources, but they make a vitally important contribution towards the restoration and conservation of the nations most important works of public art.