About GutterClear
About GutterClear
GutterClear is an initiative of the Diocese of Gloucester, in collaboration with Maintain our Heritage, to help with the maintenance of places of worship throughout the Diocese.
The Diocese has just under 400 parish churches, most of which are listed as historic buildings. Each parish is responsible for the upkeep of the fabric of its buildings but the Diocese has a strong interest in helping parishes to care for them.
Maintain our Heritage is a not-for profit company set up by a group of architects, surveyors and conservationists to campaign for better maintenance practices, and to put their ideas into practice.
GutterClear has now been running successfully for three years and has established a good reputation for reliability and value for money. Well over a hundred churches have so far taken part.
GutterClear goes Direct!
Now, since November 2010, parishes will deal directly with the accredited contractor, either to request a repeat clearance or obtain a quotation from him for the first time. Previously, the scheme operated through the Diocese itself and was co-ordinated by its part-time administrator, Jason Gillard, who has retired.
How the Scheme came about
GutterClear grew out of Maintain's pilot historic building maintenance scheme around Bath, between 2002 and 2003. This was taken up by a number of churches in the south of the Diocese.
Maintain then carried out survey of churchwardens in the Diocese in 2005 (sponsored by EIG) which found significant interest in a simple preventative maintenance service for churches.
The set-up and administration costs have been generously funded by a number of private donors, and English Heritage supported the scheme with a grant of £20,000.