Fred E Dukes International Bell Fund -- Guidance for Applicants
Selection criteria
1 The following are eligible for a grant:
- installations outside the British Isles
- in support of sterling expenditure in the UK towards the cost of bells
and bell ringing equipment manufactured, supplied, repaired or renovated by the major
UK bell founders
OR
to assist with the manufacture of bell ringing equipment to the design of the UK bell founders in the local area
- installations within the territory of overseas associations which are affiliated to the Central Council
- bell installations in church buildings
- bells hung for full circle ringing with stays and sliders
- bells intended to be used in conformity with the British style of ringing (i.e. rounds, call changes and change ringing)
Other items/installations which are eligible for grants under guidelines provided by Mr Dukes may be considered for grant aid but would have a lower priority. A complete list of all other eligible work is set out in para. 12 below.
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Administration
3 Applications will be invited once a year via The Ringing World and the Newsletters of the major overseas associations affiliated to the Central Council (CC).
4 Applicants will be asked to complete an application form to ensure that all relevant information is available.
5 The administration of grant applications will be undertaken by the CC Bell Restoration Committee who will recommend grants to the Management Trustees
6 Grants will be paid by the CC Treasurer direct to the nominated bell founder in the UK on satisfactory completion of the work
The Fund
7 The Fund will be a capital fund invested according to the recommendations of the Management Trustees appointed by the CC. The Management Trustees will be the CC Treasurer and one nominee each from the Bell Restoration and Public Relations Committees of the CC.
8 Each year the Management Trustees will inform the CC Bell Restoration Committee of the amount available for grants
9 Where no grants are made in any one year, the interest should be carried forward to the following year. No more than two years' interest should be accumulated for grant purposes. Amounts in excess of two years' interest would be transferred to capital
10 At the discretion of the Management Trustees loans from capital may be made to eligible projects for items of major expenditure, such loans to be repayable over an agreed period at an agreed rate of interest
11 The Management Trustees may, at their discretion, use surplus interest (after the award of grants to any eligible projects) to assist an affiliated overseas society with the cost of attendance of one of its representatives at the CC Meeting. Representatives resident in the UK would not be eligible.
Eligible Work
12 In accordance with Mr Dukes' wishes the following may also be grant aided, subject to the amount of money available for grants and the decision of the Management Trustees. Applications for the following will have lower priority than those outlined in paras. 1 and 2 above.
- bell installations in secular buildings;
- the cost of proper bell ropes made by recognised UK rope makers;
- from bell ringing societies not qualified to apply for affiliation to the CC;
- In the case of the Veronese Society, where bells and equipment are to be manufactured in Italy, grants totalling not more than 10% of the accrued interest for the year may be made towards projects in their area as long as they remain affiliated to the CC.
Further information
For further information, please contact the Committee Secretary Carol Hardwick, email:

