Our partners and supporters

The delivery of the Dockyard Church project is being funded by £4.2m raised by players of the National Lottery and distributed by the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF). Another £3.2m funding has been raised from charitable trusts, foundations and individuals, together with a grant from Historic England via the DCMS Culture Recovery Fund.

We are hugely grateful to all our supporters for making this remarkable project happen.

Historic England (officially the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England) is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. It is tasked with protecting the historic environment of England by preserving and listing historic buildings, scheduling ancient monuments, registering historic parks and gardens and by advising central and local government.

The Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF) is a registered charity, working since 1976 to promote the conservation and sustainable re-use of historic buildings for the benefit of communities across the UK, particularly in economically disadvantaged areas.

Benefact Trust exists to make a positive difference to people's lives by funding, guiding and celebrating the work of churches and Christian charities; empowering the most vulnerable and giving people, communities and places a renewed opportunity to flourish.

Bernard Sunley Foundation are a family grant making foundation which supports charities in England and Wales working to raise the quality of life and provide greater opportunities for the young, the elderly, the disabled and the disadvantaged.

Sir James Colyer-Fergusson set up the Trust in 1969 to support charitable causes in Kent.   Over the years, the Trust’s overarching aim has been to improve the lives of people in Kent and in particular those who are most disadvantaged.  

Garfield Weston Foundation exist to ensure charities can deliver their vital work across the UK. But they cannot do this alone. They need charities to apply to us and they make this as straightforward as possible. That way charities can devote more time to their work, not to
fundraising.

Kent Community Foundation has been finding, funding, and supporting some of the smallest voluntary organisations in the county for over 20 years. In this time, they have distributed over £50 million to support thousands of small charities and deserving causes where a modest sum of money can make a significant impact.
Their mission is to proactively create strong local communities by connecting those who want to help with those seeking help.

Founded by Lisbet Rausing and Peter Baldwin, Lund Trust supports charities and causes they especially care about. Lund is a sister to Lisbet and Peter’s Arcadia Fund, which focuses on preserving endangered culture and nature and promoting open access. Since 2002 Lund Trust has given $69.5m to more than 440 organizations, in the UK and internationally.

Pilgrim Trust are an independent charitable trust that was set up in 1930 to support the urgent and future needs of the UK. Over the decades, they have supported a wide range of causes, adapting to the changing circumstances and needs in the UK.

The Foyle Foundation was formed to implement the terms of the will of the late Christina Foyle. She was the daughter of William Foyle who, with his brother, founded the family owned bookshop Foyles in Charing Cross Road, London, which she continued to manage after her father's death.

Julia and Hans Rausing is a charitable fund supporting organisations and initiatives that provide benefit to society in the UK.
The fund exists to realise the philanthropy of Hans Rausing and Julia Rausing. Since its formation, it has provided over 1,000 grants totalling more than £330 million.

The Linbury Trust is a UK-based grant-making foundation; we are part of the wider Sainsbury Family Trust network. The Linbury Trust was established by Lord Sainsbury of Preston Candover KG, and his wife Anya, Lady Sainsbury CBE, the former ballerina, Anya Linden.

The Naval Dockyards Society was inaugurated in 1996 and officially constituted in 1997 at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. The Society’s primary aim is to stimulate the production and exchange of information and research into naval dockyards and associated organisations.

The Rothschild Foundation is a charity supporting arts and heritage, the environment and social welfare by awarding grants, fostering dialogue and debate, and through our support of Waddesdon Manor.

The Sackler Trust has been supporting research and education charities across the UK since 2010. Over that period, the Trust has committed more than £60 million in support of charitable activities in the fields of medical science, healthcare, and access to education and the arts, as well as supporting community organisations, heritage sites and projects which promote social good.

Swale Borough Council are embracing the localism agenda. Its priority is to improve the way it engages and empowers the voluntary and community sector (VCS), Town and Parish Councils and local businesses. We strive to be open first - a listening council and one committed to improving the way we engage with customers and partners.

The Wolfson Foundation is an independent grant-making charity, based in central London but funding across the UK. At the heart of what we do is an emphasis on education and research.

Art Fund exist to help enrich the UK’s museum and gallery collections, and to ensure that as many people as possible can access and enjoy them. Founded in 1903, for over 100 years they have helped museums to acquire works of art for their collections and share them as widely as possible, while supporting and training museum professionals.

Sheerness Town Council was formed in 2019. Their councillors all live in the Sheerness and understand many of the local issues. The council is working on behalf of its residents, to improve both life and the environment in the town and maintain the character and nature of the area.

The Roger De Haan Charitable Trust was established in 1978 by Sir Roger De Haan CBE DL, Chairman of Saga Group, and his late father Sidney, Saga’s founder. One of the Trust’s aims has been to support charities and community groups in and around the Folkestone area, where most of Saga’s employees are based.

For over 45 years The Swire Charitable Trust has supported the work of charitable organisations in the UK and in 2022 they have awarded over £3.9million in grants to over 150 charities.

The Queenborough Fishery Trust is a registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation (registration number 1178117) dedicated to helping poor, sick or disabled people who live in the Swale area, with particular reference to Queenborough, and also to helping provide local recreational, leisure-time and educational facilities.

Marsh Charitable Trust was founded in 1981 with the sum of £75,000 by its current Chairman, Mr Brian Marsh OBE.  His aim was to create a sustainable way to give something back to society, by supporting the organisations and people who are making a difference, as best he could.

In 1971 Simon, later 3rd Baron Marks of Broughton, founded the Simon Richard Marks Trust to support and encourage charitable work in the UK and also internationally. Simon wished to continue the long tradition of philanthropy in his family passed down from his great grandfather Michael Marks, founder of Marks and Spencer, to his grandfather Simon Marks, Chairman of  Marks and Spencer for 48 years and 1st Baron Marks of Broughton, to his son Michael, 2nd Baron Marks of Broughton.

The Henry Oldfield Trust

John Booth Charitable Trust

The J.F. Charitable Fund

Peter Stormonth Darling Charitable Trust