The Isle of Man Victorian Society started a Heritage Fund at a coffee morning in the 1980’s to support local organisations with the restoration of Victorian and Edwardian items. Funds stood at a few hundreds of pounds for many years but was enlarged from 2005 thanks to the Camera Obscura in Douglas.
The Society has operated the Great Union Camera Obscura since it reopened in 2005. Whist owned by Government, the Society has been permitted to retain the takings given as it is our volunteers who operate the building throughout the holiday season. As a result, the takings are placed in our Heritage Account and used to assist charities and other groups or individuals to ensure other Victorian and Edwardian buildings or objects are kept for future generations to enjoy and appreciate
Regrettably the Covid 19 pandemic has meant the Victorian Society Organising Committee took the decision in March 2020 to suspend these activities during 2020 and will seek to resume them in 2021 when fully safe to do so. This was because the majority of our volunteers are classed by the NHS to fall within one or more of the ‘vulnerable’ medical categories.
Applications for support funding must be made prior to any work being carried out. This cannot cover general maintenance works. We do not give 100% grants but what we give is intended to ‘prime the pump’ in the hope of encouraging others to give. Here are some examples of works where we have helped.
If you have a project you would like to be considered for support, further details and application forms are available on request throughout the year - please see our Contact Us page. Each application is considered on its merits by our Organising Committee which includes our Case Worker.
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2006 Onchan Village Hall
(L-R) Victorian Society committee member Beryl Deakin, Harvey Briggs, Captain of Onchan Parish, Victorian Society Secretary Ruth Kelly
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2007 Presentation to Canon Freer, Kirk Braddan towards roof dry and wet rot repairs. (L-R) Victorian Society Secretary Ruth Kelly, Canon Freer and Victorian Society Committee member Richard Leventhorpe
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2009 Presentation to the Laxey Working Men’s Institute for restoration of the entrance porch area. (L-R) Victorian Society committee member Beryl Deakin, members of the Institute, Victorian Society Secretary Ruth Kelly and committee member Bob Stimpson
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2011 Presentation to St Matthew’s Church Douglas to support work restoring boundary railings. (L-R) vicar the Rev H S Taggart and Victorian Society Chairman Rev Canon Dr Hinton Bird.
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2011 Presentation to the Laxey and Lonan Heritage Trust towards restoration of two Manx Electric Railway vans. Centre left - Peter Kelly, Victorian Society Caseworker and centre right - Trust Director Andrew Scarffe.
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2014 Presentation to the Friends of Malew Church for rooflight renewal. (L-R) Victorian Society Chairman Bob Stimpson presents the cheque to Friends treasurer Neil Crookall and Church Council member Richard Higgins.
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2014 Presentation to Ballaugh Parish church towards restoration of church and porch windows.(L-R) Rev. Cyril Rogers, Appeal Committee member Joy Ling and Victorian Society Chairman Rev Canon Dr Hinton Bird.
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2014 Presentation to St Olave’s Church, Ramsey, towards roof wet rot repairs. (L-R) Church Wardens Brian Evans-Smith, David Barker and Oliver Hibbert, with Victorian Society Chairman Rev Canon Dr Hinton Bird.
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Jurby Church
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2010 Donations to the trustees of Onchan Village Hall for reinstatement of original pine wainscoting and manufacture and fitting of stained glass into the glazed panels of the internal door panels.
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2016 Presentation to St Stephen’s Church, Sulby, towards restoration of damaged stained glass window. (L-R) PCC Secretary Jean Vernon Victorian Society Chairman Bob Stimpson and Church Warden Juan Vernon .
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2019 Presentation to support the cost of solid wood replacement internal doors to peripheral rooms. (L-R) Victorian Society Secretary Ruth Kelly amd Friends of Onchan’s Heritage Management Committee Treasurer Peter Cory.
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