Many owners of heritage and listed properties, who are required to repair and reinstate buildings using the same materials and original architectural design, understand the significance of having a healthy built heritage sector.

Suffolk is a county that is known for its high concentration of historic buildings, and despite its rural status, it boasts over 13,000 Listed buildings. The craftsmanship needed to sustain these beautiful buildings is increasingly at risk of disappearing if there are limited opportunities for the next generation to develop traditional heritage skills through hands-on experience.​

As a long-standing supporter of The Suffolk Preservation Society Castleacre Insurance were delighted to learn that the charity, which is part of the wider CPRE organisation, has launched a grant scheme to help people who are working in traditional Suffolk crafts – from pargetting and thatching to flint napping and brick-making.

The Suffolk Preservation Society are offering both pragmatic financial support and application guidance to help people working in these specialist heritage fields:

Our grants are designed to assist individuals in overcoming obstacles to long-term financial sustainability. They could support new equipment, additional training, or tech provision to enable better business practice.​

The new scheme, which is being run in conjunction with Heritage Crafts, provides grants of up to £2,500 and SPS is offering practical assistance to anyone who is interested in applying before the closing deadline on Friday 16 October 2026.

Learn more about the Suffolk Preservation Society & the Heritage Craft’s Endangered Crafts Fund