Grant applications successful !

 

Grant Applications Successful!!

We're delighted to confirm that we have received funding of £50,000 each from the Crown Estate's Community-led Local Development Fund, OIC's Community Development Fund and The Orkney Trust, as stated in the really positive article in this week's The Orcadian (Thursday, June 4, 2026 edition).

This funding will go towards our ambitious 2-year renovation project, which will see sympathetic improvements made to the building to bring to life our vision of how the Kirk may better serve as a multi-functional community space, while still maintaining its very special character and atmosphere.

The below pictures serve as an illustration of how the interior could look, with all displays being fully movable, enabling the space to be used for concerts, events, etc, as we have been used to doing in the past.

This is a really exciting time for the Charity – we are so pleased that the hard work done by the Building Sub-Committee in putting together the funding applications has been successful and we will be providing updates of the work over the coming months.

Funding received!

 

We have been awarded nearly £10k from the Scottish Government’s Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) and another £1,000 from the Highlands and Islands Climate Action Fund to help develop the vestry at St Nicholas into a comfortable changing area for visiting artists. Along with some of our own funds, we have already installed a solar PV system and battery. This is the exciting first stage of a planned major development over the next two years, which we could not have achieved without the funding we have received.

 

We are Local Energy Scotland

 

 Climate Action Hub Funding - Highlands & Islands Climate Hub

St Nicholas Kirk development - Full plans

Flashback on 2009...

 This photo shows some of the original hard working volunteers that came to clean St Nicholas when it was first acquired in 2009. The start of a long worthwhile journey to bring the building back into use. We have come along way since then with lots of community support!

Back row: Jack McIntosh, Linda Cromarty, Athole Thomson, Diana Swan, Erland Flett, Alfie Flett.

Middle row: Donald Mainland, Marlene Mainland, Jean Smith, Jimmy Goar.

Front row: Rhoda Shearer, Molly Aim, kneeling is Kirsty Swan with her son Jamie.

 

 

The three kirks in Holm

The three kirks in Holm:

The West Church, which is no longer standing, the East Church, which is the current Church of Scotland for the East Mainland and our St Nicholas Church, which is now used as our Community Heritage centre.

 

Launch of the Churchill Barriers Exhibition at St Nicholas Kirk

 Today we launched the Building of the Barriers Exhibition!

This exclusive exhibition offers a unique photographic history into the work involved in completing the major building project; the Churchill Barriers.

Open to the public everyday from Monday 15th May, 10am-6pm, at the St Nicholas Kirk.

Entry by donation.

 

 

New funding for the Ould Kirk

 

The Trustees of the Holm Community Heritage at St Nicholas Kirk are delighted to have been recently awarded match funding from both OIC Community Development Fund and the Holm Community Council to get some work done for them. The group can now secure independent professional assistance to both ascertain the condition, and potential work, needed on the building itself; and also to work with the group and the wider community to identify a development plan which will secure the future of this unique and historic building as an asset for the whole community to use.

Inside views of the kirk - 2016 (St. Nicholas Kirk, Holm, Orkney)

Before and ... after! - (St Nicholas Kirk, Holm, Orkney)

Renovation work on the south facing windows - (St Nicholas Kirk, Holm, Orkney)

Renovation work on the west facing windows and door. - (St Nicholas Kirk, Holm, Orkney)