The National Churches Trust has announced that 43 churches across the UK will stay open and in good repair thanks to £478,110 of funding awarded and recommended by the Trust in its latest round of grants.
This follows on from £2.2 million given to churches, chapels and meeting houses across the UK in 2023 through more than 251 grants.
“It is a challenging time for churches, with many facing closure owing in part to the high costs of repairs,” shares Claire Walker, Chief Executive of the National Churches Trust.
“But amid these difficulties, our support for churches remains unwavering. Through our grants programmes, as well as the training and advice that we offer churches, we are keeping these buildings open and in use for generations to come.”
Among the Catholic churches receiving grants are:
Workington: Our Lady Star of the Sea and St Michael
Thornley, Lee House: Church of St William of York
Alton, Stoke: St John the Baptist
What a grant means to the churches
“We are deeply grateful for this grant from the National Churches Trust,” shares Rebecca Mitchinson, Salvation Army church leader in Kirkwall, Orkney, in Scotland, which received a £20,000 grant.
“A renovated building will enable us to better serve the people of Orkney and meet the challenges they face in this unique community, particularly as they recover from the Covid-19 pandemic and cope with the effects of the cost-of-living crisis.”
“We are delighted that the National Churches Trust is helping us with this new phase in the life of St Aidan’s,” continues Louise Taylor-Kenyon, Vicar at St Aidan’s in Bamburgh, Northumbria that received a £10,000 grant from the National Churches Trust.
“St Aidan’s is a unique and special building with an astonishing history – now we can look forward to being able to offer a better welcome to the many people who come here for worship, for events, for special services and for visits.”
“In 1673 All Saints Church, Staplehurst, suffered a disastrous loss when its spire blew down. Just over 350 years later the National Churches Trust has stepped in to save the replacement turret and spirelet from suffering the same fate,” adds Adam Houghton, Church Warden at All Saints, in Staplehurst, Kent, to which the National Churches Trust awarded a £10,000 Wolfson Fabric repair grant.
“The grants from the National Churches Trust and the Wolfson Foundation provide vital funds to help to keep the turret secure and repair the tower roof which will stop water from running down the stone stairs and also from entering the bell chamber, protecting the roof timbers for many years to come.”
Working together to help churches
“With many churches across the UK struggling to raise the money needed to keep their buildings in good repair, these grants are more important than ever,” said NCT.
“Thanks to our Friends, generous donors, and partners, including the Wolfson Foundation and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, we can help reach many churches that are in need.
“Churches sit in the heart of their communities: beacons of support for local people,” says Paul Ramsbottom, Chief Executive at the Wolfson Foundation.
“At a time where many historic churches are facing significant financial challenges to repair their buildings, we are delighted to continue to partner with the National Churches Trust to keep these glorious buildings open and in good condition.”
