The Church of England’s Director for Cathedral and Church buildings, Emily Gee (pictured above) has issued the following statement in response to the announcement today by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on the Places of Worship Renewal Fund:
“We warmly welcome the Government’s Places of Worship Renewal Fund and the certainty of this investment in repairs and improvements for eligible parish and cathedral church buildings.
“We also welcome the Government’s recognition of the special role of historic churches in national life – church buildings are national treasures for the common good. They have huge spiritual, cultural and historical significance, and are major centres of practical assistance to their communities through services such as food banks, lunch clubs and parent and toddler groups. They serve as a place of sanctuary, refreshment and cultural heritage throughout the UK.
“The vast majority of fundraising for the maintenance and repair of these buildings is done locally by heroic volunteers and Government support is crucial in helping them reach their targets – and we are really grateful for this ongoing support.
“However we are very concerned that the end of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme – after more than 20 years – will mean added pressure on local fundraisers and inevitably a drain on other sources of funding. We will work with the wider sector and the Government to see how that burden can be alleviated.
“We look forward to seeing the details and working out what it means in practice for the Church of England’s 12,500 listed church buildings. We will continue to work closely with other church buildings’ charities and funders, Historic England and other denominations and faiths, as well as the Government, in this important period of transition.”
You can read the press release from the DCMS here and written ministerial statement here.