Funding for places of worship
A briefing on sources of funding - both public and private - for places of worship in the United Kingdom, often for repairs and renovation.
Several sources of funding – both public and private – are available to places of worship in the UK. Heritage funding is devolved, which means public funding is the responsibility of the Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive as well as the UK Government.
Places of worship in the UKThere are more than 56,000 places of worship in the UK.
According to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), places of worship in the United Kingdom form “an important component of the UK’s built heritage”. Some places of worship are listed, meaning they have been formally recognised as possessing “special architectural or historic interest” and given protections in law.
Places of worship represent a high proportion of the UK’s most significant listed structures. Around 45% of England’s and around 33% of Wales’s most highly listed (Grade I) structures are places of worship; in Scotland the equivalent figure for its highest listing classification, Category A, is around 15%.
Table 1 Places of worship in the UK
Region
All places of worship
Listed places of worship
England and Wales
42,859
14,797 (England) >3,000 (Wales)
Scotland
11,000
2,470
Northern Ireland
2,500
941
Total
56,359
More than 21,200
Source: DCMS, Evaluation of the Listed Places of Worship Scheme - Final report, 22 January 2026
Most of the listed places of worship are Christian. In England, there are around 58 non-Christian listed places of worship, of which 27 are Jewish, 15 Muslim, 7 Sikh, 5 Buddhist and 4 non-specified. These collectively represent around 0.4% of all listed places of worship in England.
Places of Worship Renewal Fund (England)On 22 January 2026 the government announced a Places of Worship Renewal Fund (PWRF) for England. This targets “capital funding where it is needed most, focusing on repair and conservation work”. It is funded by DCMS and delivered through Historic England. A total of £92 million (£23 million a year) has been allocated to the PWRF over a four-year period.
On 16 April 2026, Marsha De Cordova, the Second Church Estates Commissioner, told the House of Commons that:
Priority will be given to buildings in areas of high deprivation or community need. Applications are expected to start with an expression of interest, followed by a full application, with efforts made to minimise administrative burdens on smaller parishes.
Small, medium and large grants ranging from £10,000 to £1,000,000 will be awarded for capital works that keep buildings “safe, open and in public use”. Any listed place of worship in England can apply, of any faith or denomination, provided it is an active place of worship.
VAT and previous funding schemesA previous funding scheme, the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme (LPWGS), provided Value Added Tax (VAT) relief for projects on places of worship but did not provide grants. The PWRF will, however, provide grants.
Ian Murray, Minister of State at DCMS, told the House that:
The Places of Worship Renewal Fund will award grants for projects to cover capital works, rather than just the VAT element of a project, as is the case with the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme. In some cases the amount granted could be greater than just the VAT element currently funded.
A DCMS evaluation of the LPWGS pointed to low awareness and concluded that “while it had many benefits, 80% of respondents said that they would still have carried out the work without the rebate”.
The National Churches Trust says the government should ensure that all listed places of worship in the UK can reclaim all VAT costs on repairs and maintenance of their buildings under the new scheme, bringing them in line with other heritage assets, such as museums.
DCMS has said it is “working closely with funders in the sector to ensure that opportunities for funding places of worship throughout the UK are maximised”.
Other UK-wide sources of fundingIf a place of worship is a registered charity (religious organisations often are) then it could apply to some of the organisations listed in the Library’s Finding funding for charities and voluntary organisations briefing paper.
In addition, the following organisations can provide funding for places of worship (not just those of Christian faiths):
The Wolfson FoundationThe Wolfson Foundation provides funding for places of worship of “outstanding historic and architectural significance” to undertake conservation and restoration work. It awards grants through two routes:
- Fabric repair grants for churches (administered by the National Churches Trust)
- Historic buildings and landscapes (including cathedrals)
The Pilgrim Trust considers applications aiming to find sustainable uses for redundant/closed places of worship.
Anglican churches must apply via the ChurchCare conservation grants scheme, which is part-funded by the Pilgrim Trust; all other denominations, faiths and cathedrals may apply directly.
National Lottery Heritage FundThe National Lottery’s Heritage Fund provides grants for individual places of worship “used for worship or other purposes”.
Through its Heritage 2033 strategy, the Heritage Fund is “taking a new approach to supporting historic places of worship, grounded in our research into the needs and challenges in different areas and nations of the UK”.
National Churches TrustThe mission of the National Churches Trust is to see the UK’s “wonderful collection of historic churches, chapels and meeting houses open, used, and in good repair”. Its grants are available to “any Christian place of worship in the UK that is open for regular worship”.
Architectural Heritage FundThe Architectural Heritage Fund’s Heritage Impact Fund is for charities and social enterprises across the UK that are “looking to make a positive social impact by acquiring, reusing, or redeveloping buildings of historic or architectural importance”.
Garfield Weston FoundationThe Garfield Weston Foundation funds capital projects such as building works or repairs for a place of worship. It welcomes applications from faith-based organisations that are either exempt from registration under Charity Commission guidelines or are registered charities.
Benefact TrustBenefact Trust (formerly Allchurches Trust) provides large grants and small grants for “churches and Christian charities”.
Church of England (England and Wales only)The Church of England gives grants for the conservation of its historic church interiors and churchyard structures in partnership with the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Pilgrim Trust, the Radcliffe Trust, the Oswald Allen Bequest, the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths, the Gunnis Fund and the Anglican Parish Churches Fund. It uses non-lottery funds for a parish unwilling to accept National Lottery funding. The Church of England’s Cornerstone Grants Guide is also a useful resource.
Most places of worship in Wales cannot apply for grants to the Church of England unless they are in one of the few parishes physically located in Wales but part of Church of England dioceses (having elected to remain within the Church of England at disestablishment in 1920). There are currently 18 Church of England church buildings in Wales.
ScotlandAccording to the Church of Scotland, the Scottish Government says it is “actively exploring options to ensure that listed places of worship in Scotland are not disproportionately affected” by the closure of the UK-wide Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme.
On 10 March 2026, representatives from the Church of Scotland and Scottish Catholic Bishops’ Conference met UK government ministers to “raise serious concerns” about the closure of the LPWGS. They expressed opposition to suggestions that churches apply for lottery funding as many congregations “are unable to accept such funding for ethical or pastoral reasons, particularly those working with people affected by gambling harm”.
Historic Environment ScotlandHistoric Environment Scotland provides advice and funding to places of worship through its grant programs. Projects for places of worship in Scotland include maintenance and management plans.
The Baird TrustThe Baird Trust was originally for Presbyterian denominations – Church of Scotland, United Free Kirk, and so on – but now offers grants to all denominations and churches (including synagogues). Most of its grants (up to £10,000) are for purposes relating to fabric and building improvements.
Church of ScotlandThe Church of Scotland Consolidated Fabric Fund and Central Fabric Fund Loans is operated by the Church of Scotland General Trustees and provides advances and grants for the “purchase, building, repair and improvement of Churches, Halls and Manses and in certain other special cases as determined by the General Trustees”.
All applications must be submitted via the local Presbytery Office. An application form can be obtained by emailing the General Trustees: gentrustees@churchofscotland.org.uk.
The Church of Scotland’s Funding Sources for Churches also gives details of funding available to churches in specific parts of Scotland.
WalesThe Welsh Government operates a Community Facilities Programme which provides small and larger grants to “any constituted community group such as a community interest company, charity or social enterprise”.
The Welsh Parliament/Senedd Research publication, Community buildings, places of worship and faith groups – a guide for constituents (2021) outlines and signposts sources of funding available to organisations and groups for the construction, development and maintenance of community buildings and places of worship.
CadwCadw (a Welsh word meaning “to keep” or “to protect”) is the Welsh Government’s historic environment service. Cadw’s Historic Buildings Grant is a capital grants programme for historic buildings, including places of worship.
Welsh Church Act FundThe Welsh Church Act Fund is a charitable trust established from the proceeds and assets of the disestablishment of the Church of England within Wales (1920). These assets were distributed among former county councils in Wales and then divided between the unitary authorities formed in 1996. It provides grants for a wide range of purposes, including the restoration and maintenance of places of worship and burial grounds.
Individuals should contact their local authority to find out information relating to eligibility criteria and the trust’s current funding priorities.
James Pantyfedwen FoundationThe James Pantyfedwen Foundation offers grants to renovate and develop chapels and churches in all parts of Wales. It does not fund cemeteries, external works or the restoration and purchase of church organs.
Northern IrelandSince 2018, the Northern Ireland Department for Communities has supported the National Churches Trust in Northern Ireland through its Historic Environment Fund (HEF) and covid recovery funding. Northern Ireland denominations seeking assistance and advice on repairs should apply for funding through the National Churches Trust medium and large grant programmes.
On 8 April 2026, the Northern Ireland Communities Minister Gordon Lyons announced £200,000 in funding for four historic church buildings in that part of the UK.
The Northern Ireland Executive also has a Government Funding Database, which can be searched by department, local authority or funding programme name.
Other funding resourcesThere are other, often geographically specific, funds for places of worship.
The Heritage Funding Directory (managed by The Heritage Alliance and the Architectural Heritage Fund) has entries covering historic buildings, churchyards and cemeteries.
Grants Online is a UK-wide e-newsletter, which can be filtered to enable a refined search for different parts of the UK.
Church Grants (“Finding the best funders for churches”) is a subscription-based search engine specifically for churches and Christian organisations in the UK.