Church of England receives £13 million in government heritage grants

The Church of England has been awarded over £13 million through the government’s new Places of Worship Renewal Fund (PWRF). This funding, distributed across 37 individual church sites, is intended to support essential fabric repairs and maintenance for historic buildings. The grants range from approximately £25,000 to nearly £1 million, with the Church of St Catherine of Siena in Sheffield receiving the largest single award.

The PWRF was introduced following the government's decision to replace the previous Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, which had historically provided VAT exemptions for repair projects. While the National Churches Trust previously expressed concern that the policy shift could lead to scaled-back projects or closures, the Church of England’s lead bishop for buildings, Andrew Rumsey, welcomed the new support. He noted that the funds will assist local volunteers in sustaining community-focused worship and social action, though he acknowledged that many other churches remain in need of financial assistance.

In total, the government distributed £18 million across 51 grants. Beyond the Church of England, recipients included Catholic parishes, a synagogue, and a Primitive Methodist church.