CHURCHES are much more than buildings, and the Listed Places of Worship Grant (LPWG) Scheme is “beyond vital” to ensure that they can continue to be at the heart of communities, the Christian Funders’ Forum (CFF) has warned the Government.
These buildings are also often of significant architectural value, the CFF, a group of 50 grant-making charities say. They award grants totalling £70 million a year.
Churches such as St Michael-le-Belfrey, York, and St Mary Magdalene’s, Newark (News, 14 March, 4 April), where significant repair and restoration projects were already well advanced when the £25,000 cap on VAT exemption for repairs was announced in January, have been dismayed by the shortfalls in funding with which they are now confronted (News, 28 March).
In a letter last week to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Darren Jones, the CFF calls for the LPGW Scheme to continue and for the cap to be removed. If the scheme were withdrawn, the consequences would be “devastating”, it says.
The letter refers to the example of St John’s, Chatham, which reopened in 2021 and is now at the core of a regeneration project in the community. “The newly imposed cap will now leave this project £100,000 short of its funding targets and at a critical stage in its delivery,” the letter says. “The church will now have to cut vital elements from its projects or find alternative funding sources which are already exhausted. . .
“The work of addressing social need is undervalued and unrecognised. It is already extremely challenging for churches to meet the demands of their communities and generate adequate income to maintain their buildings, which is why the Listed Places of Worship scheme is beyond vital.”
St Mary’s, Banbury, a 200-year-old Grade I listed building, is one of the largest parish churches in England. Services are well attended, and the church hosts a range of arts events, which include an early-music festival, choirs, a symphony orchestra, craft fairs, and a poetry workshop, as well as school Christmas concerts.
It also hosts civic events, including the annual Remembrance service. The parish church and church centre provide a base for social-action projects, including support for homeless people and Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous groups.
A £1-million project is under way to repair a section of the roof and update the lighting and sound systems. New kitchen facilities would mean that the church could open a café, with the aim of making it more sustainable and attractive to community groups.
“We are part of Banbury’s historic heritage, and a major attraction for tourists, as well as the biggest venue for arts in the town,” the Rector, the Revd Serena Tajima, says. “We struggled to be able to find the funding for this work under the previous scheme. The new £25,000 cap on claims this year will make our task even harder.”
The PCC and Rector of St Mary’s, Totnes, are also calling on the Government to reverse its decision on the cap. The 15th-century church attracts 50,000 visitors a year and hosts a range of arts and cultural events. The PCC is facing a £200,000 shortfall on a £1.68-million repair-and-restoration project. The money would be used to address issues that include accessibility and an outdated heating system that means that cushions and blankets are being used to keep people warm at evening events. The Team Rector, the Revd James Barlow, has described the church as “constantly crumbling”.
The CFF letter concludes: “It is in everyone’s interests that churches should continue to maintain buildings that sit at the heart of their communities and are often of significant architectural value.”
