The Parish Church an Endangered National Icon

English Heritage continues Inspired! campaign to secure the future of historic places of worship and an online poll reaffirms public affection for the nation’s church buildings.

The parish church has been voted an icon of England by the nation just two months after an English Heritage campaign revealed the extent of the threat facing these precious historic buildings and community resources.

ICONS – a Portrait of England, the interactive website launched by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in January this year, has ranked the parish church alongside nineteen other national institutions including fish and chips, the pint of beer, Sherlock Holmes and the mini in response to public votes.

However, English Heritage’s Inspired! campaign, which was launched across the country in May, showed that parish churches are facing a staggering repair bill of £925m over the next five years which cannot be met.

Simon Thurley, Chief Executive of English Heritage, said: “There is no more fundamentally English sight than the parish church standing at the centre of the village, set in its own churchyard, and this popular vote provides yet more evidence that as a nation we feel a huge affection for these buildings.

“But there is a serious message behind it. These icons of Englishness are facing an uncertain future – many congregations are struggling valiantly to raise enough funds to cover rapidly rising repair costs while the amount of grant money English Heritage can offer is falling in real terms.

“That is why we launched the Inspired! campaign - to convert national affection into positive action to avert a major crisis. I urge those people who have voted for the parish church today to support Inspired! by visiting the website and writing to the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Anyone who cares about the future of these buildings as part of our heritage should get involved and find out how they can help their local parish church.”

The Inspired! campaign has received huge support so far from all the denominations and faiths with listed buildings, celebrities including Jools Holland, Jeremy Paxman and Andrew Lloyd Webber, the Poet Laureate Andrew Motion, many MPs and the general public. The campaign calls on Government to provide English Heritage with the modest sum of £26.25m over three years to tackle the problems facing parish churches at the source with maintenance and small repair grants and specially trained support officers to advise and mentor congregations, and by getting the right legislation and safety nets in place.

Visit the inspired campaign at www.english-heritage.org.uk/inspired