Grants are available for urgent repairs to listed buildings that are in regular use as public places of worship.
The scheme is mainly funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and is run by English Heritage on behalf of both organisations. (English Heritage will provide funding for any grant offers to Grade I and II* places of worship where the applicant says they do not want to receive funding from the lottery for moral reasons.)
The application documents are now available to download from the right hand side of this page.
There is a high demand for grants under this scheme so please read our priorities on page 7 of the Guidance notes which you can download from the top right hand side of this page. The main focus is on urgent repairs required within two years to high level elements of a building, eg roofs, spires and rainwater disposal systems.
Who can apply?
Any faith group, Christian or non-Christian, is welcome to apply so long as it is a formally constituted religious organisation.
Applications should be made by the body with legal responsibility for repairs to the building.
When to apply
There are two key deadlines:
- places of worship listed Grade I, II*, A, B or C - 30 June
- places of worship listed Grade II - 30 September
Applications are accepted from 1 April up to the closing date of each batch. Any late applications will not be assessed unless there is a real emergency that needs immediate attention.
We aim to let you know if your application is being taken forward for detailed assessment two months after the closing date.
Decisions on cases that are taken forward will be made six months after the closing date.
How to apply
All applications are handled by our local offices.
The Application form is available to download either as a locked Word document or as a PDF. The Word version can be completed on screen and saved on your computer but it must be printed out and then signed and dated by hand.
Grant Conditions
All grants are covered by a contract between successful applicants and English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund.
You will need to provide access for the general public to see the grant-aided work at least 40 days a year. You will also need to agree and implement a maintenance plan.
One of the grant conditions will require you to follow the Public Procurement Regulations. In most cases you will have to demonstrate that you have appointed any professional advisors and contractors in a competitive way.
