During a Westminster Hall debate today – 13 May 2025 – MPs from different political parties urged the Government to fund church buildings if they want to continue to see vulnerable people helped and heritage saved.
The debate was co-sponsored by Labour MP Marsha de Cordova and Conservative MP John Glen, who both spoke passionately about churches in their constituencies and one's they have attended that are not just beautiful buildings but host an array of activities that benefit local people.
These included churches running night shelters for people who are homeless, parent and toddler groups, warm spaces, food banks, support for survivors of domestic violence and modern slavery and so much more.
Multiple MPs quoted our research – The House of Good: Health – which shows how this type of support relieves the NHS of costs of £8.4 billion, the same as employing 230,000 full-time nurses.
But the Government was warned that this support is being taken for granted. Churches can no longer fund repairs to their buildings, and this puts in jeopardy the range of support they can offer their community. If their roof is leaking, their tower crumbling, their masonry falling, they cannot run anything safely anymore.
What should be done?
There was consensus in the room that investing in church buildings makes good economic sense. For every £1 that’s invested in a church building, £16 of social value is created (The House of Good: 2021).
As Marsha de Cordova put it, “where else would the Government get a return like this?”
Churches want to continue to help their communities and host all of these support services, so why can’t the Government help them by helping to fund repairs?
Several MPs spoke about how a new capital funding scheme in which all denominations and faiths could apply to in order to pay for repairs and renovations (including adding in disabled access, toilets and kitchens to buildings) should be investigated by the Government.
But the most immediate action that MPs who spoke at the debate agreed on was around The Listed Places of Worship Grants Schemes. This scheme is a lifeline for churches and saves them from paying VAT on repairs to their buildings.
MPs made compelling arguments that the Government should:
- Make the Listed Places of Worship Grants Scheme permanent
- Remove the cap of £25,000 per church building that was introduced in April
- Restore the budget of the scheme back to £42 million (it was slashed by almost half down to £23 million in April)
- Provide immediate support to churches that are already undertaking repairs to their buildings and that now have a huge shortfall, meaning that some projects might not go ahead, others may have to take out loans.
What we learned and the next steps
We know churches of all denominations in the UK provide brilliant often low price or free support to their communities. But it was great to see this articulated by so many MPs representing different constituencies around the country.
Churches are often undervalued, their efforts unappreciated. But this debate highlighted their crucial impact.
“This debate drew attention once again to the vital role of The Listed Places of Worship Grants Scheme, and our campaign for it to be made permanent and the cap removed,” says Sir Philip Rutnam, Chair of the National Churches Trust, who was in the audience for the debate, along with our Chief Executive Claire Walker, and others from our team.
“Every MP who spoke emphasised the huge contribution churches make in their local community, and many cited the work of the National Churches Trust. We now need the Government to act in the Spending Review and end the unfairness of making local people pay VAT to the Treasury to repair their church.”
