National Church Awards winners 2025
We are thrilled to share the winners of the National Church Awards 2025
This year, the National Church Awards will be celebrating the dedication, care and impact of the people who care for the UK’s wonderful church buildings and who share them with others.
Whether that is keeping a church, chapel or meeting house well maintained, opening it up for visitors or running a community project from the building, we have heard about the amazing ways teams of volunteers at churches, chapels and meeting houses are making a difference. We love sharing their brilliant efforts in keeping churches open and serving local people.
We had the chance to celebrate these awards as part of the Great Expectations event at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, so to help us make the most of this opportunity and draw attention to the vital contribution that volunteers make to keeping churches open, we have combined our core categories for this year.
Congratulations to our winners, as well as everyone who strives to help their local church to be the star of their community.
The National Church Awards was held at the Victoria and Albert Museum on Tuesday 21 October 2025.
We are hugely grateful to our wonderful host Canon Ann Easter, who led us through the announcements with warmth and humour. With special thanks to the Marsh Charitable Trust, and their Ambassador, Nick Carter for supporting the awards. We are also very grateful to Tristram Hunt, Director of the V&A, and Mark Hews, Chief Executive of the Benfact Group, for being part of the presentations.
Our judging stages have brought together representatives from heritage organisations, denominations and churches, sector experts and individuals working in the awards category fields.
We’re extremely grateful to everyone who has been involved.
Host Canon Ann Easter opened the awards ceremony by saying:
“Every single entry showed such imagination, dedication, and love for these extraordinary places. They also showed care for volunteers, those incredible people who manage to find endless amounts of time and energy to keep churches in good condition, open and active in their local area.
The judges were deeply impressed by the scale and quality of community engagement. They praised how churches involve the whole community - drawing in local residents, volunteers, and visitors each year with an exceptional range of activities, from imaginative fundraising events to strong partnerships.”
At the close of the awards, Sir Philip Rutnam, Chair of the National Churches Trust, said:
“The National Church Awards shine a light on the extraordinary, often unsung, efforts that keep these remarkable buildings alive – not only as places of worship, but as vital centres of community life, creativity, care, and welcome.
From the smallest rural chapel to the busiest city parish, from ancient stone to modern brick, today we celebrate the people and the places that make our church heritage so alive and inspiring."
A gallery of images from the event
Church of the Year
The pinnacle award that celebrates a church that fulfils its potential and makes a mark on its community and beyond. It's a shining example of a sustainable church – one that is relevant, looked after, in use and open for all.
Plus, winner in England for the Church and Community Volunteer Awards.
Winner: St Peter & St Paul, Old Bolingbroke, Lincolnshire
The judges praised St Peter & St Paul in Old Bolingbroke, Lincolnshire, for its outstanding example of what a small rural church can achieve through energy, imagination, and community spirit.
In a village of just 350 people, volunteers have transformed their beautiful historic church into a thriving hub of local life. The team’s creativity is remarkable – from pet services and pop-up pubs to concerts, talks, and heritage events linked with the nearby castle – all helping to bring new people in and make the church “hugely relevant again.”
The judges admired how the community came together to care for both the building and the people it serves, combining heritage restoration with genuine outreach. They particularly noted the church’s ethos of self-reliance - a group of twenty to thirty supporters determined not to wait for others to act, but to take the future into their own hands.
In the words of one panel member, it “has it all — history, heritage, community, and heart” — a model of how a small rural church can be enterprising, inclusive, and deeply rooted in local life.
Church & Community Volunteer Awards
In partnership with Marsh Charitable Trust.
From food banks to credit unions, churches across the UK provide a growing list of essential services for people in urgent need. The volunteer awards centre around the contribution that volunteers make to both caring for and making best use of churches, and especially using churches to reach out to local communities and using the building as a hub for activity.
Winner in England: St Peter & St Paul, Old Bolinbroke, Lincolnshire
Winner in Wales: St Sadwrn, Henllan, Denbighshire
The judges praised St Sadwrn’s Church in Henllan, Denbighshire, for the extraordinary commitment of its small team of volunteers and the huge difference they make within their rural community.
Despite being a tiny congregation – often fewer than ten people – they are running an impressive range of activities that bring people together and provide real, practical support. Every two weeks, volunteers prepare a three-course meal for around sixty local residents, offering warmth, companionship, and care.
The church has also created a community fridge, a bee garden, and donation points to encourage visitors and support those in need. Their commitment to sustainability is outstanding – St Sadwrn’s has achieved the rare Gold Eco Church Award, one of only two churches in all of Wales to reach that standard.
The judges felt that it is a shining example of what a small rural church can achieve when volunteers work with vision, compassion, and deep love for their community.
Winner in Scotland: Ness Bank Church, Inverness
The judges praised Ness Bank Church in Inverness for its extraordinary community outreach and the sheer scale of its impact. At the heart of the city, the church has become a vital centre of care, compassion, and inclusion – tackling food poverty, social isolation, and vulnerability with energy and heart.
Through its food bank and social support programmes, Ness Bank reaches thousands of people every year, supported by more than 80 dedicated volunteers. The judges were deeply impressed by how the church offers dignity and welcome to everyone who comes through its doors, as well as hosting groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and other community initiatives.
Ness Bank was recognised for the life and love within its walls – a living example of how a church can serve its city in practical, transformative ways. Its work brings people together, gives hope where it’s most needed, and shows what can be achieved when faith and community go hand in hand.
Winner in Northern Ireland: Sinclair Seaman’s Church, Belfast
The judges praised Sinclair Seaman’s Church in Belfast’s Docklands for its strong sense of community connection, excellent heritage maintenance, and impressive contribution to church tourism.
They highlighted the church’s warm and imaginative approach to welcoming visitors – from guided tours and heritage talks to its open-door hospitality for tourists, seafarers, and local people alike. The judges also noted the church’s ongoing programme of repair and conservation - including stonework and bell tower restoration.
MaddmannPhotography