Meet Janet Freestone
Janet Freestone from Sussex reflects upon the value of church buildings within Britain and why it is important to preserve this particular heritage. She has shared with us why she has decided to leave a legacy in her Will to the National Churches Trust.
"It's so very easy to take things for granted: in the UK, we are used to seeing churches in cities, towns, villages and in remote areas. Very often, a church or chapel or other place of worship is pretty, or elegant, or imposing. Very often, these places can be very old indeed and sometimes they can be relatively new but still have remarkable architecture.
If you take a moment and wonder how different this country would be if these places did not exist, then you realise how important it is to preserve them. We all know how expensive it can be to maintain our houses. Imagine, then, the cost of the upkeep of buildings such as churches that are much bigger and, most usually, much older with far more complex needs than our standard humble brick and tile dwellings.
Of course, churches and other places of worship are fundamentally places with a spiritual purpose: the celebration of the Christian faith. However, in addition to this core function, churches can provide spiritual comfort for those who wouldn't necessarily regard themselves as religious. The importance of them to our country cannot be overstated.
When the actor Paul Eddington died, I read that he had once said that he wanted his epitaph to be "He did very little harm". I also hope that I have done very little harm.