National Church Awards FAQs

We’ve pulled together handy advice and answers about the National Church Awards into one place. If you still can’t find what you’re looking for, please contact our lovely team at info@nationalchurchestrust.org

What are the entry requirements for each award?

You can find details of all the awards listed below under each category. We recommend that you download the guidelines and questions first and prepare your information before you make your entry. That means that you will have the information you need readily to hand. If you cannot find what you’re looking for, please email info@nationalchurchestrust.org

Can I nominate my church or project for more than one award?

If you want to enter more than one award, you will need to submit a new entry for each award. Some of the questions are similar across the different awards, so this will make it easier for you to apply for more than one. We recommend that you download the guidelines and questions first and prepare your information before you make your entry. That means that you will have the information you need readily to hand.

Who are these awards open to?

All our awards are open to churches, chapels and meeting houses across the UK.

What if our church doesn’t have a church building?

We recognise that many churches in the UK do not have their own building for their worship services but do have or rent buildings that are used for them to run community initiatives and outreaches, such as libraries, cafés, job clubs and food banks.  While the architecture, tourism and maintenance awards do require a church building in which services are held, our volunteer awards are open for all churches who have or rent buildings that are used for them to run community initiatives and volunteers. We would love to hear from churches across the UK who serving their communities and meeting their needs in innovative ways.

Our church won or entered an award last year, can we enter this year?

Yes! We would love you to apply again. Please note, there may be some additional questions or information this year we need from you, so please read through the questions and guidelines again.

Am I able to nominate a cathedral?

Only churches, chapels and meeting houses are eligible for our awards. While amazing work is happening at cathedrals, there are many other national awards that showcase this. We wanted to focus and celebrate churches, chapels, and meeting houses and the amazing work they do.

Can I nominate a church that is owned and managed by a historic buildings trust?

All churches, chapels and meeting houses open for worship are eligible for our awards. Where a Trust owns more than one church, we will accept one submission per category per Trust.

Do I have to complete my submission right away?

We use an online platform called Zealous for submissions, which allows you to amend your submission right up to the closing date. This gives you the flexibility to create your nomination and then gather the information you need before submitting your application.

I am having problems making an online entry – what do I do?

If you have problems making an online entry, you can see help articles on the Zealous website here. If you are still struggling, please get in touch with us at info@nationalchurchestrust.org and we will try to help.

How do I vote in the Friends Award?

You must be a Friend of the National Churches Trust to be able to vote in this award. Friends will receive information on how to vote via email or post in July. If you do not receive this information, please let us know at info@nationalchurchestrust.org

If I sign up now to become a Friend, can I vote in the Friends Award?

We always welcome more Friends as they enable us to keep even more churches open and in use! You can sign up to become a Friend here. You must sign up to become a Friend by mid-August in order to be able to vote in the Friends Award.

Our 2022 National Church Award Winners

Take a look at our 2022 winners for inspiration and to see how churches across the UK are making a difference in their communities.