Latest news and stories

Through our latest round of grants, we can reveal that more than £900,000 has been awarded to churches, chapels and meeting houses across the country, to keep these magnificent buildings open and in use. And we couldn’t do it without our Friends, donors, those who leave a legacy to the National Churches Trust, and our partner organisations. Thank you for supporting churches, so that they can keep the doors open. Read more about the churches helped to stay open.

The future of Wales' precious heritage could be lost if action is not taken. Around 25 per cent of historic chapels and churches have closed in the last decade. Find out what the National Churches Trust is doing on the ground to support places of worship in Wales.

Saving a roof safeguards the rest of a building: paintings, monuments, tombs, tiles, metalwork, woodwork, walls, floors, bells, organs. Saving a roof enables vital work to carry on. According to our National Churches Survey, as many as 3,850 churches, chapels, and meeting houses need an urgent roof repair in the next twelve months. This is a cultural and community crisis, affecting the longevity of heritage treasures, and also meaning good works cannot continue. Food banks cannot run if the roof is falling in. Rough sleepers can’t be cared for. Mum and toddler groups will shut.

Looking after a historic church can be overwhelming at times – especially if it is in poor condition. Where do you start in order to bring the building back to life? St Macartan’s (The Forth Chapel) in Augher, Northern Ireland, commissioned a survey from a conservation accredited architect, which ended up being a catalyst. The need for repairs marked the start of a journey to increasing visitor numbers, regular maintenance being carried out, and an impressive Church of the Year award.

We’re here to help churches stay open and in use – that’s what we do. Thanks to our Friends, donors, and partner organisations together we have helped keep the doors open at over 80 churches, chapels and meeting houses in our latest round of grants. That is almost £1 million given to local places of worship through grants that are designed to protect important heritage, repair urgent issues and help the church better serve the needs of their community.

As a champion of volunteers, Shirley Adams JP (Justice of Peace) made a huge difference to communities across the UK. We want to share our gratitude for Shirley and everything she did in support of churches and the people who keep them going. Her dedicated work as a Trustee of the National Churches Trust shows how one person can create change. Find out more about Shirley and the lasting legacy she leaves behind.

St Hubert’s has outlasted Idsworth, the village it used to serve. 500 years of human habitation gone without a trace. But the church endured. St Hubert's survived the plague, but just recently, its future started to look more uncertain. Find out the fate of this historic church, and how you can keep churches open for future generations to enjoy.

St Giles’ Church in Shipbourne, Kent, hosts a weekly farmers' market that gives the community an opportunity to come together and for local producers to sell their goods. It is a lifeline for the village, which has no shop, and all of the market’s proceeds are split between the church and agricultural charities. Find out how the farmers’ market has developed over time, and what they describe as the keys to their success.

This year marks 37 years since the deadliest terror attack on UK soil. But the memories of the victims are being kept alive – thanks to a local church.

Churches are not just for worship; these buildings are often the greatest storytellers in the area. They have witnessed events of local and national significance, but they have also been shaped by the people who have connected with them too. However, some of these stories can get lost over time. One church in Lincolnshire decided it was time for them to be told – and found a creative way of doing it.

Rural churches, chapels and meeting houses face a very different reality to their urban counterparts. With smaller – and often shrinking – populations around them, welcoming people inside can often be a big challenge. Throwleigh Providence Chapel, on the edge of Dartmoor, was on the brink of closure when the team decided that change was needed. After starting out small, they’ve gone from strength to strength, bringing in thousands of visitors in recent years and developing bonds within the community.

Historic England has released new research which shows that there is strong public support for preserving the nation’s historic churches. This was even the case among people who are secular or who do not attend church services. But why does this matter now?