Friends Award voting form
Voting has now closed. Please tune in to the National Church Awards livestream on 22 October to find out which church won.
Choose a church to receive a special grant of £10,000
As part of your Friends membership, you get to decide which church you would like to receive an additional grant of £10,000.
To vote you must be a Friend of the National Churches Trust, there's still time to join.
There are five shortlisted churches this year. Each church has worked hard to create a short film, explaining their project and why they still need help. Please take time to watch them all before voting.
You will find the voting form at the bottom of this page. In order to validate your vote we ask for your name, email and postcode. Thank you.
The deadline for voting is 5pm on Monday 16 September
The winner will be announced at the National Church Awards ceremony on Tuesday 22 October in Lincoln Cathedral. The event will be livestreamed for everyone to watch.
St James the Great, Colchester, Essex
St James the Great is a beautiful 12th century church in the historic Roman town of Colchester. The church underwent a major reconstruction in the late 15th century and a full restoration in 1871-2. There are two 16th century brasses and a large marble statue of Arthur Winsley.
The church needs urgent masonry repairs – there is a concern that the glazing will become insecure. This will enable the church to start the project, so the building does not face further deterioration while they raise the funds needed.
Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) King of Glory, Edinburgh
After moving into the abandoned church building in 2018, the church is now open every day, outside of services, as it hosts and runs a number of community groups. The beautiful brick building is C-Listed is almost a century old.
The kitchen and bathroom are falling apart and are limiting what the church can do. The grant will help the church install new facilities to cater to the growing church. RCCG are currently reducing the number of community groups they can run until they can complete this project.
St Aldhelm, Edmonton, London
St Aldhelm’s is a Grade II Listed church, built in 1903. It is an overlooked gem of early 20th century architecture and art, designed by WD Caroe. The Arts & Crafts influenced church is open regularly and runs a food bank and warm space.
The roof and spirelet need urgent repairs. With energy bills rising, the church is fundraising hard to keep their church open.
St Mary, Withersfield, Suffolk
St Mary is the only accessible space in the community and is located near to an ancient crossroads. It dates back to the 13th century, yet only the door handle, featuring two dragons, survives from this era. St Mary is known for its bench ends, which feature quirky figures.
There’s a hole in the tower that needs filling, as well urgent stonework repairs. Inside the tower are bells and a historic windlass, which is at risk if the tower is not repaired soon.
St Aiden, Salters Grange, County Armagh
St Aiden was consecrated 1776 on land gifted by Sir Capel Molyneux and financed by Archbishop Richard Robinson. Inside the B-Listed church are fine marble memorials to the Molyneux family and an Arts & Craft stained glass window designed by Beatrice Elvery.
The windows – dating back to the 1800s – need urgent repairs. If they are not restored soon, the damage will extend further and there is a risk the church will lose the windows for good.
Your vote (choose one church):
Please help us reach more churches with support
Our Friends Award, as well as all of our hundred grants a year, are only possibly thanks to our generous Friends and donors. Whether it's repairs to a roof, new guttering, or even a kitchen or toilet, we rely on the support of individuals. Please donate today and help keep our rich heritage of church buildings protected for years to come.
AlexRamsey