Friends Award voting form 2026
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. You must have signed up to become a Friend of the National Churches Trust by Monday 17 August 2026.
There are four shortlisted churches this year. Scroll down the page to watch a film and read about each, and how they would use the additional grant.
In order to validate your vote we ask for your name, email and postcode in the voting form. Thank you.
The deadline for voting is 9pm on Monday 31 August 2026
Your vote (choose one church):
Click or tap on your choice and then complete your details.
Meet the churches that need your help.
Watch the videos below to decide who gets your vote
St Andrew in Barrhead, East Renfrewshire
A striking Brutalist church with a dominant stained glass cross feature that is the entire height of the building, designed by 20th-century Scottish stained glass artist Gordon Webster.
Hear from Barrhead St Andrew:
“Barrhead St Andrew’s is a thriving, all-inclusive community hub welcoming over 500 people weekly across 30 diverse user groups. Our mission is completely intergenerational, providing vital safe spaces for all ages, including 200 young people under 18. Supported by our new Youth and Community Worker, our buildings are busier than ever.
To keep this essential hub open and accessible, we must urgently replace our roof, upgrade rainwater systems, and replace windows. Due to inflation, unforeseen structural repairs, and global economic pressures, project costs have risen from £300,000 to nearly £475,000.
Through dedicated fundraising, we have already secured over £450,000. Construction is fully locked in for 2026, but we need your help to bridge the remaining funding gap. Delaying these essential works risks long-term structural damage and threatens the vital services our community relies on daily. Please vote for us today to protect this asset and secure a warm, safe home for Barrhead’s next generation!”
St John the Baptist in Fishpond, Dorset
Set on the slopes of Lambeth Castle, this beautiful single-cell church clings to a hill and has views out to sea and across the Marshwood Vale.
Hear from Fishpond St John the Baptist:
“Fishpond is a small rural village in West Dorset nestled in an area of outstanding natural beauty. Its resident population of 100 swells significantly with visitors who are attracted by its history and the glorious countryside.
St John’s is the only church and community building in the village. All shared village life happens there. It’s a lifeline to the residents, many of whom are vulnerable, isolated or lonely. Events have been difficult as there are no facilities or running water in St John’s. Everything, including the water, has to be carried from people’s homes.
In 2021, Fishpond hosted ‘Open Gardens’ that attracted over 1,000 visitors. Enough was enough! Since then, the villagers have been working hard to make their dream of a kitchen and plumbed-in sink a reality. Unfortunately, the costs have more than doubled leaving a funding gap that has been made worse by the closure of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme. We desperately need support to complete our facilities project and bring new life and opportunity to the heart of this village.”
St Benedict in Gyffin, Conwy
A Grade I Listed medieval church rooted in Welsh history; this hidden gem houses a painted ceiling from the 15th century.
Hear from Gyffin St Benedict:
“Our community project is bringing new vitality to the heart of Gyffin, a village of housing estates just outside the walls of Conwy. We aim to showcase Welsh heritage of national importance and local history. But first we need to modernise the interior of our 12th-century Grade I Listed church. Redecoration and major repairs and replacement to the modern plaster and paint are planned and, most essentially, an accessible toilet, so that we can open for all – including welcoming you.
The loss of the Listed Places of Worship VAT reclaim scheme came as a blow but also a spur. It spurred us on to attempt a grant application with The National Lottery Heritage Fund, which was awarded at the beginning of this month. We are short of about £55,000 as more repairs are revealed.”
Cornerstone Church in Torpoint, Cornwall
A Wesleyan Grade II Listed church building home to a single unified Methodist and United Reformed Church congregation in the heart of Torpoint.
Hear from Torpoint Cornerstone Church:
“Our Grade II Listed Wesleyan Chapel has a typical balcony and less typical stained glass. The 1795 indenture setting up the building hangs inside. Used seven days a week by the community, it is centrally placed with flat access across the ground floor.
Storm damage to downpipes in January 2022 caused water damage and urgent repairs were carried out. Remaining repairs to windows, downpipes and render currently cost £173,000 incl. The VAT and scaffolding costs make this a challenging amount for our congregation.
Tremendous community support from the Town Council, Lions, HMS Raleigh, local traders and individuals raised £18,500 in a year; this with reserves and grants promised leaves £38,000 more to raise.
This prize would help turn our shabby and water-damaged exterior into a smart watertight frontage, to match our beautiful welcoming interior, making it fit for years more service to our community which increasingly uses our church.”
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