How we are keeping churches open

I want to tell you a remarkable story.

When Pan American flight 103 was bombed by terrorists, just before Christmas 1988, the plane’s nose section crashed in the field next to Tundergarth Church. The Lockerbie Bombing was the deadliest terror attack in the history of the UK.  

Tundergarth Church was used as a staging post for Scottish Police, British Army and RAF teams who searched 845 square miles of the surrounding countryside for the bodies of the 259 passengers and crew of Flight 103, as well as for the wreckage and clues. The funeral services of several flight 103 passengers took place in the church and three people were then laid to rest in its churchyard.  

This is also a story of the way churches are central to our lives. And how you can help them continue to be a place of refuge and hope for generations to come.

Tundergarth Church is now a memorial church to the Lockerbie Bombing; 50,000 people from around the world have signed the book of remembrance for those killed in the bombing.

But like many of the UK’s churches, chapels, and meeting houses, Tundergarth Church was gravely at risk. With little support, the local community established a trust and took over the church in 2020.  

However, the building was in a dire state, and a storm at Christmas in 2023 made matters worse. Water poured into the church, destroying woodwork, the pulpit, and plaster.  

The National Churches Trust were able to give the church a share of £735,326 in urgent funding to make the church safe to use again. But so many more churches, like Tundergarth, need our support. Will you help us to keep them open?

UK churches are in crisis. The Church of Scotland has earmarked up to 40% of their churches in Scotland for closure. A similar amount may soon close in Wales. We are pressing politicians to recognise this as our greatest heritage crisis. Otherwise, the situation in England and Northern Ireland may be the same in 15 or 20 years.

Please donate to the National Churches Trust to help us stop this crisis. We are doing all we can to keep churches open and in use. In 2024, we were able to award 312 grants – our highest level for many years. But we are inundated with applications from churches that need support. Last year, we were only able to help 1 in 5 churches that applied to us for a large grant.

We have to step up to protect our churches. We rely on your wonderful support to keep churches open and in use. Please considering donating today. Thank you.