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As organisations responsible for the church buildings belonging to the Catholic Church in England and Wales, the Church in Wales, the Church of England, the Church of Scotland, and as representatives of the Association of English Cathedrals, the Historic Religious Buildings Alliance and the National Churches Trust, we have grave concerns about the future of the Listed Places of Worship Grants Scheme and call for its urgent renewal.

Bradley Thomas, the Conservative MP for Bromsgrove, has tabled a Westminster Hall debate on Wednesday January 22. This is a crucial next step in raising awareness about the importance of the Listed Places of Worship Grants Scheme. The scheme – a lifeline for historic churches – is set to run out in March. Find out more about the Westminster Hall debate and how you can get involved.

Antrim All Saints Parish church is the oldest church still used for worship in Northern Ireland. But it has just faced a new and urgent challenge: fire.

Heritage is at risk like never before in the UK. But together, we are able to make a difference to churches, chapels and meeting houses – keeping them open and in use and protecting them for the future. In our latest round of grants, 53 places of worship now have hope for the future – thanks to you.

New data reveals England’s church heritage ‘danger zones’ and shows the number of churches at risk in MP’s constituencies. Find out how many churches, chapels, cathedrals and meeting houses are at risk in your constituency and what you can do to save them.

High costs of repairs, dwindling congregation numbers and lack of financial support are making the future of many church buildings in Scotland uncertain. But the National Churches Trust is working in partnership with other organisations in Scotland to help equip places of worship to weather these uncertain times.

In her Autumn Budget, the Chancellor Rachel Reeves made no announcement about the extension of the Listed Places of Worship Grants Scheme. This is concerning – and why we need your help. Please write to your MP today to urge them to renew the scheme to help churches stay open and in good repair.

The National Churches Trust is concerned that the Listed Places of Worship Grants Scheme will not be renewed before the scheme comes to an end in 2025. Sir Philip Rutnam, Chair of the National Churches Trust, writes to the Treasury to ask them to renew this vital scheme.

Churches, chapels and meeting houses are at serious risk of closure and so it is important to look at creative solutions to keep these buildings open and in use for generations to come. Cherish is helping us to target support at key areas where we are at great risk of losing priceless heritage.

58 churches across the UK will stay open and in good repair thanks to £735,326 – almost three quarters of a million pounds – of funding awarded and recommended by the National Churches Trust in our latest round of grants.

In person church attendance can fall by almost a third (29%) if a local church closes, a new opinion poll commissioned by the National Churches Trust shows, with 22% of churchgoers who currently attend religious services in person unwilling or unable to worship in a different church and a further 7% saying they would only attend services online.

The new Government inherits a country with stressed public finances and strained public services. Imagination, ingenuity and leadership are all going to be needed – and whatever happens to taxes, the state will be in no position to solve every problem. But there is one national resource, sometimes overlooked by politicians and policy makers that can help: the UK’s network of 38,500 churches and chapels.