Grants of up to £10,000 are available to support fabric repairs in architecturally or historically significant church buildings in the Christian denomination across the UK.
The Wolfson Foundation’s Historic Christian Churches Fabric Repair Grants can be allocated to fabric repairs at church buildings of all Christian denominations. They must be of heritage significance and listed Grade I or II* in England and Wales, Grade A or B+ listed in Northern Ireland, and Grade A or B listed in Scotland. The Fabric Repair Grant programme is managed by the National Churches Trust in partnership with the Wolfson Foundation.
Repairs will usually be identified as Category A or B recommendations in the most recent Quinquennial Inspection report, or as urgent repairs in condition surveys. Typically, projects may include:
- Floorwork
- Masonry repairs
- Rainwater disposal and drainage, and
- Roof repairs.
Grants of up to £10,000 are available for the following categories of project:
- Medium Grants for projects costing between £20,000 and £80,000.
- Large Grants for projects costing over £80,000.
Please note that there is a matched funding requirement for this programme. Applicants are normally expected to have sought and secured 50% of the total project cost before applying to the Fund. In addition, all relevant permissions (for example, planning consent) must be in place and the project must be overseen by an architect with appropriate conservation accreditation.
Applications are assessed against the following criteria:
- Appropriateness of the proposal.
- Financial need of the parish (the parish’s financial situation and the UK Government’s Index of Multiple Deprivation are used as indicators to assist this process).
- Need for the work.
- The significance of the building, and
- The urgency of the proposed work.
There are separate application processed and deadlines for Medium and Large Grants.
The next application deadline for the Medium Grants strand for projects with a total cost of between £20,000 and £80,000 is Tuesday 15 April 2025.
The next application deadline for the Large Grants strand for projects with a total cost of over £80,000 is Tuesday 1 July 2025.
Further information, guidance and application forms are available on the National Churches Trust website.