Minister for Museums, Heritage and Gambling (); Today we have announced(opens in a new
tab) that over this Parliament we will invest £1.5 billion in
culture. This includes a new capital fund for places of worship
of £23 million per year.
Our listed places of worship are a central part of our built
heritage and vital to our communities. This year we have
completed the first evaluation of the Listed Places of Worship
Grant Scheme in its history. It showed some benefits to users
like increased timeliness of repairs. However, it also showed
that 80% of respondents would have carried out works without the
rebate scheme.
That is why the new Places of Worship Renewal Fund will target
our capital funding where it is needed most, focusing on repair
and conservation work, ensuring that every pound of taxpayers'
money is used to secure the future of our heritage while
supporting the government's wider missions for national renewal
and community cohesion, as part of the broader Plan for Change.
The current Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme will end on 31
March 2026, or when the budget for the year is spent, whichever
comes first.
The £150,000 Memorial Grant Scheme will also end on 31 March
2026, or when the budget for the year is spent, whichever comes
first. In November 2025 we launched a new £2 million fund for the
repair and conservation of war memorials and there is other
funding available for memorials including from the National
Lottery Heritage Fund.
As heritage is a devolved policy area, the new Places of Worship
Renewal Fund will be for England only. UK-wide heritage funding
is available through organisations including the National Lottery
Heritage Fund and we are working closely with funders in the
sector to ensure that opportunities for funding places of worship
throughout the UK are maximised.
The new fund will be delivered by Historic England and further
information on eligibility and the application process for the
fund will be confirmed in due course.
