Communities Minister has announced a further
£200,000 funding to support the repair of listed church
buildings.
The fund, which covers 2026/27 and will be administered by the
National Churches Trust, follows on from £200,000 funding for
2025/26 announced earlier this year.
Minister Lyons made the announcement at Bloomfield Presbyterian
Church, where he saw work carried out thanks to a £55,000 grant
from his Department, including repairs to the structure of a
large arched stained-glass window.
Minister Lyons said: Churches have been under considerable
pressure recently, particularly in the context of the UK-wide
Listed Places of Worship VAT reclaim scheme ending in March of
this year. I recognise the value of these much-used buildings to
people, to the wider community and even to tourism and people's
pride of place.
Claire Walker, Chief Executive of the National Churches Trust,
said: We are hugely grateful to the Department for Communities
for this award of £200,000 and for its longstanding support for
our work in Northern Ireland. This funding will enable us to
continue helping places of worship to carry out urgent repairs,
protecting these much-loved buildings and keeping them open and
serving local people.
Churches are an important part of Northern Ireland's heritage and
remain at the heart of communities across the country. The
Department's continued partnership with the National Churches
Trust will make a real and lasting difference, helping
congregations to safeguard these special buildings for everyone
to enjoy, both now and for generations to come.
Applications for funding for listed churches are open now and can
be made via the National Churches Trust website at: www.nationalchurchestrust.org/get-support/applyforagrant.
Notes to editors:
- A public consultation on a historic environment policy for
Northern Ireland has been developed as part of the Department for
Communities' Heritage, Culture and Creativity (HCC)
Programme to provide renewed focus and direction for the
arts, museums, public libraries and the historic environment. The
consultation runs until 23rd October 2026 and can be accessed
at: www.communities-ni.gov.uk/consultations/consultation-historic-environment-policy-northern-ireland.
- The National Churches Trust is an independent charity wanting
to keep the UK's collection of church buildings well maintained,
valued and in use. Working on the ground in all four UK nations,
it supports churches of all denominations. Its vision is to see
open churches thriving at the heart of their communities.
www.nationalchurchestrust.org/
