Michael Palin backs new plan to save UK churches

Michael Palin (c) John Swannell.jpg

A manifesto calling for urgent action to save the UK's church buildings has been launched by the National Churches Trust, the UK's church buildings support charity. With over 3,500 churches having shut their doors for good since 2013 and many more now facing closure, 'Every Church Counts', sets out six key actions needed to save the UK's church buildings.

These are:

- A network of professional support officers to help the heroic volunteers and clergy who look after church buildings.

- Boosting the UK's church-based 'National Help Service' by basing more community support services in church buildings.

- Additional public funding of £50 million to help save church heritage for the future; a national matched funding scheme to incentivise charitable giving is also proposed, with the value of donations doubled.

- A strategy to increase tourism to historic churches, including more UNESCO world heritage site designations, for example for the wool churches of Norfolk or Suffolk and the early Christian sites of Wales and Northern Britain.

- Regular opening of churches beyond worship times, including seven day a week opening where possible.

- Urgent action by Government, heritage organisations and denominations, including the development of a national plan.

Sir Michael Palin, Vice-President of the National Churches Trust said: "Right now, many church buildings are in danger of closure. 'Every Church Counts' proposes a range of ways in which the future of the UK's churches, chapels and meeting houses can be secured.

More and more churches are adapting to the needs of their communities, providing not just spiritual comfort but a range of valuable services to local people such as foodbanks and warm spaces and helping to combat the scourge of loneliness.

Churches are also a vital and much-loved part of the UK's history and we need to act now to prevent the loss of tremendously important local heritage.

If you care as much about the future of these much-loved buildings as I do, you'll find that the National Churches Trust's 'Every Church Counts' offers a way forward for these wonderful buildings."

Claire Walker, CEO of the National Churches Trust said: " 'Every Church Counts' offers a blueprint of how churches can be saved for the future. With hundreds facing closure, a national plan is urgently needed to help secure their future. We are calling on Government, heritage organisations and Christian denominations to work together to tackle what is the UK's single biggest heritage challenge.

With so many churches offering vitally important community services, from food banks to warm spaces, they provide what is in effect the UK's National Help Service, crucial to the social and economic wellbeing of millions of people. Keeping churches open means that support for the vulnerable can continue, especially important in more deprived areas.

In the coming months we will work with our partners to see how the ideas in 'Every Church Counts' can be implemented so that the UK's wonderful inheritance of church buildings can continue to benefit local communities and the nation as a whole."

Sir Philip Rutnam, Chair of the National Churches Trust said: "Our vision is that church buildings across the UK remain open, in good repair with their heritage secure and being used for worship and community use. With over 38,500 church buildings, no single actor can fix the problem: action is needed by churches locally, denominations nationally, and by heritage organisations and Government itself. With an increasing number of churches threatened with closure, a national plan is urgently needed to help secure the long-term future of the UK's church buildings. 'Every Church Counts' puts forward six ideas to lead thinking and stimulate debate.

One of the recommendations we make is for more funding for church buildings. Repairing the roof of a historic church can cost well over half a million pounds. Although congregations raise a great deal of money locally, more financial support is urgently needed to help safeguard what is nationally important heritage.

More support is especially needed for churches in more deprived areas, such as inner cities and coastal towns. These churches often do a tremendous amount to support local people, but struggle to raise money to repair buildings, with many facing closure.

Through a Government supported match funding scheme, more money can also be raised from the many people who love churches."

'Every Church Counts' was launched at a reception in the Attlee Room in the House of Lords hosted by Lord Cormack and attended by MPs, Peers and church and heritage leaders, on Wednesday 24 January, 2024.Those attending included Lord Parkinson, the Heritage Minister, Baroness Sherlock, Shadow Minister for Faith, Simon Thurley, Chair of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, The Rt Rev Dr Andrew Rumsey, Bishop of Ramsbury and Co-lead for Church Buildings and Cathedrals for the Church of England, Sophie Andreae, Vice-chair of the Patrimony Committee of the Catholic Bishops Conference for England and Wales, and representatives of the Quakers, Baptists, and the Church of Scotland.

For more information see: www.nationalchurchestrust.org/everychurchcounts