South Shropshire MP celebrates after government agrees to extension of funding for 'at risk' churches
A Shropshire MP is celebrating after the government has agreed to extend a scheme to help conserve churches following his campaign.
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Stuart Anderson, MP for South Shropshire, had appealed to the Government for the The Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme to be continued for 2025/26.
The MP launched his campaign in September, when he called on the government to extend the scheme which was due to expire in March.
Over the past decade, the scheme has helped more than 20,000 places of worship - including 727 venues in the West Midlands since August 2022.
In January 2025, Stuart then wrote to places of worship in need of support with conservation efforts across South Shropshire.
It followed the release of new figures, showing an increasing number of them requiring urgent repair and maintenance work.
He has now learned that the scheme has been extended and an extra £23 million has been made available as grants towards VAT incurred by registered charities and faith groups on costs of over £1,000 associated with the repair and conservation of listed places of worship.
Ministers have stated that there will be a cap of £25,000 that an organisation can claim during the year.
Based on previous scheme data, 94 per cent of claims were under this amount.
The reimbursed amount can also be spread across multiple claims - including roofs, masonry, and monuments.
Stuart is also raising awareness of a range of support available for listed places of worship.
This includes the National Lottery Heritage Fund’s £15 million 'Heritage in Need: Places of Worship initiative'.
It also includes the Churches Conservation Trust (CCT), which funds repairs and maintenance of over 350 churches in the CCT portfolio.
Meanwhile, Historic England’s 'Heritage At Risk' grants supports certain religious buildings such as cathedrals on the 'Heritage at Risk' register.The Scheme handles around 7,000 claims per annum.
It applies to all faiths and denominations across the UK.
Since 2010, more than £358 million has been allocated in grant funding to support places of worship throughout the UK.
There are still over 900 churches on the ‘Historic England Heritage’ at Risk Register - including 18 in South Shropshire.
Mr Anderson welcomed the extension, saying it equips faith leaders with the confidence they need to proceed with conservation projects.
He said: "Having launched this campaign in September, I am delighted that the Government has accepted my request to extend the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme.
"The extra £23 million that we have secured will help places of worship across South Shropshire undertake vital conservation projects. It will enable them to tackle the challenges that historic places pose and protect them for future generations."
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