image for illustration: Peter Badcock
The National Churches Trust is drawing up blueprint to show how to save churches from closure, reports Church Times.
Church Times writes:
The future of church buildings is the single biggest heritage challenge facing the UK, and a national plan is urgently needed, the National Churches Trust (NCT) says…. The latest figures show that 3500 churches closed in the past ten years, and more than 900 buildings are now on Historic England’s At Risk register; 20,000 of the 38,500 remaining church buildings have statutory listed status. Fifty-three buildings were added to the list in 2023.
Climate change is one contributor…
The challenge is nationwide…
Because the backlog of repairs for C of E churches alone is at least £1 billion, there must be more funding to save this priceless heritage, the campaign says…
Sir Philip Rutnam, who chairs the NCT, said: ‘One of the recommendations we make is for more funding for church buildings…. … many facing closure.’
