The Places of Worship Renewal Fund is now open for Expressions of Interest
About the Fund
The new Places of Worship Fund replaces the previous Listed Places of Worship Grants Scheme which closed in March 2026. The Government has allocated £92 million in total for this new scheme over the next four years, with up to £23million being available per annum. The fund, which is being administered by Historic England, will support urgent repairs and essential improvements to listed places of worship in England, with grants awarded for capital works that keep buildings safe, open and in public use.
Grant Sizes and Supported Works
The fund will support a range of small to large projects, from urgent structural repairs to physical access improvements and the installation of new facilities to expand community use. To support different sizes of project, the fund will be divided into 3 streams: small grants of £10,000 to £50,000; medium grants of £50,001 to £350,000; large grants of £350,001 to £1,000,000
How to Apply to the Places of Worship Renewal Fund
- In the first instance our churches are being asked to complete an expression of interest, which if successful, will then lead to being invited to make a full application.
- The deadline for submitting expressions of interests for the first round of grants is Sunday, June 14, with a second round following in September 2026
- To submit an expression of interest, churches will need to fill in an online form, which can be found here on the Historic England website.
- Churches will need to refer to the Places of Worship Renewal Fund requirements in their expression of interest, briefly describing how their project meets the criteria.
- There are specific additional documents needed with an expression of interest, including, where available, a copy of the latest condition survey, quinquennial assessment or equivalent, to demonstrate the need and urgency of the works. Please see Important Note below.
Important Note
- Churches will also need a supporting letter from the diocese, confirming that we are supportive of the project and likely to approve any consents/permissions required (if not already approved) to undertake the project and associated works.
Our Church Buildings Team are managing the supporting letter from the diocese, in consultation with the Archdeacons.
To inquire about receiving a supporting letter, please make a request by email to Alena Douglas, Church Buildings Support Officer, alenarose.douglas@leeds.anglican.org by no later than Monday, June 8.
Grants and Loans for Church Buildings in 2026
The application form, guidance and eligibility criteria for the Diocesan Church Buildings Grants and Loan Schemes are available on the new dedicated webpage here.
The next application deadline for the grant scheme will be the 30th June 2026. Parish loan applications may be submitted at any time.
For queries regarding the Church Building Grant or Loan Schemes please email resourcingparishes@leeds.anglican.org.
Funding Directory
See below a booklet compiled by several Dioceses about funding opportunities, the grants are separated based on different types of project, such as conservation or community projects. Click on the image below for the PDF.
Local Funding Opportunities
There are several local community foundations across the UK, each offering different grants to support local community work. There are 5 different foundations that operate across the Diocese of Leeds, so do check out the one near you.
Community Foundation for Calderdale
2 Ridings Community Foundation
One Community (Kirklees area)
Lancashire Community Foundation
Leeds Community Foundation (covers Bradford as well)
Other key funders to consider approaching for support with a variety of capital building projects would be: