Hundreds of churches across the UK have been receiving grants to help them stay open as rising repair costs and shrinking funding streams place historic buildings under strain.

The National Churches Trust has distributed a total of £900,000 to support urgent restoration projects that will allow churches, chapels, and meeting houses to continue serving their communities.

Claire Walker, chief executive of the National Churches Trust said they need to find "creative solutions" to help keep churches open and in use. 

The support is crucial as churches continue to face financial challenges following recent changes to the government’s Listed Places of Worship Grants Scheme, which now caps VAT relief on repairs, which has made many projects more expensive.

The funding has been made possible through partnerships with donors, the Wolfson Foundation, and the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The grants will assist with essential repairs, such as stabilising a concrete tower in Nottingham and installing a toilet at a Saxon church in the Cotswolds, which has stood for over 1,000 years.

Research from the Trust suggests that up to 2,000 churches across the UK could close by 2030 due to these financial pressures, with rural and smaller churches particularly vulnerable.