The government has launched its answer to the now-defunct Listed Places of Worship Scheme, promising £92 million of funding for churches in need of repairs.

The new funding will stem from an overarching £1.5 billion Arts Everywhere Fund. 

Managed by Heritage England, it will only be available for buildings in England.  This differs from the previous scheme, which applied to the whole of the UK. 

Two streams, the Places of Worship Fund and the Heritage at Risk Capital Fund, will be open for church applications.

The Places of Worship Renewal Fund money will be staggered each year. Up to £23 million will be available in the current tax year for buildings needing structural repairs or upgrades which expand community use.

The Heritage at Risk Capital Fund will offer up to £15 million for sites in need of urgent restoration.

Heritage Minister Baroness Twycross told Premier Christian Radio that the new system is intended to help churches with "upfront costs", rather than the VAT added onto repair costs. 

"We know from talking to churches and other places of worship across the country that many churches struggled to fundraise enough to pay for work in the first instance, which blocked them from undertaking the works at all," she said. "My own parents have done a lot of fundraising for their local church, and so I don't underestimate how hard it is to fund [repairs]." 

Claire Walker, chief executive of the National Churches Trust, said that she "welcomed" the fund, but has concerns about it being "competitive". 

"At least [under the old scheme], there was a guarantee that something would be refunded," Walker told Premier. "There is more demand [for money] than there is supply."

"The amount of value churches bring to communities is so huge," she added. "They're free museums, you can go and pray in them, and get a sense of space... We want the government to remember what a massive value churches are to communities."