External Funding for Repairs and Improvements to Church Buildings

Introduction

A list of potential sources of funding for the repairs and improvements of church buildings is shown below.  The list is not comprehensive and will be added to or amended based on feedback from churches.  A number of local trusts have not been included as they are only prepared to fund projects in their local areas.  Most of the organisations mentioned will not consider assisting projects which are already underway so it is important to make early contact with each organisation to check their individual requirements.

There are also website such as https://www.grantsonline.org.uk/ which you can use to search for suitable funding bodies for your project.

Congregations should consult with their dioceses prior to undertaking any major works.  In addition to providing advice on any local sources of funding (diocesan grants / local trusts etc) dioceses will be able to advise on any permissions etc required for the works.

Provincial funding

Grants and loans may be made available from Provincial Funds to help in carrying out approved repairs and improvements to church buildings (churches, church halls, rectories etc.)  Routine maintenance is the responsibility of the congregation.  Congregations seeking grants or loans should read the guidance and complete the application form prior to sending it to the appropriate Diocesan Committee.  (The guidance notes and application form are available here.)  The Diocese must approve the application before it is submitted to the General Synod Office.  Application for Provincial grants will not be considered where the works costs less than £1,500.

Lottery funding

National Lottery Fund
The Fund operates a number of funding programmes.  The focus tends to be used on assisting projects which will make a difference in a community. Website: https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding.

Heritage Lottery Fund
The Heritage Lottery Fund no longer operates a separate Grants for Places of Worship (GPOW) scheme.  Grants for places of worship are now awarded through the existing general schemes:

Our Heritage (grants £10,000 – £100,000) is a simple, faster (applications assessed within eight weeks), one stage application process and is ideal for smaller projects looking to undertake more straight-forward repairs.

Heritage Grants (grants £100,000 – £5million) is a two stage application process but gives applicants the opportunity to secure funding for more ambitious projects and allows them to undertake a development phase to help shape their proposals.

Funding is provided in conjunction with Historic Environment Scotland.  There is no requirement for a building to be listed to be eligible for grant funding.
Website:www.hlf.org.uk/looking-funding/what-we-fund/buildings-and-monuments/places-worship

Historic Environment Scotland
Historic Environment Scotland is interested in funding projects focused on any aspect of Scotland’s historic environment. The types of projects and activities eligible will vary and are likely to be time-limited with a defined start and end date. Some examples of typical project and activities include, but are not limited to:

• Repair and consolidation works
• Interim works (max.£50,000 grant)
• Skills and training
• Outreach and learning
• Interpretation
• Maintenance and management plans.

Further details can be found at the HES website here.

Net Zero Funding

There are many external funding options that relate to Net Zero targets.  The Funding page on the Net Zero Portal provides information about many of these options, including some that rectories may be eligible for, and some local funds. There is also specific funding for active travel, biodiversity and zero waste. Information is also provided on provincial funds.

You can visit the funding page of the Net Zero portal here.

Trusts & Charities

Benefact Trust Ltd
Benefact Trust (formerly Allchurches Trust) operates a number of different grant schemes including Building Improvement Grants and Roof Alarm grants.  Information about all its grants can be found on its website: www.benefacttrust.co.uk/which-grant-is-for-me/
 
The Dalrymple Donaldson Trust
The Trust’s purpose is to use the annual income of the Fund to make grants to assist in the judicious restoration and repair of buildings of historical or antiquarian interest.  The application form should be sent to the Secretary by the end of October of the year preceding the start of building work. It will be copied and circulated to the Trustees for their information in advance of the December grant allocation meeting.  More information including an application form is available at:
www.glasarchsoc.org.uk/index.php/grants-and-awards/dalyrmple-donaldson-fund
 
Garfield Weston Foundation
Applicants must be registered charities promoting education, medicine and religion.  Apply to The Administrator, Garfield Weston Foundation, Weston Centre, Bowater House, 10 Grosvenor Street, London, W1K 4QY; telephone 020 7589 6363.
Website: www.garfieldweston.org/

Gannochy Trust
The Gannochy Trust may consider applications for projects if there is a community benefit through the use of the church building as a community centre of village hall if there is not a similar facility nearby.  Applications must be in writing and sent to the Gannochy Trust, Kincarrathie House Drive, Pitcullen Crescent, Perth, PH2 7HX, telephone 01738 620653. Website: www.gannochytrust.org.uk

The Glaziers’ Trust
The Trust targets its resources to save historically important stained glass in churches and other public locations. Grants are restricted to glass, leading, saddle bars, and fixing.  The Trust’s main interest is in mediaeval glass but conservation of windows of high quality may be considered.  The average grant is around £1,000. http://glazierscompany.org.uk/conservation-grants/

The William and Jane Morris Fund
The Fund offers grants of up to £5,000 towards work concerned with the conservation of decorative features such as, stained glass windows, sculpture, furniture, internal monuments and tombs, and wall paintings in churches, chapels and other places of worship built before 1896. www.sal.org.uk/what-we-do/grants/

National Churches Trust
This Trust supports a wide variety of projects and will consider grant applications for repairs and major improvements to places of worship throughout the UK. The trust has announced a new funding scheme called the Cherish Programme. It is aimed at either urgent and essential maintenance and repair projects costing between £1,000 and £80,000 including VAT or costs towards project development – developing a church building project such as feasibility studies, options appraisals, investigative work and development work up to RIBA Planning Stage 1. Further details can be found at https://www.nationalchurchestrust.org/cherish-grants.

The Schroder Charity Trust
The Schroder Charity Trust is an independent grant-making family trust which supports a wide range of charitable activities.  It makes grants of up to £5,000, funds both core and project costs but only funds for a one-year period. It does not accept applications from charities whose annual income is less than £50,000 or more than £2 million. Further details can be found at https://schrodercharitytrust.org.

Windfarms
In some areas grants may be given by local windfarms to churches.  More information available from Foundation Scotland:
www.foundationscotland.org.uk/communities/funds/

Just Giving
Information regarding the possibility of raising funds by “crowdfunding” is available from the Just Giving website: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding

Cinnamon Network – grants for community groups dealing with:  Addiction, Debt & Money, Disability & Inclusion, Employment, Family, Health & Wellbeing, Homelessness, Loneliness, Mental Health, Older People, Street Life and Young People.  www.cinnamonnetwork.co.uk/

Plunkett UK – a national charity which supports people in rural areas to set up and run a wide range of businesses in community ownership.   https://plunkett.co.uk 

Bellahouston Bequest Fund This is a grant giving trust whose objectives include building / renewing church buildings and other places of religious worship (Protestant Evangelical denominations), relieving poverty or disease, promoting education, promoting Protestant and Evangelical religion and promoting / safeguarding places of historical or artistic significance. https://fundingscotland.com/funder/001b000000St7AZAAZ/bellahouston-bequest-fund?page=6

Miss Mary Dunlop Murdoch Andrew Charitable Trust funds charities that work in several fields including the maintenance and expansion of Christian churches and organisations and the preservation of places and buildings of historic or artistic interest: https://funding.scot/funds/a0Rb0000000Ng7NEAS/miss-mary-dunlop-murdoch-andrew-charitable-trust?page=1

Robert Barr’s Charitable Trust supports the relief of poverty, aid for the aged, the infirm and handicapped, the advancement of education, the provision of recreational facilities and the preservation of buildings or other items of national or historic interest. The Trustees also tend to favour capital projects rather than running costs: https://funding.scot/funds/a0Rb0000000Ng4nEAC/robert-barrs-charitable-trust?activities=research

Joseph Rank Trust considers applications for the adaptation of churches with a view to providing improved facilities for use by the church and the community in which it is based: www.ranktrust.org/

Laing Family Trusts support a wide range of charities engaged in promoting Christian faith and values and in the relief of poverty (interpreted in its broadest sense), both in the UK and overseas: www.laingfamilytrusts.org.uk/index.html

Aviva Community Fund provides match funding of up to £25,000 for eligible projects in their funding areas of Climate Action and Financial Wellbeing, as well as a range of resources and Crowdfunder webinars https://www.avivacommunityfund.co.uk/

Hugh Fraser Foundation makes donations to charities working in many different sectors including medical research, hospitals, education, organisations working with the young and aged, the handicapped and the under-privileged and arts organisations. So long as the object is charitable the Trustees will consider any application from a registered charity. They are particularly interested in applications from parts of Scotland where the local economy and/or circumstances make fundraising for charitable purposes difficult. https://fundingscotland.com/fund/a0Rb0000000Ng6MEAS/hugh-fraser-foundation?activities=community-facilities&activities=heritage-and-building-preservation&activities=religious-activities&geographical_areas_funded=scotland&type_of_cost=capital&type_of_funding=grant&type_of_funding=loan

Updated October 2026

The General Synod of the Scottish Episcopal Church does not accept responsibility for any loss or liability which may arise from reliance on information or expressions of opinion contained in this document.