For churches, cathedrals, dioceses, and faith-based organizations across the United Kingdom, 2026 presents an unprecedented landscape of funding opportunities. From record-breaking government security grants to substantial National Lottery heritage funding and denomination-specific resources, there are more pathways to financial support than ever before.
This guide provides a comprehensive, curated list of active church funding sources in the UK for 2026, including eligibility criteria, application timelines, and practical advice for successful applications.
List Of Church Funding Organizations In New Zealand (2026)
Why 2026 is a Landmark Year for Church Funding in the UK
Several factors make 2026 a watershed moment for churches seeking financial support:
Record Government Security Funding: The Home Office has announced a record £73.4 million for protective security at faith sites across the UK in 2026-2027, including a £5 million uplift for the Places of Worship Protective Security Scheme for Christian and other non-Jewish or Muslim faith sites .
Unprecedented Church of England Investment: The Church of England will distribute £1.6 billion for mission and ministry during 2026-2028, representing a 36% increase on the previous triennium — the biggest distribution in the Church’s history .
National Lottery Heritage Focus: The National Lottery Heritage Fund has committed £17 million specifically to address funding gaps for places of worship, with eight major projects already receiving support .
New Accessibility and Mission Funds: The Church of England has launched the New Parish Accessibility Fund (2026-2028) with grants up to £50,000 for disability and neurodivergent inclusion projects, alongside significant SMMIB funding for music ministry and choir development .
Government Funding Sources
1. Places of Worship Protective Security Scheme (Home Office)
Focus: Security measures at Christian, Hindu, Sikh, and other non-Jewish or Muslim faith sites.
Status: Application window opening later in 2026.
The Home Office has announced a record £5 million for the Places of Worship Protective Security Scheme in 2026-2027 — an uplift of £1.5 million from previous funding levels. This scheme covers Christian churches and other faith sites that are not eligible for the Jewish or Muslim-specific security grants .
What the funding supports:
- On-site security staff
- CCTV systems
- Security fencing
- Intruder alarms
- Floodlights
- Other protective security measures
Eligibility:
Churches, Christian places of worship, and faith-based community centres across the UK (excluding those covered by the Jewish or Muslim schemes).
How to apply:
Eligible organizations can apply on a rolling basis directly with the Home Office when the application window opens. The next application window will open later in 2026 .
Important context:
Religious hate crime remains at unacceptable levels across the UK. In 2025, 45% of all religious hate crimes targeted Muslims, while antisemitic incidents were at their second-highest levels since records began . This funding is designed to help faith communities feel safer in their places of worship.
2. Jewish Community Protective Security Grant (Home Office / CST)
Focus: Security measures at synagogues, Jewish schools, and community centres.
Status: Rolling applications open.
Up to £28.4 million is available in 2026-2027 through the Jewish Community Protective Security Grant, managed by the Community Security Trust (CST) .
How to apply:
Eligible organizations can apply on a rolling basis directly with the Home Office.
3. Protective Security for Mosques Scheme (Home Office)
Focus: Security measures at mosques, Muslim schools, and community centres.
Status: Rolling applications open.
Up to £40 million is available in 2026-2027 through the Protective Security for Mosques Scheme .
How to apply:
Eligible organizations can apply on a rolling basis directly with the Home Office.
4. Common Ground Resilience Fund (MHCLG)
Focus: Local social cohesion, community resilience, interfaith activities.
Status: Active for 2026.
The Common Ground Resilience Fund is providing over £3 million to local communities in England to insulate them against threats to local social cohesion and resilience. Faith-based organizations are eligible to apply for capital investments into the infrastructure and equipment enabling them to serve communities .
Opportunity:
The Common Ground Award supports voluntary and community sector organizations — including faith-based organizations — with capital investments.
5. Near Neighbours Programme (MHCLG / Church Urban Fund)
Focus: Interfaith community building, relationship development, community initiatives.
Status: Active for 2026.
MHCLG has allocated up to £515,000 for the current financial year to fund the Near Neighbours programme in England, delivered by the Church Urban Fund. This programme brings together communities from diverse backgrounds and faiths to build relationships of trust and work together on initiatives that improve their communities .
How to apply:
Contact the Church Urban Fund or visit the Near Neighbours programme website for current funding rounds.
6. Windrush Day Grant Scheme (MHCLG)
Focus: Raising awareness of the Windrush story, community cohesion.
Status: Annual scheme (check MHCLG for 2026 dates).
Faith-based organizations across England are eligible to apply to the annual Windrush Day Grant Scheme. Since 2019, the scheme has funded 268 projects, awarding a total of £3.75 million. Faith-linked groups may receive funding where proposals align with the scheme’s aims .
7. Places of Worship Renewal Fund (MHCLG) – NEW for 2026
Focus: Capital repairs and maintenance for listed places of worship.
Status: Launching in 2026 (replaces the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme).
A new £92 million fund called the Places of Worship Renewal Fund will replace the £23 million Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme. This significant increase brings listed places of worship into line with other heritage assets, giving them access to the same level of financial support as historic houses, monuments, and other heritage sites .
What this means for churches:
This represents a four-fold increase in government funding for listed places of worship. Churches with Grade I, Grade II*, or Grade II listed buildings should prepare for this new funding stream.
How to apply:
Details will be announced when the fund launches in 2026. Monitor MHCLG announcements.
National Lottery & Heritage Funding
8. National Lottery Heritage Fund – Places of Worship Grants
Focus: Heritage preservation, building repairs, community engagement, nature conservation in churchyards.
Status: Active — £17 million committed for places of worship projects.
The National Lottery Heritage Fund has committed £17 million specifically to address funding gaps for places of worship, supporting eight ambitious projects with the potential to make a lasting positive impact .
Recent grant examples (2026):
| Project | Grant Amount | Focus |
| Nature in Sacred Places (Natural England/C of E partnership) | £550,000 (pilot) | Churchyard nature conservation across 150+ buildings |
| Caring for God’s Acre (Wales) | £325,000 development | Burial ground transformation |
| Foundation for Jewish Heritage | £140,000+ | Historic synagogue management |
| The Wren Project (St James’s Piccadilly) | £4.725 million | Major redevelopment and young leadership |
| St Monans Auld Kirk (Fife) | £116,000 | Medieval church restoration |
| St John’s, Doddington (Shropshire) | £220,000 | Essential repairs and community engagement |
| St Mary’s, Finedon (Northamptonshire) | £98,000 | 14th-century church alterations |
Beyond the dedicated pot:
The Heritage Fund has also invested £145 million into more than 225 places-of-worship projects since April 2024 through its separate grants programme .
How to apply:
Visit the National Lottery Heritage Fund website for current grant rounds and eligibility criteria.
9. Nature in Sacred Places Project
Focus: Churchyard nature conservation, biodiversity, volunteer training.
Status: 18-month pilot project funded (2026-2027).
This partnership project — led by Natural England with the Church of England, the Churches Conservation Trust, the Bat Conservation Trust, and Caring for God’s Acre — has been awarded almost £550,000. Working with about 150 religious buildings across England, the project aims to build awareness, resources, and skills for volunteers, communities, and custodians of religious buildings .
Future potential:
A further delivery grant of £4.2 million could be made available for a four-year delivery phase following the pilot.
How to get involved:
Churches interested in churchyard conservation should contact the Church of England’s environmental team or Caring for God’s Acre.
Church of England Funding & Denominational Resources
10. Church of England National Spending Plan (2026-2028)
Focus: Mission, ministry, clergy wellbeing, deprived communities, safeguarding.
Status: £1.6 billion allocated for 2026-2028 triennium.
The Church of England’s General Synod has approved a £1.6 billion spending package for 2026-2028 — a 36% increase on the previous triennium and the biggest distribution in the Church’s history .
Key priorities for this funding:
- Major package of measures for clergy wellbeing
- Focused support for parishes in the lowest income communities
- Safeguarding and redress
- Clergy pension improvements
How this reaches local churches:
This funding is distributed through dioceses. Local churches should engage with their Diocese Board of Finance to understand what resources are available for their specific context.
11. New Parish Accessibility Fund (Church of England)
Focus: Disability access, neurodivergent inclusion, sensory support, building adaptations.
Status: Launched March 2026 — open for 2026-2028.
The Church of England has launched the New Parish Accessibility Fund to support parishes with projects and building improvements that support those who are deaf, disabled, and/or neurodivergent. Following a successful pilot scheme in the Province of York, the fund is now rolling out to parishes across the country for 2026-2028 .
Funding streams:
| Grant Type | Maximum Amount |
| Large grants (major capital projects) | Up to £50,000 |
| Small grants (smaller building works or inclusion projects) | Up to £5,000 |
Examples of funded projects from the pilot:
- Installing accessible toilets and creating step-free access at churches and church halls
- Installing, improving, and ensuring effective operation of hearing-aid loops
- Creating quiet spaces, neurosensory spaces, and providing sensory toys and noise-cancelling headsets for families with neurodivergent children
- Adding and marking out disabled parking bays in church car parks
- Improving signage and printed materials for partially sighted and dyslexic readers
- Training for church leaders and preachers to understand the needs of neurodivergent people
- Improved screens and monitors for captioning and pictorial imagery
- Providing handheld tablets for sight-impaired, hearing-impaired, or neurodivergent attendees
- Replacing worn-out wheelchairs for lending to visitors
Requirements:
- All applications require a completed Accessibility Audit
- Parishes are strongly encouraged to discuss potential applications with their Diocesan Church Buildings Team before starting work
How to apply:
Contact your Diocesan Church Buildings Team in the first instance. For the Diocese of Worcester, contact churches@cofe-worcester.org.uk or 01905 732809 .
12. Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment Board (SMMIB)
Focus: Major mission initiatives, church planting, music ministry.
Status: Active — recent £400,000 grant announced February 2026.
The SMMIB provides significant grants for strategic mission and ministry initiatives across the Church of England. Recent 2026 funding examples include:
The Choir Project (£400,000 grant – February 2026):
A partnership with the Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) to establish or renew more than 200 church choirs that include children and young people, “engaging them actively with Christianity.” The aim is to help churches “rediscover music as a pathway to mission and discipleship” .
Context for this funding:
Research indicates that young people are more likely to remain active in faith communities when they are given meaningful roles, intergenerational relationships, and opportunities for leadership. Currently, 57% of local church choirs have no children taking part, rising to 80% in villages and rural areas .
How to apply:
Churches interested in taking part in the Choir Project can contact choirproject@rscm.com. An online launch event took place on 25 February 2026 .
Previous SMMIB/SDF grants (for reference):
- Sheffield diocese: £14.3 million for music missioners (2025)
- Blackburn diocese: £249,530 for up to 24 “choir churches” (2022)
13. Church Times Train-A-Priest (TAP) Fund
Focus: Financial support for ordinands and those exploring vocation to Church of England ministry.
Status: Active — accepting donations and granting for 2026.
For 2026, the TAP Fund will support not just ordinands facing financial hardship but also people at an earlier stage of exploring their vocation. The aim is to widen access by removing barriers to participation for people from less financially secure situations .
2026 donations so far: £17,736.99 (plus a generous legacy received in 2025) .
How to apply for assistance:
Prospective ordinands and vocation explorers should contact the TAP Fund through the Church Times or speak with their Diocese Director of Ordinands.
How to donate:
- Online: churchtimes.co.uk/train-a-priest-fund
- By cheque: Payable to “The TAP Fund” to TAP Fund, Church Times, Hymns Ancient & Modern, 13a Hellesdon Road, Norwich NR6 5DR
- Gift Aid available for UK taxpayers
14. Parish Giving Scheme (Church of England)
Focus: Regular giving infrastructure, stewardship, parish income sustainability.
Status: Active — 26 dioceses already participating.
The Parish Giving Scheme (PGS) enables individuals to give to their parish church regularly by Direct Debit with an option to increase their donation annually in line with inflation. The scheme aims to encourage generosity, efficiency, and regularity in giving .
Benefits for churches:
- Improved cash flow
- Combats the issue of static giving
- Makes it simple to collect Gift Aid on donations
- Helps PCCs budget effectively
Scale:
Over 33,000 givers are already using the PGS to give to their church .
How to get involved:
Contact your Diocesan Stewardship Officer. The Diocese of Worcester launched the scheme with a briefing series for treasurers, wardens, and other interested parties .
Independent Christian Grant-Makers
15. The Joseph Rank Trust
Focus: Advancing the Christian faith across all Christian denominations in the UK.
Status: Active — £700,500 committed in grants for 2026 (as of March 2026).
The Joseph Rank Trust is an independent Christian grant-maker that works with all Christian denominations in the United Kingdom. The Trust’s principal object is “to advance the Christian Faith” — to further the Kingdom of God .
2026 grant commitments (to date): £700,500
2025 total grant commitments: £2,759,500
How to apply:
Visit the Joseph Rank Trust website (www.ranktrust.org) for application guidelines. The Trust was established in 2002, representing an amalgamation of charities established by Joseph Rank (1854-1943) and his family from 1918 to 1942 .
Summary Table: Church Funding in the UK (2026)
| Organization/Program | Focus Area | Grant Amount | Status for 2026 |
| Places of Worship Security Scheme | Security measures for Christian sites | £5 million total pot | Opening later 2026 |
| Jewish Community Security Grant | Synagogue security | £28.4 million total pot | Rolling applications |
| Mosques Security Scheme | Mosque security | £40 million total pot | Rolling applications |
| Places of Worship Renewal Fund | Listed building repairs | £92 million (NEW) | Launching 2026 |
| National Lottery Heritage Fund | Heritage, nature, buildings | £17 million dedicated pot | Active |
| New Parish Accessibility Fund | Disability/neurodivergent inclusion | Up to £50,000 | Active (2026-2028) |
| SMMIB (Choir Project) | Music ministry/children’s choirs | £400,000 | Active |
| Joseph Rank Trust | Christian faith advancement | £700k+ committed in 2026 | Active |
| Near Neighbours Programme | Interfaith community building | £515,000 | Active |
| Common Ground Resilience Fund | Social cohesion | £3 million+ | Active |
| Church Times TAP Fund | Ordinand/vocation support | Grant-making | Active |
How to Apply for Church Funding in the UK
Based on the 2026 funding landscape, here are practical steps to secure funding for your church or faith-based organization:
1. Identify Your Project Type
Different funding sources serve different needs:
- Security improvements → Home Office schemes (rolling applications)
- Building repairs (listed) → Places of Worship Renewal Fund (launching 2026)
- Accessibility/disability projects → New Parish Accessibility Fund (apply via diocese)
- Heritage/conservation → National Lottery Heritage Fund
- Mission/music ministry → SMMIB (diocesan application route)
2. Engage Your Diocese Early
For Church of England funding streams (Accessibility Fund, SMMIB), applications should be made through your Diocesan Church Buildings Team or Diocesan mission team in the first instance .
3. Prepare Required Documentation
The New Parish Accessibility Fund requires a completed Accessibility Audit for all applications . Similarly, heritage funding applications require detailed building assessments and conservation plans.
4. Monitor Opening Dates
Key dates to watch in 2026:
- Places of Worship Security Scheme — application window opens later in 2026
- Places of Worship Renewal Fund — launching in 2026 (monitor MHCLG)
- National Lottery Heritage Fund — rolling deadlines
5. Demonstrate Community Impact
For government and National Lottery funding, emphasize how your project serves the wider community, not just the congregation. The Nature in Sacred Places project, for example, focuses on biodiversity and public access to green spaces .
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: Can my church apply for the Places of Worship Security Scheme if we are not in England?
The Home Office schemes cover the United Kingdom. However, security funding for faith sites in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland may be administered through devolved arrangements. Check with the Home Office or your national government for specific eligibility .
Q2: How much can my church receive through the New Parish Accessibility Fund?
Churches can apply for up to £50,000 for major capital projects or up to £5,000 for smaller building works or inclusion projects. All applications require a completed Accessibility Audit and should be made through your Diocesan Church Buildings Team .
Q3: What is the deadline for the National Lottery Heritage Fund places of worship funding?
The Heritage Fund has committed £17 million specifically for places of worship projects, but this is distributed through multiple grants with varying deadlines. Eight major projects have already received funding. Check the Heritage Fund website for current open rounds .
Q4: Is the Places of Worship Renewal Fund different from the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme?
Yes. The new £92 million Places of Worship Renewal Fund replaces the £23 million Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, representing a four-fold increase in funding. It will bring listed places of worship into line with other heritage assets .
Q5: How does the Near Neighbours programme work for churches?
The Near Neighbours programme, funded by MHCLG and delivered by the Church Urban Fund, brings together communities from diverse backgrounds and faiths to build relationships of trust and work together on community improvement initiatives. Up to £515,000 is allocated for 2026 .
Q6: Can independent evangelical churches apply to the Joseph Rank Trust?
The Joseph Rank Trust works with all Christian denominations in the United Kingdom. Independent churches that are properly constituted and operating within the UK should be eligible to apply .
Q7: How do SMMIB grants work and can my church apply directly?
SMMIB grants (including the £400,000 Choir Project) are typically distributed through diocesan partnerships rather than direct individual church applications. For the Choir Project, churches should contact choirproject@rscm.com to register interest. The RSCM works both directly with churches and through diocesan partnerships .
Q8: Are there funding opportunities for churchyard nature conservation?
Yes. The Nature in Sacred Places project (a partnership with Natural England, the Church of England, the Churches Conservation Trust, the Bat Conservation Trust, and Caring for God’s Acre) has received £550,000 for an 18-month pilot working with 150+ churches. A potential £4.2 million delivery grant could follow .
Q9: What support is available for ordinands in 2026?
The Church Times Train-A-Priest (TAP) Fund is active for 2026, supporting both ordinands facing financial hardship and people at an earlier stage of exploring their vocation. Donations reached £17,736.99 as of April 2026. Contact your Diocese Director of Ordinands for application information .
Q10: Is there funding for music and choir ministry in parishes?
Yes. The SMMIB has awarded a £400,000 grant for the Choir Project in partnership with the Royal School of Church Music (RSCM), aiming to establish or renew 200+ church choirs involving children and young people. Register interest at choirproject@rscm.com .
Looking Beyond 2026
The church funding landscape in the United Kingdom is undergoing significant positive change. With the Church of England’s historic £1.6 billion spending plan, the government’s record £73.4 million security funding, and the new £92 million Places of Worship Renewal Fund, churches have more access to resources than in recent memory .
Key trends to watch:
- Increased devolution of funding to dioceses through the Church of England’s national spending plan
- Expanded accessibility and inclusion funding following the New Parish Accessibility Fund pilot
- Growing emphasis on nature and biodiversity in churchyard management
- Sustained government commitment to faith community security
Churches that engage early with their diocese, prepare thorough documentation, and clearly demonstrate community impact will be best positioned to access these significant 2026 funding opportunities.
