A ‘lifeline’ grant for historic places of worship is to continue

The extension of a grant scheme, which has been a lifeline for historic places of worship in West Norfolk and countywide, has been welcomed by North West Norfolk’s MP.James Wild was among the MPs calling for the extension of the Listed Places of Worship Grant scheme, set to expire in March.This week the government announced the VAT reclaim scheme will continue for another year – until the end of March 2026.

The initiative covers 20 per cent VAT costs on repairs exceeding £1,000. Under the extended scheme there will be a cap of £25,000 an organisation can claim during the year which can be spread across multiple claims.Mr Wild has campaigned for scheme’s continuation, recognising its value to the local community and has been in contact with a number of church representatives also keen to see the scheme continue.These have included St Margaret’s Vicarage in King’s Lynn, St Clement’s Church in Terrington St Clement, Ringstead Parochial Church Council, All Saints’ Church, North Runcton and Lynn Minster – all have stressed the importance of this funding for the preservation of buildings and continuation of community work. In welcoming the announcement made during the Westminster Hall Debate on Wednesday, Mr Wild said: “This grant scheme has been vital in protecting historic churches and places of worship across Norfolk which I’ve seen in North Runcton and elsewhere.“Having campaigned for its continuation on behalf of local churches, I am pleased the government has listened and extended the scheme, ensuring continued support for preserving these buildings.” Back in 2021 during a visit to North Runcton, Mr Wild met church warden Ken Matthews as part of the lobby to retain the VAT reclaim scheme.At the time, there was a project for the installation of essential facilities to enable a much broader use of the Georgian-designed church.Mr Wild also heard from church architect Ruth Blackman that few of the problems identified during five-year church surveys are able to be fully repaired due to the high cost of restoration.Norfolk boasts the world’s largest concentration of medieval churches, housing rare art and craftsmanship and serving more than 20,000 people every week. Maintaining these structures is vital for preserving cultural heritage.