HLF commissioned this report as part of a wide ranging review of our funding to places of worship which formed part of the Strategic Plan consultation exercise during 2001. The report was overseen by a Steering Group from HLF, English Heritage and the Council for the Care of Churches.

The report built on the findings of the Churches Needs Survey published by English Heritage in 1998 and data produced for the VAT and the Church Survey of 2000, as well as generating responses to questionnaires from a range of representatives of the places of worship sector.

Although the brief covered the UK, in practice the survey was most successful in obtaining information from England, and especially from the Church of England. In global terms the report estimates the annual cost of major repairs to listed Church of England churches as approximately £100 million.

Whilst HLF will not be acting upon all of the observations made in the report, the findings will be taken into account in formulating our approach to funding places of worship during the next Strategic Plan period, starting in Summer 2002.

HLF is extremely grateful to all those who provided information as part of this survey.

Needs assessment report on places of worship (pdf file - 90kb)