Places of worship

Places of worship

 A young child in a school uniform looking up and smiling inside a synagogue
The Cheetham school workshop in a synagogue. Credit: Chris Payne
Places of worship are among the UK’s oldest and most cherished historic buildings.

Thanks to National Lottery players, since 1995 we have invested more than £970million in places of worship across the UK.

Our funding has helped to conserve and restore buildings so that they can be enjoyed by the wider community. With our support, thousands of people of all faiths have brought the heritage of their place of worship to life.

In Scotland, we continue to work in partnership with Historic Environment Scotland to deliver funding for places of worship.

What sort of project might we fund?

  • exploring the building and bringing it to life through new interpretation, alongside necessary repair works
  • running heritage learning activities and community events, and creating space for them by carrying out minor alterations to the fabric
  • exploring, conserving and interpreting the biodiversity of external spaces including graveyards and cemeteries
  • providing better access to heritage by digital means 
  • community events to involve people in recording the removal, repair and reinstallation of bells, organs, hatchments and benefactor boards, alongside the repairs 
  • opportunities for people to learn about the art in places of worship, alongside a programme of conservation, such as stained glass, memorials and monuments, wall paintings, statues, historic fixtures or graffiti
  • discovery, conservation and learning about the creatures that live in the building, such as bats or birds of prey
  • activities to help your group manage heritage more effectively, such as researching existing and new audiences, or trying new approaches to fundraising or income generation

How to get funding

Each of our funding programmes has detailed guidance and further resources to help you apply. Find out whether you are eligible for funding.

You might also want to explore the Listed Places of Worship grants scheme.