13 local churches, including Christ Church, Oxton, are among nearly 5,000 religious buildings to have received a share of £42 million in public funding ahead of this year’s Christmas celebrations, as the Government continues its support for the conservation of listed places of worship across the country.
As more than one million people are expected to attend Midnight Mass and Christmas Day services, they might be attending one of the 4,900 places of worship which have benefited from Government support over the last year to ease the cost of essential conservation and maintenance work.
Beneficiaries of the scheme in the Wallasey and Birkenhead constituencies have received a total of £200,000 this year:
- St Werburgh Church, Birkenhead
- St Peters Church, Rock Ferry
- St Paul & St Luke, Tranmere
- Trinity with Palm Grove United Reformed and Methodist Church, Birkenhead
- Christ Church, Birkenhead
- Wallasey Unitarian Church, Liscard
- Holy Apostles and Martyrs' Parish Church (formerly English Martyrs' Church), Wallasey
- St Nicholas Church, Wallasey
- St James with Emmanuel Church, New Brighton
- St Peter, Paul and St Philomena's Church, New Brighton
- St Joseph's Catholic Church, Upton
- St Andrew's Parish Church, Bebington
- Christ Church, Higher Bebington
Arts and Heritage Minister, Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay, said:
As churches across the country fill up for Nativity plays and Christmas services, it’s a reminder of the huge role that they and other places of worship play in the lives of their community.
The Listed Places of Worship Scheme supports these precious buildings, which are cherished by people of all faiths and none.
With nearly 5,000 supported over the past year alone, I’m glad to see the difference it has made to visitors, worshippers, and the people who look after them for the benefit of future generations.
More information:
- Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme recipients from August 2022 onwards (CSV, 318 KB)
- More details about the eligibility for the scheme, and details of how to apply, can be found at www.listed-places-of-worship-grant.dcms.gov.uk
- In 2022, the Church of England reported that 1.6 million people attended Christmas services.
