Our grant of £4.6m for St Mary Le Strand, in the heart of London, will support urgent repair and conservation works. Both the 18th-century building and its gardens will be restored and redeveloped, alongside work to transform the Undercroft into a community space and improve accessibility throughout. A research project will also uncover three centuries of stories about the people who worshiped in its pews and are buried in its crypt.

In Somerset, we’ve awarded more than £2m to the Parallel Lives project, which will combine repairs to Stockland Bristol’s St Mary Madgalene Church with a wide-ranging programme of community events. It will connect local people of all generations with the complex history of the building, provide wellbeing activities to tackle social isolation and help protect local wildlife.

The medieval Grade II listed St John the Baptist in Nash, Shropshire will use our £561,305 grant to repair its tower, roof and 16th-century spire. The building has been on the Heritage at Risk Register since 2015 due to storm damage but the community can now look forward to a secure and watertight future.

And in Fife, we’ve awarded St Monans Old Kirk £115,841 of development funding to plan the transformation of the building into a community hub, café and heritage destination. The Old Kirk dates to the 9th century and is one of the oldest church buildings in Scotland, with connections to ancient pilgrimage routes. The project hopes to honour this heritage by offering welcoming facilities to passing walkers on the Fife Coastal Path.

Securing a sustainable future

Funding for these historic buildings is part of our commitment to support Places of Worship – to address their challenges and boost their resilience, so they can continue to play a role at the heart of their communities.

Ruth Duston OBE, OC, Chief Executive of London Heritage Quarter said: “St Mary le Strand is a much-loved landmark at the heart of the transformed Strand Aldwych, and we are delighted to see this wonderful funding awarded. This investment will not only help secure the church’s future but will also enrich the cultural life of the area for everyone who lives, works and visits here.”

Eilish McGuinness, Chief Executive of The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “Places of worship are among the UK’s most treasured historic landmarks, serving as gateways to our shared heritage and vibrant community life. Thanks to National Lottery players, these grants will allow each place of worship to take ambitious steps to reimagine how these spaces can inspire and benefit the people around them.

“The festive period is a time when many people come together, and the funding for these four places of worship will truly put community at their heart and secure a sustainable future. This investment ensures their heritage will be protected, celebrated, and enjoyed by everyone, now and for generations to come.”

How to develop your Places of Worship project

Since 1994, we’ve awarded over £1billion to more than 8,200 places of worship projects. Watch our film to find out how we could help yours too.