Places of worship are among the UK’s oldest and most cherished historic buildings.
Thanks to National Lottery players, over the past five years we have invested more than £250million in places of worship across the UK.
We have helped thousands of people of all faiths and denominations to conserve, restore and make places of worship more accessible.
What do we support?
We want to help congregations become truly resilient and their buildings genuinely sustainable.
Projects we fund include:
- vital repairs
- preserving architectural and historical features
- helping congregations find additional uses for their buildings
- updating services
- providing new facilities
- researching the history of a building
Project ideas
Our funding could help people:
- carry out vital repair works to historic places of worship
- add amenities to a place of worship such as a kitchen, toilets or ramps to improve community use
- research the history of the building and present findings as an exhibition or website
- create a new community space
- launch a social enterprise
How to get funding
Find out whether you are eligible for funding.
Blog
Caring for divine heritage
Head of Historic Environment Sara Crofts gives highlights from the Cathedral Administration and Finance Association (CAFA) conference on how National Lottery money can help protect these important buildings.
News article
Opening treasures at Durham Cathedral
Durham Cathedral is unlocking the doors to its much-anticipated Open Treasure exhibition.
Project
News article
Volunteers wanted for one of North East's largest-ever archaeology projects
A new project, Belief in the North East, will attempt to explore the heritage of religion, from pre-history to the present day.
News article
New life for the derelict Sheerness Dockyard Church
Once a symbol of Britain’s proud naval heritage, the future of Dockyard Church now lies in the hands of Kent’s aspiring young business leaders.
News article
How The National Lottery transformed London’s first Borough of Culture
The National Lottery Heritage Fund has invested more than £20million into Waltham Forest, helping it to become the Mayor of London’s first ever London Borough of Culture.
Publication
Building maintenance guidance
The best way to tackle the long term care of historic buildings is to concentrate on regular preventative maintenance.
Publication
Environmental sustainability guidance
This guidance provides advice and ideas on dealing ensuring the environmental sustainability of National Lottery projects.
Discussion
Inchinnan Historical Interest Group
Hi! We are Inchinnan Historical Interest Group. We formed in 2012 with the purpose of advancing the education of the public in the history, culture and heritage of Inchinnan and surrounding area. In 2017, after receiving funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund we embarked upon our biggest project to