The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) is the single biggest funder of heritage through innovative investment in projects, with a lasting impact on people and places.

From 1 April, it now has £375m a year to invest in new projects, which can include conservation and repairs with new works like loos, kitchens and improved heating systems.

Alongside the ring-fenced £25 million Grants for Places of Worship scheme, which focuses on urgent repair needs in listed places of worship, HLF operates a number of open programmes that welcome applications from cathedral and church buildings:

  • Sharing Heritage – grants from £3,000 – £10,000 (useful for interpretation schemes, producing guidebooks &tc.)
  • Our Heritage – grants from £10,000 – £100,000
  • Heritage Grants – grants of over £100,000.

These programmes are for any type of project related to local, regional or national heritage in the UK.

Further details on the programmes and links to the specific programme guidance, including information about when to apply, can be found on the HLF website

The HLF strongly recommends potential applicants read the guidance for each programme, which gives full information about the sort of projects the HLF can fund as well as the outcomes relating to heritage, people and communities that HLF wants projects to achieve.

After reading the guidance and deciding which programme is right for a particular church project, applicants should submit an expression of interest or project enquiry form online.

This will be sent to an applicant’s local Heritage Lottery Fund office, where HLF teams will be able to give more advice.

There are links to the web pages for the HLF regional offices around the country.

Help is also available from ChurchCare and this page also lists the range of church building projects that have been successfully funded by HLF through their various schemes.  Further assistance may be sought from david.knight@churchofengland.org.