Scotland’s Catholic bishops have joined other religious leaders in welcoming a new £1 million fund to cover the cost of repairs to listed buildings in Scotland.
Bishop John Keenan, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, and Rt. Rev. Gordon Kennedy, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, said the money will provide much-needed support to maintain historically significant assets at the heart of community life.
The Scotland Places of Worship Fund will open this autumn to help congregations – from any faith group or denomination – recover VAT costs associated with repair works if they worship in a listed building.
The pilot scheme was developed in response to the closure of the previous UK-wide Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme earlier this year, which sent shockwaves throughout faith communities.
The Scottish Churches Leaders’ Forum and the Scottish Churches Committee urged the UK and Scottish Governments to ensure that listed places of worship are not disproportionately affected by the decision to end the grant scheme in Scotland.
Church members were invited to write to their local elected representatives asking them to lobby the Scottish Government to launch a substitute scheme to ease the financial pressure on congregations.
The money will be made available through the existing Historic Environment Scotland (HES) grants budget and is a standalone scheme.
Bishop Keenan said: “We warmly welcome Historic Environment Scotland’s announcement of the Places of Worship Fund pilot for Scotland, which recognises the vital contribution that churches and other places of worship make to Scotland’s heritage and community life.”
“The fund will provide much-needed support for the care and conservation of these important buildings, helping to address the loss of the previous UK-wide scheme.”
“We look forward to engaging constructively with Historic Environment Scotland and the Scottish Government as the pilot progresses and to discussions on establishing a permanent, sustainable funding arrangement for the future.”
Commenting on the announcement, the Rt. Rev. Gordon Kennedy said:
“I’m very grateful for the support of HES and the Scottish Government in recognising the importance of places of worship, which are so often cherished by people beyond members of the congregation.”
“We know how difficult it is for communities to lose their place of worship, and support for repairs and maintenance will help keep more places warm, wind and watertight, and it makes it just a wee bit easier for local volunteers to care for these historic assets.”
Religious leaders are encouraging eligible parishes and communities to consider applying when the fund opens for applications later this year. Detailed information can be found at: https://www.
