Archbishop welcomes new Lottery Heritage Fund initiative that will benefit UK Catholic churches

Archbishop George Stack, Chair of the Patrimony Committee of the Bishops' Conference, has welcomed a new multi-million pound initiative that could see significant sums of money earmarked for urgent repairs and restoration projects for historic places of worship including Catholic church buildings.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund has announced a three-year strategic initiative to invest £100m to help UK places of worship meet long-standing repair and conservation challenges.

"I am both grateful and delighted at this significant announcement by the Lottery Heritage Fund," said Archbishop George Stack, Chair of the Patrimony Committee of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales.

"Our churches are places of encounter with Christ through prayer, peace and inspiration, as well as consolation, for those who visit for many different reasons. These sacred spaces are an indispensable part of our rich and varied history and cultural heritage.

"Inevitably, with the passage of time, they become subject to the generational cycle of requiring capital funded repairs. These need to be undertaken, often with extreme urgency, in order to secure and extend a church's life and service at the heart of so many local communities.

"The generous recognition and priority of the National Lottery Heritage Fund in making grants available for this important work will be a source of encouragement to those who care for and use these beautiful buildings."

Part of the National Lottery Heritage Fund's ten-year strategy, Heritage 2033, the initiative is designed to ensure that the UK's much-loved places of worship can enjoy a long and sustainable future.

Sophie Andreae CBE, Vice Chair of the Bishops' Patrimony Committee, who has spent a career helping to protect historic buildings and promote them to a wider public audience, said:

"There are around 750 listed historic Catholic churches in England and Wales and a number of them are in urgent need of funding for capital repairs way beyond the means of their local congregations.

"Buildings constructed during the Victorian period have now reached a point where, despite maintenance, materials such as slates and leadwork need replacing, and some highly inventive, indeed iconic, churches of the 20th century are also in need of repair due to new design methods and materials turning out to be less long lasting than thought at the time.

"Recognition that these buildings are an important part of the nation’s heritage and deserving of funding is truly welcome."