The Church of England, through the fundraising and hard work of its congregations, keeps thousands of historic buildings not only in good condition but also open to the public for worship and, increasingly, a growing range of community activities.

In fact, the Church maintains more of this country's architectural heritage than any other organisation; some 12,300 listed buildings. The National Trust is responsible for "more than 300" buildings, while the Churches Conservation Trust looks after some 340 churches no longer needed by the Church of England for worship.

The Church of England's 16,000 parish churches are at the heart of every community in England, rural and urban, and many already provide a range of community services including parent and toddler groups, post offices, farmers' markets, concert venues, even climbing walls (see below for examples).  Deeply embedded in the communities they serve, they provide great value for money for the government and, at a time of financial stringency when the green agenda is growing in significance, it makes sense to develop such a significant national asset, as the Bishop of London* has said.

"Churches are regularly inspected between the five-yearly architectural surveys they are required to have by the Church of England and the vast majority (90 per cent) are in good condition," said Anne Sloman, Chair of the Church Buildings Council.

"Congregations and volunteers make an enormous effort to raise the funds and do the work that keeps so many listed church buildings in good condition on behalf of the nation and the communities they serve," said Mrs Sloman. "The additional funds provided through English Heritage and the current VAT refund scheme ensure that all that effort is encouraged and supported so that potential problems, that could cost hundreds of thousands of pounds if nothing is done, are addressed at an early stage.

"We are grateful for the additional help provided by English Heritage to back up the detailed advice available to anyone caring for a place of worship from the Church of England's www.churchcare.co.uk. We would also echo English Heritage's call on the Government to continue the Listed Places of Worship Scheme beyond March 2011 so that the maintenance of so much historic architecture is not held back by the extra costs of VAT."

Notes

* Churches and Faith Buildings: Realising the Potential

11 development case studies covering

All Saints, Northampton, Diocese of Peterborough

All Saints is a Grade I listed building situated in the centre of the town. The church café had been running for over 20 years but needed an upgrade and new facilities. The project aim was to re-energize the building, update the cafe and make people more aware of what the church had to offer.

To view the full case study click here - All Saints

St. Leonard's, Yarpole, Diocese of Hereford

Yarpole is a small rural village with a population of only 700 people.  The project involved an extensive program of re-ordering to accommodate the village shop, post office and numerous community activities in the underused church building.

To view the full case study click here - St Leonards

St. Giles, Langford, Diocese of Chelmsford

St Giles is a Grade II* building in a small parish of only 290 people with no remaining local facilities. The vision behind the project was to make the church more accessible, to provide a service for the village and to create a greater sense of community.

To view the full case study click here - St Giles

St Mary the Virgin, Stannington, Diocese of Newcastle

The Victorian church of St Mary's needed major refurbishment to make it into a flexible and welcoming community space. Facilities were installed, the space was rewired, relit and made fully accessible. In addition the church worked in partnership with the local borough council to establish an IT centre in the base of the tower.

To view the full case study click here - St Marys

St Peter's, Walworth, Diocese of Southwark

St Peter's is a Grade I listed church in south London where the crypt has been converted into a multi-functional community centre. The Inspire centre operates separately from the main church although many of its activities overlap and complement each other. After six years the centre is still sustainable and runs a number of successful partnerships.

To view the full case study click here - St Peters

St Oswald's, Guiseley, Diocese of Bradford

Situated in a former mill town the grade I listed St Oswald's needed to accommodate its active community groups, in particular a large choir without damaging the special character of their building. This was achieved by imaginatively re-organising the existing space and constructing a glazed song room in the side chapel.

To view the full case study click here - St Oswalds

St Philip and St James, Norton St Philip,

Diocese of Bath and Wells

The project at St Philip and St James was to develop a new focus for a village which like many in rural areas had lost its local services. The two storey glass and oak structure known as 'The Hub' provides everything needed for meetings and entertainment.

It allows the church to be used regularly by a wide variety of groups and has helped to engage with the wider community.

To view the full case study click here - St Philip and St James

St Peter's, Whatcote, Diocese of Coventry

Whatcote is a tiny rural village that has transformed its church into a community centre with minimal intervention. By installing an ingenious 'kitchen in a cupboard' and creating a lavatory and additional storage space in the tower the church is able to host a diverse range of events.

To view the full case study click here - St Peters

St Hilda's, Hartlepool, Diocese of Durham

Working with the local authority and regional development agency this large grade I listed church has been re-ordered to incorporate a visitor centre. This has been achieved with minimal intervention and without detracting from St Hilda's main function as a place of worship.

To view the full case study click here - St Hildas

St Peter's, Peterchurch, Diocese of Hereford

Grade I listed St Peter's had no facilities when in 2008 the local authority developed a vision with the local community to provide some of the services needed in this rural area within the church building. The project involved an imaginative and high quality refurbishment of the interior to provide amongst other things a branch library and children's centre.

To view the full case study click here - St Peters

The Springfield Project, Springfield,

Diocese of Birmingham

In Springfield the church worked in partnership with Birmingham City Council to build a Children's Centre to deliver core services. In a community with a rich ethnic mix the building is a genuine shared space for the community.

To view the full case study click here - The Springfield Project