09/04/2025
Carols at St Mary’s Banbury, in Oxfordshire were packed once again last year. “We keep it simple and we sing the traditional carols and say prayers. It is a beautiful event,” said Vicar Serena Tajima.
The sheer size of the church – it is one of the largest parish churches in England, with its ground floor occupying nearly 1,000 square feet - means that it is a well-used for services. It also acts as the largest arts venue in the town.
The 200-year-old Grade listed building, a landmark in Banbury, hosts a range of different events including an early music festival, choirs, a symphony orchestra, craft fairs and a poetry workshop as well as school Christmas concerts.
It also hosts civic events including the annual remembrance service, while the parish centre and church are home to social action projects including help for homeless people and Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous groups.
The size of the church is both its strength and its weakness – as the repair bills and running costs are very high indeed.
The church has a £1 million project to repair a section of its roof and update its lighting and sound systems, as well as install kitchen facilities that will mean it can open a café in a corner of the church, helping make it more sustainable into the future and more attractive to community groups.
Under the new arrangements for the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme this year, a cap has been introduced, limiting the total amount of any individual place of worship can claim to £25,000 for the coming year.
Rev Serena explains that the cuts to the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme - and the uncertainty over its long-term future - make their fundraising task even harder.
“We are part of Banbury’s historic heritage and a major attraction for tourists as well as the biggest venue for arts in the town," she said.
"We struggle to be able to find the funding for this work under the previous scheme – the new £25,000 cap on claims for this year will make our task even harder.”