Edward has called on the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, to keep the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme running beyond its currently scheduled end date in spring 2025.
The grants from the Scheme cover the cost of VAT on repairs/ works to Listed places of worship, and has benefitted thousands of churches across the country, including a number in our own communities in Melton and Syston, like St Bartholemew's in Sproxton, All Saints' in Rotherby, St Leonard's in Sysonby alongside over a dozen other local churches in recent months. By covering the VAT on repairs to these buildings it helps enable repairs to be afforded to these buildings, which are not only historically important, but also often at the heart of small rural communities, in circumstances where otherwise those repairs may have proved unaffordable.
Edward said: “There are many churches in the Melton and Syston constituency that will need repairs in the coming months and years. For volunteers and communities across our area working hard to raise the funds to achieve this, this scheme is a vital help. Ahead of the Budget I have called on the Chancellor to commit to continuing the scheme beyond spring 2025, and to doing so on a multi-year basis, to help preserve for many decades to come these amazing churches that are such an important part of our heritage and community life.”
