“We are extremely grateful for their support throughout the year and for the grant-in-aid without which the CCT could not function,” the Trust notes in its 2023–24 Annual Report. That support now continues: ministers have approved a three‑year funding order for the Churches Conservation Trust, capping total grants at £9,531,000 from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2029. The instrument was laid before MPs on 28 January and comes into force on 1 April 2026. (cdn.visitchurches.org.uk)

Why it matters up here: about 50 of the Trust’s churches sit in Northern England - stretching across Tyne and Wear, Northumberland, Cumbria, Lancashire and Yorkshire - and they underpin village life, local volunteering and off‑the‑beaten‑track tourism. For many communities beyond the M25, this pot is the difference between a locked porch and a living venue. (en.wikipedia.org)

On the numbers, the order works out at roughly £3.18m a year - only a touch above 2025’s one‑year £3.12m settlement - and, spread across 357 sites, about £8,900 per church per year in core government support. The 2026 order also revokes the 2025 order, and no formal impact assessment was produced. (legislation.gov.uk)

The Trust’s latest accounts say it cares for more than 350 historic churches that together attract over 1.5 million visits a year, with around 70 churchyards in its collection - steady footfall that spills into nearby cafés, B&Bs and high streets. (cdn.visitchurches.org.uk)

Recent northern projects show what’s at stake. In Sunderland, Holy Trinity - now the Seventeen Nineteen arts and heritage venue - reopened after a restoration programme totalling over £5m, delivered with more than 200 craftspeople and backed by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Benefact Trust and the city council. (sunderlandheritage.org)

Across in Lancaster, urgent roof repairs at St John the Evangelist were completed in July 2025 with a £574,000 Historic England grant. The Churches Conservation Trust and the Lancaster & Morecambe Chamber are developing plans to turn the building into a co‑working hub for local firms. (historicengland.org.uk)

Lesser‑known gems also depend on this baseline funding: St Stephen’s at Low Elswick in Newcastle and Holy Trinity in Blackburn remain open for quiet visits and community use thanks to volunteers, modest grants and the Trust’s maintenance teams. (visitchurches.org.uk)

The wider funding climate is tight. Government extended the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme for 2025/26 but introduced a cap per site and kept the extension to a single year - adding pressure on local fundraising to bridge gaps. Against that backdrop, steady statutory support for the Trust matters. (nationalchurchestrust.org)

In 2025, DCMS told Parliament that central government typically provides around 65% of the Trust’s statutory funding, with the Church Commissioners covering the rest; and that statutory funding accounts for roughly 38% of CCT income. The remainder must be raised from donors, projects and earned activity. (legislation.gov.uk)

For northern communities, this order offers a runway to 2029. It won’t pay for every roof and rainwater pipe, but it buys time to line up summer events, heritage skills days and partnerships that keep these buildings welcoming visitors - and keeping money in local tills.