An amendment has been proposed to the Government of Jersey's budget to grant £50,000 a year to each of the island's 12 churches for maintenance until 2031, a total of £600,000 per year collectively. The States Assembly will debate this proposal on 8 December.
If passed, this would set an interesting precedent. While Jersey has far fewer churches than England (12 compared with over 16,000), the proposal reflects a recognition of their importance to communities – beyond architecture, into social and community cohesion.
According to the National Churches Trust’s House of Good report, the estimated social value of churches in 2020 was £12.4 billion. It is therefore vital that the state ensures these buildings remain open. This discussion clearly connects to the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme and the need for ongoing support to keep church buildings serving their communities.
While £50,000 per church in England would equate to £800 million p.a, that pales into insignificance compared with the loss of social value if churches were forced to close.
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