A historic Nottingham church has been awarded more than £109,000 in government funding as part of a national programme to repair and preserve places of worship.
St Stephen’s Church in Sneinton will receive £109,633 from the Places of Worship Renewal Fund, according to details published by the Church of England on Thursday 15 October.
The Grade II listed church, on Dale Street, is among 51 places of worship across England selected for support through the first round of the scheme.
The funding forms part of a wider government announcement involving more than £41 million for 74 historic buildings, including churches, synagogues, town halls and other heritage sites.
St Stephen’s is part of the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham. The building has stood in Sneinton since the 19th century, although substantial sections were rebuilt during the early 20th century.
According to Historic England’s official listing, the church tower and part of the south transept date from 1837 to 1839 and were designed by architects Rickman and Hussey. Much of the remaining building was constructed between 1909 and 1912 to designs by CG Hare.
The church was granted Grade II listed status in July 1972, recognising its architectural and historic significance.
Its interior includes stained glass windows, historic woodwork and furnishings, including choir stalls dating from the late 15th century that were moved from St Mary’s Church in Nottingham in 1848.
The new government funding is intended to help historic places of worship meet the costs of essential building repairs and improvements.
Eligible work under the scheme includes repairs to roofs, masonry and other parts of historic buildings, alongside improvements to heating, electrical systems and accessibility.
The government announcement does not specify which repairs or improvements will be carried out at St Stephen’s using its £109,633 allocation.
The Places of Worship Renewal Fund is administered by Historic England and has a total budget of £92 million over four years.
It was launched in May 2026 following the closure of the previous Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, which had helped churches and other religious buildings recover VAT costs associated with eligible repairs and maintenance.
The new programme gives priority to historic places of worship in communities where fundraising for major repairs can be particularly difficult.
The Bishop of St Albans, Andrew Rumsey, the Church of England’s lead bishop for buildings, said the grants would help churches continue their religious and community activities while reducing the financial pressures associated with maintaining historic buildings.
He said: “These grants, to churches in areas of considerable need, will help pay for fabric repairs that enable worship, missional and social action to continue in our communities.”
Across England, the first round of the Places of Worship Renewal Fund will distribute more than £18 million to 51 recipients.
The programme forms part of the government’s wider £1.5 billion Arts Everywhere Fund, which includes investment in historic buildings and cultural facilities.
Further recipients of the Places of Worship Renewal Fund are expected to be announced in a subsequent funding round.
