Communities Minister Gordon Lyons confirmed the funding during a visit to Bloomfield Presbyterian Church in Belfast, where he viewed works made possible by a £55,000 Department for Communities grant, including structural repairs to a large arched stained-glass window.

Minister Lyons said: "Churches have been under considerable pressure recently, particularly in the context of the UK-wide Listed Places of Worship VAT reclaim scheme ending in March of this year. I recognise the value of these much-used buildings to people, to the wider community and even to tourism and people's pride of place." Claire Walker, Chief Executive of the National Churches Trust, said: "We are hugely grateful to the Department for Communities for this award of £200,000 and for its longstanding support for our work in Northern Ireland. This funding will enable us to continue helping places of worship to carry out urgent repairs, protecting these much-loved buildings and keeping them open and serving local people.

"Churches are an important part of Northern Ireland's heritage and remain at the heart of communities across the country. The Department's continued partnership with the National Churches Trust will make a real and lasting difference, helping congregations to safeguard these special buildings for everyone to enjoy, both now and for generations to come."

Applications from listed churches are open now via the National Churches Trust: www.nationalchurchestrust.org/get-support/applyforagrant

A public consultation on a historic environment policy for Northern Ireland, part of the Department for Communities' Heritage, Culture and Creativity Programme, runs until 23 October 2026: www.communities-ni.gov.uk/consultations/consultation-historic-environment-policy-northern-ireland