Places of Worship Renewal Fund

Baroness Wilcox of Newport Excerpts

Thursday 25th June 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Wilcox of Newport (Lab)]

My Lords, if we get this right, we will do far more than preserve historic buildings; we will protect the civic infrastructure that quietly sustains our communities every single day. If we get it wrong, we risk allowing that infrastructure to erode slowly. So I welcome the Government’s intention, and I thank the Minister for bringing this measure forward. However, intentions alone will not sustain these places. What matters now is delivery and that this proposal truly matches the scale of the reality on the ground.

This is not really about buildings. It is about whether we recognise, and are prepared to properly support, the role that these places now play as front-line providers of community support. In my own city of Newport, these are not abstract heritage assets. They are places where people go when the system is under pressure. They are where families turn to when times are hard. Increasingly, they are stepping in when others no longer can, and they are doing so largely through volunteers, through faith communities, and through people who give their time and energy without expectations of recognition.

My own church, St Woolos Cathedral in Newport—the seat of the Archbishop of Wales, the inspirational and welcoming most reverend Cherry Vann—is a place of history, a place that holds the memory and remains of the Chartists, who died in the struggle for democracy, but its significance does not end there. St Woolos is not simply a monument to our past. It is a working part of our present. It is a place of worship, certainly, but it is a place where people gather, where support is distributed, where community is built and sustained. In every meaningful sense, it is a civic asset. This coming Sunday, I shall be honoured to once again attend Newport’s Civic Sunday service, held to welcome the city’s new mayor, who this municipal year is my very good friend, Councillor Deb Harvey—the epitome of a community champion—together with the deputy mayor, Councillor Debbie Jenkins, who I know has an excellent grade in GCSE English as she is one of my former pupils.

When we talk about funding these buildings, we do not mean that they are passive structures to be preserved; they are active institutions. The Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme has recognised that, at least in part, and has succeeded because of that recognition. It has worked because it has been straightforward, predictable and accessible. It has trusted communities to get on with the job of serving others rather than tying them up in bureaucracy.

I welcome the proposal for a places of worship renewal fund, but I say with caution to the Minister that this must not just be a rebranding exercise. It must be a real step forward. The reality is stark. The demands on these buildings are increasing, not decreasing. The question before us is simple: does this fund rise to meet that reality? Will it support not just emergency repairs but essential adaptations to make these buildings usable in the modern world—accessibility, energy efficiency and the ability to remain open as genuine community hubs? I hope it will maintain that simplicity. Most importantly, will it be funded at a level that reflects what is happening in communities like mine in Newport, where these buildings are shouldering an ever greater sense of social responsibility?

I support the direction the Government are taking. This is the moment for realism and ambition. If we are serious about strengthening communities, we must be serious about strengthening the institutions that hold them together; if we are serious about resilience, we must invest in the places that deliver it daily; and, if we are serious about fairness, we must recognise that these communities cannot continue to do more with less. I urge my noble friend the Minister to ensure that the fund does not merely continue what exists but strengthens it, to ensure that it reflects not just aspiration but the reality faced on the ground, and to ensure that places like St Woolos are not simply preserved for their past but properly supported for the indispensable role that they play today. These buildings are not just part of our heritage; they are part of our response to the challenges that we face now, and we cannot afford to let them fall in that pursuit.