Heritage Lottery funding for historic churches

I have been sent the following piece of information by an architect who specialises in restoring churches, and which is of serious concern to anyone interested in matters related to historic churches of any denomination. Please read it and look at the consultation, and respond by April 26th.

“I have been told authoritatively, and from a completely dependable source, that the initial results from the Heritage Lottery Funding on-line e-mail consultation are not especially encouraging with regard to potential future funding for churches.

Although a sizeable proportion of those responding to date have indicated that they enthusiastically support future funding for historic structures and buildings, a far smaller proportion have indicated support for resources being targeted at churches. This may reflect a shortcoming in the questions themselves, and therefore a confusion in the public mind about whether funding would be offered to churches as historic buildings or whether all churches are to regarded as religious institutions, and therefore as a low priority for Heritage funding. Given the eventual phasing-out of much English Heritage money to support historic buildings, and the need to garner support from the HLF for our churches, it is essential that we do all we can to influence the on-line consultation in the direction of continued (and greater) support for church buildings as important historic structures and part of the national patrimony.

The deadline for on-line comments is 26^th April and the documentation is available on www.hlf.org.uk/consultation2011
Please respond yourselves and get anyone else (DAC members, workers in your diocesan office, friends, complete strangers off the street…) you can to do the same. The numbers of people responding are fairly small, so the chances of having a significant effect on the statistical balance are good. "