Vicar's church works funding plea after new VAT cap

A vicar has issued a plea for help after she said changes to a government grant scheme had caused "uncertainty" over the future of her church.

St Mary's Banbury is a 200-year-old listed building in need of roof repairs, updates to lighting and sound systems, and new kitchen facilities to make it more profitable in the community.

The Reverend Serena Tajima has been trying to raise £1m to pay for the works and said the church planned to claim the VAT cost through the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme before a new £25,000 cap was introduced.

She said: "That's quite a significant amount of money I need to raise to keep the building going."

Rev Tajima said the new cap would "make our task even harder", adding that there could be "uncertainty" over the church's future.

A statement from the Church of England said St Mary's Banbury was "one of the largest parish churches in England", with a 1,000sqft (304sqm) ground floor able to hold up to 750 people.

Alongside worship and carol events, it also hosts festivals, choirs, a symphony orchestra, craft fairs, a poetry workshop, community support groups and school Christmas concerts.

The Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme covers the VAT on repairs costing more than £1,000 on listed buildings used as places of worship.

The government announced the £25,000 cap would come into effect on 1 April and would run until 31 March 2026, with a budget of £23m.

There was previously no cap for claims and applications submitted before 1 April will not be capped, according to information from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Rev Tajima said: "When people are paying their taxes thinking money goes towards places of worship, actually it doesn't, literally the only money we get is from our congregation."

She urged members of the public to help, saying: "There's a real plea to the community.

"Don't think by moaning that this cap has happened we gets loads of money, we really don't, we completely rely on any donation people give us."

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