Notes For Editors

  1. The Friends of Friendless Churches was established in 1957 as a registered charity to save ancient and beautiful churches from demolition and decay.
  2. The Society was initially founded to campaign for, and grant aid, redundant churches or those facing closure.
  3. In the 1970’s the Friends amended their Constitution to allow them to go one step further and save threatened churches by taking direct ownership of them.
  4. They now own nearly 50  Grade II* or Grade I listed churches, including three private chapels and one Non-Conformist chapel, that would otherwise have been demolished, destroyed or inappropriately converted.
  5. Half of their vestings are in England and half in Wales.
  6. The Friends of Friendless Churches is a very small charity and works in partnership with the Ancient Monuments Society.
  7. It relies on donations, subscriptions and bequests to continue its work.
  8. The Friends also benefit from generous support in Wales (see Special Role in Wales) and receives substantial grants from English Heritage for 4 of its English churches.