Salisbury Diocese is responsible for over 400 historic church buildings of national significance - 60% of our churches are listed as Grade I or II*. A proportion of these churches are identified as fragile – in danger of closure – for reasons including the need for significant repairs to the historic fabric, with ageing and or dwindling congregations without the time, energy or skills needed to undertake fundraising to pay for building repairs. Churches are often the oldest and most valued buildings in our communities, but many of them are increasingly fragile, socially and materially. An escalation in church closures and backlogs of extensive and urgent building work has increased the threat to our churches,
which risk being lost to their communities unless a new approach to their care is found.
Anglican Heritage Salisbury (AHS) will establish new forms of support for at-risk churches by exploring the best model for a heritage trust. At-risk churches could then be taken into the care of the AHS, which will focus on returning them to good condition and working with the community to identify sustainable uses that meet their needs. This project will act as a pilot and develop replica models for use in other dioceses. The evaluation will also inform diocesan decision-making about the future governance, scalability, and replicability of the Anglican Heritage Salisbury model.
To find out more about the role and how to apply, click here or see below.
Deadline: Monday 9 March, 9am
Interview: Friday 13 March 2026 (online)
Start of Contract: March 2026
Wage: Fixed fee budget of £7,000, including expenses.
The payment schedule can be agreed during the appointment process, but the proposed schedule is five payments, according to the milestones in programme: May 2026; December 2026; April 2027; July 2027; end of grant period (August/December 2027).