DEDICATED funding for the maintenance of the Island’s 12 parish churches is being proposed due to significant ongoing costs.
The amendment to the 2026 Budget, brought forward by St Martin Constable Karen Stone, would require the Treasury Minister to create a funding model that allocates £50,000 per year to each parish church until 2031 to “exclusively support their structural integrity and maintenance”.
The model would be developed under the arts, culture and heritage budget to support
the churches and maintain the “iconic buildings of our national heritage”, the Constable said.
Mrs Stone said that while Jersey’s castles receive attention and conservation funding, the churches are often neglected despite being “essential community buildings” important to the Island’s heritage as their use is not limited to worship, but play a wider role in parish life.
Many churches on the Island now face structural issues, often made worse by poor Victorian-era restoration methods, as the use of hard cement mortar that traps moisture and causes long-term damage.
The amendment argues that without government support, the cost of repairs could become overwhelming for individual parishes.
The amendment continued that the proposed funding would help address urgent needs and would be used for repainting walls, repairing damp damage, upgrading heating and lighting and fixing exterior features like gutters, windows, and railings, with any unspent funds redirected to other ecclesiastical buildings.
Mrs Stone said that “acting now will ensure that the long term viability of these buildings is secured for years to come” and will “minimise future costs that would much more significantly impact the budgets of future Assemblies.”
The Budget, and the amendment, is due to be debated next month.
