Nominations open for National Church Awards

Nominations have opened for the National Church Awards, with churches across the UK now able to enter in categories for architecture, volunteering, tourism and more.

Organisers say that with the future of many churches uncertain, there has never been a more important time to celebrate the UK’s churches.

National Churches Trust chief executive Claire Walker said: “Churches are the beating hearts of communities. They contribute £55bn of economic and social good each year, bringing communities together to help them to thrive.

“We are excited to host an awards ceremony that showcases their importance, as well as the many other wonderful ways they contribute to society.”

Churches can nominate themselves at nationalchurchestrust.org/awards23.

Nominations close on July 23 and the awards ceremony is at Mercer’s Hall, London, on Monday November 6.

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Thank you to all the riders who supported, encouraged and helped me in so many ways, especially Nick – I could not have done it without you.

Thank you to all who have donated to Christian Aid, your generosity astounds me. The total will be about £3,500.

St Aelred of Rievaulx was certainly right when he wrote in Spiritual Friendship: “No medicine is more valuable, none more efficacious, none better suited to the cure of all our temporal ills than a friend to whom we may turn for consolation in time of trouble, and with whom we may share our happiness in time of joy.”