Grants launched to help churches with bats
Bats have always been in churches and places of worship – there are records of this dating back many hundreds of years. Even churches built in a non-traditional style, and places of worship from other traditions, can provide refuge for bats as well as people. However, the number of bats using churches and places of worship has increased in recent decades. Where there is significant loss or degradation of habitat, particularly woodlands and hedgerows, and loss of traditional agricultural buildings, churches are often stable features of the landscape. The Bats in Churches project found that approximately 55% of all Anglican churches across England have bats. This figure rises for older churches (pre-Victorian) and rises further still for ancient churches in areas where loss of habitat has been intensive. Therefore, we recognise the importance of bat management and assistance with this, that some places of worship may now need.
The next round of a 'Living Alongside Bats in Churches' grant is now open. Grants can be awarded to fund things such as:
- Pew covers
- New hoovers
- Telescopic brushes
- Specialist cleaning
- Bat detectors for future events (in addition to cleaning equipment)
Find out more and apply here. If your church wants something more major, or needs a bat survey prior to works which wouldn’t be eligible for this grant, please contact the National Bat Helpline.