Anglican and Catholic Church leaders have issued a joint appeal for more government funding to protect key services run by local churches, many of which have come under increasing financial pressure because of Covid-19.

It follows a new report from the National Churches Trust, which estimates that churches provided £12.4bn in essential social and economic support services to their communities in the 12 months up to May 2020. 

These services, which included food banks, mental health counselling and youth groups, are now at risk as the pandemic threatens vital funding needed for the upkeep of church buildings, many of which are old or listed. 

Chief Executive of the National Churches Trust, Claire Walker said: "During the COVID-19 pandemic, church buildings were placed in the same category as gyms and cinemas and forced to lock down.

"But for the most vulnerable in our society, the support church buildings offer is not a recreational choice – it's an essential need – and lockdown served to highlight the increasing reliance of people on this support. These buildings have become our National Help Service.

"But this is a National Help Service that we risk losing and may never be able to replace if these buildings do not get the financial support they need.

"Each year, we receive thousands of requests for help from churches desperately in need of repairing the roof, or installing kitchen facilities and toilets, but we are only able to fund a quarter of these. For this reason, we are urgently calling on local and national government and the National Lottery Heritage Fund to recognise the continuing need for their support."

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, who are joint Presidents of the National Churches Trust warned that churches would struggle to look after their buildings without government support.

"During lockdown, churches around the country continued to use their buildings for the benefit of society as people suffered the fallout of the pandemic," they said.

"The value that church buildings provide in offering a space where all are welcomed and loved might be priceless, but looking after them has a very large cost. This report makes the argument for why it is appropriate for church-based community services to be funded by national government."

George Stack, Catholic Archbishop Cardiff, said: "Food banks, night shelters, lunch clubs, food delivery, community centres, advice and counselling sessions and so much else take place on church premises and in church halls, in historic buildings which are beloved by local communities.

"But the challenges of maintaining church buildings and their work is greater than ever because of an increasing scarcity of resources."