Suffolk Churches

Suffolk is rich in historic churches with a greater density of medieval churches than any other English county: 

• Suffolk has around 500 historic medieval churches, and our towns and villages would look and feel very different without their spires and towers reaching up into wide Suffolk skies.
• In addition there are non-conformist churches, meeting houses and catholic churches which are also a crucial part of the history of our county
• Many of the tourists coming to Suffolk each year come to enjoy the rural landscape and to find links with their family history. Others just love visiting churches. Tourism is worth £1.084bn to the Suffolk economy and the sector employs 30,000 people in 2000 businesses.
• The importance of these historic buildings to the communities where they are located cannot be over-stated. Weddings, funerals, baptisms, harvest, Christmas, weekly worship …regular church-goers and occasional users.
• Local people, who would never attend a service of worship, value the role their church has as a focal point in parishes where there may be no shop, public house or village hall. The church is often the only gathering place for local people to discuss local issues or hold social events.
• Huge historic buildings that were built for large communities are often a financial drain upon the smaller populations they now serve.
• Many of the medieval fonts, pew ends and other historical treasures to be found in our churches would be in locked in museums in other countries.
• Grants from the SHCT help with the preservation, repair, maintenance, improvement, upkeep, beautification and reconstruction of churches and chapels in Suffolk and of their monuments, stained glass, furniture, ornaments, fittings and fixtures. 
• Last year grants awarded by SHCT to Suffolk churches, chapels and meeting houses ranged from £400 to £10,000
• The main fundraising event each year is the Suffolk Historic Churches Sponsored Bike Ride (a national event that began in Suffolk in 1982)  when over 3,500 people get involved as either riders or organisers. In 2009 £166,325 was raised from this one day’s effort.
• The other income the charity receives is from legacies, donations, grants from landfill tax credits and membership fees from the Friends of SHCT.