GrantRadar

Church of England (Committee for Ministry of and Among Deaf and Disabled People, Disability Project)

Parish Accessibility Fund

Grants for Church of England parishes in the Province of Canterbury (the 30 southern dioceses, plus chaplaincies in the Diocese in Europe) to improve accessibility and inclusion for people who are Deaf, disabled and/or neurodivergent, running from 2026 to December 2028 or until funds run out. There are two streams: Small Grants of £1,000-£5,000 (total project cost no more than twice the grant) and Large Grants of up to £50,000 for larger works such as structural alterations or hearing loops, with a £100,000 cap per diocese. Applications are accepted in windows before each grants panel, until the panel is full; the current Small Grants window closes at 5pm on 22 October 2026 and the next Large Grants window opens on 8 December 2026 for the January panel. Only parishes (PCCs, BMOs or Local Ecumenical Partnerships) can apply, for work on eligible church buildings, halls and churchyards.

Apply on the funder’s site
You could get
£1,000 – £50,000
Closes in
4 days left
22 October
Effort
Heavy
budgets, references, often several stages

Who can apply

  • Church of England parishes (Parochial Church Councils, Bishop's Mission Orders or Local Ecumenical Partnerships) in the 30 dioceses of the Province of Canterbury: Bath & Wells, Birmingham, Bristol, Canterbury, Chelmsford, Chichester, Coventry, Derby, Ely, Exeter, Gloucester, Guildford, Hereford, Leicester, Lichfield, Lincoln, London, Norwich, Oxford, Peterborough, Portsmouth, Rochester, St Albans, St Edmundsbury & Ipswich, Salisbury, Southwark, Truro, Winchester and Worcester, plus chaplaincies in the Diocese in Europe (Gibraltar in Europe)
  • Work must be on an eligible Church of England church building, PCC-owned church hall used for the church's mission, or churchyard
  • Other charities, community groups and non-Anglican churches cannot apply
  • A parish can hold one Large Grant and up to two Small Grants for clearly separate projects
  • The application must be signed by the PCC chair (or a person authorised to sign for the parish), and grant agreements need two authorised PCC signatories

What it funds

Projects that convincingly demonstrate they will enhance accessibility and inclusion for those who are Deaf, disabled and/or neurodivergent, with these benefits as the main focus and lasting long-term. Small projects might include a new supportive group for disabled people, more inclusive signage and imagery, becoming a dementia-friendly church, or training for staff, volunteers and congregations. Larger projects could include structural alterations to buildings, hearing-aid (induction) loops, appropriate seating, redesigning the height of surfaces or information boards, and large-print resources. Eligible costs:

  • Capital costs (with some exceptions)
  • Architects', planning and other professional fees that are part of a full project proposal
  • Fees for services by individuals within the project (e.g

BSL interpreter for an interpreted event); repair of degraded existing installations where the parish shows convincingly why its own funds are not used; and contingency on capital costs.

Grants are paid up front; projects must start within 12 months of approval and last no more than two years.

Eligible buildings are Church of England consecrated churches and licensed places of worship (including shared/ecumenical buildings), PCC- or chaplaincy-owned community halls used for the church's mission, and churchyards and surrounding spaces.

What it will not fund

  • Parishes outside the Province of Canterbury (Northern Province parishes had the earlier pilot scheme)
  • Salaries or regular BSL interpreting fees
  • Standalone architects', planning or professional fees with no project proposal (preparatory work in its own right)
  • New or improved wall-mounted or large-screen displays
  • Improvement, repair or installation of lighting systems
  • Sound system components not a necessary part of an induction (hearing aid) loop
  • Retrospective funding for work already carried out
  • Buildings or structures in the churchyard or curtilage not in ecclesiastical use
  • Cathedrals
  • Churches and chapels that are the responsibility of private owners or institutions
  • Churches outside the Church of England diocesan structure (other than the Diocese in Europe)
  • Non-Anglican places of worship
  • Closed and closing churches
  • Small Grants below £1,000, or where total project cost exceeds twice the grant sought (or £10,000)
  • A second Large Grant to a parish that already has one (unless the panel invites a revised submission)
  • Large Grants in a diocese whose £100,000 cap has been reached

How to apply

  1. Speak to your Diocesan Officer in Charge (listed on the Parish Accessibility Fund resources page) about your project and whether the application window is open
  2. Carry out an accessibility audit (template provided) if you have not done one in the last 12 months, and prepare the budget using the budget spreadsheet template
  3. Complete the Parish Accessibility Fund application form (contacts, parish details, project description up to 1,000 words, evidence of need and consultation, approvals such as faculty or planning, resources and personnel, costs and funding)
  4. Submit the completed application with all mandatory documents to your Diocesan contact, who submits it to the Disability Project team (or send it directly to the Disability Project team if no diocesan contact is listed); the guidance says applications may move to the national Grants Management System portal
  5. Applications are pre-vetted for completeness, then accepted on a rolling basis until the panel's capacity is reached
  6. The grants panel assesses against the published PAF Assessment Framework; it may approve, approve subject to pre-requirements, or reject
  7. If approved, receive an outcome letter and sign the grant agreement (two authorised PCC signatories); finance checks follow before payment; submit interim and end reports

Current Small Grants window (October panel) closes at 5pm on 22 October 2026. The Large Grants window for the January 2027 panel opens at 9am on 8 December 2026. No waiting list is kept for future panels.

Incomplete applications, missing mandatory documents or architects' sketches without dimensions are not accepted. Application windows open about six weeks before each panel and close about 10 working days before it.

Have ready

  • Parish Accessibility Fund application form, signed by the PCC chair or authorised person
  • Latest APCM annual report including audited or independently examined financial statements (mandatory)
  • Accessibility audit completed within the last 12 months (mandatory)
  • Budget spreadsheet using the supplied template (mandatory)
  • Architects' sketches showing dimensions, gradients and specifications for Approved Document M compliance (required for structural changes)
  • Quotations and estimates (as required)

Supporting photos, layout drawings and anonymised support letters may be attached.

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