Early last year the Diocese of Coventry, with Warwickshire Wildlife Trust and Caring for God’s Acre, were awarded funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for the first stage of a six-year £2 million project - the Churchyard Biodiversity and Heritage Project. Now this first stage is in full swing.
In November 2025, Alison Wilkes, Frances Hall and Sophie Smith were recruited to work alongside Claire Strachan and Andy Duncan on the project, with Alison as Project Manager. Since November the team have been starting to work with churches and planning some exciting events.
Churchyards are treasured spaces that offer peace and tranquillity at the heart of our communities. Rich in history, they serve as quiet sanctuaries and valued public green spaces – sometimes the only accessible green havens available. The churches that lie within their boundaries are often the focal points of local life - places for reflection, recreation, and gatherings - forming part of that community’s identity. However, many churches face significant pressures: declining volunteer numbers, limited funds, and the growing burden of maintaining significant heritage assets. These challenges, if left unchecked, threaten not only the loss of both buildings and the green spaces that surround them, but also weaken the social fabric of the communities they serve.
This project offers a positive, practical response. With support from the Heritage Fund and National Lottery players, the team are working with churches across the whole of Coventry and Warwickshire to bring communities together to care for these much-loved places. Their aim is to motivate and empower volunteers who care for these beautiful spaces, and to foster a greater appreciation and love for churchyards more widely, giving everyone the chance to enjoy and celebrate them. Activities will include things like creating wildflower areas, developing other natural habitats, improving access, developing management plans and sharing strategies to reduce costs and improve biodiversity.
Churches sit at the heart of local life, and this project builds on that strength. By connecting churches with schools, families, and local groups, the project is helping to make churchyards welcoming spaces for nature, learning and collaboration. In doing so, the team are not only protecting heritage and wildlife—they are helping churches respond to today’s challenges in a way that strengthens community, builds resilience, and creates hope for the future.
The project team are already working with the first cohort of churches on some exciting nature-based projects and activities. These steps lay the foundation for a project that will help churchyards flourish for both people and nature, and we can’t wait to see how it develops.