'Our cathedral could run out of money for repairs'
BBCA cathedral that costs £15,000 a day to operate is at risk of running out of money for urgent repairs, a church leader has said.
Lincoln Cathedral has stood the test of time since its foundations were laid in 1072, but the Very Rev Dr Simon Jones, Dean of Lincoln, said its "most significant challenge" was finding funds to conserve parts of the building.
Jones, who is seeking more support from the Church Commissioners and the government, said: "There will come a day that we will run out of money. That's the reality we face."
The Church Commissioners said they recognised the challenges of maintaining historic buildings and provided support and funding in a variety of ways to help cathedrals.
Lincoln Cathedral is on Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register. At present, it is undergoing restoration work to the chapter house, anticipated to cost up to £2.3m.
The south side is also in need of "urgent attention", according to Jones, but there is no funding in place.
He said most of the money to pay for conservation work came from donations, as well as grants.
"That support is wonderful but it isn't enough.
"English cathedrals get no support for the fabric of the building from the church commissioners, the Church of England or from the government.
"The current funding model for our cathedral and all cathedrals isn't sustainable. It doesn't work."
The Church Commissioners said more than £48m had been allocated to supporting cathedrals between 2026 and 2028, while the Cathedrals Sustainability Fund had awarded £20m over the past six years.
Grant funding was provided to 34 cathedrals based on their specific income and need, they added.
The commissioners said they also funded the stipends and pensions for the dean and two canons at Lincoln Cathedral.
Some government money for churches is provided via heritage funding schemes.
This includes a recently announced £92m Places of Worship Renewal Fund, which the Department for Culture, Media and Sport says is designed to support churches with capital grants for repairs.
Other grants are available from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
According to the cathedral, insurance alone cost a quarter of a million pounds a year, with other cost factors including energy bills, routine maintenance, cleaning and salaries.
Even changing a light bulb can require bringing in a cherry picker, due to the scale of the building.
Jones said the cathedral had secured a three-year contract with a local green energy company, saving £40,000 a year in energy bills.
He added: "The people of Lincoln have come here to worship and in times of celebration and sorrow for nearly a thousand years.
"It shines out as a beacon of hope over our city and county and we want it to continue to do so."
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