Earlier this year, the Government announced that £28 million would be made available to support places of worship in the implementation of new security measures required by the introduction of ‘Martyn’s Law’.
The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill (or ‘Martyn’s Law) will place new legal obligations on all public venues – including churches – in the protection of the public against acts of terrorism. You can read more about the legislation and how it will impact churches in our article here.
Many venues have expressed concern that the new legislation will place undue burden on small organisations, and that places of worship will be especially impacted. As our earlier article outlines, all places of worship – despite their capacity – will only be categorised as ‘Standard Duty Premises’ and therefore have fewer legal obligations, yet further support for places of worship is certainly welcomed.
The government funding is available through two schemes, for which applications are currently open. Applications for the funding will close on 15 August 2023. An overview of the schemes, eligibility criteria, and a walkthrough of the application process can be found on the government webpage here: Protective security schemes for places of worship – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
