Contested heritage statement

Everyone at the Churches Conservation Trust is committed to being respectful, transparent and responsible with the buildings in our care. With help from experienced colleagues and specialists, we are currently in the process of investigating our estate to better understand historic references to the trading of enslaved peoples, the British Empire and colonialism. These may be found in the memorials in or around our churches or through examining the funding of these buildings’ construction or alterations. We know that this will be an ongoing process, given the volume of memorials across our 350+ sites.

Once instances of contested heritage have been identified, our next steps will be informed by the government’s 2023 guidance on heritage assets that have become contested. This guidance centres around ‘retain and explain’, in which objects are left in situ with ‘rigorous, balanced and comprehensive’ explanations. This allows the opportunity to develop fresh interpretation that uncovers and shares previously untold stories. 

We want our churches and our organisation to be welcoming and inclusive to all and are open to contributions from our supporters in helping us achieve this. If you wish to highlight any instances of contested heritage within our estate or contribute to the discussion, please feel free to email learning@thecct.org.uk