Assistive Listening Knowledge Base
  • Paper (national survey of church buildings)

National Churches Survey: Giving every church a voice (full report)

From https://assistivelisteningknowledgebase.org/evidence/nct-2025-national-churches-survey/ · record checked 9 October 2026

  • National Churches Trust; research by Whitestone
  • National Churches Trust

Independent (National Churches Trust, a UK charity that supports church buildings of all denominations; questionnaire and analysis with the research consultancy Whitestone; the report thanks Yeomans, Ecclesiastical Insurance and the University of York for support that enabled the survey)

Summary

A 2025 survey of 3,628 UK churches, chapels and meeting houses on their buildings, facilities, finances and volunteers, including how many have a hearing loop.

Key findings

  • Reports that hearing loops "are now present in nearly two-thirds (65%) of churches", alongside step-free entrances in 82% and accessible toilets in 73%; only 9% have invested in clear signage for people with visual impairments.
  • Surveyed churches between 9 May and July 2025 through an invitation page, denominations, heritage and church networks, the media and reminders; 3,628 churches took part, and results were weighted by denomination, UK nation, rurality and listed status. The Trust describes the responses as broadly representative of the UK by denomination, attendance, building age and location.
  • Says churches have often made access upgrades through local fundraising and volunteers, "even in places where statutory obligations do not apply".
  • 83% of churches say managing their buildings depends on an active body of volunteers, and 45% name a lack of volunteer time as a major barrier to doing more, up from 33% who said it limited them in 2010 (the question wording changed).

Limits

Self-reported by churches that chose to respond, mostly online; the hearing loop question asks only whether a loop is present, not whether it works, covers the worship space or meets a standard, and the survey asks about no other assistive listening system. The 2010 comparison figure for loops is shown only in a chart. The date is taken from the report file (created 28 October 2025, file name dated 281025); press coverage of the findings began on 23 October 2025.

Read the original

www.nationalchurchestrust.org/sites/default/files/2025-11/FULL_NationalChurchesTrust_SurveyReport_AW_281025.pdf

Link checked . We link to the original and do not host copies.

Cited in

Cite this source

National Churches Trust; research by Whitestone. National Churches Survey: Giving every church a voice (full report). National Churches Trust. 28 October 2025. https://www.nationalchurchestrust.org/sites/default/files/2025-11/FULL_NationalChurchesTrust_SurveyReport_AW_281025.pdf (accessed 9 October 2026).

The accessed date is when this library last checked the link; use the date you read it. To point readers to this summary instead, link to https://assistivelisteningknowledgebase.org/evidence/nct-2025-national-churches-survey/

Every finding here cites its source, and who funded each source is labelled. This site does not recommend products. Found an error or a missing study? Suggest a correction.