Support the Abbey

Westminster Abbey is one of Britain’s most iconic, well-known and important buildings and is one of the greatest repositories of English history.

What is less well known is that Westminster Abbey receives no regular funding from the Crown, the Church of England or the government.

Neither a cathedral nor a parish church, Westminster Abbey was established as a ‘Royal Peculiar’ in 1560 by Queen Elizabeth I. The Abbey is outside the jurisdiction and responsibility of the Church of England and the Government. In short, this means we must seek our own financial support.

Where does our funding currently come from?
At present, the major source of income for the Abbey is tourism and the over 1,000,000 visitors we welcome through our doors each year. In good times this produces money enough to meet everyday running expenses and a limited programme of work on the actual fabric of the Abbey, but we must seek more substantial funds from outside to carry out major restoration work and our visionary plans. This includes key conservation projects, the development of innovative education and music programmes, and major upcoming plans to improve and enhance the experience of visitors and pilgrims to the Abbey. This is where you can help.

How you can help
You can support the Abbey in many ways. You might consider helping by:

1. Making a donation - Any amount you give the Abbey will be warmly received and appreciated. It can be for something specific, such as the current conservation work on the Cosmati pavement, or more general, for our music programmes and choir, for ‘bricks & mortar’ and on-going maintenance or for the work and mission of the Abbey. Click here for further details on how to make a donation either on-line or by post.
2. Providing introductions - If you have or know of companies, charitable trusts or foundations that could support the Abbey, its work or its fabric, we would be grateful for recommendations or introductions. Click here for further details.
3. Legacies/bequests - Leaving a gift to the Abbey in your will is one of the simplest and easiest ways to help fund the future of the Abbey and to help to keep it going for another 1000 years. Please click here for further information.