Ecclesiastical Insurance found a third (32%) of rural churches that aren’t using digital donations blamed a lack of internet connectivity in their area, leaving them reliant on cash donations.

The lack of reliable internet connectivity is a major challenge facing rural churches, compounded further by mobile phone networks switching off their 3G networks by 2025.

Overall three in five (60%) of churches in the UK have said they are receiving digital donations – with three quarters (76%) of those accepting contactless donations and two thirds (65%) taking donations online. In rural settings, digital donations drop to a little over a half (55%) of churches.

A disproportionate number of bank closures in rural areas is another issue for rural churches to navigate. Government data reveals a 44% drop in the number of banks in the UK between 2010-2022 with further closures announced by major banks since.

Almost all (95%) of rural churches said they take cash donations compared to less than three quarters (70%) in city centre churches. With cash more difficult to access, churches in rural areas are experiencing more difficulty in generating vital funds than their urban peers.

Despite these rapidly emerging challenges, when asked whether they had a fundraising plan in place almost half (48%) of churches said they didn’t with over half (54%) in rural areas saying they didn’t.