Working for Caring for God’s Acre

Caring for God’s Acre was established in 2000 as a national charity, promoting the conservation of burial sites and supporting the people who look after and maintain them.

There are over 25,000 burial grounds across the UK, ranging from small rural medieval churchyards to large Victorian city cemeteries, spanning different cultures, religions and centuries.

Appealing to many who are interested in local history and the natural world, burial grounds encapsulate the history of communities whilst offering refuge for our native wildlife.

Many burial sites are managed by a few volunteers who are keen to preserve both the monuments and the wildlife but want guidance on how best to achieve this. Our input can help them to preserve rare species of plants and wildflowers and we advise on management of grassland to encourage wildlife whilst still allowing access to visitors and relatives. Issues such as lichen on gravestones and monuments falling into disrepair are also part of our remit and we run a telephone and email advice service for burial ground managers, signposting to other experts if required.