As the government launches an ambitious booster drive to beat the omicron "tidal wave", churches are worried about the mental health impact of more Covid restrictions.

A survey carried out by Bible Society on behalf of Ecclesiastical Insurance found that over a quarter of churches (27%) are concerned about the impact of another lockdown on their local community. 

And a third said they were worried about the mental health impact on individuals of another lost Christmas.

A quarter of churches say they have stepped up support to the most vulnerable members of their communities, including running food banks (10%), offering financial advice and support (10.5%), and providing homeless services (6%).

Despite scaling up their community support, over half of churches (52%) said they have seen a marked drop in the number of people volunteering this year. This has led to more pressure on existing volunteers and the cancellation of some events. 

The survey sought the views of 1,000 churches and was carried out in the last two weeks of November. 

It found that most churches were preparing to open their doors for Christmas, with the majority (87%) planning to host a carol service, up from 59% last year. 

Over half (52%) said they had been planning to host a nativity performance, compared to two in five (38%) last year. 

Helen Richards, church director at Ecclesiastical, said: "Last year was unlike any other for so many of us and many spent Christmas alone with restrictions preventing them from visiting family and friends.

"I'm so pleased to see that churches feel able to increase their festive activities this year, providing communities across the country with a sense of normality when there is so much uncertainty around new variants and restrictions being imposed.

"It once again shines a light on just how important local churches are to their communities and I know it will be a welcome relief for so many of us to be able to enjoy everything the church has to offer this Christmas."