The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and English Heritage (EH) have launched a package of grants worth £6.87 million for essential repairs to Grade II listed churches and chapels across England.
The grants will help to repair over 70 historic places of worship which have served their ever-changing communities throughout history.
One recipient is a church serving Reading’s Polish community. The Sacred Heart of Jesus
The grants will help to repair over 70 historic places of worship which have served their ever-changing communities throughout history.
One recipient is a church serving Reading’s Polish community. The Sacred Heart of Jesus
The largest grant, £251,000, will be given to St Mark’s Church,Lakenham in Norfolk, to renew its leaking roof.
Stockton United Reformed Church and St Francis of Assisi church in Bournville, Birmingham are also amongst the buildings to have been supported in this year’s round of funding.
Since 2002 more than £133m of essential repair grants has been awarded to almost 1,500 historic places of worship through the joint Heritage Lottery Fund and English Heritage Repair Grants for Places of Worship scheme, which is the largest single funding source for work of this kind.
Carole Souter, Chief Executive at HLF, said: 'Places of worship of all kinds are at the centre of community life and are extremely important to local people.
'In addition to their religious significance and the character that they add to towns and villages, these are living buildings which often host a diverse range of activities, from martial arts classes to mother and toddler groups.
'The joint Heritage Lottery Fund and English Heritage scheme makes a significant difference to the long-term prospects of these crucial buildings.'
Dr Simon Thurley, Chief Executive of English Heritage, added: 'England’s churches and chapels are the spiritual, communal and architectural backbone of our villages, towns and cities.
'English Heritage, once again this year, is proud to be supporting the repair of these important historic buildings. We hope our contribution will allow them to remain in use by the communities that enjoy them.'
Reverend Father Jerzy Januszkiewicz of the Sacred Heart of Jesus church said: 'I would like to express my sincere gratitude to English Heritage for giving us a grant for the renovation and repair of our church which will save it from demolition.
'The costs involved are beyond our resources and it was therefore with great joy that we have received the news of the grant.
'The church is a focal point in the Polish community and our particular appreciation goes out to English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund for giving us this opportunity to renovate our church.'
The Church of England currently spends £120m a year on repairs but according to English Heritage research published as part of the in its Inspired! Campaign which was launched in 2006, the backlog repair bill for all listed places of worship in England is an estimated £925m over the next five years, or £185m a year.
Inspired!, launched in May 2006, identified the need for additional investment from Government and the denominations to help congregations look after their buildings.
One of the conditions of the Repair Grants for Places of Worship scheme is that the public should have a right to see those buildings which have benefited from this public money dispensed via the scheme.
Prospective visitors can now search on the English Heritage website for details of how to visit places of worship whose repairs have been grant-aided under the scheme.
The list can be found at:
