The grants will help to repair more than 70 historic places of worship which have served their ever-changing communities through the centuries .
The largest grant, £251,000, has been awarded 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 in 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, said, “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.”
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