The money comes from the Repair Grants for Places of Worship scheme*, which is funded by HLF and administered by English Heritage.

From Lancaster to Canterbury, these vital grants will help repair places of worship at risk across the country including the Church of the Good Shepherd in Nottingham and St Leonard’s Church in Shoreditch, London. 

Carole Souter, Chief Executive of the HLF, said: “Historic places of worship are an irreplaceable part of our heritage that continues to play a vital role within local communities today. In the last ten years, the Heritage Lottery Fund has invested £155million into these wonderful buildings and I am delighted we are able to continue supporting congregations across the country to safeguard them for future generations.”

Dr Simon Thurley, Chief Executive of English Heritage, said: “English Heritage is delighted that these important buildings will benefit from HLF funding and EH’s expert advice. We know that maintaining places of worship and developing them sensitively is a major challenge and we are glad to work with the inspiring volunteers who make repairs and enhancements happen. Such fine buildings are a great resource, as places of spiritual discovery, landmarks, events venues, places of solace and architectural treasures. These grants celebrate both what they are and can be, whilst supporting the people who care for them on behalf of us all.”

The grants are offering much needed funds to places of worship. £193,000 has been awarded to the St Leonard’s Church in Shoreditch, East London. Star of the recent BBC comedy REV, it is a Grade I listed parish church built in 1736 to the design of George Dance the Elder, whose notable works include London’s Mansion House.   Currently on English Heritage’s ‘At Risk’ register, this classical church will now undergo vital repairs to its roof and gutters along with investigative work to ascertain the condition of its192ft spire. 

£119,000 has been awarded to the Roman Catholic Church of the Good Shepherd in Woodthorpe, Nottingham. Built in 1964 by Gerard Goalen to replace an earlier 1929 church, this Grade II* listed building is of a modern concrete construction and incorporates striking stained glass using a dalle de verre technique (slabs of glass joined by concrete) by Patrick Reyntiens. The structure is suffering ‘concrete cancer’, reinforcement decay which is eroding the fabric of the building. This vital grant will enable the replacement of significant fascia panels, replace the building’s roof membrane and remove damaging rainwater from its flat roof.

Note to editors

*The Repair Grants for Places of Worship in England Scheme is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and administered by English Heritage on behalf of both organisations. 

Until 2010, the scheme was jointly funded by HLF and EH. Since then, HLF has provided the majority of the funding to ensure that the scheme continues in its current form until 2013.

Listed places of worship in England of all denominations and faiths are eligible for grants which support urgent repairs to the fabric of the building with a focus on projects costing less than £250,000. There is a two-stage application process with development funding available at Stage One to help work up proposals.

To be eligible for the next round of funding, applicants need to apply by 30 June for Grade I and II* and 30 September for Grade II listed places of worship. 

English Heritage
English Heritage is the Government’s statutory advisor on the historic environment. It provides advice on how best to conserve England’s heritage for the benefit of everyone. While most of England’s heritage is in private hands, it works with all who come into contact with it - landowners, businesses, planners and developers, national, regional and local government, the Third Sector, local communities and the general public -  to help them understand, value, care for and enjoy England’s historic environment.
 
It is also entrusted with the custodianship of over 400 sites and monuments which together form the national collection of built and archaeological heritage. These include some of the most important monuments of human history such as Stonehenge and Hadrian’s Wall.

Further information

Please contact Natasha Ley or Lydia Davies, HLF Press Office, on 020 7591 6143 / 6035, mobile: 07973 613 820, email: natashal@hlf.org.uk.