The grants are offering much needed funds to East of England’s places of worship at risk including All Saints in Buckworth, Cambridgeshire; St Peter and St Paul in Burgh Castle, Norfolk; St Mary the Virgin, Erwarton in Suffolk; and St Mary’s Church in Thorrington in Essex.   

This money comes from the Repair Grants for Places of Worship scheme, which is currently funded by HLF and administered by English Heritage.  In June 2013, it will be superseded by HLF’s new £30million, UK-wide Grants for Places of Worship programme.  This new initiative will continue to prioritise urgent structural repairs; however it will also enable applicants to apply for funding to support new works - such as the provision of toilets and kitchens - that will improve the functionality of these precious buildings making them fit for the future. 

Robyn Llewellyn, Head of HLF East of England, said: “Historic places of worship form prominent and much loved landmarks within the East of England’s cities, towns and villages.  They are unique buildings that bring local communities together for a variety of reasons from worship through to culture and leisure.  Since 1994, the Heritage Lottery Fund has invested more than £500million into these precious buildings across the UK and with these new grants we aim to ensure even more are secured for future generations to enjoy.” 

Greg Luton, English Heritage Planning and Conservation Director for the East of England said: “Listed places of worship make up an elemental part of the historic fabric of England. Thanks to the joint working between the Heritage Lottery Fund and English Heritage these wonderful buildings, which mean so much to so many, will remain part of our story for years to come.”

£156,000 has been awarded to All Saints in Buckworth, Cambridgeshire.  Mentioned in the Domesday survey of 1086, this Grade II* listed church of All Saints today has parts dating back to the 12th century. The church was restored in 1862 when it was re-roofed and in 1925 the spire was repaired after it was struck by lightning. This grant will fund repairs to the tower and spire, the re-roofing of the south porch as well as masonry repairs.

£123,000 has been awarded to the St Peter and St Paul, Burgh Castle in Norfolk.   This Grade II* listed church has a late 11th century round west tower, the lower stages of which have distinct and regular courses in the flint-work and may be pre-Norman Conquest. The nave and chancel retain 13th century character but were remodelled in the 15th century. The north aisle is from 1847 and the south porch 1857.  The most urgent repair requirement is the structural failure of the north aisle. This grant will therefore be used for the relaying of the chancel, vestry and north aisle roofs and the repair of the parapets and abutments and the chancel window. This funding will also enable the replacement of the stone tiles on the porch and repair the north aisle walls and floor.

Notes to editors

The Repair Grants for Places of Worship in England Scheme was 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 had provided the majority of the funding to ensure that the scheme continued in its current form until June 2013.

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

Grants for Places of Worship

HLF’s Grants for Places of Worship Programme is now open to applications. It is funded and administered solely by the Heritage Lottery Fund in England, Wales and Northern Ireland although English Heritage continues to provide expert advice in England.

In Scotland, the new programme is jointly funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Historic Scotland.

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

HLF Press Office: Natasha Ley or Alison Scott on 020 7591 6143 / 6035 or  07973 613 820 or natashal@hlf.org.uk.