The project aims plan the essential repair work, but will also enhance the information on the heritage of this mid-Victorian church and its churchyard by developing new guides and producing information on a single web portal, allowing online public access to the heritage of the church for the first time.

The building is a focal point for the local community and is currently used by a number of community groups. It was built in 1868 and as well as functioning as a place of worship it has increasingly become an important venue for art festivals and concerts.  The church itself contains extensive stained glass reflecting design from Victorian to the modern day.

Revd Canon Joyce Jones, priest-in-charge at Emmanuel, said “We’re delighted that the Heritage Lottery Fund  (HLF) has given us this support.  The church has been a worshipping centre for the village for over 100 years but it is increasingly become an important venue for community activities, something that we want to encourage and to allow more people to learn something of the heritage of the building.  This grant will help us preserve the heritage for another 100 years.

[quote=Revd Canon Joyce Jones, Emmanuel Church]We want to encourage and to allow more people to learn something of the heritage of the building.[/quote]

Explaining the importance of the HLF support, Dr Fiona Spiers, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund, Yorkshire and the Humber, said, “There is a place of worship in almost every ward, village and town across the Yorkshire and Humber region, providing a very powerful visual connection with our past.  Not only will our awards secure the immediate future of these particular buildings, it will also empower congregations to adapt them, where necessary, so they can be enjoyed more widely throughout the community and in turn enable them be more sustainable for the future.”