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

The grants are offering much needed funds to Yorkshire’s Places of worship at Risk including St Mary’s, Arkengarthdale; Holy Trinity, Barnsley; Sacred Heart, Hillsborough; St Mary’s, Cottonstones; both St James’s and Holy Spirit Roman Catholic Church, Heckmondwike; and St Stephen’s, Kirkstall. In Bradford grants go to three churches, St Paul’s, Buttershaw; St James’s, Thornton and St Chad’s, Toller Lane.

The Bishop of London, Dr. Richard Chartres, said: “This is extremely welcome news. Congregations across the UK are the custodians of some of our most important historic buildings and while they provide much joy and inspiration, maintaining them is a heavy financial burden. This vital investment from the Heritage Lottery Fund delivered with the benefit of English Heritage’s conservation expertise, means that local people can continue to safeguard these precious places.” 

Fiona Spiers, Head of HLF for Yorkshire and the Humber, said: “Historic places of worship are an irreplaceable part of the Yorkshire’s heritage and sit at the very heart of our local communities. Both the Heritage Lottery Fund and English Heritage are delighted that in these difficult times, these vital repairs can still be done, ensuring these wonderful places are secured for future generations.”

Trevor Mitchell, English Heritage Planning Director for Yorkshire and the Humber, said: “Thanks to the generosity of the Heritage Lottery Fund, and ultimately Lottery players, the future of these local landmarks will now be safe-guarded. The combination of HLF investment and English Heritage expertise will continue to support congregations in caring for their historic buildings.”

St Pauls, Butterworth, Bradford
Grant: £172,000
Prior to the building of St Paul’s Church, the Anglican community of the area gathered to worship and study at Chapel Fold where the Moravians held their meetings between 1760 and 1837. The church was built in the plain English style with a light steeple to the West end, endowed by J Hardy Esq MP and consecrated in 1842. The grant will enable extensive repairs to get underway including the renewal of the porch and vestry roof and repairs to the windows, spire and chimney.

Holy Trinity, Elsecar, Barnsley
Grant: £119,000
This tall imposing church, built in the Early English gothic revival style, was created between 1841 and 1843 with the vestry added in 1871. The church is stacked with architectural features including a recessed octagonal stone spire with lucarnes and five bay naves with offset gabled buttresses between tall lancet windows. The grant of £119,000 will go towards restoring this important building for the local community including making much-need repairs to the Nave, chancel, vestry roof repairs and the parapet gutters.
 
St Mary’s, Arkengarthdale, Richmondshire
Grant £76,000
Located in a large rural setting, this early 19th-century church was built in 1818 in the early English gothic style. Key features include impressive tall pinnacles used to emphasise the corners of the west tower, nave and chancel/transepts. At the west-end under the gallery and around the font are vestiges of original box pews. Major restoration work will be undertaken with the £76,000 grant including repairs to the nave and the roof.
 
Making a difference

Today, it has been announced that a total of £8million has been awarded to 67 Grade II listed churches, chapels and synagogues across the country. Since 2002, HLF and English Heritage have worked together to award almost £200 million to help repair more than 2,000 listed places of worship, the largest single source of funds to help congregations care for their buildings. 

Notes 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.  English Heritage gives some funding to Grade I and Grade II* places of worship.
 
Until 2010, the scheme was jointly funded by HLF and English Heritage.  As a result of Comprehensive Spending Review in October 2010, English Heritage's budget was cut and it was unable to continue funding the scheme.  In 2011, HLF agreed to provide an additional £9million needed to ensure the scheme is protected in its current form until 2013.   
 
HLF is committed to supporting the urgent repair needs for places of worship and will fully fund the repairs scheme from 2013.  HLF launched a three month consultation at the end of January 2011, inviting views on how best to help urgent repairs for places of worship.  The consultation closed on 26th April 2011 and we are now considering the views expressed in the large volume of responses.  HLF's strategy on funding places of worship will be announced in due course.   
 
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 30th June for Grade I and II* and 30th 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. Visit English Heritage website for more information.

Further information
• Please contact Natasha Ley or Alison Scott, HLF Press Office, on tel: (020) 7591 6141/6035 mobile: 07973 613820 email: natashal@hlf.org.uk
• A full list of grants and grantee contact details is available along with 22 England-wide case studies
• Images available upon request