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

Across Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Nottinghamshire these vital grants will help repair places of worship at risk including The Roman Catholic Church of the Good Shepherd in Woodthorpe, Nottingham and The Church of St Mary de Castro in Leicester.   

Emma Sayer, Head of HLF in the East Midlands, 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 East Midlands to safeguard them for future generations.”

Anthony Streeten, English Heritage Planning Director for the East Midlands, said: “We are delighted that these important buildings will benefit from HLF funding and English Heritage’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, 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.”

R C Church of the Good Shepherd, Woodthorpe, Nottingham
Grant: £119,000
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 buildings roof membrane and remove damaging rainwater from its flat roof.

Church of St Mary de Castro, City of Leicester
Grant:  £187,000
A large urban church occupying an elevated position to the north of Leicester Castle, it was founded circa 1107 as a collegiate chapel. Much 13th and 14th century fabric still survives, which was restored in the 15th century, again in 1785 by John Cheshire, then again 1853-4 by Sir G G Scott. There were some later additions by F Bodley in 1899. The church is generally in good order and well cared for, but the spire has a history of movement and its structural integrity is of concern. The inherently poor stone and weak design are considered to be major contributing factors. Severe structural concerns have necessitated internal temporary support and this grant will enable a detailed assessment of condition and for a body of repairs to be undertaken.

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. 

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 30th June for Grade I and II* and 30th September for Grade II listed places of worship. 

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. 
www.english-heritage.org.uk 

Further information

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