£251,000 vital funding for East Of England churches

£251,000 vital funding for East Of England churches

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 the East of England’s places of worship at risk including the The Greek Church of St Spyridon, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk and The Church Of All Saints, Great Melton, Norfolk; The Church of St John, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk and the Church of St Mark, Friday Bridge, Cambridgeshire.

Robyn Llewellyn, Head of HLF for the East of England, said; “Historic places of worship are an irreplaceable part of the East of England’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.”

Greg Luton, Planning Director for the East of England, English Heritage, said; “Thanks to the efforts of the Heritage Lottery Fund, and all those who care for our places of worship, the future of these architectural gems has now been safe-guarded. The combination of HLF investment and English Heritage expertise will continue to prevent these places falling into ruin.”

Church Of St John, in Great Yarmouth
Grant: £104,000

This Church, with its brilliant Bottle & Olley's hexagonal vestry, was designed by J H Hakewill and built for the local fisherman in the 19th century Gothic revival. The grant will see urgent repairs undertaken, including re-slating the north slope of the nave roof and the north slope of the south aisle and south transept.

Church of St Mark, in Friday Bridge
Grant: £98,000
 
Built in 1886 by the architect J B Owen to serve the isolated agricultural community in Fenland, this Victorian Gothic Church needs re-roofing on parts of the chancel, vestry, nave and porch. Rainwater guttering around the building also needs repairing.

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. 


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 or Robert Smith on tel: (020) 7591 6245 email: roberts@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

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.  Website:  www.english-heritage.org.uk

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. Website: www.english-heritage.org.uk

If you query is regarding our application portal, please contact our support team.