Yorkshire churches receive a funding pot of £50,000 funding for vital repairs to help secure their futures

More than £50,000 has now been awarded to 10 churches across Yorkshire.

The trust’s chairman, Tom Ramsden said: “Thanks to the generosity of Friends and donors, we have been able to support a wide range of places of worship.”

With many buildings facing financial strains through the need for repairs to roofs, windows and brickwork, the funding supports small schemes such as gutter repairs to large scale re-pointing of stonework, roof repairs and other conservation works.

Grants were awarded to a range of places of worship including a Methodist church in Mosborough, a Grade II listed church in Sigglesthorne in the East Riding, a rural Congregational church in Swaledale and Leeds Minster.

St Mary the Virgin Church in Oxenhope has received a grant for vital roof repairs. The vicar of Oxenhope, Cat Thatcher, said the congregation was “delighted” to receive the £10,000 grant.

She said: “With the grant we are able to undertake repairs to the roof, and at the same time to have the roof insulated.

“This will not only make the building warmer, particularly in winter, but will also contribute to the reduction of our carbon footprint, which is something we are very keen to do.”

Another church receiving funds is the Grade II listed St Peter’s Church in Brafferton. The 15th century church was stripped of nearly all its lead roof during a theft last November, exposing the wooden framework beneath.

Since then, the community has been fundraising for the £92,000 needed to carry out the repairs. With the target very close to being achieved, the grant from the Yorkshire Historic Churches Trust will go towards securing a new steel roof.

Mr Ramsden said the funding would help provide a “vital lifeline”, adding: “The impact of lockdown has had a devastating effect on our local churches, many have been unable to run any services or fundraising events and some have been closed up completely.”

He said that many have been providing a number of essential services to local communities, such as food banks and credit unions.

He added: “Now, more than ever, they need our help to ensure those churches continue to support their communities for many years to come.”

The churches receiving funding are St Paul in Heslington with £3,000 for replacement gutters, St Lawrence in York with £6,000 for replacement gutters, Brighouse Central Methodist Church with £3,000 for roof repairs, St Mary the Virgin, Oxenhope, with £10,000 for roof repairs and insulation, and Mosborough Methodist Church with £5,000 for re- roofing and insulation.

St Lawrence, Sigglesthorne, receives £5,000 for roof repairs, St Peter’s in Leeds has £3,500 for roof repairs, St Peter’s in Brafferton gets £6,000 for re-roofing, Reeth Evangelical Congregational Church has been given £5,250 for roof repairs and St Matthew’s in Chapel Allerton, Leeds, has been provided £3,500 for re-plastering.