Churches hail £1.5m repairs boost

Seventeen churches across Yorkshire and the Humber are to benefit from more than £1.5m funding for repairs.

The medieval Moravian missionary church in Gomersal which celebrates its 250th anniversary this year, is one of the beneficiaries getting £79,000.

Churches in Sheffield, York, Scunthorpe and Bradford also get a major share of the fund.

The grants have been put together by English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Churches receiving funds Church of St Lawrence, York - £155,000 Holy Trinity Church, Cowling - £161,000 Holy Trinity, Knaresborough - £95,000 St Peter's Church, Scarborough - £16,000 St James, Rawcliffe - £61,000 St Edmund, Barmston - £31,000 St Hugh, Old Brumby, Scunthorpe - £16,000 St Mary, Rawmarsh - £60,000 St Peter, Greenhill, Sheffield - £88,000 Highfield Trinity Anglican and Methodist, Sheffield - £201,000 Holy Trinity, Queensbury, Bradford - £176,000 St Anne's Catholic church, Keighley - £41,000 St Mary's Church, Mill Bank, Sowerby Bridge - £103,000 Gomersal Moravian Church, Gomersal - £79,000 Whitechapel Church, Cleckheaton - £87,000 Holy Innocents, Dewsbury - £23,000 Church of St Edward King and Confessor, Clifford, Wetherby - £87,000

The Moravian church, in Gomersal, was built by missionaries from what is now the Czech Republic and formed part of network of settlement churches across the West Riding.

Treasure Les Machell said the money will go toward repairs to its roof and stonework.

He said: "We are pleased as we've been concerned about the deteriorating fabric for some time.

"It's a tiny congregation, just over 30 or so, but we have been praying for good news and we'll be raising funds ourselves to put toward the overall costs."

The biggest grant being given to a church in the area is £201,000 for Highfield Trinity Anglican and Methodist church in Sheffield.

Fiona Spiers of the Heritage Lottery Fund said: "This major investment will ensure churches continue to be a part of their communities identity for years to come."