Hampshire church gets nearly £75k in funding for vital repairs
It's 1 of 17 getting a share of a national pot
Last updated 24th Feb 2022
A church in a Hampshire village is to receive almost £75k to give it some urgent repairs.
Seventeen churches across the country are getting a s share of the £1.5 million funding payout thanks to an investment in church heritage by the Heritage Stimulus Fund.
St Andrew's in Rockbourne is one of those.
They will be getting £74,667 to facilitate the removal of the tower roof piece by piece, storing all the pieces that are reusable, and replacing those that are judged too far gone.
It's a grade 1 listed building which was founded in the 11th century.
Administered on behalf of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport by Historic England, the grants are aimed to support and bolster local economies and jobs across the country.
Claire Walker, CEO National Churches Trust said:
"Historic local places of worship are a vital part of our national heritage, but sadly, a shortage of available funding means that many are in a very poor state of repair.
"The £1.5 million investment in our grants scheme by the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund is incredibly good news. It comes on top of £2 million from the Culture Recovery Fund awarded to us in October 2021, money which is already funding urgent heritage repairs at 15 churches in England.
“The funding is a vote of confidence in the future of historic church buildings and a recognition of their importance to society."
Huw Edwards, Vice-President of the National Churches Trust said:
"Local churches, chapels and meeting houses are the beating heart of local communities. It's great news that St Andrew’s is being helped on the recommendation of the National Churches Trust with funding from the Culture Recovery Fund. This will help protect heritage and keep churches open so that they can continue to support local people."