MP welcomes fund to repair churches and places of worship - and urges local groups to apply

South Lakes MP Tim Farron welcomed a dedicated £15 million fund, announced by the Government, for the repair of roofs on listed church buildings.

The coalition announced the Listed Places of Worship Roof Repair Fund in the Autumn Statement. Grants between £10,000 and £100,000 will be available to listed places of worship of all faiths and denominations across the UK, where roof and rainwater goods repairs are deemed to be urgent and necessary.

The grants will help meet the costs of urgent repairs to roofs (e.g. coverings, timbers, ceilings and vaults) and rainwater disposal systems (e.g. gutters, valleys, hoppers, downpipes, gullies, drains and soakaways).

The deadline for applications is 30 January 2015, with awards to be allocated by the end of March 2015.

Tim's support for the scheme is shared by many faith groups like the Church of England. To apply for the scheme a form can be found here: http://www.lpowroof.org.uk/

Tim said: "Churches and other places of worship form an integral part of the fabric of our community in Cumbria and so I wholeheartedly welcome this fund. Many local churches face a huge bill for upkeep, and I hope that those who fit the criteria will apply for the funding and receive it."