News Release
Central Methodist Church York receives £49,900
Central Methodist Church in St Saviourgate York will benefit from £49,900 to address urgent roof repairs.
Central Methodist Church successfully applied for the grant through the Government-funded Listed Places of Worship: Roof Repair Fund.
The grant will fund 53% of a project to make roof repairs to the grade 2* listed chapel. It is hoped that the repairs will make the roof water tight and prevent further water damage. At the same time the ornate ceiling will be strengthened to preserve it for future generations. In the meantime the church and halls remain open for bookings six days a week, as well as continuing our traditional Sunday morning and evening services to which all are welcome.
Over the last two years Central Methodist Church has invested over £200,000 of its own funds seeking to find new ways of conserving and adapting the city centre church and its ancillary buildings for the continuing benefit and welfare of the community of the city and its visitors.
Richard Ramsden, ‘Transforming Central’ project manager said “We’ve recently hosted events for schools, choirs, tourist attractions, charities and businesses. This grant will benefit all users of the chapel, and once the work is complete will widen the possibilities for new organisations and activities to join us.”
This money is part of a wider funding package of £22.9million to 401 historic places of worship across the UK. The fund was launched by the Chancellor in his Autumn Statement in December 2014 and the funding package has now seen a total of 903 places of worship across the UK receive a share of £55million.
The Fund is administered by the National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF) on behalf of the Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS).
A full list of awards across the UK can be found at www.gov.uk/dcms or www.lpowroof.org.uk
ENDS
Notes to editors
Listed Places of Worship: Roof Repair Fund
The Fund was open to organisations, trusts and congregations of all faiths and denominations with the responsibility of looking after a listed place of worship. To be eligible for funding buildings were required to be listed and used for public worship. Places of worship that had received a previous repair grant from English Heritage, Historic Scotland, Cadw, the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, the Heritage Lottery Fund and/or other National Lottery distributor, and where that project is not yet finished, were not eligible to apply.
The total funding package for the Listed Places of Worship: Roof Repair Fund is £55million. This includes grant awards, a grant increase contingency fund and the cost of administering the fund.
More information on the fund can be found at www.lpowroof.org.uk
The National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF) was set up in 1980 to save the most outstanding parts of our national heritage, in memory of those who have given their lives for the UK. It is to receive £20m Government grant in aid between 2011-15 allowing for an annual budget of £4m-£5m. More information can be found at www.nhmf.org.uk