Churches to share funds for repairs

LOCAL church leaders were jubilant following the award from the Heritage Lottery Fund and English Heritage of money for essential church repairs.

Three Oldham churches — St Mary’s, Greenfield, St Thomas’s, Moorside, and St George’s, Mossley — are among eight in Greater Manchester which will share £952,000 to fund a range of crucial work from repairs to spires and roofs to tackling dry rot.

Churchgoers at St Mary’s, Greenfield, have been busy raising money over the last year for the restoration fund.

But a grant of £153,000 from English Heritage will be essential for the work, allowing the spire to be repaired.

It will cost £750,000 to repair the whole church, although a possible supporter may be rock superstar Mick Jagger, whose family had connections with the church.

A presentation is to be made by the church to Sir Mick in the near future.

Church warden at St Mary’s, Bryan Greenwood said: “The grant is absolutely essential to us.

“There are three phases altogether in the restoration and there was no way a small church like this could raise all the £750,000 needed. The grant is very welcome.”

Over the hill at St Thomas’s, Moorside, church officials had also bid for funds for the repair of the church tower and the choir vestry.

Official notification of a lottery award had not yet reached the vicar, the Rev Howard Gray.

But he said it did appear there was confirmation of an award of £75,000 and he was absolutely delighted.

Meanwhile at Mossley, the roof and masonry at St George’s is to repaired at a cost of £153,000.

Sara Hilton, head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in the North-West, said: “People care passionately about their local places of worship, which are often a focus for the whole community as landmarks and buildings where groups come together to worship or make key moments in their lives.”