A total of 21 grants have been made directly to the Church of England, with a further 12 Church of England churches being funded through a grant to the National Churches Trust. The Churches Conservation Trust, Friends of Friendless Churches, and Catholic Church were also successful in bids for funding. 

All of the funds awarded to places of worship will be channelled into work by specialist builders and craftspeople allowing these places to deal with urgent repair needs and continue to serve their communities.

Places of worship make up the largest category of listed public buildings in England, totalling 14,600 across every community in England. 

These are cared for by faith groups and charities, and supported by philanthropic trusts. Much of the work to keep these places open and welcoming is done by committed volunteers who care for some of England’s most important heritage. 

Welcoming the announcement, The Church of England's lead Bishop for Buildings, Viv Faull, who is Bishop of Bristol, said:

"The Culture Recovery Fund has been a lifeline for communities and today’s Heritage Stimulus Fund announcement is a further boost for projects across the country. 

"The appetite and enthusiasm for this scheme shows the scale of need across our churches and cathedrals and, while these grants will address just a small number of the churches requiring repair and improvement in the coming years, it will help them to continue to serve their wider communities as centres of heritage, community and faith.” 

The churches receiving grants are among 142 heritage sites to receive awards totalling £35 million today.

Administered on behalf of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) by Historic England, the grants are aimed to support and bolster local economies and jobs across the country. 

Money from the government’s £2 billion Culture Recovery Fund is intended to open up heritage and the benefits it brings to everyone.

The awards directly to Church of England churches are as follows:

• Barton upon Humber, St Mary - Essential stonework, drainage and floor repairs: £62,000.00
• Bodmin, St Petroc - Parapet and roof leadwork replacement: £93,160.00
• Brighton, St Mary Kemp Town - South Aisle & Lower South Transept window repairs: £52,360
• Canterbury Cathedral - Trinity Chapel roof repairs: £349,138
• Chester Cathedral - Masonry repairs to the Abbey Gateway: £198,559
• Leicester Cathedral - External masonry repair and restoration on south side of the Cathedral: £198,324
• Lichfield Cathedral - Repairs to South Nave flying buttresses: £264,404
• Liverpool Cathedral - Work packages 1, 2, 3 & 6 (window repairs, asphalt roofs, East End South terminal turret & marble floor repairs): £92,966
• London, St Augustine, Kilburn - High level roof repairs: £473,291
• London, St Gabriel, Warwick Square - North and south aisles stonework repairs: £150,000
• London, St John the Evangelist, Upper Norwood - Window & high level masonry repairs at east end of inner south aisle: £50,000
• London, St Marylebone - Repair of fibrous plaster nave ceiling: £460,800
• London, St Paul Bow Common - Electrical rewiring and associated asbestos removal: £124,501
• Maidstone, All Saints - Repair to western third of main nave roof and clerestory windows: £352,816
• Newcastle Cathedral - St George's Chapel heating repairs: £54,466
• Rotherham Minster - Repair and restoration of the Great Nave West Window: £319,917
• Southwark Cathedral - Urgent upgrades to electrics, lighting and heating systems: £59,263
• St Leonards-on-Sea, Christ Church - Masonry repairs to south elevation: £180,474
• St Mary the Virgin (University Church) Oxford - Nave roof & stonework repairs: £422,520
• Wakefield Cathedral - External repair work to spire: £35,920
• Worcester Cathedral -Library roof & repairs to other high-level roofs & associated masonry repairs: £328,794

Total: £4,323,673

The Church of England parishes awarded funds through the National Churches Trust are as follows:

• St Mary the Virgin, Gamlingay - Reinstatement of sand-cast lead to match that which had been stolen, repairs to windows and improve the building: £206,786
• St Martin, Cheselbourne - re-roofing in terne coated stainless steel: £16,771
• Holy Trinity, Norton Juxta Twycross - repairs to roof and rainwater goods: 60,626
• St Michael and All Angels, Hughenden - repairs to the tower: £76,490
• St Chad, Bensham - major repairs to the roof : £200,970
• St John, Workington - repairs to historic windows: £164,744
• Minster Church of St Thomas’, Newport, Isle of Wight - roof and stonework repairs: £584,189
• St Anietus, St Neot - stonework repairs, safeguarding historic stained glass £41,043
• St Stephen the Martyr, Launceston - repairs to the roof: £286,698
• St Lawrence, Bigbury - repairs to the tower and spire to address rainwater ingress £78,920.00
• St James, Skillington - repairs to the roof following lead theft: £10,711
• All Saints, Northampton - repairs to the roof and stonework to prevent water ingress: £39,909

Total: £ 1,767,857

Grand total: £6,091,530