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Nov 2022

Last Updated: 21/11/2022

Harrogate district churches win grants for repairs

by John Plummer

| 22 Nov, 2022

Yorkshire Historic Churches Trust issues grants to St Mary's in Great Ouseburn for boundary wall repairs and St John’s in Minskip for damp.

Pic: Laura Hargreaves

Two churches in the Harrogate district have been awarded grants worth a total of more than £9,000 for repairs.

Yorkshire Historic Churches Trust gave grants totalling £78,000 to 19 churches for repairs, conservation and maintenance work in its latest funding round.

Successful Harrogate district applicants were St Mary's in Great Ouseburn, which was awarded £6,000 for boundary wall repairs and St John’s in Minskip, near Boroughbridge, which received £3,300 to tackle damp.

Robert Beaumont, churchwarden at St John's, said the grant “means the world to our little church”,

Mr Beaumont said damp threatened the structure of the church, and was also damaging the interior. He added:

“Specifically, faulty drains and a broken bell tower are causing peeling walls and discolouration inside, as well as a damp exterior.

"In addition, a couple of windows are broken and the floor is uneven in places. Whilst we are able to hold and enjoy our services, the structure of the church has been worrying us for some time.

“We have undertaken some serious fundraising which, together with this grant, will enable us to pay for the whole regeneration project. We have a very strong and committed church council and we have already raised £3,000 towards this specific project.

He added work carried out by local builder Tim Wilkinson will begin in January.

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Yorkshire Historic Churches Trust provides funds for churches, chapels and meeting houses of all Christian denominations within the county of Yorkshire.

Trust chairman Tom Ramsden said:

“Our latest grant awards support a wide variety of churches and projects.

"They range from helping to repair the roof of the Grade II listed St James in Slaithwaite built in 1796, through to helping make watertight Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic chapel in Headingley, built in the 1930s

“We are also delighted to support St John’s Church in Minskip, which is a lovely little church that serves its community so well. It is very rewarding to see at first hand the structural problems that will be tackled and solved, thanks in part to our grant."

Full list of churches receiving grants

Great Ouseburn, St Mary, £6000 for boundary wall repairs

Minskip, St John, £3300 for bell tower repairs

Leeds, All Hallows, £10,000 for roof repairs

Leeds, Our Lady of Lourdes, £3000 for roof repairs

Leeds, Cathedral Church of St Anne, £3000 for stonework repairs

Leeds, Holy Rosary, £1500 for roof repairs

Clifford, St Edward King and Confessor, £3500 for roof repairs

Baildon, St James £2000, for tower repairs

Bierley, St John the Evangelist, £5000 for clock repairs

Skipwith, St Helen, £7000 for drainage works

Golcar, Providence Methodist, £3500 for window repairs

Slaithwaite, St James, £5000 for roof repairs

Ripponden, Stones Methodist, £5000 for roof repairs

Thornaby, St Peter, £1000 for stonework repairs

Gargrave, St Andrew £1358 for clock repairs

Golcar, St John the Evangelist, £5000 for internal decorations

Goole, St John £4500, for roof repairs

Harome, St Saviour, £3000 for bell turret repairs

Slingsby, All Saints, £4500 for window repairs

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Harrogate district churches win grants for repairs

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Full list of churches receiving grants