Yorkshire listed churches gain repair grants

Buckets have been used to collect rainwater coming in through the roof of a Sheffield church

Two Grade II listed churches in Yorkshire have received grants totalling more than £500,000 to fund essential repairs.

St Catherine of Siena in Sheffield, which is currently using dozens of buckets to catch rainwater coming in through the roof, will receive £497,615 from the Heritage at Risk Capital Fund.

St John's Church in Goole has been granted £100,000 for weatherproofing roof and masonry works to ensure it remained a "usable space for generations to come".

The fund is led by Historic England and funded by the government's Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Christine Dixon, St Catherine of Siena church warden, said: "We are absolutely elated - there was a fear the church would close and people would have lost the community spirit.

"It means so much to people."

Both buildings are used as community hubs as well as for religious purposes, with St Catherine serving food, holding fitness classes and hosting social groups and public meetings.

"It's always full, and people who are lonely come in and sit there all day without having to spend much," Ms Dixon added.

The church roof collapsed in several places in late 2024 following heavy rain, snow and freezing temperatures.

St John's Church in Goole has gained £100,000 for essential repairs

"The water just ran in – there were buckets and containers collecting all the rain, which we emptied twice a day, and the main beams were bowing and in danger of collapsing," she said.

Sir David Davis, MP for Goole and Pocklington, called St John's Church "one of the anchors of the local community".

"This will not only help preserve an important part of our local heritage, but also ensure the church remains a functional and accessible space," he said.

Across the country, 37 sites have received repair grants totalling £15m to "breathe new life into neglected buildings".

Louise Brennan, director of regions at Historic England, said: "This initiative will not only boost economic growth but also create amazing opportunities for people in some of the nation's most disadvantaged areas."

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