All Saints Church at Herodsfoot, is among just 12 churches across the UK that have been awarded the first Project Development Grants from the National Churches Trust, the UK’s church repair and support charity.

Project Development Grants, a new funding stream from the National Churches Trust launched in June 2016, allow churches to plan repair and community projects. This includes preparing applications to major grant funders such as the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Chief executive Claire Walker said: ’Project Development Grants help churches become more sustainable by allowing them to examine the challenges facing their buildings. This includes working out how best to fix major structural problems and making it possible for churches to better serve local people by adapting their layout and installing modern facilities such as kitchens and toilets.’

All Saints in Herodsfoot was built in the 1860s to serve the rapidly growing mining village. Today, the church is the only public building in the village.

It is used for festivals, Pilates, pop-up nights, and games, but use of the building is limited by poor heating and the lack of toilet facilities.

The £1,500 grant will enable architect and surveyor assessments to begin the process of adapting the church for wider community use.