Gate Church International awarded £100,000 grant from Listed Places of Worship Roof Repair Fund!

DUNDEE, Scotland - April 3, 2015 - PRLog -- Good news for Dundee; local charity Gate Church International has been awarded a grant of £100,000 from the UK Government’s Listed Places of Worship Roof Repair Fund.

The grant will help meet the costs of urgent roof repairs and will ensure the church – the only category A listed church in Dundee’s West End Lanes Conservation Area that remains a place of worship – is made watertight and safe and can remain open.

Originally built as St Mark’s Church in 1868 to a design by architect Frederick Thomas Pilkington, the building is an excellent example of mid-nineteenth century church architecture. These essential repairs will ensure that future generations will be able to enjoy this important piece of Scottish architecture.

The most urgent repair needs will be addressed first, such as the overhauling of slates, replacing lead that has reached the end of its lifespan, replacing timber that has been affected by rot and rebedding existing masonry that is not secure.

The grant award is one of 502 grants from a total funding package of £30 million that was announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF) administers the fund on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, said: "Scotland’s churches are not just hugely important historic buildings – they are also living and breathing civic spaces. That’s why I am delighted that 42 churches across Scotland will be maintained for another century by £2.2 million of repairs funded by the UK Government."

The project manager at Gate Church International, James Anthony, said: “‘We’re grateful to the UK Government for funding these repairs and are looking forward to getting started. This work will assist our ongoing efforts to provide facilities that are fit for the needs of modern community use. Throughout the project there will be no disruption to any of our weekend church services. Those interested can find more information about the repair project at www.gatechurch.co.uk”

Notes to Editors:

1.    Listed Places of Worship: Roof Repair Fund This fund was set up after the Chancellor of the Exchequer committed £15 million of funding in 2014. After the programme opened for applications, the significant demand resulted in the Chancellor committing a further £40 million to the Listed Places of Worship: Roof Repair Fund in the 2015 Budget. This new money brings the total funding available to £55 million.

The initial scheme has closed and the first awards have now been announced. The fund will reopen to new applications later this year, making awards from the remaining £25 million during 2016.

It will be open to organisations, trusts and congregations of all faiths and denominations with the responsibility of looking after a listed place of worship.

More information on the new fund can be found at http://www.lpowroof.org.uk/

2.    For further information, please contact James Anthony, Project Manager at Gate Church on 01382 221222 or on jamesanthony@gatechurch.co.uk