A historic Wiltshire church is set to receive a permanent roof following lead thefts.
St James the Great Church in Bratton has been struggling with a failing temporary roof since thieves stole lead from the structure six years ago.
The damage left the Grade II* listed building vulnerable, with water seeping in and staining the walls, damaging the interior wooden roof frames, and threatening the church’s survival.
The church, believed to be built on a Saxon chapel site and extensively rebuilt around 1400, is now set to receive a new, permanent roof thanks to a £5,000 grant from the Wolfson Foundation.
The grant will be used to install a long-lasting Terne-Coat steel roof to protect the structure from the elements.
The church is one of more than 80 across the country to receive a share of almost £1 million to preserve important heritage sites and keep places of worship operational.
Claire Walker, chief executive of the National Churches Trust, said: "The National Churches Trust is delighted to be able to support St James the Great to enable them to fix their church roof, so that the building can stay open and in use for many years to come."
The cost of the re-roofing project is expected to exceed £100,000, with the church community having already raised a substantial portion of the funds through local efforts and other grants.
Mike Manson, a former churchwarden and PCC member responsible for church fabric, said: "The members of St James’ Church and the many other villagers who support it warmly welcome this £5,000 grant from the Wolfson Foundation through the National Churches Trust.
"This latest grant will make a substantial contribution to the remaining funds needed."
However, recent changes by the UK Government have made repairs to listed places of worship up to 20 per cent more expensive, putting more strain on efforts to preserve historic churches across the country.
The Listed Places of Worship Grants Scheme, which allows listed churches to reclaim VAT on urgent repair projects, has had a cap imposed, meaning churches can only claim up to £25,000 back on their repair bill, regardless of the VAT amount.
Ms Walker said: "Changes by the Government to the Listed Places of Worship Grants Scheme have effectively imposed VAT on listed churches that need any major repairs.
"This will be unaffordable to many of them as the burden of caring for these buildings already falls onto local people and could lead to even more churches falling into disrepair or closing completely."
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