Our Church depends on volunteers undertaking work and raising funds in order to keep the building in good order and to provide a varied programme of events.

St Leonard’s formed a friends’ group in 2017, initially called Friends of St Leonard’s it quickly became affectionately known as Len’s Friends.

Len’s Friends would welcome more people to come and be part of sharing the challenges involved with running a Grade II listed place of worship. There are many people with many skills in the community near St Leonard’s. Equally we welcome people who live further away or have moved away. It is a way for local people who may not be part of the worshipping community to get involved in protecting our heritage, improving the building and making new friends. We need your skills and your help please.

Please email [email protected] to find out when our next practical session and meetings are taking place.

So far the friends have:

• Crowdfunded to pay for a churchyard digital survey

• Transcribed the memorial inscriptions from the gravestones in the top churchyard to a database

• Started historical research into the families named on the stones and the part they played in the history of Wortley village

• Cut the grass regularly and planted seasonal bedding plants in the area in front of the church

• Exposed long overgrown memorials in both the upper and lower churchyards

• Arranged concerts and open days

• Arranged fund raising events

• Installed bird nest boxes in the lower churchyard

• Planted young trees in partnership with The Woodland Trust

• Had a lot of fun