A total of 21 grants have been made directly to the Church of England, with a further 12 Church of England churches being funded through a grant to the National Churches Trust. The Churches Conservation Trust, Friends of Friendless Churches, and Catholic Church were also successful in bids for funding.

All of the funds awarded to places of worship will be channelled into work by specialist builders and craftspeople allowing these places to deal with urgent repair needs and continue to serve their communities.

Places of worship make up the largest category of listed public buildings in England, totalling 14,600 across every community in England.

These are cared for by faith groups and charities, and supported by philanthropic trusts. Much of the work to keep these places open and welcoming is done by committed volunteers who care for some of England’s most important heritage.

Welcoming the announcement, The Church of England's lead Bishop for Buildings, Viv Faull, who is Bishop of Bristol, said:

"The Culture Recovery Fund has been a lifeline for communities and today’s Heritage Stimulus Fund announcement is a further boost for projects across the country.

"The appetite and enthusiasm for this scheme shows the scale of need across our churches and cathedrals and, while these grants will address just a small number of the churches requiring repair and improvement in the coming years, it will help them to continue to serve their wider communities as centres of heritage, community and faith.”

The churches receiving grants are among 142 heritage sites to receive awards totalling £35 million today.

Administered on behalf of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) by Historic England, the grants are aimed to support and bolster local economies and jobs across the country.

Money from the government’s £2 billion Culture Recovery Fund is intended to open up heritage and the benefits it brings to everyone.