The Heritage Lottery Fund and English Heritage announced this month (July) the allocation of £6.6million for repairs to more than 70 Grade II listed churches and chapels.

St Michael & St Bishoy Coptic Orthodox Church in Kent gets the biggest grant of almost £450,000. Bristol\'s All Hallows Church, Liverpool\'s 13th-century-styled St Vincent de Paul Roman Catholic Church and Birmingham\'s Pentecostal Church are also among the others to have been supported.

Since 2002 more than £120million have been awarded to more than 1,150 historic places of worship through the joint HLF and EH \'Repair Grants for Places of Worship\' scheme.

This news follows HLF\'s announcement in December that £20million would be available for places of worship across the UK in 2007/2008 and similar amounts throughout the HLF\'s next Strategic Plan running 2008-2013.

According to EH research last year revealed at the launch of their Inspired! campaign (see NSS May 2006), the Church of England is currently spending £120million a year on repairs but nearly £1billion needs to be spent over the next five years to carry out all the repairs needed.

The campaign is to get additional investment from government and others to help congregations look after the buildings.

Simon Thurley, chief executive of English Heritage, said when the allocation of funds was announced this month: "We are still campaigning through the Inspired! initiative for a longer-term solution to the problems many of these buildings and their congregations face."