Oldham's Prudential Building among recipients of over £41 million heritage repair fund
Over £41 million will restore churches and heritage buildings across England, including 74 sites, to keep them open for communities.
The Prudential Building in Oldham is one of 20 sites sharing nearly £13 million from the Heritage at Risk Capital Fund, the government has announced.
The fund, now in its second year, pays for repairs at historic buildings judged to be most at risk, with an eye on the part they play in their local area. It is administered by Historic England and prioritises parts of England where money for repairs is hardest to raise.
It was announced alongside the Places of Worship Renewal Fund. Between them, the two schemes will put more than £41 million into 74 sites, and both sit within the wider £1.5 billion Arts Everywhere Fund.
The Places of Worship Renewal Fund is making its first awards, with 51 buildings sharing over £18 million. They include Birmingham Cathedral, where work will tackle recent deterioration of the tower and dome, and the Sir Moses Montefiore Memorial Synagogue in Grimsby, the last surviving synagogue in Lincolnshire and South Humberside, where the ark is being restored.
Other North of England recipients of the Heritage at Risk Capital Fund include Gorton Monastery in Manchester, Prescot Picture Palace and the former Post Office on Abingdon Street in Blackpool, which is being lined up as a community cultural hub. A further £10 million across the rest of this parliament will go to three English Heritage sites: Dover Castle, Osborne on the Isle of Wight and Brodsworth Hall in Doncaster, all of which need roof or fortification repairs.
Heritage Minister Baroness Twycross said: "Nothing tells the stories of our nation quite like the historic buildings at the heart of our communities." She added that the money would help "the much loved buildings that fill our hometowns with character" keep their doors open to local people.
Emma Squire and Claudia Kenyatta, Co-CEOs of Historic England, said the grants would support buildings "that face significant repair and conservation needs", and that such places "provide spaces where people can come together".
The Bishop of St Albans, Andrew Rumsey, the Church of England's lead bishop for buildings, welcomed the awards to churches in areas of considerable need, saying they would relieve some of the fundraising burden on volunteers who look after them.
The government has not said how much each Heritage at Risk Capital Fund recipient will receive. More recipients for both funds are due to be named in a second round covering the 2026/27 financial year.