CHURCHES across Cumbria are celebrating after winning £340,000 of Government-funding for vital roof repairs.

Seven churches in the Diocese of Carlisle will share the cash pot from a national roof repair fund which is handing out £22.9 million nationally to 401 historic places of worship.

Among them is St John's in Workington which suffered serious damage in the storms of last winter. It receives £100,000 which will fund nearly 60 per cent to replace the south-facing half of the church roof and replace damaged timber.

The Rev Canon Professor Robert Hannaford of St John's said: “I’m delighted that the application has been successful.

“This will fund 59% of the work with the parochial church council putting in a further £10,000 from church funds. This leaves us with £30,000 still to fund raise.

"The building has suffered water ingress, particularly in recent storms, and there are times when we have had eight buckets out to catch the water which is coming through.”

Other churches to benefit are St Mungo’s, Dearham which gets £91,200 for repairs to valley gutters, the re-slating of the north aisle roof and repairs to the tower roof.

The Rev Canon Mary Day, vicar of Allonby, Cross Canonby and Dearham, said: “I’m thrilled and very grateful to our curate Jenny Bate who dealt with so much of the paperwork for this bid as well as the members of our building committee.”

St Thomas a Becket’s at Farlam near Brampton receives £41,800 to repair the church bell cot and renew the north and south nave roofs and St Andrew's at Aikton near Wigton's grant of £18,600 will pay for repairs to the roof above the chancel and vestry.

St Peter’s at Great Asby gets £24,500 to fund new guttering, down spouts and lead flashing to keep water away from the fabric of the building; Holy Trinity, Kendal is in line for £53,700 to fund repairs to the porch roof while All Saint’s at Underbarrow near Kendal receives £10,000 for rainproofing.

The seven are among 26 historic places of worship in the north west to benefit from a share of £1,751,500 regionally.

The grants have been awarded through the Government-funded Listed Places of Worship's Roof Repair Fund. The fund was launched by the Chancellor in his Autumn Statement in December 2014 and the funding package has now seen a total of 903 places of worship across the UK receive a share of £55million.

It is administered on behalf of the Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS).