A leaking and damp church has been awarded a £20,000 grant for urgent restoration work.

Father Clive Pearce of St Anselm’s Parish Church, in Westfield Park, Hatch End, was delighted to hear the news that the church has been awarded a grant of £20,000 towards urgent restoration work.

Generally only loans are provided by the Willesden Area Council of the London Diocese, but they have awarded the maximum grant available to St Anselm’s project.

Father Pearce said: “We are absolutely delighted because we will be able to make a start on the most urgent roof repairs now.”

The church, a Grade II listed Neo-Gothic Victorian building that was completed in 1895, had also applied to the Government’s Listed Places of Worship Roof Repair Fund but has been unsuccessful as the programme is heavily over-subscribed.

The total cost of the most urgent works recommended by the Diocesian architect was in the region of £62,000, plus architects fees where necessary and VAT - of which some may be reclaimed.

Other recommendations included a structural survey, damp course work and extensive repairs to brick and stone work.

Jill Whitehead, parish administrator, said: “We plan to rectify the most urgent building defects and take action to avoid others, but our small reserves are close to depletion so we shall be applying for Lottery Funding as well as promoting our restoration fund locally.

“We hope to set up a ‘Friends of St Anselm’s’ group and have already received some donations from the Hatch End Traders Association and several individuals.

“We have a lot of fundraising to go but this is a set in the right direction.”

A number of fund raising initiatives are under way, including giving children from the congregation £10 with a challenge to use the money to raise even more for the repair fund through cake sales, washing cars and other activities.

A crowd-funding page has also been set up to help raise money.

Anyone wishing to donate can visit the page here: https://mydonate.bt.com/charities/theparishchurchofstanselmhatchend#