Leeds church to be transformed by funding grant from lottery

A Leeds church 'at the heart of the community' will be transformed after being chosen to receive £500,000 from the National Lottery.
CASH BOOST: People gather outside St Lukes Church in Holbeck to mark Palm Sunday.CASH BOOST: People gather outside St Lukes Church in Holbeck to mark Palm Sunday.
CASH BOOST: People gather outside St Lukes Church in Holbeck to mark Palm Sunday.

The grant, for St Luke’s Church in Holbeck, will go towards a complete renovation and extension of the Malvern Road building.

Upgrades in the pipeline include a new kitchen area, extra rooms and the creation of a community cafe that will act as a drop-in centre for young people living nearby.

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The £0.5m cash parachute is the largest grant awarded from the Big Lottery Fund this quarter.

Rev Alistair Kaye, vicar at the church, said organisers were delighted to be chosen as a recipient of the fund.

“The grant is absolutely brilliant,” he told the YEP.

“It’s going to create so many more opportunities.

“We are right in the heart of the estate and we are a community building.

“We want to make it work for the community and people here.”

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The Grade-II listed church routinely hosts a series of group gatherings and events.

A total of £1.1m has been handed out to community organisations in Leeds by the National Lottery in the latest funding round.

The Big Lottery Fund uses cash raised by lottery players to help community organisations across the UK.

James Harcourt, England grant-making director at the Big Lottery Fund, said: “Whether in a village, town or city, National Lottery funding is helping to make a difference, bringing communities together to help people lead happier and healthier lives.

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“It’s wonderful to see the positive impact projects like St Luke’s are making in Leeds.

“They are an inspiration to others, showing what great things can be achieved when people work together to tackle the things that really matter to their community.”

More than 300 community projects in the city - ranging from support for adults with autism, to providing activities for children in hospital - are receiving a grant from the fund.

Rev Kaye said his church’s cash boost would help it extend its reach across Leeds.

“We have already got a lot of partners but the funding enables us to do more,” he added.

“It increases our potential.”

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