A GRANT of £103,500 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has been secured for Cross Roads' St James' Church.

The money was publicly confirmed on Friday, and will go towards the 105-year-old church's roof repair project.

This aims to not only restore and repair the roofs of St James' Church – which is the parish church of Cross Roads – but at the same time make its unique heritage available to a wider audience. It is intended that the renovation work will start later this year.

St James’ was opened on October 1 1910 to serve the growing population of Cross Roads and Lees.

A spokesman for the parish said: "Thanks to National Lottery players, the scheme will restore St James' Church’s roofs so that it can continue to serve its community through the 21st Century.

"Besides providing services of worship, St James’ Church regularly stages concerts, community events and supports groups that use the church hall regularly.

"St James’ works closely with Lees Primary School, which will be involved in the exploration of the church’s heritage and will contribute to the new website."

The rector of Cross Roads, the Rev Peter Mayo Smith, said the church's roof has been leaking, so the money for the restoration is badly needed.

“We are delighted to receive this grant," he added.

"It validates the huge local effort that has gone into securing the long-term future of this vital building for our community. We are grateful to National Lottery players and all our local supporters.”

Explaining the importance of the HLF support, Fiona Spiers, head of Heritage Lottery Fund, Yorkshire and the Humber, said: “There is a place of worship in almost every ward, village and town across the Yorkshire and Humber region, providing a very powerful visual connection with our past.

"This award to St James’ Church in Cross Roads will ensure essential repairs are carried out.

"It also means the local school and community will be able to get involved and learn about the stories and heritage of the building, helping to create a sustainable future for the church."

When it was first built, the Grade II listed property replaced the area's old Tin Church.

The Cross Roads and Lees community became a parish in its own right a few years later.

It became part of the United Benefice of Haworth and Cross Road Cum Lees last year. St James’ is in regular use on Sundays and also hosts mid-week services.