Listed London buildings get £1.3m for urgent repairs
"St Mary's has been at the heart of Somers Town for 200 years, providing a place of worship and developing deep connections with people locally to offer much-needed community space and a place of sanctuary for those in need," the spokesperson said.The grant will allow the most immediate work needed to the west front of the Gothic-style building to be undertaken. This will cover repairs to failing masonry, brickwork and joinery as well as repointing, cleaning and improved drainage.Historic England said it will ensure the church's administrators can seek further funding to restore the rest of the building.
The Greenhouse Centre, located in a 200-year-old building on Cosway Street, will use the funding to cover the final phase of work to reopen. Essential upgrades include structurally reinforcing the main floor and installing new fire protection systems.The centre belongs to Greenhouse Sports, a charity delivering sports coaching and mentoring to young people facing poverty.Heritage Minister Baroness Twycross said: "Our extraordinary heritage weaves together the stories that define who we are as communities and as a nation."
The grants are part of the wider £15m Heritage at Risk Capital Fund, which is being shared across 37 sites in England at risk of "dereliction or demolition", a Historic England spokesperson said.The one-year initiative, funded by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), prioritises heritage sites serving disadvantaged communities and which demonstrate strong local benefits, from job creation to cultural events.
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BBC News
27 minutes ago
- BBC News
Yorkshire listed churches gain repair grants totalling £600,000
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The Sun
27 minutes ago
- The Sun
The 7 things you can get for FREE when your kids start school worth £4k – including transport and wrap-around care
WHETHER your child is heading to primary or secondary school in the autumn, sending the kids back to the classroom isn't cheap. Here, money expert Rosie Murray-West reveals seven things you can get for free ahead of your little ones starting school - and you could save up to £4,000. 1 The total cost for school uniform across your child's education can hit nearly £5,000, while after school clubs, holiday childcare and school meals bump the cost up further, according to a report by financial provider Shepherds Friendly. Fortunately, there are many things you can get for nothing at all, or just a few pence, that can help ease the financial burden. Here's how you can save thousands... School uniform Shepherds Friendly calculates that school uniform for the primary school years costs £2,470 and secondary £2,408. If your income is low, you may be able to get a grant towards the cost. These grants, sometimes limited to certain year groups, can be as much as £200. It's a postcode lottery over what your council offers, but often if you fit the criteria for free school meals you could get a uniform grant too. If you live in England, contact your council to see what's available. In Wales, all councils should offer £200 towards uniform for eligible students, while in Scotland it is at least £120. If you don't qualify, or your council doesn't offer help, check with the school itself as they may have a voucher scheme. Finally, joining the school parent Facebook page and checking on giveaway websites such as Olio may yield free uniform, while schools often hold second-hand sales selling uniform for pennies. The government is also limiting schools on how much expensive uniform they are allowed to require parents to buy. That means limiting branded items and trying to provide cheaper alternatives like iron-on badges. If you feel your school uniform is too expensive you can complain to the governing body. Morning breakfast clubs The government is rolling out free breakfast clubs in every primary school in England, offering half an hour of free childcare as well as food. It will take some time for these to be in every school, but once they are the government calculates they will save parents up to £450 a year. You can find a list of the first schools to offer the clubs on the government website. You can also check with your child's school when they plan to run the clubs. Free school lunches Children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 automatically get free lunches in England, while those in London receive free lunches for the entire of primary school. The London Assembly calculates that this saves families £500 a year per child. If you're outside London and your children are older, they can still get free meals if you're in receipt of certain benefits and earn below an income threshold. You can check eligibility on the government website and apply through your local council. Even if your child receives universal free meals, it is still worth applying for this as your school will get more money for your child, and you'll also be eligible for other funding such as free holiday clubs and uniform grants. Free and tax-free holiday childcare Children in receipt of free school meals can get free childcare in the holidays from the Holidays Activity Fund (HAF). This childcare, funded by the government, should offer at least four hours of activities a day for six weeks a year and should include at least one meal a day. Councils can open this provision to vulnerable children, so if you think your family could benefit and you have children with special needs, are on a low-income or have other vulnerabilities then do speak to your school. If you aren't eligible for HAF, tax-free childcare can take down the cost of childminders or clubs. This is worth up to £2,000 a year, depending on how much you spend on childcare, and you can apply for this if you earn under £100,000, are working and do not receive Universal Credit. To access this your child must be under 11 (or 16 with a disability). I've only ever bought one jumper and a shirt Janine McDonald uses swaps and local community resources to find school uniform for her two daughters – now 13 and 15. They're both in different schools, with different uniform, but Janine, who is a single mum, has limited the expense by swapping and finding donated items to fit both girls. She says: 'At both schools, they have a pre-loved uniform section, so you can go in and either swap something or buy it for just literally a couple of pounds.' In Manchester where Janine lives there are Gateway centres which are a 'one-stop-shop' for a wide range of council and community services. She added: 'The local gateway hubs hold a uniform Donation Point so you can just drop off any uniform there, and then anybody is free just to come and have a look and take anything that they need. 'I find they last absolutely fine, so I don't need to buy new. "I reckon that has saved me a couple of hundred pounds for each child.' Janine, who has taken her recycling expertise and turned it into a decluttering business Clear the Clutter Now, says that setting up or joining a community WhatsApp group is another way to get cheap uniform. The mum explains: 'In the streets around where I live at the end of the school year, we'll put on there, whatever age trousers we've got from whichever school, and then people just give them to each other.' She recommends that parents, as well as looking for free uniform, take school uniform lists with a pinch of salt. 'You get the uniform list, and sometimes it recommends, five pairs of trousers, or X number of this, X number of that,' she says. 'Realistically, you don't need that many. "You can always buy one to start with and top up if needed.' Transport to school If you've been allocated a school that's far from home you may qualify for free school transport, particularly if you are also eligible for free school meals. Everyone is entitled to free school transport if their child goes to the nearest suitable school and that school is: More than two miles away and the child is under 8 More than three miles away and the child is 8 or over There's no safe walking route between their home and school They cannot walk there because of a mobility problem or SEN If your child is eligible for free school meals the criteria are slightly wider. Your child may be eligible for free school transport if the school is: At least two miles away and they are aged 8-11 and it is their nearest school Between two and six miles away if it is one of their three nearest suitable schools and they are aged 11-16 Between 2-15 miles away if they are aged 11-16 and you chose the school because of your religion or belief Check your local council website on how to apply if this fits your family. You may be paid a 'personal travel budget' to get your children there yourself, or you may be offered taxis or buses. If there is sufficient public transport, your child will be given a bus pass. In some areas all school age children get free public transport – bus travel is free for teens up to 18 in London with a Zip card, for example. In other areas secondary school children can apply for a pass to take down the cost of transport. For example, in Kent, the Travel Saver saves 50%. Learning resources Paying for expensive tuition sites or one-to-one tutors can add up, but you can use the following sites for nothing to help your children learn. Oak Academy Free online lessons funded by the government BBC Bitesize Learning aligned to all curriculum stages from our national broadcaster Seneca A free learning platform for all curriculum stages with online quizzes Saving: Depends on usage Extracurricular activities Dance, sport, and music can add up, with the cost of a £20 half-hour music lesson ten times a term coming in at hundreds of pounds. But some extra curricular activities are available for free or very cheap. These volunteer activities can cost as little as £50 a year and may have grants for low income families Music lessons Schools and local councils offer music lessons for free to many low-income children, so if you are on free school meals you may find your child gets free music lessons in school. Or contact your local council music hub for more details. Exceptionally talented children in music and dance may get means-tested funding through the Government's Music & Dance Scheme to attend Saturday schools or ballet or music specialist schools.
BBC News
27 minutes ago
- BBC News
Telford's treasured WW2 book to be republished on VJ Day's 80th
A battered World War Two book telling the stories of people from part of old Telford who fought during the hostilities, is to be republished as part of events to mark 80 years since VJ (Victory in Japan) Day ended the global book, Hadley and District Welcome Home Fund's Memorial & Souvenir Brochure, was produced by a local newspaper at the time to raise money for those returning from the war, and only a few copies includes the stories of 500 people who fought in the war, including the units they served Jill Hine gave her treasured copy to the parish council and local historian Rob Davis has scanned each page to create an online version. The original will be kept in Shropshire Archives and the free online edition will be published on the anniversary of VJ Day next Day saw Japan announce its surrender to Allied forces on 15 August Hine gave her copy to Hadley and Leegomery parish councillor Phil Millward after the pair met at a summer fete. The parish council described the brochure as a "heartfelt tribute" to the men and women who served."It not only honours those who returned but also serves as a memorial to those who did not," the authority said the book painted a "vivid picture" of where people lived and where they served, offering "a deeply personal connection to our shared past".Millward said people would be able to find out who lived in their home, and maybe even discover the faces of long-lost relatives in the yellowing pages."There are still a few of these books about, but not many," he said. The Welcome Home fundraising effort began in October 1944 and the brochure, printed by Shrewsbury Chronicle and the Newport and Market Drayton Advertiser, cost two shillings and six old pence – about £4.92 46 newspaper staff served in the war, with one killed, six wounded and two taken members of staff who came back returned to their old jobs. This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
