A CHURCH which has been at the centre of the Leominster community for hundreds of years is undergoing essential repair work thanks to a funding boost.

The work is currently under way at Leominster Priory – most particularly to repair uneven and unsafe floor surfaces and to repair weathered and decayed window mullions.

It comes after the church was awarded a £5,000 grant from the National Churches Trust to complete the work, which is being carried out by Treasure and Sons of Ludlow.

The Priory, which has stood in Leominster for centuries, is a Grade I listed building.

The work will enable the church to continue to be used first and foremost as a place of worship, but also as a venue for public events and concerts, and an important tourist attraction.

The Rector at the Priory, the Reverend Mike Kneen, said: "Completion of this vital repair work will enable us to continue to use this magnificent and historic building for generations to come".

Other funders to help on this project are the Garfield Weston Foundation, the Allchurches Trust and the Herefordshire Historic Churches Trust.

More than half of the funding has come from the Priory's own resources.

The National Churches Trust is the only national, non-profit organisation dedicated to supporting and promoting churches of all Christian denominations in the UK.