Six churches from across Yorkshire are celebrating this month after being awarded over £32,000 from the Yorkshire Historic Churches Trust (YHCT), including St Mary the Virgin in Woodkirk.
St Mary’s have recieved some £7000 to go towards window repairs in the church.
St Mary’s dates from around 1100, with the original tower still in place.
The remainder of the church was rebuilt in the 1830s after a storm blew in the roof in 1832.
The East window contains fragments of medieval stained glass that, but repairs are now needed in order to secure the window. 
The Revd Sharon Wilkinson, the vicar at St Mary’s, raised £4000 from a sponsored walk towards the coast of the repairs and is determined to see the project completed before she retires.
Revd Sharon said: “We are delighted to have been awarded this grant from the YHCT.
“Our beautiful East window is over 150 years old and is now in need of urgent repair to ensure it can be in place for another 150 years.
“St Mary's is well loved and much used by both the congregation and the local community, who have pulled together to help with fundraising.
“We have held tea parties, tours and open days to raise funds and I am undertaking another sponsored walk in September and am confident we will reach our target. "
The future of many churches is under threat due to crumbling roofs, windows and stonework.
The YHCT works to ensure these places of worship are kept in good repair, recognising the contribution they make to society at large and the support they provide to local communities.
The funding provides a vital lifeline to places of worship who have been unable to carry out their usual fundraising activities over the past couple of years, and at a time when many are increasingly providing a number of essential services to local communities, such as food banks and credit unions.
Tom Ramsden, Chairman of the Yorkshire Historic Churches Trust, said: “Thanks to the generosity of our Friends and donors, we have been able to support a wide range of places of worship.
“Over the past couple of years we have witnessed the important role churches play in bringing their local communities together and helping them thrive.
“Now, more than ever, they need our help to ensure those churches continue to support their communities for many years to come”.
The full list of churches receiving grants can be found at https://www.yhct.org.uk/news.