A MAJOR project to repair and refurbish Haworth's Victorian-era parish church has received an £11,500 funding boost.

This cash comprises three grants from a trio of organisations which have agreed to help fund the much-needed improvements to the historic building in Main Street.

The Garfield Weston Foundation has made a grant of £7,500, the All Churches Trust £1,500 and the Beatrice Laing Trust has contributed £2,500.

Haworth Parish Church has recently undertaken the repair and restoration of its north-facing roofs and those works are expected to be completed by the middle of July.

In addition to the roof repairs that have been grant-aided by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Yorkshire Historic Churches Trust, the church has been planning to make changes to its interior at the west end of the building, and these works will be completed before the church is re-opened for services.

The works will include the provision of a toilet and fully-equipped catering area. These will enable the church to provide better facilities for its congregation, as well as the many visitors to the church which contains the tomb of the Brontë family.

The north door entrance is being replaced by a specially-designed reinforced glass door which will allow easier access.

Reverend Peter Mayo-Smith, the rector of Haworth Church, said: “We want our church to be as welcoming as possible.

"The new facilities will enable us to offer better hospitality at our religious services, as well as to our visitors and to people who attend the frequent events that are staged within the building.

“The design of the new facilities is intended to blend in with the existing surroundings of the church as we are conscious that not only is it a religious building but one that has important historical connections.

“Importantly, the new toilets have been designed to be accessible to both able bodied and disabled people, which is a significant improvement on what we are currently able to offer.

"And we’re also hoping that once these improvements are complete and fully operational the church will be able to stage more concerts and community events.”

Repairs to the church's south-facing roofs and tower were finished in July 2012.

The property dates from 1879 and was built to replace an earlier church on the same site which had become unsafe.

The foundation stone of the present church was laid on Christmas day in 1879 by Michael Merrall, a local mill owner, who contributed £5,000 of the £7,000 needed to complete the new building.