More than £15.7m has been made available by English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to help finance restoration schemes at more than 150 English places of worship.

Grants have been handed out under the joint Repair Grants for Places of Worship programme, which is designed to benefit a range of Grade I and II*-listed properties across the country. More than 1,300 places of worship have received a share of £123m since the scheme launched in 2002, with the Church of St John, Bethnal Green, London among the recipients of the latest award.

HLF chief executive Carole Souter said: "England's places of worship are a key part of our heritage but largely rely on the hard work and generosity of local communities and volunteers to keep them in good order. "This money will help support the passion and commitment of those communities and safeguard these precious and important buildings."