A Fife congregation forced to abandon its spiritual home has had its prayers answered with a lottery windfall.
Rosyth Parish Church has been pledged more than £200,000 by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Historic Scotland to help restore its B-listed building in the heart of the town.
Worship in the 82-year-old structure ended around nine years ago, when the congregation moved into St Columba’s Church.
A survey of the building found extensive dry rot and a need for costly roof repairs and general upgrading. Over the last few years local fundraising has taken place and members learned of the lottery grant of £104,600, matching that from Historic Scotland.
Deacon Morag Crawford said: “We’re delighted that the Heritage Lottery Fund has given us this grant. The parish church has been at the centre of life in Rosyth on its present site for over 80 years.
“Due to the state of repair, the congregation has been unable to worship in the building for some time and, as the town approaches its centenary in a few years time, this will allow the building to continue into the future.”
Session clerk Sheena Currie added: “We are pleased to see things starting to move forward and look forward to returning to the building in the not-too-distant future.”
Essential conservation work will be carried out, followed by the installation of eco-friendly heating, lighting and insulation and other work to make the building into a multi-purpose facility for worship and community use.
The news was welcomed by local councillor Mike Shirkie, who told The Courier: “I have been working with the church group and am delighted that they have been successful in the lottery bid because the restoration of the church is for a church and a community hub.
“It is hugely important for the town centre regeneration work.”
Mr Shirkie paid tribute to “a remarkable group” at the church.
“At one stage it was threatened the building may have to come down and a lot of people have carried out a lot of hard work to get to where they are today. This is a real lift for the town it is something of which we can be really proud.”
Rosyth was built as a garden city when the naval dockyard was developed in the early 1900s and the church was designed in 1930 by Hugh Mottram, a pupil of Raymond Unwin, developer of the garden city concept.
Colin McLean, head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in Scotland, said: “Rosyth Parish Church is an important part of the town’s heritage.
“Its striking architecture is part of Rosyth’s identity, while the community space inside is busy with people brought together through shared interests.
“The Heritage Lottery Fund is pleased to be able to help secure the future of this historic building as it nears its centenary celebrations and hopes that the community will continue to benefit from its existence for many more years to come.”