A 120-YEAR-OLD church has been saved from closure thanks to the generosity of a local publisher.

Richard Parsons, founder of Co-ordination Group Publications (CGP), which publishes national curriculum revision guides for students, donated £100,000 to the parish of Broughton and Duddon.

The majority of the money will be spent on a new roof for Holy Innocents Church in the hamlet of Broughton Mills, and essential re-plastering work on St Mary Magdalene, in Broughton.

Holy Innocents was closed in September after the roof was deemed too unstable, but opened again in December after temporary repairs were completed in time for Christmas.

There had been fears that the church would close completely if funds could not be acquired for permanent repair work, but the church remains open and the new roof is due to be installed in the spring.

For full story see the January 11 edition of The Westmorland Gazette.