A WEST Dorset church has received a £370,000 grant to secure its ‘fit for the 21st century’.

St Andrew’s in Charmouth has been awarded the substantial donation by the Erskine Muton Trust, which offers grants for Anglican church buildings throughout the county in connection with the Diocese of Salisbury.

The money will be used for major reordering of the church’s interior as a step towards securing its future for the long-term.

Revered Stephen Skinner, rector of the Golden Gap team, said: “This grant will help us make St Andrew’s fit for the 21st Century – and beyond.

“This work will help us serve the wider community and our many visitors more effectively through concerts, exhibitions and our FreeXChange Café.

“It will also provide our regular worshippers and our Golden Cap Team with a state of the art base for mission and ministry, whilst preserving the beauty and prayerful atmosphere for which St Andrews is treasured.”

Plans for the church are set to include new heating, flooring and a brand new sound system.

The church team are also planning a complete redecoration of the church, which they hope to complete by working alongside local partners.

Congratulating the parishioners on their achievement, the Archdeacon of Sherborne, the Ven Paul Taylor said: “Huge credit goes to the Changing Spaces team at Charmouth and the Parochial Church Council, who have worked hard on these applications over the last two years.

“The Diocese will continue to support them as they move to detailed planning for the reordering.

“People have been praying and serving their neighbours at St Andrew’s for 150 years, and this grant will help ensure this continues for at least another 150.”

St Andrew’s has also submitted a matched bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund for major structural work that needs to be undertaken on the main tower. The results of the latest bid will be returned next month.