The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has granted £1.8m for a restoration project in Lincolnshire.

The Benington Community Heritage Trust will use the funding to restore and re-open the closed church of Benington All Saints.

The church will be redeveloped as a community, events and heritage centre to be known as The Beonna at All Saints.

Essential conservation work will be carried out to the Grade 1 listed building.

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The Beonna Centre is to contain a number of facilities, including a community café, clubs and classes.

It will also become the staging areas for events such as concerts, exhibitions and conferences.

In addition, there will be opportunities for volunteers to learn traditional building methods and other heritage skills.

Vanessa Harbar, Head of HLF East Midlands, said: "All Saints is an important building with a long and distinguished history. This National Lottery investment will give it the new lease of life that it deserves and give the people of Benington a much-needed new community hub for everyone to use and enjoy."

The project is to begin in April 2016 and the Beonna Centre will open in 2017.

(LM/MH)