DEVELOPMENT funding of £13,000 has been awarded to St Cybi's church to repair its damaged ceiling.

The Parochial Church Council (PCC) received the support from the Heritage Lottery Fund for their 'Keep our Church Open' project.

The campaign was launched to restore full and safe access to the whole of the church for community use by investigating and repairing damage to the 18th century ceiling of its nave, whilst protecting the medieval and post-Reformation wall paintings on the walls beneath.

The funding has been awarded to help the PC progress its plans to apply for a full grant at a later date.

The project will go on to investigate the conditions within the medieval walls of the building that are further threatening the future of these important paintings and to make them safe.

Within a redecoration programme, an expert will investigate whether more art work is concealed behind damaged plaster and conserve all the paintings. With safe and full access restored, the church can become again the community place for worship, baptisms, weddings and funerals, and a large space for gatherings of the whole community. It will also allow the building to become again the venue for tourists interested in old country churches and for parties of students of all ages to be able once more to investigate the inter-relation of church history and architecture and this church's place in the history of religion in South Wales from earliest times.

The PCC aims to provide learning materials to assist the various groups to understand and enjoy what they see.

The PCC are delighted that the Heritage Lottery Fund has generously agreed to help them on their quest not to be the "generation that lets this lovely and interesting building fall into oblivion".