The Friends of St. Matthew’s Churchyard, Lightcliffe, has received £14,700 from the Heritage Lottery Fund for the sympathetic renovation of the old churchyard on Wakefield Road.

Led by volunteers, the project will create a peaceful, welcoming space in the middle of Lightcliffe that can be enjoyed by all the local community.

Over the next two years, The Friends group will use the Heritage Lottery funding to clear overgrown areas, improve paths, install information boards and seating, create trails around the churchyard to help visitors discover more about the wildlife and history of the churchyard and run educational events.

The group will also aim to encourage links with local schools, enhance the natural habitat and uncover and record all the memorial stones.