The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has awarded a Round One Pass of £12,900 which will enable St Mary's Church, Llanfair Cilgoed to develop their plans to apply for a full grant at a later date.

The community is delighted with this initial award, which means significant progress can now be made towards planning the £75,000 project to repair the roof and drainage, replace dangerous electrical wiring and broken windows, remove overhanging trees and other urgent work.

The restoration will secure the future for this charming, grade II listed, Victorian chapel set in farmland on the Three Castles Walk near Cross Ash. Work is expected to start later this year, once all the funding is in place, with completion by late 2013.

St. Mary's Church was opened in 1843 to replace a ruined medieval chapel formerly part of a Cistercian Grange and Celtic hermitage where monks and lay brothers farmed from the 13th century. The first tasks will be to investigate and make safe the electrical wiring and undertake tree surgery to enable access for roof repairs.

A significant part of the project will be to re-instate leaded lights in the lancet windows, which were removed some years ago.

The news of the HLF award comes at the time when local people are working hard to raise funds by holding a Grand Promise Auction.

Many local businesses have responded generously providing items to auction, including a week in a holiday cottage.

A Harvest Gift Day will be held later in the year and other fund raising events are planned.

Commenting on the award, the Priest in Charge, the Rev'd Dr Jean Prosser, said, "Local people are working so hard in this very small community to raise funds and this award is just the encouragement needed to really get the project underway.

St Mary's church is open every day and many walkers on the Three Castles Walk and other visitors fall in love with its peace and tranquillity. We have some way to go, but I have no doubt that the commitment and determination of local people will ensure the church is there for Christenings, Weddings and quiet contemplation for several generations."

Jennifer Stewart, Head of HLF in Wales said, "Wales' many churches are an important part of our shared heritage and are strongly associated with the local identity of the communities they serve.  We are thrilled that this project has been awarded an initial grant so that the project can now go ahead and develop its plans further to compete for a firm grant award from HLF".