by Andy Gray
agray@thekmgroup.co.uk

Lottery funding has helped swell church coffers by several thousand pounds.
St Mary Magdalene Church in Stockbury received a £176,000 donation from the Heritage Lottery Fund and English Heritage.
It means much-needed repairs are a step closer to starting.
Rev Elizabeth Cox, at St Mary Magdalene for five years, said: “We’ve got massive repairs to carry out on the church tower and north porch, so the money will go some way towards it.”
The grant was awarded under the organisations’ joint Repair Grants for Places of Worship scheme.
More than £800,000 was granted to Grade I and II listed churches in Kent.
The congregation of St Mary Magdalene Church needs to raise £257,000 before repair work can start and fund raising has begun in earnest.
A quiz night was held in the village on Saturday, February 19 and other events are planned for the summer.
Rev Cox added: “Work is not going to start until spring 2012, so we’ve got time to get the money together.
“We hope other charities might offer us a small grant on the back of the lottery funding.
“But if anyone would like to give us £10,000, we would say, 'thank you very much’.
For more information on St Mary Magdalene Church fund raising events call Rev Cox on 01795 844241.