There is a chance to win a private tour and lunch with a Monty Python star.

Comedian and writer Sir Michael Palin and his son, Will Palin, are offering to show one person and three guests around Sheerness Dockyard Church.

The 19th century church on the Isle of Sheppey was gutted by a devastating fire in May 2001.

More than 20 years later, it underwent a £9.5 million restoration and was converted into a business hub named Island Works.

The renovated place of worship was officially opened last year marking the final step of a journey which was on the cards for eight years since the Sheerness Dockyard Preservation Trust (SDPT) – led by chairman Will Palin - stepped up to help.

The site, which opened in 1829 as part of the complete redevelopment of the Naval Dockyard, suffered its first fire in 1881 and was forced to be partly rebuilt.

Following the closure of the Naval Dockyard in 1960, the church continued its status as a place of worship, before it was closed entirely in the 1970s and then used as a sports club. It was empty at the time of the 2001 fire.

However, the site was acquired by Swale Borough Council (SBC) in 2016 via compulsory purchase, where ownership was eventually transferred to the SDPT.

Renovation work then focused on restoring the building’s exterior to its original 1828 design through the reinstatement of its hipped roof and high stone parapet wall.

However, the church’s interior has been revamped creating a more modern design suited to the younger audience its rebuild has been completed for.

Now, visitors can win a private tour to learn about the Grade II*-listed building by Sir Michael Palin and his son Will.

Sir Michael Palin, who is also the vice president of church heritage charity, the National Churches Trust, said: “There must be a recognition that the local church still means something to the community.

“A recognition that English churches remain an enormously valuable part of our national heritage.

“For my part, I feel very strongly that if the idea of a community is to mean anything at all, then we must value the churches that are at their centre.

“Not just because so many are beautiful buildings in themselves, but for what they can still offer, as they used to offer, as havens, shelters, places of protection – places which it does not cost a penny to enter, and in which it will not cost you a penny to stay all day.

“We must not be afraid to try and use our churches, open them for believers and non-believers, and even ‘agnostics with doubts’ to enjoy.

“They are an archive of hopes, dreams, fears, skills, talent and troubles, which should surely be available to as many people as possible.

“They are a precious expression of our past. And it is the duty of our present generation to deliver them intact for the future.”

The private tour is one of 50 being offered to help the National Churches Trust raise funds to help keep even more churches across the UK open and in good repair.

The Going, Going, Saved! online auction opened on Friday (June 7) and will run until 5pm on Friday, June 28.

People can bid online at any point during this time.