American dollars will help to preserve Pixley Church for future generations, thanks to the initiative of a local parishioner.

John Crothall, of Mainstone Court, attends St Andrew's Church, Pixley, but works regularly in the United States.

Mr Crothall is a regular contributor to a fund called the Episco-palian Church Foundation in the USA, and he contacted the foundation about St Andrew's, which needs re-roofing to a total cost of £100,000.

As a result, the foundation has made a grant of $34,000, around £20,000, towards the work on the medieval church, which narrowly escaped closure five years ago when its congregation had been reduced to just one.

Now eight people attend regularly and two services a month take place at the Grade II listed church.

The need to re-roof the 700-year-old building was identified during a regular check by the diocesan architect last year.

Pixley vicar, Rev Howard Mayell, said: "This is great news. We are going to buy some new Bibles, but the rest will help with the re-roofing, which will be carried out in the next 18 months.

"The oak roof structure is covered in hand-made clay tiles. The work on the wood and the tiles and other associated repairs will cost £100,000 and the church has already received a grant of £67,000 from English Heritage."

The latest windfall means that the lion's share of cash for the work to go ahead has now been found.

Mr Mayell said: "We are really grateful to John and Jean Crothall and we are stunned by the generosity of the Episcopal Church Foundation."

The foundation was created in 1949 as a body that is separate to the Episcopal Church, America's Anglican community, but able to lend "crucial support to programmes and initiatives to the church's life and mission".