CHURCHES across North Yorkshire have benefited from grants worth more than £20,000 to boost their tourism potential.

The money for the county's Church Tourism Initiative has come from various sources, including the National Lottery, the Countryside Agency and Yorkshire Forward.

Almost 50 churches are taking part in the scheme, which is designed to improve resources to encourage visitors.

Projects include the creation of church trails, leaflets, guidebooks, audio-visual presentations, information panels and displays, as well as improvements to lighting and signs.

Among the beneficiaries is St Gregory's Church, in Bedale, which used its grant to pay for a story trail for children, designed and made by members of the congregation.

The trail consists of five activities, introducing children to the stained glass, wall paintings, carvings, tapestries and sculpture found in the church.

The church's tourism officer, Catherine Megson, who had the idea for the trail, said: "It is a wonderful way of encouraging children to explore the church and to learn more about this amazing building.

"They can touch the carvings and sculpture and learn about the stories that are shown in the windows and on the walls - it is a brilliant way of bringing the building's history and heritage to life."

The aim of the initiative is to raise the profile of North Yorkshire's churches as places of interest for visitors, by highlighting the cultural, heritage or spiritual experience that can be enjoyed by people of all ages.