Gloucester Cathedral has welcomed a new trainee stonemason after receiving a share of £535,000 in funding for heritage training.

Tony Murphy is one of 21 stonemasonry and joinery trainees at English cathedrals to benefit from the funding from the Hamish Ogston Foundation and Cathedrals' Workshop Fellowship.

The funding, designed to help ease the uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic, is the first phase of a five-year, £2.8million project to expand heritage training at English cathedrals.

Mr Murphy was looking at losing his place on the CWF's two-year foundation degree course, but the funding has enabled him to take up a new placement at Gloucester Cathedral to complete his training.

He said: "I am passionate about furthering my skills and deepening my knowledge and experience as a crafts person.

"The broad range of teaching, work-based learning and professional development provided by the CWF is an invaluable opportunity for me. I am incredibly grateful to the HOF for their support".

Master mason Pascal Mychalysin said he was delighted to provide the final stages of the the degree course.

He said: "It is vital that we can continue our training activities in the here and now to protect our heritage for future generations, and we are hugely grateful to the Hamish Ogston Foundation for stepping up in this time of need."