Canterbury is among more than 30 cathedrals to receive grants from a fund marking the centenary of the First World War.

The government has awarded 39 grants totalling £14.5 million for cathedral repairs in the second phase of grants by the First World War Centenary Cathedral Repairs Fund.

The grants come as cathedrals continue to show strong evidence of growing congregations.  According to the latest figures, in 2014 the average number of adults and children attending cathedral services each week was 36,600, an increase of 23 per cent since 2004.

Church of England cathedrals contribute around £220 million annually to the national economy through employment and tourism. They welcome more than 11 million visitors annually, employ more than 7,000 people and are supported by 15,000 volunteers.

Dame Fiona Reynolds, chair of the Cathedrals Fabric Commission, said: "Cathedrals are the beating hearts of their communities, offering sanctuary, beauty, collective history, and social and economic support to people of every generation.

"Cathedrals which benefitted from the first phase of this fund have been repaired and refurbished, and staff and volunteers have time and resources to serve their cities and regions with renewed energy. It is fantastic that more cathedrals are now able to benefit from this scheme.

"England's cathedrals are a wonderfully diverse group, encompassing not only vast, world-famous medieval buildings such as Durham, Lincoln and Canterbury, but also smaller churches like Wakefield and Leicester which were made cathedrals to serve the growing urban populations of the industrial revolution. These too have become jewels in the centres of their cities and their showcase to the entire nation, as we saw with Leicester Cathedral's events around the re-interment of Richard III."

Among the cathedrals, 32 are Church of England and receive between £15,000 and £870,000 each.

The most common repairs are roof repairs at Lichfield, Derby, Guildford, Sheffield, Liverpool, Rochester, Hereford, Carlisle, Southwell, Canterbury and Lincoln, ranging from to £250,000 at Canterbury to £750,000 at Derby.

Winchester, Wakefield and Worcester have been given funds to restore stained glass.

Lichfield, St Albans, Gloucester, Salisbury, York, Ripon, and Leicester have grants for stone work. The largest grant of £870,000 goes to Coventry Cathedral for re-fixing the exterior slates of the Chapel of Unity, dedicated in 1962 and circular in shape like a nomadic tent, which was designed by Sir Basil Spence.

Culture Secretary Karen Bradley said: "Cathedrals are powerful symbols of Britain's shared history. They are important not only for their architecture and heritage, but also for the vital role they play in local communities. I am delighted that the First World War Centenary Cathedral Repairs Fund will ensure that these wonderful cathedrals remain in a good state of repair and are preserved for future generations."

Sir Paul Ruddock, chairman of the repair fund's expert panel, said he and all those who love cathedrals were delighted when the chancellor announced a further £20 million for the fund in last budget. "It will now run until 2018 and the works it will have supported between 2014 and 2018 will stand as a very fitting memorial to the First World War a century earlier."