Looking after a historic church can be overwhelming at times – especially if it is in poor condition. Where do you start in order to bring the building back to life? St Macartan’s (The Forth Chapel) in Augher, Northern Ireland, commissioned a survey from a conservation accredited architect, which ended up being a catalyst. The need for repairs marked the start of a journey to increasing visitor numbers, regular maintenance being carried out, and an impressive Church of the Year award.
Understanding the building: how a survey can help
“Everything started about twelve years ago,” explains Mary McGee, who works on the project team at St Macartan’s.
“We got a new parish priest, Canon Noel McGahan, who has been excellent in terms of getting things done right. One of the issues we had at the chapel was our windows. We have beautiful stained glass windows, but the wooden frames they were set in were completely rotten.”
At services and through the parish newsletter, Canon Noel asked if people could volunteer to help keep the church in good repair. This is when Mary, who worked at the local council, stepped up and began volunteering.
“So, we got somebody from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to come and take a look at the building, to see what funding or support might be available,” shares Mary.
“They recommended that we get a survey done of the building, just to see the full condition it was in.
“We got a really good heritage conservation architect, Chris McCollum, to do the survey, and we also asked him to do a little research piece. From that, we found out how significant the windows actually are; they were made at the Harry Clarke studio in Dublin and were installed in 1922.
“There was a heritage group here [at the church] in the 1970s, which knew all about the windows. But as new generations came in to look after the church, that history had been forgotten. So, the research definitely gave us a better understanding of the building and its history.”
By learning more about the building, the team were well prepared to manage the repair project and to share the chapel’s story more widely.
Making a big project manageable
Success for the Forth Chapel didn’t come overnight, and there were obstacles that the team faced along the way.
“One of the biggest challenges we faced was finding funding for the window repairs,” says Mary.
“The administration and application forms can take time. But we got lots of help from people in heritage that we had connections with. That meant we were able to get funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, from the National Churches Trust’s Treasure Ireland project, and from a couple of other funders.”
A lot of work has gone into transforming the chapel, but by breaking the project into smaller phases, it hasn’t overwhelmed the team. For example, by starting with repairs to four of the eight windows, instead of trying to do all of them at once.
“Part of the advice we got at the start was not to overpower ourselves,” explains Mary.
“There are pros and cons to that. It does make the project longer, and it means that you keep having to go back for funding. But doing it incrementally makes it so much easier to get started and not to burn out.”
Breaking the project up also meant that progress was visible to the community, keeping the level of interest and engagement high throughout.
“Around the Forth Chapel, people love to see things being repaired, maintained and cared for. And that’s really what we’re doing, and it’s what has spurred us on. Parishioners now look at the windows, and their frames are beautiful, and they hear the bell ringing again.”
Don’t be afraid to ask for help
While the project team did a lot of the work, they continued to ask for help along the way, which has helped enormously with fundraising efforts.
“So many people have supported the project...Lots of local people donated, but they have helped in other ways, too. For example, we got funding through the Hugo Trust because somebody had a connection and knew about it. So that made a big difference,” continues Mary.
St Macartan’s also got help through contacting the National Churches Trust’s Treasure Ireland support officer, Nina McNeary. Thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund and lottery players, the National Churches Trust has support officers based in every UK nation, enabling our better provision of advice, relevant to the nation, for people who care for church buildings. As well as support officers from the National Churches Trust, many denominations now have local officers who can provide similar support.
“Nina came down to visit the chapel, and she was hugely enthusiastic about the building. We got grant funding through the [National Churches Trust’s Treasure Ireland] project, but she provided a lot of wider support, too,” explains Mary.
Support officers can provide advice on buildings materials, maintenance and upkeep, grant funding and much more.
By asking for support in the local community and from funders, the Forth Chapel was able to get the funding it needed, as well as project support to help keep things on track. This helped them to complete the first phase of repairs successfully and to find creative ways to engage visitors.
Tourism success
The Forth Chapel is located on the Ulster Way and on the Carleton Trail, in the Clogher Valley; a popular tourist spot. The church was already attracting visitors, but having discovered more about its history, the team decided that they could do even more.
“When we started out, we did a community survey, asking for ideas and recommendations. That’s where the idea for a heritage trail developed from, and it meant that local people trusted us,” shares Mary.
“As a condition of our first The National Lottery Heritage Fund grant, we did a whole week of talks [about] the Forth Chapel. We talked about the windows, we did an art exhibition with young people, and we did guided tours. We do European Heritage Open Day every year, too. So, we do lots of community events.
“We also try to engage with young people, so we do a guided tour with primary school children. The whole thing has been fantastic, and it’s been great for the tour guides, too – they’re very much involved in the project.”
This chapel has made a name for itself as a top tourist destination in the area – attracting visitors from as far afield as New Zealand. And it all started with an architectural survey, which led to a repair project that engaged people from the local community and further afield. The church’s success was also recognised at the National Church Awards, where it won ‘Church of the Year’ in 2022, having impressed the judges as a church that’s open, available to all and well supported by the local community.
For churches: Top tips for your place of worship
- If you do not know much about your building, but know it needs repairs, commission an architectural survey. This will help you better understand the issues with the building and identify solutions, and/or help you to know more about the heritage of the building and how to protect it, while keeping your building open and in good repair.
- Work with a conservation accredited architect. This is really important if your building is listed or has heritage inside that is of local or national significance; many grants for listed buildings will be contingent on having one attached to the project. Conservation architects understand old buildings and what materials to use to ensure any repairs will not harm the building.
- Consider breaking a big project into phases to keep it manageable. While it might take longer to address issues one by one, it might make fundraising more manageable and could help ensure your project team won’t get overwhelmed by the amount of work they face.
- Be ambitious. Projects of any size can be a lot of work, but can also present tremendous opportunities and be the springboard to a new chapter for your place of worship. Consult with your congregation and the local community, so you can make the most of any repair project and take opportunities to open up your building and showcase the craftsmanship on site during the project, as well as the end results. You never know who might be about to walk through the doors – your newest, most committed volunteer or your next donor.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help. A project of any size can be daunting, especially if you don’t know what to expect or where to look for funding. The National Churches Trust Church Engagement Team can help. Also consider talking to your denomination too as well as churches nearby that have carried out recent repair work.