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Grantee churches update - July 2020

In the first of a new regular feature, we find out about work in progress at some of the churches which have received grants from the National Churches Trust.

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You can find information about all the churches, chapels and meeting houses we have helped on our grants map.

Our work is funded by our supporters, trusts and foundations, and not by church authorities. You can help us provide more grants to help churches by making a donation online.

  • Holy Trinity,  Colden Common, Hampshire - Awarded a £5,000 Cornerstone grant in November 2019

The project will install kitchen and toilet facilities into the church.

An innovative fundraising plan to 'personalise a plank' will see supporters name a secretly recorded 'forever' in part of the church. Using pyrography pens, people will be able to brand the underside of 100 floorboards.

 

This grant has helped to  pay for the cost of the rodding of downpipes, as well as a drainage survey.

The rodding reduces the risk of water damage to the building, thereby helping preserve the heritage of the building. The drainage was the precursor to fixing the ceiling which was hazardous enough to preclude use of the building.

The works have paved the way for more sustainability and allows more community use of the building, and also enables the church to rent out space when it is not being used for community activities.

 

  • St Helen, Stillingfleet, North Yorkshire - Awarded a £3,000 Foundation grant in March 2019

This grant is towards the casting and fitting of two hopper heads to replace a wind damaged unit, repair a gravestone and renew a ceramic gully.

 

  • St James, Nunburnholme, Yorkshire  - Awarded a £5,000 Foundation grant in November 2019

 The grant is helping repair masonry and repoint walls,  part of a larger renovation project.

The roof is now free from leaks, which means that the external and internal structure and fabric will no longer suffer from water damage. The building is now in much better condition, securing its use for the future and making further repair work more feasible and justifiable.

Repairing the roof ensures that use of the church can continue to be expanded, increasing its value to local people and increasing support from the wider community.

 

  • St Petrock, Timberscombe, Somerset - Awarded a £10,000 Cornerstone grant in July 2020

The grant is funding a project to help install an ambulatory accessible toilet in an area of the existing vestry, and a servery in the south aisle of this church in rural Exmoor.

Work commenced 16 March 2020 on the new accessible toilet and servery works. Diggers were brought into the churchyard and a trench excavated to lead from the vestry across to the churchyard wall so that the mains drainage and other services could be brought in. Works halted only four days later due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The site was secured, but has meant that for many weeks the visible disruption was only too visible for passers by in the village to see. This was upsetting and unfortunate, and an only too obvious indication of a most unexpected challenge. Thankfully work has now resumed under the new COVID-19 guidelines and the project is well underway.  A report by the archaeologist explaining findings in the churchyard is expected soon.

 

The project includes replacement of the fixed wooden pews with chairs, the installation of a kitchenette and building a new fully accessible toilet to the side of the entrance porch. 

There have been two surprises so far. Firstly it was believed the floor tiles in the sanctuary did not go underneath the plinth on which the altar stood. But on removal, instead of finding a rough area which need levelling,  a lovely tiled floor was revealed. This gave proof that the plinth had been a later addition. 

On removal of the wooden floor of the nave, a plinth believed to have housed the original pulpit was found near the north wall at the front of the nave opposite the current pulpit.

 

Find out how our grants can help your church