CAMELFORD’S Methodist Church recently held its first open day since the completion of the refurbished roof, inviting members of the community to see the changes made to their cherished church.

Situated in the centre of town, Camelford Methodist Church has been an integral part of the community since 1837. It is open every day to the public, and holds Bible studies, discussion and prayer groups and a Sunday School.

The church is vital for the use of organisations such as the Royal British Legion, Prayer for the Nation group, and Camelford Town Band.

Taking place last Thursday, the event celebrated the internal and external refurbishments made to the church roof, which was in dire need of repair due to its poor state, including missing slates and a serious case of woodworm, which caused structural problems and could have potentially spread throughout the whole building.

The church received a bulk of funding from Heritage Lottery Fund, who provided the church with £111,000 to go towards carrying out the urgent repairs. As well as this, the church received grants from Methodist Connexional Grant Scheme, Cornwall Historic Churches Trust and Camelford Town Council, as well as private donations from members of the church and the local community.

To be able to receive the grant in the first place, the church had to show the HLF that they had been fundraising with the community.

They have held several open days, selling cakes, tea and coffee, as well as holding ‘bric a brac’ stalls. Additionally, the church also held a ‘Sign a Slate Day’, where members of the public paid a donation to write a message of one of the slate tiles which would be placed on the roof.

Paul Dennis, a member of the church and who was passionate about applying for the project to be carried out, said: “The Heritage Lottery Fund was keen to see community efforts towards the project; the whole fundraising process has been about knitting in with the community.

“The Methodist Church is an iconic building; it’s in the centre of Camelford. The community and various groups get a lot of use out of it, such as the Camelford Band and the Girl Guides.

“We’ve had a lot of local support, and we’ve had an amazing team of helpers supporting us along the way.”

Stephen Caddick, the minister of the Camelford and Week St Mary circuit, said: “Through our own renovation fund, the church has done tremendously well to raise funds. But the fundraising doesn’t stop there, we will need to have a stair lift to the toilets fitted in the future, so we still need to raise funds through these open days and other events.”

During the open day, conservation architect for the project, Jeremy Chadburn, from Launceston, gave a talk and presentation about the process of the renovation, and the difficulties faced.

He said: “Community building was an important factor, and the project aims at reviving that. The earliest version of the building, which was a small chapel, was considered a gem. Over the years, the developments to the building have allowed the church to become central to the community, and I hope it continues to do that.”

Along with guests such as Jonnie Starr, the building contractor, and Laura Joiner from the Heritage Lottery Fund, four apprentice students from Sir James Smith’s Community School in Camelford also attended the presentation. The presentation allowed them to gain knowledge into what the process of renovating a listed building involves, something that they may have to face in the future with their careers.

According to Mr Chadburn, the builders faced countless problems, from missing tiles in the roof, to snowstorms of dust in the loft, water in the insulation and a serious case of woodworm.

He described the project as ‘a detective story’, being able to find out why the church got into its previous state, and what could be done to solve the problem.

It is clear that the urgent repairs have drawn a positive reaction from the community, with many members of the public attending the open day to see the improved changes made to their town’s beloved Methodist Church.

Fundraising is set to continue as it is hoped that a stair lift will be fitted in the future.

The members of the public that went along to the open day seemed pleased with the results. They were also able to buy some delicious cakes and items from the ‘bric a brac’ stalls, have a chat with friends, whilst remaining hopeful for the future of Camelford Methodist Church.