DRIPS and draughts will soon be banished at St Stephen’s Church – as a roof replacement project can now begin after many years of fundraising.

A grant of almost £286,700 for the work has come from the National Churches Trust, taking the appeal up to its target of £430,000. In the background to this success story are the dedicated and supportive congregation and community, who have diligently raised more than £60,000 during almost a decade of wreath-making, book sales, bazaars, and coffee mornings. Smaller but significant grants from other trusts have also contributed to the total.

The Grade I Listed church will be able to come off the Heritage At Risk Register thanks to the full-scale repair project.

With the work going ahead post haste, St Stephen’s has now held its last Sunday service until the scheduled reopening date in June 2022: services will continue though, inside the church hall next door.

Priest at St Stephen the Martyr is Mother Alison Hardy. She thinks that the hard work and commitment of church supporters put St Stephen’s in a good light when decisions were being made on bids for the Government’s Heritage Stimulus funding.

“It will be so good to welcome people in to a warm, dry church. The tarpaulins, drips and buckets will be a thing of the past,” she said.

“The congregation has raised a phenomenal amount themselves over eight to ten years. Our grateful thanks to all of the charities and funds which have supported us so far – and, the local people who’ve fundraised tirelessly on our behalf.”

This feeling was echoed by Church Council member Peter Broad, who said that each Christmas Wreath sale over “many, many Christmases” had contributed around £1000 alone.

“It’s been a long time, chipping away at the fundraising, and all the while moving buckets from place to place as the roof sprang new leaks,” he said.

“We’re itching to get started, and looking forward to repairing the roof and St Stephen’s being able to be open and the heart of the community again. Thank you to everyone for all the hard work and time that has been put in to so much fundraising. Our churchwarden, Eve Gabriel, has particularly shown great dedication in organising the monthly book sales and jumble sales, which even continued online during lockdown.”

The roof repairs will be carried out by a Chacewater-based firm, Specialist Stonemasons Ltd.

Duncan Wilson, Historic England’s Chief Executive, said:?“Funding from the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund is hugely welcome at a time when the people and organisations who look after our vast and varied array of heritage urgently need support to carry out essential repairs.

“Heritage is a fragile eco-system, with an amazing cast of characters who keep our historic places alive, with specialist skills that take time to learn and experience to perfect.

“These grants will also protect their livelihoods, as they use their expertise to help our heritage survive.”?

Looking ahead to the longer term, there are plans at St Stephen’s to install accessible toilets and a kitchen area so that the building can be more easily used as a venue for community groups and events: the village hall is usually fully booked, says Mother Hardy, and the church is a natural focal point.