St Michael and All Angels church in Harston is celebrating the completion of essential building works costing nearly £47,000 with a special celebration service.
Yesterday (Sunday 3 October), parishioners gathered at a service of rededication and blessing in church to mark of the end of a restoration campaign which has seen the tower high-level stonework repaired, the tower roof replaced and new louvres provided to the bell openings alongside other much needed repairs.
The church was progressing towards its target when the coronavirus pandemic hit curtailing all fundraising activities and limiting the number of grant funding opportunities. Additionally, costs had risen by 5% since fundraising started. However, a grant from the Covid-19 Emergency Heritage at Risk Response Fund secured the final piece of funding and enabled the works to proceed.
Churchwarden, William Hurrell, said “We are only a small community of 28 households, so this represents a major achievement as we seek to care for our much-loved local church. There have been many challenges and difficulties which have been overcome to enable this work to be done. As well as local fundraising, we are hugely grateful to the nine trusts/grant bodies who have supported us, without whom this essential work would simply not have been possible.”
The PCC is thankful for the support received from Harston Church Fund Raising, Welby Trust, All Churches Trust, Leicestershire Historic Churches Trust, Jack Patston Trust, Garfield Weston, National Churches Trust, Congregational & General Trust, Hickinbotham Charitable Trust and Covid-19 Emergency Heritage at Risk Response Fund and the diocesan Church Buildings team at St Martins House.
If your church would appreciate help and advice about any aspect related to church building maintenance, repairs, alterations to the building, making buildings more environmentally friendly, or using them more imaginatively contact our diocesan Church Buildings Team.