THE FUTURE of one of Worcester’s most historic churches has been secured after it was awarded £221,500 from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
St Helen’s Church on Fish Street was granted the funding to carry out essential repairs to the 13th Century stonework on the building, which is one of the city’s oldest places of Christian worship.
The grant will also fund exciting plans to showcase the rich history of the Grade II Listed building for visitors and transform it into a thriving hub of community activities.
Repairs to the stonework will begin early next year, but the church is already gearing up to train a team of history ambassadors that will bring to life the story of St Helen’s fascinating past for school children and tourists.
The historic church is used by the community of All Saints on Deansway which hosts weekly services, a job club and a music-themed toddler group.
Over the coming months new activities will be introduced including tourist trails, history days, art exhibitions, health and wellbeing events, lectures and concerts.
It is believed the site of St Helen’s has been a place of Christian worship since at least the early 7th Century, pre-dating the monastery which later became Worcester Cathedral.
The oldest part of the existing building, the North Wall, dates back to 1288 but most of St Helen’s was rebuilt in the 15th Century before undergoing another major restoration in the late 1800s.
During the Second World War the church served as a soldiers’ club before an agreement was reached for it to become a branch of the county council’s Record Office in 1957.
And In 2003 the church was revived by the congregation of All Saints Church as a place of worship, prayer and community events.
Dr Rich Johnson, Vicar of All Saints, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to have secured this funding.
“It’s a huge vote of confidence in our vision for St Helen’s, which will enable us to embrace and serve the needs of our city for generations to come.”
Vanessa Harbar, the head of the West Midlands Heritage Lottery Fund, said: “We’re delighted that, thanks to National Lottery players, we can continue to support St Helen’s Church in securing this building for the future and sharing its fascinating heritage with visitors and local people of all ages.”
