A HISTORIC city centre church has been handed a £10,000 boost in a bid to ensure its long-term future.
Staff and parishioners at St Helen’s Church are celebrating after the church, believed to be the oldest in Worcester, received the cash injection from the National Churches Trust.
The money has come from the trust’s repair grant fund and will go towards stonework repairs and urgent roof repairs.
Once completed, the work will also see the church Grade II listed church removed from the Historic Engald ‘Heritage at Risk’ register.
The National Churches Trust grant adds to support from the Heritage Lottery Fund which has awarded initial approval for a grant of £221,500 as well as £28,400 in development cash.
As the church is in a conservation area, the work will include clearing the gutters and tower of five years accumulation of bird mess.
Repairs are urgently needed with the building’s main roof leaking in heavy rain requiring buckets to be placed to catch the deluge, notably next to the main entrance.
Despite changes and additions over the years, culminating in a major Victorian restoration, the church remains a good example of how city centre churches would have looked in the Middle Ages.
The church houses many notable artefacts including the monuments of Anne, wife of John Fleet alias Walsgrove, (1600); Alderman John Nash (1661); and ‘Dud’ Dudley’s monument to his wife bearing his own epitaph.
Following the works, church bosses hope the local community and visitors can benefit from its prominent high street position, history and architecture.
The current repair project is a turning point for the church, showing St Helen’s is a significant cultural destination and beneficial to its community.
Rev Dr Rich Johnson, Vicar of All Saints which runs the church, said: “St Helen’s has a huge part to play in our efforts as a community to serve the needs of our city, so we are delighted this funding takes us another step closer to safeguarding its long-term future.”
“We have ambitious plans to transform this treasured place of worship into a thriving hub of activities for people of all ages to enjoy, including interactive trails, sports events, live music and inspiring talks,” he added.
Council chiefs at Worcester City Council are applying for City of Heritage status and the improvements to St Helen’s Church, with increased opening times and opportunities to engage with heritage, will contribute to their application.
A total of 41 churches and chapels in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland will benefit from a £247,205 grants package from the National Churches Trust, the UK church repair and support charity.
