Church and community leaders, and congregations, were delighted with the funding, described by the Rt Rev Martin Seeley, Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich, as “tremendous news”.
St Andrew Church at Brockley received the largest grant of £84,400 from the Listed Places of Worship Roof Repair Fund, while St Bartholomew’s, Groton, received £39,000, All Saints, Hundon, £65,500, All Saints, Hacheston, £55,000, St Mary’s, Great Bealings, £51,200, and St Nicholas Chapel, Gipping, £42,700.
Others to receive grants were St Mary’s Church, Combs, £35,400; All Saints, Chevington, ££21,800; St Peter and St Paul, Alpheton, £19,900; All Saints, Little Bealings, £18,200; All Saints, Gazeley; £16,500; and St Mary’s, Thornham Parva, £13,300.
Combs, Chevington, Hundon and Groton were targeted by lead thieves.
Bishop Martin said: “This money will make a huge difference to worshippers at the successful churches across Suffolk who work so hard to raise funds, often with fantastic local support and fundraising events, supported by the communities they serve.
“There were 42 applications from PCCs in this diocese so while we can celebrate the 12 successful applications there are 30 disappointed PCCs. We are urging these PCCs to find out why they were unsuccessful as this may help them in future grant applications to the Heritage Lottery Fund, for example.”
South Suffolk MP James Cartlidge, working with other MPs in the county, pressed the Department of Culture, Media and Sport to secure changes to the grant aid rules so that churches where lead had been stolen – “ransacked for purely nefarious reasons”, he said – could receive money.
He said: “I am absolutely delighted that four of the Suffolk churches who have received funding from the LPOW Roof Repair Fund are some of those that suffered from lead theft last year.
“I am especially pleased that St Bartholomew’s Church in Groton, one of the affected churches in my constituency, has been awarded £39,000. I know that this will be a huge relief to their small community who would have found it very difficult to achieve the level of fundraising necessary to complete the repair work. I am confident that these funds will help to make good the damage that they have suffered.”
David Lamming, Groton Parochial Church Council secretary, said: “This is great news, in response to which the whole Groton community will rejoice.
“The lead theft, coming only three months after the happy visit to Groton in June 2015 by US ambassador Matthew Winthrop Barzun (direct descendant of former Lord of the Manor of Groton and Pilgrim Father, John Winthrop) put a damper on what had been a good year for the parish. Now, we can all lift our spirits again.”
- Published in the EADT
