Mary Keeley, Chairman of the Friends of St Ruan and St Grade, who have been spearheading the fundraising efforts for the church. On hearing the news of the award, she was thrilled, and said:
“I want to thank the National Churches Trust, Wolfson Foundation and Headley Trust for their generous grant awards. We have worked so hard in our tiny community to rescue this church which is held in such affection.”
“Prior to this award, we had raised £90,000. £30,000 of this was from several small grants and £60,000 from the community – an astonishing commitment from a Parish of under 1,000 people. This award represents a 50% increase in our funds and has completely re-energised our campaign. We can’t wait for the work to be done so it can be a welcoming space once more and used for a variety of performances, exhibitions, and workshops that visitors and our community can enjoy.”
Sheila Stephens, the Church Warden and member of the Parochial Church Council, said:
“Receiving this grant has exceeded all our expectations and shows our community that their efforts have been worthwhile. We can’t wait to see this church restored to its former glory and now it seems our dreams can become a reality.”
“Every winter has been a battle against the elements, the church is in a very exposed and elevated position and takes the full force of the brutal Cornish winter storms. Replacing the roof after 160 years is long overdue and thanks to this generous grant within touching distance.”
How the grant will help the church
The roof slates will be replaced. New gutters and drainpipes will be added. All of this will make the building watertight again.
Significant help for churches
87 churches across the UK will stay open and in good repair thanks to £735,326 – almost ¾ of a million pounds – of funding awarded and recommended by the National Churches Trust in this latest round of grants.
In 2023, the National Churches Trust made over 180 grant awards to churches throughout the UK, with funding totalling more than £2 million. This has helped to save over 70,000 years of precious heritage.
The National Churches Trust helps churches through our extensive grants programme. Grants are available for churches of any Christian denomination that are open for regular worship to fund urgent repairs, maintenance, installing toilets or kitchens and feasibility studies to develop projects. Full details are at: nationalchurchestrust.org/grants
About the National Churches Trust
Since 1953, the National Churches Trust has provided funding of more than £130 million to support the UK’s church buildings. We are an independent charity and work with churches of all denominations and are UK-wide, providing support, training and advice to keep UK churches open and in good repair. www.nationalchurchestrust.org
- In 2023, with the support of the National Heritage Lottery Fund, the National Churches Trust launched Cherish, a new three-year support programme for churches in Scotland, Wales and the North West of England. This is bringing experienced support officers to help local people deal with the challenges of looking after church buildings and £1 million of extra funding for repairs and maintenance. https://www.nationalchurchestrust.org/get-support/cherish-support-scotland-wales-cymru-and-north-west-england
- In 2024, the National Churches Trust launched Every Church Counts, a six-point plan on how to save the UK’s church buildings. It offers a blueprint for how these buildings can be kept open and in use. Find out more at: nationalchurchestrust.org/everychurchcounts
About the Wolfson Foundation
The Wolfson Foundation is an independent charity with a focus on research and education. Its aim is to support civil society by investing in excellent projects in science, health, heritage, humanities and the arts. Since it was established in 1955, some £1 billion (£2 billion in real terms) has been awarded to more than 14,000 projects throughout the UK, all on the basis of expert review.
Website: www.wolfsonfoundation.org.uk
Twitter/X: @wolfsonfdn
About the Wolfson Fabric Repairs Grants Programme
Wolfson Fabric Repairs Grants are made on behalf of the Wolfson Foundation by the National Churches Trust. The aim of the programme is to support the conservation and restoration of places of worship with outstanding historic and architectural significance. Churches can apply for the grants of up to £10,000 to support repairs to the fabric of their buildings such as roof repairs, masonry repairs, rainwaters disposal and drainage and floorwork.
For more information visit www.wolfson.org.uk/