Church Appeal Update

The Friends of Fotheringhay Church wish to acknowledge the generosity of the Listed Places of Worship Roof Repair Fund for the award to Fotheringhay Church of the maximum grant amount of £100,000.

It is with gratitude and excitement, that the Friends of Fotheringhay acknowledge two more major donations. This time, £150,000 is from the 93 Masonic Lodges of Northamptonshire and Huntingdonshire. Representatives of the Friends were invited to a celebratory dinner where, in the presence of 366 Masons, the huge cheque was presented! This together with £50,000 from a longstanding and generous Friend have brought the total of receipts and Pledges up to £1,250,000.

Further re-evaluation of the costs of the planned work and the addition of one or two important facilities have resulted in the decision to raise the target to £1,500,000. Our hopes that £1,200,000 would be sufficient have proved to be optimistic. Fundraising from applications to grant giving trusts, individuals and by means of Events held in the Church continue apace.

Until the roof is removed in the autumn, we will not be able to judge precisely the extent of damage caused by damp penetration or the ravages of deathwatch beetle. Also we have yet to receive detailed cost estimates for all that is necessary to repair the windows. However, with those provisos we are fairly confident we have enough money to ensure the future structure of the building for another couple of generations.

With the recent wet weather proving somewhat testing both for our builders, archaeologists and parishioners…it has reinforced the urgency of making this wonderful edifice watertight as soon as possible. The urgent replacement of the drains to arrest rising damp and seepage from inadequate water disposal are well underway.

However, we do need to raise more to complete the necessary improvements in facilities for the growing number of visitors at services and events and for the disabled in particular. We wish to improve the in-pew heating system, the sound system and lighting, the disabled access and to install two toilets (one accessible) and servery facilities.

We could not have progressed so far without the major donation of £700,000 which has been made by the HB Allen Trust towards the extensive repairs to the roofs and the generous grants from WREN, The Bramall Trust, Augean, The Drapers Company, The Worshipful Company of Grocers, The Northamptonshire Churches Trust, The Fitzwilliam Family Trust, The Ironmongers Company and the Figgis Scott Trust.

Considerable generosity has also been shown by the Richard III Society and its members and a number of local businesses. Also the members of The Friends of Fotheringhay Church and the PCC who have made generous donations and who give so freely of their time to organise services and fundraising events.