Nave Roof Project Appeal
September 2024
Information on Nave Roof Re-tiling -Clifford Miller (PCC Secretary)
A contract to re-tile the Nave Roof has been signed with a start date of Monday 7th October (duration of project 18weeks) with a finish date of 21st February 2025). This grade 2 listed building was built in 1851 and the original Nave roof will be replaced. The work will be carried out by Ward & co who replaced the Chancel Roof in 2017.
Working arrangements-the Church will not be open to the public for the duration of the project and there will be a corrugated 4-metre-high wall around the Nave and a corrugated roof put in place. The side gate will be used for unloading/loading materials and the timber blocks removed. Construction vehicles will be parked by the Lych Gate. Working will be between 7.30am and 4.30pm. Weekend working is not expected.
The usual Sunday 11am services will continue each week in the Village Hall. For special services (Carol Services and Christmas Day) the Nave may be opened.
The Monthly “Coffee and Chat” morning will be held in the Village Hall as will the next Social History Event (16th November) and the Ukelele Concert (6th December).
The budgeted project cost is £180,000 (contract plus extras). A bat survey has revealed we have several species in the church and costly arrangements have to be made to protect and rehouse them in 3 Bat Boxes. Funds raised are about £20,000 below the project cost so we will continue to apply for grants and carry out fund raising.
Our thanks to all who contributed funds for the project by donations and attending fund raising events. Legacies were also received. Significant grants came from several charitable trusts and we thank Douglas Brown for the considerable time spent on completing the detailed and complex grant applications.
Our appreciation and thanks also go to the Nave Project Team lead by Tanya Sims who have been working on this for 4 years. A place for our community and worship ready for another 100+ years.
Update January 2024
As a community, we have been looking at ways to encourage the community spirit across all aspects of village life. In parallel, our church quinquennial reports of 2008, 2012 and 2018 reiterated the need to undertake significant repairs especially to the chancel and nave roofs. The chancel roof and adjacent stonework repairs were completed in 2017 using generous bequest, grants and some church reserves.
How far have we come? What have we achieved to improve the building, to make it more fit for use for all potential visitors and users, to insure that our 170-year-old church is around for generations to come. The church, together with the village (church) hall, is a key asset for all; we are looking to make our building more flexible so that it can be a community hub as well as a place of worship.
The three phases of the project:
1. Critical aspects to our project: to re-tile and insulate the nave roof and repair the external stonework. The 2018 report reiterated that the nave roof, in particular the ‘north slope, has suffered from continued deterioration and is in need of complete stripping and recovering.The established cement mortar fillets are showing signs of deterioration, (for example there is a missing section of the mortar fillet to the lower end of the South slope adjacent to the West gable. It is most probable that the nave and chancel roofs are not insulated.’
Further bequests, donations, grants and church fundraising have raised £150,000. But we still need to find a further £40,000 in order to processed with the nave roof repairs.
2. Proposed improvements to the church that we are considering:
• To upgrade the heating system with environmental considerations to reduce energy consumption (£20,000)
3. Smaller projects completed:
• Two pews have been removed in the quiet space, meeting area
• A moveable ramp has been purchased to improve disabled access
• The lighting throughout the church has been upgraded to energy saving LED
• A donated sound system and hearing loop has been installed.
Our current focus is to complete the critical phase one of the project, making the church weatherproof, protected and insulated.
The chancel project provided us with the necessary experience to manage church.
The committed team of skilled volunteers who have been regularly meeting to oversee all aspects the whole project’s implantation. Generous donations from the local community have allowed some of the next phases to move forward in a minor ways.
How you can help us
If you are able to help us safeguard our beautiful church, please contact Mrs Sarah Blythe by email sarahblythe001@gmail.com for further information. Cheques should be made payable to- Cadmore End PCC (or St. Mary Le Moor Church where it will be directed to the Nave Roof Appeal Fund.
Bank transfer to Account number: 01432358 Sort code: 30-94-28 Give.net https://www.give.net/20216260
