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The Church.
The Parish Church at All Saints' Church Lawton is facing major restoration problems.
The Problem.
Three of the major parts of the work required to keep the building functional are: -
• The Tower roof which,
was built in 1545, urgently
needs repair .
• The North East corner foundation of
the church is sinking. The nave was
widened following the fire in 1798.
Although the original foundation is still
sound, the foundation for the extension
was built partially over sandy ground and
it is this that has started to give way.
• Electrics –These have not
been improved
since the fifties
and now require
a complete rewire.
We need to raise £150,000 to enable the above work to be undertaken and to keep within modern safety standards. Other projects will also have to be undertaken over the next decade which may add up to a further £100,000.
The financial responsibility falls on the Parochial Church Council and the people who use the building. We have been able to maintain the building over the years ( routine maintenance costs) mainly from the weekly collections and from other income that the church has been able to generate . We have just spent £23000 restoring the graveyard wall. The major costs required to restore the building as detailed above are beyond the church congregations' means
The First Step.
In July 2004 we launched an appeal for funds for the above work and 3,000 leaflets were printed and the majority delivered to the homes within the Parish.
We will be approaching various grant giving organisations to help with the funding. In most cases these are made on a pound for pound basis. We will need to raise £75,000 locally for the grant giving organisations to match.
Publicity.
We have been interviewed by Radio Stoke which was broadcast on 9 th & 12 th of September to help to publicise the project and appeared as head line news in the Congleton Guardian dated 8 th October.
An account has been opened for this project which is called “All Saints' PCC Building Fund”. The capital in this fund stands at present at £5,100, which means we still have a long way to go in order to meet our objective .
The Commitment.
This will be an ongoing project and parts of the work will be undertaken in stages dependent upon the funding received. We will need continuous support if this project is to succeed. We already have a small number of people who have committed to monthly donation by standing order and have filled in Gift Aid forms.
We need your support in order to preserve this historical building for the use of future generations of this community and preserving 800 years of heritage and history
For more information please contact the Rector Graham Joyce or the Treasurer John Atkins. Gift Aid forms and standing order forms are available from the church and the treasurer.
What happens if the funds don't
materialise?
No one wants to think about this possibility. The reality is that the building needs urgent repairs today. If we are unable to do these our church will fall into further disrepair and we will have no option but to stop using it for public service .
We are encouraged by the initial response to our appeal, but we need much more help than has been promised so far. Please do whatever you can to help us prevent the closure of All Saints' Church. A donation form can be printed from this website.
Church Restoration.