We are please to announce that St Philip and St Jacob Church, Bristol, has received a confirmed National Lottery grant of £249,600 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for critical roof repairs.
The Grade II* listed building is thought to be the oldest centre of Christian worship in the Bristol area. Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, the project will repair badly leaking roofs and guttering over the nave and chancel.
The works are desperately needed following a number of past lead thefts. These have been patched with a temporary rubber membrane that is also now failing. Water leaking through the roof has resulted in widespread damage throughout the building.
An initial development grant of £18,600, awarded in December 2016, allowed the project team to undertake key surveys and investigations in preparation for the project. This phase was completed in December 2017 and the church has now been awarded a further £231,000 delivery phase grant; the grants make up 66 per cent of the total delivery costs of £375,294.
The PCC have also been awarded £20,000 from the National Churches Trust, which will help to cover some of this cost. The rest of the funds will be covered by PCC contributions and by claiming eligible VAT through the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme. Work will begin in May 2018 and is scheduled to last for 6 months.
After the repairs have been completed, the building will go from one that is in a considerable state of disrepair and on the edge of closure due to safety concerns, to one that is watertight and that can be used, visited and enjoyed by the community for the years to come.
The city centre area around the church is developing rapidly. The need for community space is already very high and is going to increase significantly in the next five years. St Philip and St Jacob Church is inundated with requests for space to hold various community and charity activities, some of which have to be declined due to the state of the building.
Tim Silk, vicar of St Philip and St Jacob, said: “There has been Christian worship on this site for over a thousand years. As a church in the heart of the city, we are longing to love and serve our neighbours. This historically significant building plays a key role in how we can do this. We are very grateful for this grant which will help us steward the church site into its next season so that it may continue to be used for many years to come.”
Nerys Watts, Head of HLF South West, said: “We are delighted to support St Philip and St Jacob Church to carry out urgent repairs and engage new audiences with this much-loved local landmark. Thank you to the National Lottery players who have made it possible.”