Fundraising

We are delighted to announce that the application for the Development Phase to The National Lottery Heritage Fund for our project has been successful! The award of £33,274 for the development of our project “Forncett – a Village of Stories : The Restoration of St Peter’s Church” represents approximately 70% of the total expenditure of £47,740 for this phase. This wonderful news means that in 2023 we will be able to undertake the next stage of Development work which will allow for more detailed evaluation of the requirements to remove the church from the Heritage at Risk Register and as a result to make the building watertight, safe and secure. The Development Phase will also therefore include fabric investigations and the production of a full and costed works specification. Also critical to the Development Phase is our continued consultation with the local community in order to help shape the project Activity Plan, which will detail a range of new public engagement activities and a new interpretive scheme to be delivered at the church.  

We are tremendously grateful to the Heritage Fund and to players of the National Lottery for making this possible.  We will now continue to raise the partnership funding for this year’s work which will be in the region of £14,500. This is already planned through VAT recovery, applying for grants from other bodies including £3,000 pledged by the Round Tower Churches Society, and money raised by the Friends of St Peters through their hard work and the generosity of the community. The next big milestone will be our Delivery Phase application, which should be before the end of 2023, when we will be asking the Heritage Fund for a further grant in the region of £526,000 towards the actual repairs and activities.  Formal discussions have now begun with the Heritage Fund with the ‘Start up’ meeting happening this month. We will give further updates as work proceeds.

Our architect, Ruth Blackman, will now be able to understand more of the problems affecting the building as shown on this drawing of repairs needed to the East wall of the Chancel. Drawing Thanks to Ruth Blackman.

January 2023

Details

Written by: Project Steering Group

Published: 27 January 2023

 Porch roof - deeply eroded joints and voids in the flint upstand. Photo: R Blackman

St Peter’s Church, Forncett St Peter, has received a much needed financial boost from the government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund to help fund specialist investigations during the corona virus pandemic.

The £24,000 grant will allow essential surveying and investigative work to determine the causes and extent of water penetration and cracking of flint and stonework which critically threaten this 1000 year old, Grade 1 listed building. Last February a large area of plaster fell from the wall so this grant comes just in time. St Peter’s will be able to commission the many specialists needed to draw up specifications for competitive tenders for the essential repair work. Is there a hidden wall painting at St Peter’s as reports from a Victorian restoration would suggest? The fallen plaster and funds for investigation will also help answer this question.

Lifeline grants from the Culture Recovery Fund are designed to protect heritage sites and ensure that jobs and access to culture and heritage in local communities are protected during the months ahead. St Peter’s, with it’s thousand year old round tower, considered one of the best in the country, is immensely grateful for this crucial support.

Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden, said: “These grants will help the places that have shaped our skylines for hundreds of years and that continue to define culture in our towns and cities. We’re protecting heritage and culture in every corner of the country to save jobs and ensure it's there for future generations to enjoy.”

Grants of up to £25,000 are being allocated to cherished heritage sites, like St. Peter’s, across the country to cover urgently needed maintenance and repairs. This vital funding comes from a part of the Culture Recovery Fund called the Heritage Stimulus Fund and is administered on behalf of the government by Historic England. As well as rescuing precious heritage buildings in need, the injection of cash will protect livelihoods for some of the most vulnerable heritage specialists and contractors working in the sector.

Areas with a risk of falling masonry and emergency drainage are cordonned off. Photo: A Rae

 This is a vital step in St Peter’s massive fund raising project organised by the Friends of St Peter’s Forncett, for over £750,000 needed for repairs to roofs, walls, floors and rare monuments. Updating community facilities – currently a portaloo in the churchyard, a kettle in the vestry and an antiquated heating system which means the church is too cold to use during the winter – is a priority so that St Peter’s can become a thriving community centre for everyone, alongside it’s active spiritual life. Grants from Norfolk Churches Trust and The Headley Trust are already helping and an application will be made to the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Community support has been amazing, raising nearly £10,000 despite Covid meaning it has not been possible to hold any events.

Reverend Lydia Avery, Priest in Charge of St Peter’s Church, said, “This generous funding from the Culture Recovery Fund, will make a huge difference to the restoration of St Peter’s Church and gives hope to our community for its planned future as a vibrant church and community hub.”

Duncan Wilson, Historic England Chief Executive said: “Historic places across the country are being supported by the Government’s grants awarded under the Culture Recovery Fund. This funding is a lifeline which is kick-starting essential repairs and maintenance at many of our most precious historic sites, so they can begin to recover from the damaging effects of COVID-19.

“It is also providing employment for skilled craft workers who help keep historic places alive and the wheels of the heritage sector turning. Our shared heritage is an anchor for us all in these challenging times and this funding will help to ensure it remains part of our collective future.”

Cracks in the flint walls. Photo: A Moskvina

Details

Written by: Ally Rae

Published: 20 February 2021