Repairs Summary:
A review of the external fabric of the building in the Spring of 2015 identified some serious deterioration to the exterior of the building, in particular the roof and walls. As a result, a comprehensive survey was commissioned by the churchwardens. The report highlighted serious issues such as significant water ingress and structural weaknesses which need to be fixed to reduce the risk of significant failure and irreparable damage to historic fabric, in and outside the building.
The report prioritised areas of concern, with the most urgent points being the poor condition of the roof coverings, which has already led to problems with water ingress in some areas. It was recommended that the PCC implement a thorough overhaul of the roofs to remove inherently poor and defective detailing within the next 18 months.
At the same time, demand was being made of church facilities such as catering for weddings, funerals and christenings; communion meals on occasions such as Maundy Thursday, Training days, & social events which could just not be delivered owing to a lack of facilities, poor heating and no flexibility of table and seating arrangements with fixed pews.
As a result, the ARC project (All Saints Repair & Care) was initiated to address not just the issues with the fabric of the church but the future provision of service to our community. A vision for a multi-purpose venue serving the needs of the community beyond Sunday services was created. An environment that would provide:
- Seven day a week use of the church
- Flexible use of space for different services
- Hosting multi-event evenings
- Facilities for being able to provide hot meals & buffets for events & services
- Flexible seating arrangements
- Reveal hidden original features
To achieve this the building will need to have upgraded facilities such as a kitchen servery installed which will also require improved drainage, electricity and water services. The heating will need upgrading. Insulation improved, redecoration and renovation.
Phase 1:
The first phase focused on replacing the eastern roofs and valleys covering the Lady Chapel, the Chancel, North Chapel and organ, fixing some of the damaged stonework and drainage repairs. Work started in Summer 2017, with the building work completed in November 2017.
The cost for this phase was £162,535 + VAT (which we were able to recover). From the money raised we were able to rollover £49,113 to start the 2nd Phase.
Phase 2:
The next phase of work was completed at the end of 2019 at a cost of £159,273, and this included the replacement of all the roof tiles on the south aisle and porch, replacement of guttering and pipes, repairs to stonework and internal decoration of the porch.
We were able to roll over £10,661 in donations with a balance of £63,430 also remaining from the PCC designated funds.
Total Project Cost (of these and further phases):
Phase 3 work may have been put on hold due to COVID-19, but the Fabric team are still busy working to put together the list of repairs to be worked on next.
To complete all of the repairs and make needed improvements, we are looking at having to raise around £750,000 in total.
