A community's spiritual leader has been inspired by a new wave of support for an ancient parish church.
Rev Canon Sharon Jones, rector of the Saddleworth Team, was “encouraged” by the many people who visited the historic Grade 2* Saddleworth Church to sign the condolence book for the late Queen Elizabeth 11.
The church had lost its fundraising momentum during the Covid pandemic, but says the Canon: “We are now very much back on track.”
Heritage Lottery Fund did not support the church’s bid for £1 million. But after a meeting with a keen bunch of locals at the weekend, she says they are now looking at finding smaller funding sources and enterprise partnerships.
She said: “The St Chads community has an ambitious scheme to restore the building and reorder the internal structure.
“They plan to create a more flexible space to accommodate cafe and meeting facilities while retaining the character and worship of the building.
“There is also a desire to create a heritage centre for those who come from across the world tracing their family histories. There are extensive archives held in St Chads.”
She went on: "Following from the Rushcart Festival and Heritage Weekend and the death of The Queen, hundreds of people visited the church and spoke of its significance for them and for their families, going back generations.
“Saddleworth Church is custodian of the memories of a whole community. But costs are prohibitive without substantial external partnerships.”
She added: “The Church of England is steward of church buildings, throughout the country, on behalf of the nation.
“The majority of folk live under the misapprehension that the Church of England provides funds to keep our local buildings open and in good repair. For all we would like that to be the case, they do not do that.
“The churches are maintained and safeguarded purely through voluntary donations, legacies and small grants (sometimes). We may not like this or agree with it, but it remains the fact.
“Saddleworth Church needs people to invest in it and partner with us to see the potential and recognise the possibilities.
“We desperately want to keep St Chads open for the community, but it is only the community who can enable this to happen,” she declared.
Known as the ‘Parish on the Moor’ the church is registered by Historic England as a Grade Two building ‘at Risk’ and was rebuilt in 1831-33, on a hillside above the village of Uppermill.
There has been a place of worship dedicated to St Chad on the current site for 800 years. For further information contact Rev Canon Sharon via Cofeinsaddleworth.org.uk
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