St Mary’s Church Cheveley was recently restored with the aid of a grant of £3,000 and a loan of £8,000 provided by Cambridgeshire Historic Churches Trust (CamHCT).

 This has enabled us to provide new infra-red heaters to the North and South Transepts. We are now arranging for the South Transept walls to be made good and decorated.

 The Trust offers grants and loans to help congregations look after their historic places of worship. Their main source of income, apart from membership, is the annual “Ride and Stride”. Each September sponsored cyclists and walkers visit churches, chapels, and colleges throughout Cambridgeshire, sharing the money raised between the Trust and their local church.

 Details of the Trust’s work can be found at www.camhct.uk
Celia Bruce 7/8/2023

OUR PLAN FOR THE FUTURE:

Having completed our toilet extension in 2020, we continue to look at ways to update and/or upgrade the church facilities.

We are now fundraising to install heating in the North and South Transepts. At present, all social and children’s events are heated with portable patio heaters. This is not very eco-friendly, and they are expensive to run. 

In addition, we plan to repair and repaint the crumbling walls in the South Transept.

The long-term aim is for further modernisation, with improved lighting and updated flexible seating options. This will provide a more adaptable and friendly space with better access, for all the usual activities of a parish church (worship services, prayer meetings, youth events, baptism, weddings, funerals, etc.) and a wide range of community activities, school visits, concerts, exhibitions, performances, and meetings.

The modernisation will be done in several phases as time and money allow. Firstly, however, we need to start with the installation of heaters together with the repair and repainting of crumbling walls to protect them from further deterioration. The result will be a brighter more welcoming building.

We anticipate the cost of this phase of the project will be in the region of £25,000. We have already received one grant and are applying for several more, BUT, we will still need to raise a substantial amount from donations.

After that we hope to refurbish the Nave. The current space is inflexible with the late Victorian pews anchored to the floor. We would like to replace those in need of repair with chairs, the rest we would make free standing so we can re-configure the space to suit the occasion.

Our church conservator has recommended that the Victorian wainscoting be removed to allow the plasterwork behind to be inspected and repaired as necessary as it is suffering from damp. We will also take the opportunity to repair some loose and damaged parts of the parquet flooring.

Under the current circumstances, raising funds is even more difficult than before and fundraising events are difficult to organise.

Please will you help us to fund some of these costs? 

              Give a donation?

              Would you and your family sponsor the purchase of a new chair?  It can also be personalised with a plaque.

              Hold a fundraising event!

              Consider joining our 200 Club Lottery? You have the chance of winning a monthly prize, whilst helping us raise vital funds.

You can pick up an appeal leaflet from the church, download a copy from the website or contact the appeal organiser,

Celia Bruce on 01638 731601 or email stmaryscheveleytreasurer@btinternet.com.

Every penny raised will support our project plus all donations and grants will be publicly acknowledged.

BE PART OF THIS PROJECT AND KEEP THE CHURCH ALIVE

Updated January 2023