Bread from vicar’s oven helps to pay for church repairs

ESSENTIAL repairs to St John’s Church are almost complete.

St John’s Church is in desperate need of money as it is facing a huge bill for repairs to the floor and tower. But its planned fundraising events have had to be cancelled. One way it is trying to bring some money in is through the daily baking of bread and cakes, with the products for sale on a stall outside the church. Vicar the Rev. Matthew Barrett and daughter Hannah, left, have been joined by Pam and Mark Cummins, who live in the vicarage wing. (Picture by Adrian Miller, 29286552)

But now the church community is trying to find ways to pay the bill.

A host of fundraisers had been organised for the start of this year, but have been postponed or cancelled.

The repair work began last summer to deal with damp problems, including a leaking roof and rotted timbers in the church tower. Then, as work got under way, extensive dry rot was found under the floor of the church.

Vicar the Rev. Matthew Barrett said he was relieved the floor had been repaired.

‘They removed all of the rotten area and they have now filled the hole with concrete,’ Mr Barrett said.

The Rev. Matthew Barrett hopes the scaffolding on the repaired tower will come down soon.. (29286556)

Work on the tower is also very nearly finished. All that is left to do is replace the lightning conductor and flag pole and for the clock to be re-gilded.

Mr Barrett said the church had been waiting for a UK specialist to do the clock work.

‘But now Ian Lihou is doing it,’ Mr Barrett said. ‘He’s been fantastic and is very passionate about clocks.’

It is hoped the scaffolding will be taken down this summer. The church is ready to reopen as soon as lockdown allows.

However it needs to look at covering the cost of the work, which was more than £150,000. Because it is not a parish church, there is no support from the rates.

‘We had quite a few events planned for January, February and March, so they have all had to be cancelled,’ Mr Barrett said.

‘But one thing that has been the saving grace is our hedge veg box. It’s become a real community space. We’ve been baking bread every day and there is also cake. It’s just fantastic.’

The box outside the church was there before lockdown, but since the restrictions tightened, Mr Barrett has had more time to bake so there is bread in the box most days, except Sundays.

‘They all go within one hour,’ Mr Barrett said.

Pam and Mark Cummins, who live in the vicarage wing, saw how well the box was going and also offered to bake. Mr Barrett’s daughter has also started baking cakes for the stall.

Saturday morning has become the busy time, with around 100 items going out in the box, which are all bought quickly.

‘It has been amazing, the interest,’ Mr Barrett said.

While this has helped support the church fundraising, there is still another £80,000 that needs to be raised. Mr Barrett said they were planning events for the summer, such as barn dances, concerts and a fete, if lockdown restrictions allow.