St Mary’s Church in Homersfield given new lease of life after securing National Churches Trust funding

A south Norfolk Church has been given a new lease of life after parishioners raised thousands of pounds to pay for desperately needed repairs.

Residents across Homersfield and beyond have chipped in with donations to help raise the £120,000 needed to pay for essential repairs to the roof and tower at St Mary’s Church, in Church Lane.

Last summer parishioners raised £2,800 through a ‘Great Big Film and Music Sale’ – selling CDs, DVDs and vinyls that had been donated from residents from as far away as Lowestoft.

“The support from people in the local community has been really brilliant,” said Parochial Church Council secretary Lucy Hammond.

“People have been really generous in helping us.

“We had people donating records to us from Harleston, Lowestoft and all over the place.”

The Church also held a series of quiz and bingo nights to raise money, yet the lion’s share of the funding came courtesy of the Heritage Stimulus Fund, part of the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund.

“We couldn’t have done it without the grant funding,” added Mrs Hammond, who lives in Homersfield.

Claire Walker, CEO of the National Churches Trust, added: “The funding is a vote of confidence in the future of historic church buildings and a recognition of their importance to society.”

Work has now begun on the Church, and is expected to finish in May this year.

“It will be neat and tidy and we won’t have rainwater dripping through in the middle of services, added Mrs Hammond, 53.

“It’s going to be watertight and safe for the next hundred years, and that’s what we’re most proud of.”