The Monarch has given a quarter of the £200,000 needed for St Peter and St Paul Parish Church in West Newton to have its roof fixed, according to the church’s annual financial report. The late Queen Elizabeth II regularly attended Sunday services at the Grade 2 listed church when she stayed on the estate during her winter break. She would be greeted by a huge crowd of well-wishers before presenting the Sunday School children with their prizes and they would do a presentation for her at the end of January every year.
Almost £78,000 has now been raised for the roof fund, including donations from the local community and through fundraising with plant sales and a Christmas fair. The repairs needed include re-tiling the north slopes on the roofs of the Nave and the Chancel, as well as the organ loft roof and the transept roof. Cracks in the South East Chancel East Aisle walls also need to be stitched, and a programme of planned maintenance needs to be implemented to prevent further damage to the stonework.
A notice issued by the church states: “Dear Friends, after a recent inspection of the church we have been informed that our church is in urgent need of repair, especially to the roof. It is expected the works will cost in the region of £200,000, a daunting amount, but we are confident with fundraising events and the help of our local and wider communities we will be able to successfully raise these much needed funds. If you would like to save our much loved church please donate to the Help Save Our Church Roof Appeal.”
The church is also identifying grants to boost funds to ensure that work on the most urgent repairs can be undertaken before any further deterioration.
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