Co-ordinator: Tony Mossman
Restoration of Velarde’s Masterpiece:
The first phase of the repair and restoration project of our church building has been completed and we are grateful to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for the award of a grant of £502,500 towards the cost of the capital works and our programme of heritage related activities.
Opened in 1953, our church was designed by the noted Liverpool architect Francis Xavier Velarde OBE and is nationally recognised and designated Grade ll* by Historic England for its architectural design. Velarde designed 17 churches of which 13 are in the north-west with 4 in the London area.
The recently completed work included re-roofing the church’s pitched and flat roofs, provision of extra toilet facilities and replacement of an external metal fire escape. The work on the roofs included the installation of a large amount of insulation which will increase the energy efficiency of the building.
Our heritage activities included the production, in printed and digital formats, of an exhibition illustrating the life and work of Velarde and information panels for heritage open days and group visits. We hosted talks by architectural and heritage experts and heritage groups were invited to visit the church. Our events were open not only to the local community but visitors who lived further afield.
Students from local primary and secondary schools also learnt about Velarde through art and photography projects. There were family heritage days and events for older members of the community who remember the building of the church and the development of the parish.
Now that the first phase has been completed we will start planning the second phase of the project which will include the replacement of windows, repairs to brickwork, redecoration of the interior and other minor works. The various heritage activities will also continue.
It is thanks to people who play the National Lottery that projects such as ours can be supported by the Heritage Fund.