Aston Le Walls

ST. LEONARD’S CHURCH RESTORATION FUND

As you probably already know, the PCC of St. Leonard’s decided to start a 5-year programme of repairs to our lovely village church last year, 2009. This was a huge decision but there has been no major repair work done for over 100 years, and the Quinquennial Inspection that we were obliged to carry out at the end of 2008 identified that parts of the structure are in urgent need of attention. The financial figures are enormous and we are fully aware that, for such a small village, raising this will be very challenging. Parts of St. Leonard’s have been here for over 800 years and it cannot be our generation that fails to look after such a wonderful building. The facts are these:

1. We have a list of urgent repairs and health and safety works that needs to be started as soon as possible. The cost of these works [approx £5,400] will be paid for out of existing Church funds.

 2. We have urgent restoration work to do to the Tower [re-pointing and replacing eroded stonework] which will cost approximately £40,000 [including the cost of the scaffolding]. We want to undertake this work this summer [2009] and so we need to start raising this sum now.

 3. Further repairs and restoration work to the rest of the building and to the wall on Main Street will be done during 2010, 2011 and 2012 and, especially as the Church is a Grade 1 listed building, we shall be applying for grants and funding from the usual authorities and trusts. The initial estimate for this major work is £140,000.

A meeting was held on 30th March 2009 in the Village Hall, where a plan of fund raising events was launched. An amazing number of ideas were discussed and Ali Hawkins and Susan Fagg agreed to act as co-ordinators. Please do contact either of them to discuss any idea, however large or small. Each one is very welcome. There will be a Calendar of Events on display inside the Church which will have all the events and information posted. And the fundraising has already started with £2,200 being raised from a concert in the Church. So we have begun!

The figures for this 5-year plan are truly eye-watering, and we are therefore asking for some serious donations to our fund. A covenant of £10 per month per person over a year gives the Church £120. If 100 people in the village could pledge such a covenant, we would receive £12,000 in the year [and that is before Gift Aid would add an extra 28%]. This is an effortless way of raising a substantial sum. And, of course, every one-off donation, large or small, would be very welcome! Covenant forms are available if you are able to give a regular donation, however small.

We need a huge amount of help but we are certain that, Churchgoers or not, our friends and neighbours in the village will help us fund this vital work on our much-loved Church.

Those involved in this appeal would like to say a huge thankyou to all those who have given to the appeal, the total at the end of December 2009 was a magnificent £20,167 (with an additional £4,000 approx to be recovered in gift aid). Please see the Aston Le Walls events calendar for all the exciting events planned for this year.

 

 

 Why not sponsor ?

 

the purchase of a new stone block for £50 a square metre of pointing for £75 or a day’s hire of the scaffolding for £150

 

Alternatively any donation, however large or small would be greatly appreciated. Regular donations would also be very welcome – please contact the Treasurer, Susan Fagg on 01295 660886, for a Covenant Form. There is a book at the back of the church for you to record your name and a dedication if you wish. Printed below you will find a form which you can copy and paste into a word document and use to make a donation to the appeal, otherwise contact any of the church wardens or Susan Fagg on the number above.

If you would like to contribute to this appeal please send your donation, cheques payable to St Leonard’s Church PCC.

 

To The Treasurer, St Leonard’s PCC, 5 Plowden Close, Aston le Walls, NN11 6UE Thank you.

If you are a UK Tax Payer please complete this gift Aid Declaration to enable us to claim £2.80 for every £10 that you donate.

Name ……………………………………..

Address ……………………………………

……………………………………

Post Code ………………………..

I would like the St Leonard’s PCC to reclaim tax on my donation.

Signed …………………………………..

Date