From the chair:

The ball is definitely rolling now!  A lot of (largely unseen) activity has been going on, but we now have some very positive news to share.

Firstly – the faculty notice was unchallenged, so that meant we could complete the paperwork, which we did.  ECH have now submitted the petition to the church authorities.  It will take a few weeks to hear anything, and that might be a request for more information or clarification – but it might also mean we have permission to move ahead with the repairs.

Secondly – we have now received costings from the architects for the repair work to the church.  Astonishingly, but perhaps unsurprisingly, the projected costs of a few years ago (about £130,000) have increased dramatically.  More work has been added (the South Aisle roof needs a lot of work), but in the end the estimated costs are over £500,000. 

That ½ million quid *only* repairs the church and allows it to begin to dry out.

So thirdly, we have had to decide on the Lottery funding application.  The National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) has two schemes – up to £250,000 and over £250,000.  The mechanisms and timescales for the two types are very different.  So the committee took the decision to apply for a smaller application of up to £250,000.  Even so, that doesn’t mean we are asking for £250,000 for repairs – we must deduct VAT, include contingency, and allow for non-building activities.  Those other activities are likely to be managing a closer relationship with the village school and engaging with the wider community, which will also include a more professional and comprehensive website; both of these will take money.  So overall we will apply for a grant of £250,000 but expect it to fund about £160,000 of repairs.

The good news about doing a smaller (!) project first is that we build credibility with the NLHF and can complete that project more quickly (it could be completed before the end of 2026).  Additionally as soon as that project is properly underway, we can start to plan with the architects the remaining repair work and the Elm Community Hub as well.  We now have an ambitious target of submitting the second project application in 2026 and starting the full project in 2027.  It seems a long time away – but we only came into existence this year, and I think the committee (with a lot of help from the diocese) has done a grand job getting us to this point.

In preparation for the above we have created an account at the NLHF.  Our first step is a formal project enquiry: this is a set of questions intended to prove we are who we say we are and fully describe how the project will save heritage and enhance the community.  That enquiry form (and the questions on it) should have a second draft for comment by the committee on Tuesday, after which we will forward it to the diocesan expert in Ely to check before we submit it to the NLHF.  Then we have to wait a bit before we can submit an actual grant request, but hopefully only a matter of weeks.

So our timelines are (very roughly) :

• August – get the NLHF grant application under way
• September – begin discussions with the school about the projects we can run to help bring the community and the church together
• October – have a full grant application under way with the NLHF
• December – (hopefully) grant approval.
• January/ February 2026 – obtain quotes and select contractors
• Sometime around March 2026 or later – start the repairs to the church building.