Grant Funding for St Andrew's Church in Soham, Cambridgeshire
St Andrew's Church in Soham has been awarded initial support totalling £315,000 (£270,000 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and £45,000 from Historic England) to progress plans to restore the building and involve young people in learning heritage skills.
Development funding will help St Andrew's Church to plan the major project, including conducting specialist surveys and piloting activities with local community groups.
The church dates from the 12th century, and its huge tower is visible for miles around in the flat fen landscape. Olaudah Equiano, a freed slave whose autobiography was crucial to the abolitionist movement, married in the Grade I listed church in 1792.
The church has been on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register since 2018 due to the poor condition of the church’s roof and the danger of falling masonry. With the church suffering extensively from damp, major repairs are needed to prevent further deterioration and make the church an inviting community hub.
Plans currently being developed for the restoration involve repairing leaking lead roofs, replacing rotten timber, and essential stonework repairs to the tower. New heating and lighting systems will reduce the church's carbon footprint and running costs.
St Andrew's will continue developing their partnership with Soham Village College to inspire careers in vital heritage skills like stonemasonry, carpentry, leadwork and blacksmithing. This ambition builds on previous successes of projects supported by the Heritage Fund, where heritage building skills workshops at the church resulted in 2 students actively pursuing careers in flintknapping and heritage carpentry.
We're pleased to be working in partnership with The National Lottery Heritage Fund and the local community to support St Andrew's Church in Soham. This collaborative approach is hugely important for giving new life to our precious heritage. Together, we're not only investing in the church's restoration but creating opportunities for young people to develop vital skills, inspiring the next generation of craftspeople and strengthening community bonds. I look forward to seeing this important Grade I listed building thriving once again at the heart of its community.
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