Celebrations as church repairs completed thanks to Lottery Fund
Parishioners at a village church are celebrating the completion of building repairs thanks to a £241,987 Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).
The church spire at St Denys’ Church in Aswarby had been deemed unsafe and had to be repaired before it could be used again by parishioners.
After a journey which has spanned three years, the work covered by the HLF has now been completed.
Work has been done to the tower, spire and drainage, with the spire having to be taken down several layers and rebuilt to its former glory.
Altogether, the HLF funded a grant of £219,087 towards this project, on top of a development grant of £22,900.
The money was awarded through HLF’s Grants for Places for Worship programme.
A committee was formed of residents and supporters of St Denys’ to manage the project, research and draft information material, undertake community activities and to raise additional funds to support the HLF grant for the work.
To mark its completion, the church has launched a range of information and educational material also supported by HLF, on the history of St Denys’ and the village of Aswarby and the life of George Bass, a British naval surgeon and explorer of Australia who was born in the village.
Other documents include a new guide book to St Denys’ Church and the village of Aswarby, informational banners and hornbooks, a leaflet outlining the famous explorers from Lincolnshire with links to Australia and a booklet/travelogue following the story of Mr Bass.
Chair of the committee Sonia Playne said: “We are delighted to reach the end of months of hard work and to see the glorious repairs and construction made to St Denys’. None of this could have been done without the significant support of the Heritage Lottery Fund and the National Lottery players.”
Jonathan Platt, head of HLF East Midlands, added: “We are delighted to return the spire to its former glory and celebrate the heritage of Aswarby.”
Parishioners at a village church are celebrating the completion of building repairs thanks to a £241,987 Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). (4476811)
