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Norwich church raises £350k for new roof

RaiseTheRoofStMarksJust a few days after announcing it has raised £100,000 towards replacing the leaking church roof in a year, the PCC of St Mark’s Church in Hall Road, Norwich has learnt it has been promised £251,000 from the English Heritage National Lottery Repair Fund.

Parish treasurer Peter Phillips said: "The grant is in two stages: £25,000 for preliminary investigative work, and a further £226,000 towards the work itself.

"Once the roof is replaced, we will have to make good the internal plasterwork and redecorate, and it is our ambition to adapt the church to serve more purposes than worship without prejudicing the architectural integrity of the building. None of this work is covered by the grant.

While much of the other £100,000 raised has come from two substantial legacies, the vicar and the PCC have been touched by the response from both people who live near St Mark’s and those with connections with the church who have moved away, explained Peter.
 
StMarksLakenhamWebLess than two weeks after the appeal was launched, a lady from Canada wrote to say that she had read about appeal and sent a donation. A flower festival last summer raised £1,250, and three charity stalls on Norwich market netted over £1,000.
 
“We are grateful for sponsorship from the John Jarrold Trust and Kallkwik Business Design and Print,” said Peter.

St Mark’s Church was built in 1844 to serve the district of New Lakenham that had grown up between the old city walls and the village of Old Lakenham. It was designed by the architect John Brown and is distinctive for its gallery, unusual in an Anglican church.

Church treasures include the magnificent Art Nouveau Rood Screen, a gift of the Bignold family, which shows scenes of the life of Christ, and the Stations of the Cross in semi-relief plasterwork which go round the north, south and west walls of the church.

Since the demolition of the Roman Catholic church of Christ the King on Hall Road about 10 years ago, St Mark’s has welcomed the displaced Roman Catholic congregation who celebrate Mass there every Sunday evening.

In addition to Sunday services, the church is open on Wednesdays from 12 noon until 2pm and visitors are welcome to drop in for a cup of coffee, a chat or just some peace and quiet.

 

 

 
In the meantime, fundraising continues with a concert by Taverham Brass, sponsored by Hi-Span Ltd and H Young Structures Ltd, on Saturday April 26 in the church, starting at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £5 (£1 for under 16s) and are available from Prelude Records in St Giles Street or from the church on Wednesdays between noon and 2pm. 

Donations can be made to St Mark's renewal fund, C/O Peter Phillips, PCC Treasurer, 37 Welsford Road, Norwich NR4 6QA, tel 01603 452942.

 

Pictured above are Peter Phillips and the Rev Erik West-Lindell launching the appeal inside St Mark's.


Top picture courtesy of www.eveningnews24.co.uk



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