‘All Saints Church Mackworth, Restoring the Tower and Spire: securing our future’ made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund! All Saints’ Church Mackworth awarded grant by The National Lottery Heritage Fund to restore the tower and spire and so secure the future of the church and its heritage. Today, All Saints Parish Church at Mackworth in Derbyshire is announcing a £229,751 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund towards the estimated total cost of £429,751 to repair its tower and spire and secure its future. The church was burnt down in December 2020 and is being rebuilt by our insurers but the tower and spire, which remained mainly intact after the fire, were in desperate need of repair as centuries of wind and weather had taken their toll. Without this very generous grant funding, not only the tower but also the long-term future and sustainability of this well-loved church would have been under threat. The rebuilt Grade 1 listed church is also set to become a community resource alongside its important role as a historic place of worship. The growing parish on the outskirts of Derby currently has no building available for community use and the reopening of the church will provide it with a new, inclusive and accessible place for the community to meet up and enjoy social activities. The vital repair of the tower and spire, made possible by this grant from National Lottery players and The National Lottery Heritage Fund, will complete an eight-year project allowing the church to reopen in 2028. Work on the tower and spire will begin in Spring 2027, as soon as the main fire-damage work to the walls and roof of the church is completed. The grant funded repair of the tower will allow the important parish clock and bells to be restored into use once again. Alongside the repair work and preservation of Mackworth’s heritage, the grant will also fund an exciting community history project to document and share the stories of this significant difficult period in the 800-year history of the church and its recovery. We look forward to collecting stories and memories of people in Mackworth whose lives have been touched by this special place, and later in the year will be starting that collection in earnest. In the meantime, please look out for further information in local news, online and in social media. We hope also to raise public awareness of the importance of looking after our natural world by enlisting volunteers to join with us in putting swift boxes in the restored tower, and so encouraging the return of the endangered swift population. Don McLure, the Project Lead from All Saints’ Church said: “We are thrilled to have received this support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players vital repair conservation work will offer new opportunities to the local community and we will be able to enable local people to share their heritage more widely’.Notes to EditorsAbout All Saints' Church, MackworthAll Saints’ Church is a Grade 1 listed building situated in a picturesque location just outside the western boundary of Derby City. It sits on the site of a Roman Road and, positioned on the Bonnie Prince Charlie Way, is on a popular walking route. However, alongside a long history dating back to around the 13th century, it has lively future with the growth of extensive housebuilding in the local area. About The National Lottery Heritage Fund Our vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. That’s why as the largest funder for the UK’s heritage we are dedicated to supporting projects that connect people and communities to heritage, as set out in our strategic plan, Heritage 2033. Heritage can be anything from the past that people value and want to pass on to future generations. We believe in the power of heritage to ignite the imagination, offer joy and inspiration, and to build pride in place and connection to the past. Over the next 10 years, we aim to invest £3.6billion raised for good causes by National Lottery players to make a decisive difference for people, places and communities. heritagefund.org.uk Follow @HeritageFundUK on Twitter/X, Facebook and Instagram and use #NationalLottery #HeritageFund For further information, images and interviews please contact Don McLure at All Saints' Church Mackworth on don.mclure@gmail.com Tel: +44 7584 606413
