St John the Evangelist

Press Release -St Johns Church Worksop - Spire Repair and successful grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund

St John’s Church, Gateford Road, Worksop, has received a grant of £246,835 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to repair the Spire and safeguard our Heritage.

This funding has been made possible thanks to money raised by National Lottery players.

The project focuses on restoring the Spire of our Grade 2 listed church. The condition of the spire is poor and deteriorating to the point where it is on the “At Risk” register. Urgent repairs are required to ensure its preservation for future generations. It is hoped that work on the spire will begin in late Spring. It is expected that the church will be able to remain open during the period of repairs, with appropriate safety measures.

Alongside this, a Heritage Activity Programme funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund is planned. This will involve working with two primary schools: Sir Edmund Hillary and Redlands, as well as the church’s Scout and Guide group and toddler group, who will be exploring the heritage of the church. A Community Connect Café will be started in late summer 2023 for the local community, to investigate their heritage and learn new digital skills. A resource base will be established in the church with new displays, and a heritage website will be developed. The project will be run by a Heritage Worker, employed part time to lead this work. We will be welcoming volunteers to engage with the research programme.

St John’s is a lively welcoming church that seeks to serve the community through its varied weekday activities. The Church has stood for over 150 years, a significant landmark in the town, a beautiful Victorian building, containing many interesting artefacts and two World War memorials. Countless local families have connections with the church spanning many generations, many have personal memories of family events held in the church. The local community and church members have responded with interest and generously supported fund raising. A total of £25,000 has been raised so far. Commenting on the award, John Hodgkins, Chair of the Project Fundraising Group said, “We are thrilled to have this support thanks to National Lottery Players and are confident the project will ensure the preservation of such an iconic landmark in Worksop and engage new audiences in the heritage of the church”.

Note to editors About The National Lottery Heritage Fund

Using money raised by the National Lottery, we inspire, lead and resource the UK’s heritage to create positive and lasting change for people and communities, now and in the future.

Since the National Lottery began in 1994, National Lottery players have raised over £43 billion for projects and more than 635,000 grants have been awarded across the UK.

Each week, thanks to National Lottery players, £30 million is raised for good causes across the UK. www.heritagefund.org.uk Follow @HeritageFundUK on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and use #NationalLotteryHeritageFund

For further information, images and interviews please contact John Hodgkins, Chair of the Delivery Group on 07518276535 or hodgkinsjohn2@ gmail.com. We can also be contacted through the Church Office – tel 01909 472595 or email office@worksopstjohn.plus.com

Contact details for the Project Delivery Group John Hodgkins, (Chair Project Delivery Group) on 07518 276535 or hodgkinsjohn2@gmail.com. St John’s Church Office on 01909 472595. email office@worksopstjohn.plus.com Address St John’s Church, Overend Road, Worksop. S80 1DY

St John the Evangelist

The work on the spire is complete

The work on the spire begins

Grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund December 2022 for the repair of the spire.