Friday, 19 July 2019

News of Old Buckenham re-thatching

Raise the Roof update 

















The thatching work on the rest of All Saints church roof will commence on Monday 16 September with closure of the church building and the preparation work.
A conservation skills day is now planned for Saturday 26 October. Ruth Blackman (architect), Stephen Letch (thatcher) and Etienne Swarts (ecologist) have all agreed to participate, and the builders' stonemason may be taking part too. A leaflet advertising the event will be produced and posters will be up in September. The ramp for wheelchair access to the chancel is now available in the church.
The primary school has visited the churchyard for several 'outdoor learning' sessions with great success. The planning and completion of the heritage and sensory trails will now take place when the church building is reopened after the thatching has been completed. Both the primary and Chapel Green schools are fully engaged to undertake these elements of the project next year. It is hoped to have another open gardens event in 2020, dates to be decided.
From a funding point of view, an application for a grant of £10,000 has been submitted to the National Churches Trust, the outcome of this application will be known in the autumn. Fundraising continues with John and Barbara Frost's recent garden party raising over £1000 in total - half of which will come to Raise the Roof. An All Saints Church Facebook page has been launched and this will include links to the Just Giving site for 'Raise a Bundle for Raise the Roof' - watch out for more details through the Old Buckenham Facebook page and the village blog.



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