A Covid-19 recovery grant from Historic England kickstarted a major new lease of life and a successful fundraising drive for further renewal at a village church.
St John’s Ryhall, a Grade 1 listed building in the Diocese of Peterborough, had 28 roof leaks, blocked drains and was damp and cold.
An earlier fundraising drive was cancelled due to Covid-19, while bad winter weather had exacerbated existing damage.
The church was awarded £11,000 from the Heritage Stimulus Fund, part of the Government’s Culture Recovery fund, to help sites hit by Covid-19, to repair its drains, pipes and gutters on its roof.
Rainwater was damaging the walls, and repair work was vital before roof renovation could take place.
Here’s a painting of St John’s Church Ryhall that I have just completed. I was asked to paint this medieval building to help raise money for the church restoration fund. It will go to the winner of a lottery to help raise money for this very deserving charity. pic.twitter.com/qDa5xVqIyk
— josette carroll (@josettecarroll1) May 14, 2021