A historic church in Bridport has secured another major grant to give it a new lease of life.
St Swithun's Church is a Georgian building which was built in 1827 built in Allington and is a Grade 2 listed building.
It has received £20,000 from the Garfield Weston Foundation, which will go towards a long term project to repair and renovate the building in time for its 200th anniversary in 2027.
Mandi Sturrock, a churchwarden in the parish said: “We are incredibly grateful to the Foundation for their generous gift.
"Not only does it add to our resources but it is a mighty validation of our project and encourages us to approach others too”.
The project was first announced in 2022 and expected to cost up to £1 million. It aims to fix the building's damp problems and address concerns over its lack of disabled access.
READ MORE: £1M plan to renovate and repair St Swithun's Church, Bridport
It is designed not just to secure the physical nature of this heritage building but also to make it more available as a community resource.
Canon Deb Smith, the Rector of Bridport said: “This is much more than a bricks and mortar undertaking.
"It is a visionary undertaking to put the church at the service of its community."
This is the latest grant the church has received, having recently securing £33,000 from the Benefact Trust in July.
Together with other grants, the church has received almost £225,000 since November 2023 but fundraising continues due to the high cost of external works alone.
The church is home to the Glut (Community Fridge) stall on Thursday mornings, alongside the community clothing stall.
Its hall is used by a wide range of community groups, and the main church with its absence of internal columns is increasingly used by orchestras and musical groups.
Its recently donated Estonia grand piano is also welcoming members of the public to show up and play, taking inspiration from TV show ‘The Piano’ hosted by Claudia Winkleman.
Every first Thursday of the month the church also hosts a community coffee morning for anyone who would like to drop in.
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