Restoration Report

As we look back on 2011, we give thanks to God for the safe completion of repairs to the Tower and Roofs of St John’s Church. By God’s grace, and with the help of many, we met the full costs of the main contract (£249,000) and of the Clock Restoration (£6,938.40p). The unexpected repairs to the Bell Chamber, we estimate cost £65,000 (depending on how much VAT we can reclaim). But by God’s grace and the help of many, we have now raised £37,436.97p, and we have £27,563.03p to raise. Please pray that we may meet these final costs of the Heritage Appeal. An appeal leaflet for the Bell Chamber repairs appears in this magazine.

As we look forward to 2012, the project that many have prayed for, worked for, and dreamed of is beginning to take place. The internal redecoration of St John’s. After careful consultation with the Diocesan Advisory Committee, and invaluable research by our Architects, Kay Pilsbury Thomas, we received approval for our plans from the Diocesan Advisory Committee in October and just before Christmas we received a Faculty from the Chancellor of the Diocese of Chelmsford for this work to go ahead. A meeting of the Architect, contractors and Vicar was held on Wednesday 21st December, and redecoration work began on Monday January 9th.It is due to be finished on Friday 25th May, in good time for the Olympics.

The decoration of the Nave and Porch, with repairs to plaster, to windows, the main doors, the porch noticeboard and the mouldings, should be completed by the end of March. The decoration of the South Aisle and Lady Chapel, with a new noticeboard in the Children’s Corner, and repairs to the South Porch doors, should be completed by 25th May. The total cost of this work will be £93,100.89p. This includes 20% Vat. Window repairs and preparation of the walls and ceiling of the porch were more expensive than the Architect expected. The Parochial Church Council approved these costs at its meeting on 11th January 2012.

This internal redecoration and restoration work will be much more disruptive than the external restoration work. So may I ask first please for your prayers for the safety of those doing this work, and the safety of all those who use the Church site? Please exercise great care every time you come into Church and go out of Church. Please follow the health and safety notices, and help others to do the same. Please pray also that we may , by God’s grace and with the help of many, raise the £93,100.89p we need.

We give thanks to God for those who gave, or set aside funds for this Church to be decorated, from the North Wall Fund and the bequests of Constance Taylor and Phillips Biggs. With these gifts, and the gifts of friends, we have set aside £32.340.60p. In addition, we give thanks to God for the gift of £10,000, a bequest from Mary Humphreys, which the Parochial Church Council has allocated to the Redecoration Fund, and we give thanks to the Deanery of Waltham Forest and the London Over The Border Council for the gift of £10,000 for the Redecoration Fund. So, by God’s grace, and the help of many. At the time of writing (14th January) we have £52,340.60p in the Redecoration.

This is a huge encouragement to us all. And it means we only have £40,760.29p to raise.

An appeal leaflet for the Redecoration Fund appears in the magazine.

Raymond Draper