A £26,000 PROJECT that will ‘totally transform’ a Uttoxeter church is set to get under way this spring as fund-raisers near their final target.
St Mary’s Parish Church in the heart of the town was given the green light by the Lichfield Diocese to go forward with the plans last week.
The ambitious project will see the chancel area of the historic church upgraded to cater for modern day requirements for worship and community events, as well as providing enhanced facilities for the staging of live concerts and shows.
So far £22,500 has been raised towards the project by groups such as The Funraisers who have raised £10,000 and the church’s Christmas fair last year which raised £1,000 but church warden Jonathan Marvin said they just need a ‘knight in shining armour’ to take them to their target.
Talking about the project he said: “We will be re-ordering the chancel with all the choir pews in the chancel area being taken out.
“The walkways are being raised three inches all the way along and we will be catering for the disabled more by building a ramp for wheelchairs and taking two pews half out for wheelchairs so they won’t by stuck in the middle of the aisles.
“We will be extending the chancel out so it will be a huge area which can easily stage concerts such as the Marchington Singers or the Uttoxeter Choral Society and various groups and bands.
“It will be a huge open area which I think will be good for the town as there is really not much in Uttoxeter except for Wilfred House and the town hall to stage big concerts.” Mr Marvin said the work will be carried out by Wooley and Wainwright contractors, and should get started in May or June this year.
He said: “It was 20 years in the making and I am sure when it is finished the congregation will appreciate what is being done.
“I know it is a drastic idea but churches and cathedrals are increasingly going this modern way. The church’s vicar, the Reverend Ted Whittaker, is all for it and can’t wait for it to get going.” Mr Marvin is also chairman of the Friends of St Mary’s Church group and they have ambitious plans to paint the whole of the church inside once the work on the chancel is complete.
“That will be towards the end of this year or early next year and will involve re-painting the whole of the inside of church,” he said.
“We don’t know the costs yet but expect it to be quite substantial.” The Friends of St Mary’s Church holds its next fund-raising event, a bingo night, on February 17 at the Catholic Guild Hall in Balance Street between 7pm and 10pm with admission £5 on the door.
For more information or to donate to the project contact the parish office on 01889 562 915.
