Second award for Caistor project

Caistor Parish Church is getting ready to raise the roof after getting confirmation of a £215,200 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Belated Christmas gift: Father Christmas shares good news of a HLF Stage 2 Grant with the Vicar of Caistor, Canon Ian Robinson and church wardens, Alan Saxton and Val Waddington EMN-180115-112939001Belated Christmas gift: Father Christmas shares good news of a HLF Stage 2 Grant with the Vicar of Caistor, Canon Ian Robinson and church wardens, Alan Saxton and Val Waddington EMN-180115-112939001
Belated Christmas gift: Father Christmas shares good news of a HLF Stage 2 Grant with the Vicar of Caistor, Canon Ian Robinson and church wardens, Alan Saxton and Val Waddington EMN-180115-112939001

This money follows an initial £32,000 received by the church last September to progress its Preserving - Sharing – Understanding project.

Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, the project aims to preserve the building for future generations, as well as helping the present generation understand it better and make it more useful for the local community.

Vicar of Caistor, Canon Ian Robinson, said: “We’re delighted that the Heritage Lottery Fund has given us this support.

“The church has been an important part of Caistor life for many generations and it’s great to know that we are a step closer to preserving it for many more centuries, as well as offering a better experience for visitors and a more useful learning resource for our young people.”

He continued: “We have worked hard during the past year with our consultants for the development stage of the project, for which we were awarded the initial £32,000 stage one grant and we are pleased that HLF have continued their support with the confirmation of the stage two grant.

“We are grateful not only to HLF but also to the many people who play the lottery each week and, as a result, provide this much needed funding.

The project aims to carry out essential conservation work to the main roof of the church, which is suffering from damaged and rotting timbers, allowing rain water into the building; improve the drainage from the building and to improve the heating system.

It will also provide better educational opportunities for visitors and local schools, who already use the church on a regular basis.

The story of the church’s infamous ‘Gad Whip’ is also to be researched and displayed, with the whip itself already undergoing conservation work at the University of Lincoln.

“We hope the whole project will be completed by the end of the year,” added Canon Robinson.

However, it is not just the Heritage Lottery Fund that has made this project a reality.

The Caistor community got behind the proposals and raised more than £10,800 towards the work.

Canon Robinson said: “I was amazed and moved by the generosity of folk and by the obvious affection and respect by which Caistor Parish Church is held.”

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