Development

Sparkhill St Johns from Durham RoadWe are deeply committed to the people of Sparkhill and are developing our resources to better serve the local community in the 21st century.

 

Over £100,000 worth of renovation work has recently been undertaken creating new community facilities at the west end of the church building, these are being used extensively by the Charity Narthex Sparkhill which is based at St John's.

These renovated rooms together with our hall on St John's Road provide some of the best community facilities in Sparkhill.

Now underway is the replacementof the roof over the central part of the west end of the church. English Heritage have recognised the importance of the building and have awarded us a grant which will cover about two thirds of the cost of this first stage of our roof replacement, a list of other supporters can be found below. 

During 2009 another application was submitted to English Heritage for funding for the second phase of this roof work and a further grant of £82,000 has been promised leaving us with another £50,000 to raise for this second phase. 

 

So we need your generous support

  • We are a vibrant multi-ethnic congregation
  • A good many of the congregation are new immigrants or are retired people on a low income
  • We are UPA (Urban Priority Area) Church.
  • We are in one of the 4% most deprived neighbourhoods in the UK
  • we are within the area with the second highest number of children under 5 years of age living in poverty 
  • Most of the residents of our parish are Muslim (we have the second largest number of Muslims residents of any parish in the UK)

The recent grants from English Heritage for our roof repairs are a wonderful start on which we can build. We are currently working on a number of things to try and raise the additional funds needed.

  • We are applying to many trusts and charities who give money for repairs to listed places of worship.
  • We have published a 47 page colour brochure "St John's Past, Present and Future" which we are selling for £8.50 each in aid of the Appeal. All donars of £100 or more will receive a free copy of this brochure.
  • We are preparing fund raising events.
  • For £4 you can write your name - or a message on the back of a tile that will be put back on the roof. (There are 100,000 tiles on the roof and the total cost of both phases will be close to £400,000.00). Call in at church and add your name!
  • We have formed a partnership with Charitygiving.co.uk who support charities by handling online and other donations. (see link below)

Because the roof is so large it is being replaced it in two phases. Phase one covers the nave and half the north and south transepts, phase two will be the remainder of the roof. Work on Phase one started in March 2010 and will take about six months to complete. Funding permitting we hope to start work on phase two shortly afterwards.  

Reroofing in pictures

Sparkhill St John's Scaffolding starts to go up

Work on phase 1 of the roof replacement gets under way with the start of the erection of scaffolding. Week 1 (8-12th March 2010)

Sparkhill St John's roof week6

 Insulation being installed

Sparkhill St John's week 9 scaffording

overview of north side of church at week 9

Sparkhill St John's Roof week 9

Clerestory window

Sparkhill St John's Workers on Roof

work started on replacing the tiles on 7th May

Sparkhill St John's internal scaffolding

Internal scaffolding going up 19th May

even the chimney

Even the Chimney gets a make-over 11th June

 South Side

 Work starts on the south roof 11th June

 Sparkhill - Abseiling

abseiling to fix birdnetting on tower 25th June

Sparkhill - south transept

roofer in safety harness high on the south transept 2nd July 

Week20a

yet more new scaffolding 28th July

week 20b

 a high level view 30th July

week 20d

Pete the Builder  30th July

week 20c

High level view of carpenter repairing clerestory

window in the main roof 30th July

week 20e

Clerestory window under repair 30th July

Donate towards to

his work here

 

Many thanks to the following Trusts, businesses and organisations who have kindly contributed to phase 1 of the roof work.

Allchurches Trust Limited

Bernard Piggott Trust

Bewley Charitable Trust

Cliff Richard Fan Club Birmingham Meeting House

Cook & Wolstenholme Charitable Trust

Cornerstone (National Churches Trust)

Dorothy & Olive Pratt Charitable Trust

English Heritage

Garfield Weston Foundation

George Henry Collins Charity

Greet & District Residents

Grimmitt Trust

Harry Payne Trust

Indestructible Paint

Jarman Charitable Trust

Lady Neville Charity

Manifold Trust

SITA

Sparkhill Trust

Stephen Clark 1957 Charitable Trust

William Adlington Cadbury Charitable Trust

Wilmcote Charitrust

If you represent a trust, business or organisation that is considering making a donation to this appeal please contact the Development Organiser or phone the Church Office which is open Tuesday to Friday between 9.30am and 4.00pm and ask to speak to John or Nigel. 01217531415