All Saints' wins National Lottery support

Press Release

The Parish Church of All Saints’ has been awarded support by the National Lottery Heritage Fund for its restoration project (Delivery Phase). Made possible by National Lottery players, the project began last year with an initial grant of £25,700 and it now has been awarded full funding for the second phase in the sum of £224,300.

This project has a two-fold aim; to make critical repairs to Houghton Regis Parish Church and to engage local people in their exceptional heritage.
The first and main part of the project will begin on Monday 3rd June. It aims to carry out essential conservation work to the outside of our Grade I listed building; the outer structure of the church is in desperate need of repair – its striking chequered pattern of flint and Totternhoe stone needing extensive renovation and having been breached in places.
The second part of the project will also begin in the coming months. This aims to put in place an educational programme with a number of cultural activities to engage local residents in the unique historical, cultural, and spiritual heritage preserved at All Saints’. The project will involve recruitment and training of volunteers to keep the Parish Church open for tourists and visitors longer during the day, as well as promoting inspiring and interactive visits from our local schools.

All Saints’ Parish Church has been listed by Historic England in the Heritage at Risk register since October 2016, and it will continue to be listed in it at least throughout the Delivery Phase. However, support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund is a great boost of confidence and precious financial help for our parish which is currently engaged in a wider Restoration and Renewal Project estimated at an extra £300,000 over the National Lottery support (for example, glasswork conservation alone is estimated to cost £80,000). This is also a great boost of confidence for our town which is already benefitting from the excellent work done at Houghton Hall Park and also supported by the National Lottery.

For more information please contact the Parish Priest, Father Diego Galanzino SMMS, or visit our website allsaintshr.co.uk/restoration
ENDS

Notes to editors
Grants for Places of Worship applications are assessed in two rounds. This press release concerns the second round. The Parish Church of All Saints was initially been granted round one development funding of £25,700 by the Heritage Lottery Fund in 2018.

About All Saints’ Houghton Regis
All Saints’ is the Parish Church of Houghton Regis, in the Diocese of St Albans. The current building, built between 14th and 15th centuries, replaces an earlier church and it is the only listed building in Houghton Regis to be regularly and freely open to the public. More information about the building’s heritage, the parish community, and its tradition can be found on our website.

About the National Lottery Heritage Fund
Using money raised by the National Lottery, we Inspire, lead and resource the UK’s heritage to create positive and lasting change for people and communities, now and in the future. www.heritagefund.org.uk. Follow @HeritageFundUK on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and use #NationalLotteryHeritageFund