St Mawgan in Meneage Parish Church has received initial support including up to £19,900 of development funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for the re-roofing, lighting and high level maintenance project.DSC01418

The project aims to re-roof the church to make it weatherproof, improve the lighting and generally carry out long term maintenance required to preserve this ancient building for future generations. This work will also make it possible for the church to become more suitable for community activities.

Churchwarden Pauline Arnold said: “We’re delighted the Heritage Lottery Fund has given us this support. The church is an important part of village life, involving the whole community in its activities. It is wonderful to think that this generation has been given the opportunity to help preserve this ancient building for the future.”

The Grade I listed St Mawgan in Meneage Church, in the village of Mawgan just south of Helston, has some 13th Century features although the greater proportion of the building is 15th Century. Most of the original 15th Century roof structures and windows are still intact but urgent work is needed to preserve them for the future.

The beautiful Grade I listed building is the venue for the biennial Mawgan Daffodil Festival held in February in odd numbered years.

Churchwarden Lindsay Hockley added: “We are very lucky to have such a building in our village, as Grade I buildings are of exceptional interest, sometimes considered to be internationally important, and only 2.5 per cent of English Heritage’s listed buildings are Grade I.”

Grants for Places of Worship applications are assessed in two rounds. A first-round pass is given when HLF has endorsed outline proposals and earmarked funding. A pass at this point may also include an immediate award to fund the development of the project and the Parochial Church Council at St Mawgan in Meneage has been awarded up to £19,900 to progress their plans to apply for a full grant.

These detailed proposals will then be considered by HLF at second-round and as long as plans have progressed satisfactorily and according to the original proposal, an award for the project is confirmed. If this second round is successful it is hoped the work will start at St Mawgan in Meneage in 2016/2017.