Monthly Report for the Heritage Lottery Fund July 2021
St Sylvester’s Church Renovation and Community Project, Chivelstone Parish, Kingsbridge
Work during July covered the external repair to the main church and tower walls and windows by Westcountry Stonemasons (WCSM). Work also focused on implementing the Activity and Interpretation plans.
Tasks carried out in the Month
Project Administration
- General project administration and record keeping was undertaken.
Financials
- We continue to try to raise additional funds where we can and with the lifting of lockdown restrictions in July this will hopefully become easier.
Heritage Works
- This month the Project Architect and Contract teams have covered the following work;
- Given the extremes of weather experienced in July, severe thunderstorms to severe heat, the stonemasons are still on programme. The church north scaffold will be taken down shortly which will just leave some minor low level re-pointing to complete. The re-pointing to the tower is complete to the inner parapet wall and externally to the top two lifts. The top two scaffold lifts should be removed in the next couple of weeks. The pointing to the tower has been raked down to the lower two levels. There have been two teams of masons on site to try and speed/keep up with the programme, this has been helpful though the team will fall back to usual size soon.
- Major repair work is continuing to the tracery window on the south elevation as well as minor repairs to the other windows.
- The lead work and rainwater goods to the north side of the tower are being fixed as the scaffold is lowered.
- The vestry ceiling (reed lath and plaster) repair is due to start in mid August.
- Timber work to the new bell ringing chamber staircase is under fabrication.
- There have been no H&S issues and our adviser Health and Safety Associates is liaising with WCSM regarding the Health and Safety works file.
- The Architect is on site every week and in close contact with WCSM day to day.
- The seventh months works valuation is complete.
- There are regular monthly progress meetings (zoom) between the PSC, Contractors and Architect/Consultants.
Communications
- The project website continues to be updated and we are still seeing a good level of hits.
- The instalments 10 & 11 of the Church Blog were issued in July.
Community Engagement/Activity Plan
- We are hopeful that the lifting of the Covid restrictions will be permanent so that we can fully implement our Activity programme in conjunction with our project partners.
- We are planning to have a formal Church 0pen Day on 25th September and another Hard Hat Day for the pulpit cleaning and conservation in early October.
- Following the most successful shipwreck story writing activity by children from the local schools prizes have been handed out for the best stories.
- Following the appointment of the Interpretation Consultant, Smith and Jones Consulting we have provided them with guidance on the main interpretation ‘themes’ and detailed heritage information and photographs.
Volunteer Time
- Volunteer time this month was 64 hours mainly working on project admin and finances, fundraising, implementation of the Activity Plan.