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Monthly Report for the Heritage Lottery Fund August 2021

 

St Sylvester’s Church Renovation and Community Project, Chivelstone Parish, Kingsbridge

Work during August covered the external repair to the church tower walls and windows by Westcountry Stonemasons (WCSM). Work also focused on implementing the Activity and Interpretation plans and delivery of the Church Fete.

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 and have carried out the following;
    • The church fete in early August was most successful following its postponement last year raising in excess of £5000.
    • We have received a £5000 grant from the Beatrice Laing trust towards the cost of a kitchenette, but this is extra to the Lottery Project.
    • In conjunction with the South Devon AONB ‘Peas for Bees’ Event on the village green we ran refreshment, cake and plant stalls.
    • We have applied for a grant of £1000 from the Devon Historic Churches Trust and await a decision to receive a further £500  from Devon County council.
Heritage Works
  • This month the Project Architect and Contract teams have covered the following work;
    • The  scaffolding to the main body of the church has now been removed which leaves low level re-pointing to be completed on the north side. The re-pointing of the tower is about two thirds complete and the top five scaffold lifts should be removed by the end of September/early October depending on scaffolder availability, but in any event those lifts will be off-hired once snagging complete. Due to various adverse weather conditions there has been slight slippage to the repair programme although it is not anticipated that substantial completion will be much beyond the early November finish.
    • Major repair work is continuing to the tracery window and the new tracery stonework has arrived on site and is being fixed. The glass will be re-fixed o that window in the next two weeks.
    • 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 complete.
    • Timber work to the new bell ringing chamber staircase is under fabrication but will not be fixed until the pointing is further progressed as that space is the site welfare facility ie to keep the new staircase clean at handover.
    • 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 eight 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.
  • Instalment 11 of the Church Blog was issued in August.
Community Engagement/Activity Plan
  • With the lifting of Covid restrictions we are now able to implement the activities detailed in our Activity Pan.
  • As mentioned above our Church Fete was held in early August.
  • We supported the South Devon AONB with their ‘Peas for Bees’ event.
  • We are making plans for Church 0pen Day on 25th September and another Hard Hat Day for the pulpit cleaning and conservation on 4th
  • Preparations are underway to support the Ash Park open garden on 18th/19th
  • Our Interpretation Consultant, Smith and Jones, has provided very draft ideas of the interpretation panels within the church and we are hoping to have  them ready in some usable form to gain feedback from our visitors at the Open Day.

 Volunteer Time

    • Volunteer time this month was 53.5 hours mainly working on project admin and finances, fundraising and implementation of the Activity Plan. The total time to date is now 1332 hours.