November 2021, to the people of Holme
Dear Friends
You will have received with this Parish Newsletter a Tower
Appeal leaflet which explains the extensive repair work that needs to be done at
Holy Trinity church. Stonework needs
repointing to keep the rain out and rotten floors must be replaced throughout
the full height of the tower. The
leaflet gives much more detail on all that needs to be done.
Some people have been working hard for over 18 months to
reach this point. Thorough
investigations have taken place to find the cause of the pervasive damp in the
tower and to discover the extent of damage to wooden joists and floorboards. We have worked with historic building and
church clock specialists, our church architect and a structural engineer to
draw up a specification for the work that needs to be done and we have obtained
the necessary permission for the restoration to take place. Contractors have been invited to tender for
the work and by the time this goes to print we should know who we intend to
appoint to carry out the project. The
congregation have been invited to give towards the repairs (and a few others
have become aware of the need) and I am pleased to say that more than £18,000
has already been given or pledged. That
is amazing – thank you!
But now it is time to ask everyone in the village and others
with links to Holme to consider supporting this work if you can. Holme Church, like all churches, is not
funded from government taxes or central Church of England finances but primarily
by the generous giving of local people. The
giving of the congregation pays the day-to-day bills and the costs of ministry
and for routine maintenance but a large project like this is beyond our means. And yet we know that many who live here value
the presence of this building built in the heart of the village for the public
worship of the Lord Jesus Christ. Many
want it to be safeguarded for the future and kept in good repair. If you can help in any way we would be very
grateful.
You can find more information
on the repair work and how you can give:
·
In the Church
Tower Appeal leaflet
·
At our Open
Afternoon on Sunday 21st November
·
On our church
website at www.burtonandholmechurches.org/tower-repairs
·
On the Burton and
Holme Churches YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/R-jzuQil3DE
With many thanks,
Graham Burrows