A project to restore an at-risk church dating back to the Medieval era has been given the go-ahead with almost £50,000 of funding behind it.
St Andrew’s Church in Deopham, near Wymonham, has been told it has "permission to start" following a huge financial push from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
This means that the High Oak Parochial Church Council (PCC) can now appoint specialists to help it devise the best options to secure the future of the church.
Project manager, Roger Cordey, said: “We are raring to go.
“We have already selected our architect and activity consultant after a formal interview process.
“The funding will allow us to install better facilities and to keep the church safe and in use for present and future generations."
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A development grant of £48,955 has been awarded to the PCC and will go towards restoration work and the delivery of new activities and resources.
This means that the PCC can carry out the various evaluations needed before the final bid for a Development Phase grant.
The work will need to be completed ahead of March 2025 before this can happen.
The current award has been ear-marked for the Caring for our Roots project, which aims to explore the importance of place, identity and inclusion.
The plan is to transform the church into a sustainable heritage, community and worship hub for the village of Deopham and for the wider area.
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This will be achieved in partnership with local schools, the Norfolk Wildlife Trust, the Norfolk Record Office and others.
Members of the PCC, together with the Deopham St Andrew’s Restoration group (STAR), have been hard at work for more than two years to turn this vision into reality.
The work will also see urgent repairs carried out to the church’s fabric to remove it from Historic England’s Heritage At Risk register.
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