St Saviour's has received initial support* from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for the ‘Recovering the Splendour of St Saviour's' project. The project aims to undertake urgent repairs to the building which will see the church taken off the Heritage At Risk Register.

Development funding of £34,600 has also been awarded to help St Saviour's progress their plans to apply for a full grant of £230,900 at a later date. The project will see the roof repaired and disabled toilets and access ramps installed so a wider range of people can access this beautiful Grade II listed church. A heritage activity programme will run alongside these capital works which aims to share and celebrate St Saviour's heritage with local people. This includes opening the church more often for visits and tours, with activity resources to help children access heritage, a new guidebook, and a series of arts, concerts and open events.

St Saviour's Church is over 140 years old and the only ‘true' surviving Gothic Revival church in Walthamstow. St Saviour's grand architecture, a tradition of active social engagement dating to Victorian times, and its musical tradition, combined with its relatively spacious churchyard setting has engendered a warm affection amongst locals, even though many are not churchgoers.

Commenting on the award, Sandra Sherman-Ceesay, Project Manager at St Saviour's, said: “We're delighted that the Heritage Lottery Fund has given us this support. St Saviour's is an important building to us and our community but has been suffering with water damage and inadequate toilet facilities and disabled access. The HLF funding will not only enable us to address these items but also reach out and engage with more people in our community.”

Stuart Hobley, Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund London, said: “It's fantastic that National Lottery players' money can not only fund urgent repairs to St Saviour's Church, but also help to involve more people in its unique local heritage. The church has come up with a great selection of activities to engage their community and we're looking forward to working with them on the next stage of the application.”

About St Saviour's Church St Saviour's Walthamstow is an Anglican Parish Church in the Diocese of Chelmsford. Our building is used for church activities during the week and at weekends, but is also a resource for other community groups and activities.

About the Heritage Lottery Fund Thanks to National Lottery players, we invest money to help people across the UK explore, enjoy and protect the heritage they care about - from the archaeology under our feet to the historic parks and buildings we love, from precious memories and collections to rare wildlife. www.hlf.org.uk @heritagelottery Further information

For further information, images and interviews please contact the Project Manager, Sandra Sherman-Ceesay at St Saviour's on: 07947 949402 or email sandravsherman@yahoo.co.uk.