Four years ago, the Church tackled a big and demanding project. We decided it was a priority to clean and restore the stone façade that faces on to Heath Street. Little falling crumbs of stone were a spur to action: we wanted to get on with it before there was any danger from the wear and tear (and increasing air pollution) of 160 years! But the drab and grubby exterior was such a contrast to the vivacity and enthusiasm and tunefulness of what goes on inside the doors that there were more reasons to want a facelift.
Even those of us who thought we knew the building well were astonished at the loveliness of the detail revealed through careful cleaning and conservation work by the team from Permanens and we were delighted at the response from our neighbours and visitors once the refreshed façade was visible. We had many wonderful donors contributing to the cost. We also had help from a government fund that covered the VAT on all the bills, and we dug into the Church’s savings, but before we could complete it all we had to admit we couldn’t afford to carry on! So from just above the main door up to the top of the spires the work is complete, but at ground floor level we have weathered decorative features, missing chunks of Bath stone, and still a lot of grime.
We very much want to finish the work and we still have the opportunity of contracting with Permanens whose meticulous work made Phase 1 such a success. If we clean and restore every inch of stone we shall need just about £100,000. We won’t this time need to shroud the building in scaffolding - a tower should be all we need - and we can divide the work up into three chunks, aligned with the three doors, to keep access as easy as possible and have no disruption to activities and services.
We plan to start in July and by then to know if we have raised enough money to do all the work in one project, or whether we will need to stop and start with an eye on being able to pay the bills as we go along.
The bad news! on raising money is that the government fund that was crucial last time has been closed down, so we will have to bear the whole weight of VAT. The good news! so far, even before we have got going on asking for money, is that we have raised £14,687.50 from four individuals and one charitable trust - the Benefact Trust – and some Gift Aid already claimed.
Please start thinking about how you can contribute. Last time we had donations from £10 to £10,000 and every one was very welcome. Our donors were not just people actively involved in the church but some who enjoy our events, or who simply love it as one of Hampstead’s very good buildings.
How to give: ideally straight into our bank account – telling us who you are and that the donation is for our stonework. We will keep it carefully earmarked for this purpose. Talk to me (Gaynor Humphreys) for other ways to give or if you have ideas of who else to ask and how to publicise the campaign.
Bank : CAF Bank Ltd
Account name : Heath Street Baptist Church
Sort code : 40-52-40
Account no : 00014178
Gift Aid can be claimed on top of your donation if you are a UK taxpayer – that’s 25% back from HMRC on top of what you give. If you haven’t signed up for Gift Aid just let me know (gaynorhumphreys143@outlook.com), or complete the very simple form available here and post it to the church or e-mail it to me.
In Phase 1, to raise support for the restoration works and save the church from depleting its reserves entirely, we enlisted the help of St Stephen and St Cecilia. Although they are not usual non-conformist allies, St Stephen, who was stoned to death, is the patron saint of stonemasons. St Cecilia is the patron saint of music, and the church is much used for concerts and as rehearsal space for musicians.