St Mary's Church appeal aims to raise £1.9m towards renovations

The ‘Heart of St Mary’s’ project appeal will be launched to the public on Saturday, October 22.

Everyone who is interested will be warmly welcomed to an exhibition in the church which will be open from 10am until 4pm that day, with short presentations taking place at 10am and 2pm.

Funds raised by the appeal will go towards renovating the Malcolm Sargent organ, repairing and renewing the church floor, upgrading the electrics, improving the lighting and heating, upgrading audio visual and sound systems and other improvements to the fabric of the building.

Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire, Jennifer, Lady Gretton, has kindly agreed to be the patron of the appeal.

Rector Kevin Ashby said: “This is a major project, but if St Mary’s is to remain at the heart of the community for centuries to come, then we need to be brave about the renovations that are required and the amount of money we need to raise to fulfil them.”

St Mary’s has been at the spiritual heart of the local community in Melton for almost a thousand years. It is also a significant visitor attraction in its own right as one of the finest parish churches in Leicestershire and beyond. More recently the church has opened its doors to other uses and embraced a wider audience, some of whom might not otherwise have entered the church.

The church is open nearly every day of the year, is the ‘go to’ place for Sunday worship, midweek and civic services, baptisms, weddings, funerals and special services for the town, borough and deanery. It also hosts music and other events of local, diocesan, regional and national significance and provides a space for prayer and reflection.

Over the years the Friends of St Mary’s have raised money to maintain the building but it now needs more fundamental renovations which will improve accessibility and safety as well as taking into consideration how it will be used for generations to come.

To find out more about the project and how you can give your support visit www.heartofstmarys.co.uk