Click HERE to see our Vicar, Rev Andrew Cinnamond, talking about the start of the project works

The Story So Far

Our Restoration and Reordering Project – Project Inspire – has been running now for ten years.  A huge amount of work has been completed to develop plans, consult with the church and wider community as well as working with the Diocese of Gloucester in order to achieve our objectives.  These are:

  • Conserving our heritage
  • Making bold improvements
  • Creating welcoming spaces
  • Reducing our carbon footprint

Our Petition for a Faculty (and amendment) was approved by the Chancellor of the Diocese in June 2024 allowing further detailed work to be undertaken to bring the project to a position where we could go out to tender.

A copy of the Chancellor’s judgement can be read here Lechlade St Lawrence decision 05.06.2024
and the final, sealed faculty can be seen here Faculty sealed.

In late 2024 a faculty and planning permission were granted for photovoltaic cells to be installed on the south aisle; we await the outcome of a planning application. Our detailed document setting out the scheme is here Lechlade St Lawrence Net Zero_Proposals

In addition, the project has been successful in winning a grant through the Church Of England Demonstrator Churches Project which forms part of the Net Zero Programme aiming to help churches pay for items such as solar panels, heat pumps, insulation, secondary glazing and LED lighting.

Late Spring 2026 Update

Work has been progressing steadily both inside and outside the church transforming the life-expired floor and taking us closer to a much more eco-friendly place of worship.

In the churchyard, two air source heat pumps have been installed on a new concrete plinth and insulated pipes installed underground to connect to the new heating plant beneath the south aisle. Changes have also been made to the drains to accommodate connections to the altered kitchen and to the new toilet in the church. Whilst landscaping/reseeding work is some weeks away, soil has been used in the churchyard to fill a hole left after a tree was removed decades ago and to make mowing easier.

Inside the church the ceiling of the boiler room beneath the south aisle and a supporting wall have been reconstructed. Some very shoddy work by the Victorians required more of the floor to be lifted than we expected and this revealed two buried ledger stones. One we have been able to recover and reposition in the south chapel; the supporting wall was rebuilt and a new concrete floor section installed to complete the floor in that area. A time capsule created and packed by our Sunday school children was buried in the cavity below the new floor section.

Damaged plaster on lower sections of the wall affected over the years by hygroscopic action has been removed and new lime plaster applied. However, the floor really grabs the headlines and demonstrates the commitment to reduce our carbon footprint.

Electrical and audio-visual cabling (plus box-outs for trench heaters) has been laid in trunking allowing the next stage – a new layer of a glass fabric insulation – to be installed; a membrane was then rolled out on which an extensive network of water pipes, that will provide underfloor heating, has been laid. In June, a new floor screed will be laid raising the floor close to the pre-Victorian level; later, a new stone floor will be added thus allowing level access throughout in line with the project objective to create welcoming spaces for all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


The heavy wood/glass doors in the west porch have been removed to allow new glass doors to be installed; this opens up the west entrance considerably. Other current work streams include measures to enable photo-voltaic cells to be placed on the south aisle roof and fitting a new kitchen.

Overall, work is progressing well and a warm, breezy summer is to be hoped for to allow the screed to dry steadily and other work to continue as planned.

Pledges and Fundraising

Our parishioners have been very generous in making pledges and other gifts to help funding of Project Inspire.  Likewise, there have been many fundraising events – such as an Auction of Promises, Open Gardens and concerts – which have been well supported by church members and the local community.  The PCC is very grateful for these contributions.

Grants

Using money raised by National Lottery players, the National Lottery Heritage Fund supports projects that connect people and communities with the UK@s heritage.  Project Inspire is made possible with the national lottery Heritage Fund.  Thanks to National Lottery players, we have been able to begin restoration and reordering work on-site. 

 

 

 

 

We are also very grateful to the following trusts for making grants towards Project Inspire:

  • Benefact Trust £48,500
  • Dove Trust £500
  • Emmanuel College £1,500
  • The Dyers Company £5,000
  • The Joseph Rank Trust £35,000
  • The Beatrice Laing Trust £25,000
  • Glos Historic Churches Trust £10,000
  • Diocesan Minor Works Fund £1,000
  • The CofE Net Zero Project £86,000

Donations

Donations may be made direct to the Project Inspire Bank account:
     Parochial Church Council Lechlade
     Sort Code 20-84-61
     Account 63394069

The brochure describing Project Inspire to restore and re-order St Lawrence to make it fit for today and for future generations is available here:
       Project Inspire Brochure 2023

If you have any questions about the project or the pledging process please contact Andrew, the Churchwardens, Nigel Jones (Project Inspire Chair) or David Turtle (fundraising lead) all of whom will be delighted to talk to you – please make initial contact via email. 

If you would like to make a pledge for the project please use this form: Project Inspire Pledge Form

Questions?

Follow THIS LINK to the FAQs page