Doddington church needs £10k to stay open, says warden

Evelyn Hamps said she wanted to see bigger congregations at Doddington Methodist Church

The warden at a village church has said the building could close down if £10,000 in operating funds is not raised by the end of the summer.

Evelyn Hamps, 88, is the steward, treasurer, organist, caretaker, cleaner and letting agent at the Doddington Methodist church in Cambridgeshire.

She also takes services on occasion.

The Methodist Church - the umbrella organisation - acknowledged that the "size of a church's membership can bring challenges".

Mrs Hamps is worried that rising running costs and dwindling congregations could spell the end for her Fenland church.

The Methodist church in Doddington was built in 1881

Mrs Hamps, who has attended the church for the past 82 years, said: "The congregation is on the decline. We only have between three and five parishioners in on a Sunday, so the collection plate is fairly bare.

"We start at 14:30 - it would be wonderful to have more people along. The singing would be better that's for sure."

She said at least £10,000 was needed to keep the doors open, pay energy bills and cover insurances.

"We are classed as a business, not domestic," she explained.

"The building is used by the community. We have a toddlers' club, a drama class and various other groups which all bring in revenue, but it is not enough."

Kathryn Brand and Ashleigh Fox help run the playgroup in the church

Kathryn Brand helps run the Doddington under-fives club which takes place twice a week in a backroom of the church.

"It is a real asset for the village - we get up to 15 tots from surrounding areas using the facilities. My two-year-old loves coming here, it is a great space," she said.

Ashleigh Fox, a mum of three youngsters who have all attended the group, added: "It would just be awful if we lost this, especially for the children."

In a statement, the national Methodist Church charity said there were "no current financial concerns" with Doddington, but recognised that the size of the membership "can bring challenges when operational and governance responsibilities fall on a small number of people".

"Churches are encouraged to consider how they can find new, missional uses for their buildings, " a spokesperson said.

"This includes opening them to the community to enable them to become a useful local asset and to provide additional income, as happens at Doddington.

"There are some new churches that choose to meet in venues other than traditional church buildings, such as coffee shops and community centres, where congregations can worship without having to worry about maintaining a property."

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