Wyfordby lead theft church sees major repair milestone
- Published
Temporary roofing did not leave the church watertight for long
A community of a few dozen people - helped by a bestselling author - has raised thousands of pounds after its church was targeted by thieves.
St Mary the Virgin, in Wyfordby, Leicestershire is Grade II listed with parts of the building dating back to the 13th Century.
Gangs stripped lead from its roof in three raids in 2015 and 2016.
The village has since funded the replacement of most of the roof and hopes to make the site a community hub.
The badly damaged church has now been reroofed with steel
Despite being declared redundant in the 1960s, St Mary's was revived and residents had hoped to make use of the building.
But the lead thefts - which took place over the course of 18 months - left it on the At Risk register, with its future in doubt.
Julia Hawley, Wyfordby church treasurer, said: "It was a real kick in the stomach.
"We already had rot in the pews and the floor, so an open roof was the last thing we needed.
"Planning had already started to get funds for new facilities like a toilet and kitchen but we had to start all over again."
A variety of events, including a garage sale, have been held to raise funds.
Insurance only covered part of the cost so the church council held a series of fundraising events, such as heritage days and a craft show, and applied for a series of grants.
Despite Wyfordby being a village of only around 50 people, steady progress was made.
The appeal also had a stroke of luck in attracting help from the Follett Trust - a body linked to bestselling author Ken Follett - after a relative came to the church researching family history.
Now £38,000 has been spent on putting a new roof - made of steel - over most of the damaged areas of the church.
Another £10,000 is needed to finish the work but Ms Hawley said they were not stopping now.
"This church has the potential to serve this community - including the surrounding villages - for years to come.
"So, harvest festivals, garage sales and more grant applications lie ahead, but we'll get there."
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