Wendens Ambo, St Mary the Virgin, Essex

Our Church of the Week, St Mary the Virgin in Wendens Ambo, Essex, hopes to welcome more people with the help of a grant for new facilities. The church, which dates back to the 11th century, has been added to and renewed many times since then. Now, the team there hopes it can meet the needs of the 21st century by adding an accessible toilet and a servery, after a petition showed that locals wanted to be able to make more use of the building. “Support from the National Churches Trust brings us a vital step closer to providing an accessible toilet and a small servery in our Grade I listed church,” shares Susan Watson, church warden and project manager. “These improvements will make an immediate and very human difference. Clergy and village residents alike including older people, families with young children, those with disabilities, and anyone unable to manage the uphill walk to the village hall will finally be able to attend services and community events without anxiety or discomfort.” The grant of £7,000 from the Headley Trust was awarded by the National Churches Trust through our Large grants programme.

Visit this church