MP backs ‘imaginative’ heritage funding bid
Winchester MP Steve Brine has given a boost our Building for Life project to regenerate the inside of St Paul’s. The MP has written to the Heritage Lottery Fund strongly supporting a grant application that could open up the heritage of the Victorian church and surrounding area to the wider community by creating a living archive of learning materials and ongoing programme of events.
Steve says: ‘From the very beginning of my time as Winchester’s MP I have felt a special connection with the church close to where my office was for many years. I know the people well and am really impressed by their building plans.
‘St Paul’s really is looking to the future in the most imaginative way. Their plans will create a welcoming, warm, safe, accessible space which attractively combines both the needs for worship and community engagement.
‘The parish have all the permissions they need for their ambitious re-ordering of the inside of the building. All they need now is the remaining £200,000. Securing an HLF grant will not only help with the re-build but also fund a new programme of events involving the Hampshire Cultural Trust and the University of Winchester.’
Canon Peter Seal comments, ‘We’re so grateful for this support from Steve Brine. In the past 18 months, since launching our Building for Life appeal, we have received gifts, pledges, legacies and grants amounting to a remarkable £650,000, including generous community support. Our vision of providing 21st-century community facilities is so much closer to becoming a reality.’
