AMBITIOUS plans to ensure a Portsmouth church can serve its community better moved closer – as a grant to repair the building was unveiled.

The Rev Belinda Davies, vicar of St George’s Church, Portsea, hosting ‘Open Church’ - coffee and chat each Wednesday morning – with Janet Horton, 63, from North End, and Brian Miller, 75, from Portsea.

St George’s Church in Portsea has been awarded £158,000 by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to preserve the historic church building and keep it watertight.
 
It will be the first step towards a vision for the building to be used by local community groups throughout the year. The HLF cash will be used to repair the church’s eastern face, upgrade the toilets and provide historical interpretation for the 260-year-old building.
 
Worshippers hope that a second phase, costing around £450,000, will involve new heating installed throughout the church and halls, as well as the complete refurbishment of the halls at the back of the church.
 
That would allow the whole building to be used by local community groups throughout the year. At the moment, lack of heating means that community activities can’t continue in the winter.
 
The vicar, the Rev Belinda Davies, said: “We hold regular school assemblies here for St George’s Primary School, as well as Sunday services, christenings, weddings and funerals for local people. We also host the local Festival Players, a U3A group and a calligraphy group.
 
“Many of our activities have to stop in the winter months because of the lack of heating. We’ve had to turn away bookings for children’s parties in our halls, and have not been able to offer the use of space to users of the toy library across the road.
 
“We would love to be able to offer this space to be used by local community groups throughout the year, but it’s not possible when it’s too cold. That’s why heating and the refurbishment of our halls is a priority for Phase 2.
 
“We are delighted to have been chosen from many other worthy applicants for the HLF grant for Phase 1. This will help us to securing the future of this important heritage building as well as paving the way for our Phase 2 plans.”
 
St. George’s Church, Portsea, has traditionally been known as a church built by local people for local people. It was built by local shipwrights who worked in the dockyard in 1753. Worship has continued ever since in this Grade 2* listed building.
 
The HLF grant includes £22,800 of development funding, which will be spent this year on architects’ plans, and advice from structural engineers. HLF will then release the remaining £135,200 to pay for the work itself, once the development proposals have been finalised.
 
The parish will need to raise the £450,000 needed for Phase 2 from other grant-giving bodies.