LANGHAM CHURCH RENEWAL PROGRAMME

St Mary's is much more than a witness to the past. It proclaims God's involvement with the world, seeking to reach out to the whole community through many aspects of contemporary life. To fulfil this role now and in the next century, St Mary's must be capable of more flexible use than in the past.

The Parochial Church Council has accordingly put in hand an imaginative and sensitive scheme for renewing the interior of St Mary's. The Programme comprises a number of carefully co-ordinated projects combining essential repairs with improvements to create areas adaptable for various uses and to make the church a lighter and more inviting place for people of all ages and interests.

The main features of the Renewal Programme are:

• Restoring the nave roof (completed 1995)
• Creating a vestry & ringing floor in the tower and a gallery for the organ (completed 1997)
• Rebuilding the organ on the gallery in two stages (Stage 1 completed 1998)
• Restoring the nave and south aisle floors
• Creating a Baptistry in the south aisle
• Modernising the electrical services and lighting

Further phases will include restoring the bells, renovating the chancel and building a sacristy, meeting room and store, but these are longer term plans not ready for inclusion in the immediate programme.

Renewal Campaign

The Langham Church Support Trust is campaigning for funds to finance the Renewal Programme. There is a schedule of fund-raising events but the Trust appeals to individuals, corporate bodies and other trusts for direct support.
Patrons of the Renewal Campaign are:

Her Majesty's Lord Lieutenant for Essex
The Bishop of Chelmsford
The Bishop of Colchester
The Mayor of Colchester
Mr Christopher Pertwee

Every gift, of whatever size, is individually acknowledged and recorded in the Register of Benefactors for public display and kept in perpetuity in the church's archives. The Register will record the donor's name and/or, where appropriate, the name of a friend or relative who may be commemorated by the gift. Unless otherwise directed, the amount subscribed will not be recorded. If a donor wishes to be anonymous, that wish will be respected.

Addresses for Gifts, Enquiries and Correspondence

Please send any gifts to:
John Greenwood, Treasurer, LCST, LanghamHouse, Langham, Essex C04 SHY
Cheques should be made payable to "Langham Church Support Trust"
Enquiries and Correspondence should be addressed to:
Judith Holmes, Secretary, LCST, 17 Margaret Road, Colchester, CO1 1RZ