NewtonFlotmanLottery750
£90k boost for Norfolk church heritage project 

St Mary’s church at Newton Flotman in South Norfolk has received almost £90,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for an exciting project to interpret the heritage of the church and to carry out urgent structural repairs.

The Parochial Church Council of the grade II* listed place of worship has been awarded £87,600 for the project which focuses on repairing the church roof, tower and drainage system, installing WiFi and training local volunteers to research and produce films about the church’s heritage to create an interactive tour of the church and to develop a village history archive.

Work has already started on the repairs to the church and are expected be completed by late spring, with further works on the tower scheduled in the summer. 

The church has recently restored Kemp windows and a monument dedicated to Thomas Blundeville, who lived in the village and was involved in many events of the time. 

There was a successful Village History Day held in the church last September where parish registers and school logs could be viewed as well as old village photos and a special exhibition focusing on polymath Thomas Blundeville, Newton Flotman and Saxlingham Thorpe Heritage Group (NFaST) was set up and meets monthly.

This group is steering the heritage project and has recruited volunteers of all ages to take part in training to research and produce interactive resources. It is hoped this will lead to other village heritage interpretation projects including the development of a website. The group recently held an event at the village centre where people brought photographs and memento's and contributed to the village memories maps.

Training for the filming for the church heritage project (CHIP) is on Saturday June 2 and if you would like to get involved please contact Kirsten Remer.

Progress on the church heritage project will be revealed at the this year’s Village History Day along with displays of the memories of the Flood of 1968, in the church in this autumn.  

Commenting on the award, the PCC expressed their thanks to National Lottery players and their relief that the vital repairs were able to go ahead. They are encouraged by the impetus that the heritage project is giving to celebrate and highlight the church’s heritage to a wider number of people and that it is providing opportunities to develop new skills and pave the way for further village heritage projects.
 
Story courtesy of Diocese of Norwich
 
Pictured above, parishioners at St Mary’s, Newton Flotman, celebrate the National Lottery grant. Picture courtesy of Newton Flotman PCC.