A church in Llangollen has been awarded more than £700,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to be transformed into a warm, flexible and welcoming space for the whole community, while protecting its unique medieval heritage.

St Collen’s Church will receive £719,000, a figure higher than originally applied for, in recognition of unexpected challenges uncovered during the bid development phase, and to demonstrate the confidence that the Heritage Fund has in the project.

The project manager for the reordering of the church, Sue Evans, said: “Over the last year, we’ve been working intensively behind the scenes to prepare the necessary applications and complete the final stage of our major grant submission to the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Although we had a very positive Development Phase, progressing to the Delivery Phase is never guaranteed; every element of the project must be fully justified, costed, and evidenced.

“During development, we uncovered some unexpected challenges. Our ambition to upgrade the heating system led to investigations beneath the church floor, which revealed a significant insect infestation in the void. This required additional specialist work, raising project costs and reshaping our plans to ensure that we could still deliver everything to a high standard without compromising outcomes.

“Despite these challenges, we are thrilled to announce that our final submission was successful. This exceptional outcome not only propels us towards meeting our match-funding target, but also demonstrates the confidence that the Heritage Fund has in our vision, our planning, and the lasting impact of the project.

“The next step is to await the outcome of our Faculty (planning) application, which will allow us to move forward with delivery.”

A planning team, made up of members of the church congregation and people drawn from across the community, meet regularly to advise on the plans and take decisions. As well as transforming the church, plans are in place to repair the medieval hammer-and-beam ceiling, thought to date from the fifteenth century.

Sue added: “Cadw has agreed that we can submit a funding application for 50% of the costs of the repair! This is huge news as it will help with the amazing fundraising efforts the community has been undertaking.

A huge thanks go to our fundraisers; St Collen’s Players, lots of private donations and bequests from individuals and families and our beautiful Evening of Song, supported by the Penley Madras Community Choir, which raised funds and awareness in equal measure.

The fundraising continues with a concert in Llangollen Town Hall on Saturday 13 December. Raise the Roof is another brilliant opportunity to enjoy great music, come together as a community, and help us take another step toward saving the ceiling. Every ticket sold, every song sung, every penny donated helps us secure the future of this incredible building for generations to come.”

St Collen’s Church and its medieval ceiling is considered a masterpiece, and urgent conservation work is necessary to protect its unique carvings, repair extensive damage, and ensure it remains part of the life of St Collen’s and the town for centuries. The reordering will ensure the building is a warm, welcoming space for the community to use.

St Collen’s Church is part of the Valle Crucis Mission Area, a group of churches along the Dee and Ceiriog Valley’s stretching to Bala and Cerrigydrudion. Valle Crucis Mission Area is one of the 20 Mission Areas in the Diocese of St Asaph, one of the six dioceses in the Church in Wales.

You can see a film about the project at https://www.facebook.com/61556155594262/videos/pcb.122262252074205186/1304623698020272 or keep a lookout for updates on our website: The Genesis Project at St Collen’s Church – St Collen’s Church