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A GRANT of £103,000 has put a campaign to open up St Mary's Church, in Wallingford, within £60,000 of its target - with work expected to start early next year.

The money has come from South Oxfordshire District Council's community investment fund.

This week, the council said it had decided to give taxpayers' money to a church venture because it would go towards "the refurbishment of a community facility". The money has been awarded on condition that works starts in 2009.

While work goes on, the church will be closed for three months, with worshippers using other venues in the town. The Rev David Rice said the grant had given the renewal campaign "a very significant boost".

He said: "That, with a very generous £20,000 from the Oxfordshire Historic Churches Trust, marks significant steps towards achieving the overall total."

Valerie Wolsey, who has spearheaded the renewal campaign, said: "The whole essence of the renewal campaign has been to make the church more user-friendly, to give a more flexible space, so that everyone in Wallingford can use it, not just churchgoers. Our original estimate of costs, in 2006, of £300,000 has spiralled to £525,000.

"We raised £122,000 from the congregation and local people, and that shows the tremendous amount of support there is in Wallingford for this venture. The parochial church council has given £200,000 from its assets, and various fundraising events have topped £20,000.

"Now it leaves us with just £60,000 to find - and we have some great ideas for raising it."

The renewal of St Mary's will mean ripping out most of the pews and replacing them with chairs, which can be moved and stacked to leave an open space to be used for a variety of functions.

And it is the chairs that form the next phase of fundraising. Mrs Wolsey said: "We tested lots of chairs, but decided on the ones used in cathedrals like St Paul's, in London.

"They are £180 each, and we are asking people to buy a chair either as individuals or together with friends - they will get a certificate to say they have sponsored a seat in the church. We need 200."

She added: "The new decoration scheme will make the church light and airy, and give a much more friendly atmosphere.

"The seating will be in the nave and everything, including a kitchen area, will be at ground level and so easy for the disabled to access.

"We will have new underfloor heating, a new sound system and will be fully equipped to offer this space to any organisation in the town."

Opposition to the scheme at the start was muted.

One of the main opponents, who did not wish to be named, said: "It will make the St Mary's we know and love into a very different place."

3:00pm Wednesday 16th July 2008

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