Work nearing completion on new toilet and servery at village church

Building work is almost at an end to create better facilities for visitors to St Denis Church in Silk Willoughby.

The Toilet and Servery project is a step closer now that the toilet has been installed in the tower and the servery is well on the way to being finished.

The project is being funded by a £25,833 grant from FCC Communities Foundation, a £10,000 grant from Marshalls Charity, a £7,500 grant from the Garfield Weston Foundation, a £5,000 grant from NKDC REP Community Fund, a grant of £4,500 from Lincolnshire Churches Trust, £4,250 from The Headley Trust, a grant of £2,000 from The Bishop of Lincoln’s Transformation Fund, £1,900 from the Rank Foundation, a donation of £400 from Pennells Garden Centres. The remainder has been raised by donations from parishioners and the wider community and by those who organised fund-raising events, those who ran stalls, made or gave items and the public who supported events.

This project  will provide a much-needed fully accessible toilet once it is open and many opportunities for future events.

Janet Johnson, Church Warden of St Denis is excited that the project is starting to take shape.

She says: “It’s great to see our vision for this vital community facility moving closer to reality. We are extremely grateful for the funding FCC Communities Foundation has given us and we’re looking forward to opening to the public.”

FCC Communities Foundation is a not-for-profit business that awards grants for community projects through the Landfill Communities Fund

Penny Horne, spokesperson for FCC Communities Foundation, says: “It’s always nice to see something we have funded start to take shape. We’re delighted to be supporting such a worthwhile project and look forward to it benefitting a whole range of people within Silk Willoughby and the surrounding villages.”

Everyone at St Denis is looking forward to being able to put the new facilities to good use. There are already events planned for this year that will take place at the Church; we’re part of the Ride & Stride for Churches on 10^th September which coincides with us also being part of the nationwide Heritage Open Days festival which takes place between 9^th and 18^th September. It is hoped there will be a local brass band concert in October and a craft fair in November and all of this alongside the usual church meetings.