Friends group launched to support All Saints’ church in Leamington

The Friends of All Saints’ Parish Church have held a launch event which included a tour of the building in Victoria Terrace and a short presentation, explaining how and why to get involved.

Cllr Andrew Thompson - Warwick district and Leamington town councillor - said: “It’s fantastic to see the launch of the Friends of All Saints’.

“The church is hugely significant to our local community, both in terms of the services it offers, but also as a visual symbol of our town.

“It is an incredibly important part of Leamington’s heritage and history and I’m excited at having the opportunity to be part of a group helping to preserve it for future generations.”

Every parish church relies on its congregation and the wider community to fund the building and its maintenance.

There is no central pot for this.

Additional funding can only be obtained through very competitive grant applications, the results of which are not guaranteed.

The objective of the Friends is to raise funds and assist with grant applications as well as widen the circle of people dedicated to keeping the landmark alive.

A report made in 2012 stated that in order to get the church to a good state of repair it would take around £6.8 million and it is the objective of the Friends to raise this money, through fundraising and by submitting applications to access existing grants.

As one of England’s largest parish churches which dates back as early as the 12th century, All Saints’ rivals many cathedrals in size.