Bishop of London leads service of thanksgiving for newly restored Hammersmith Church

19/01/10

Staff and visitors to St Paul’s Hammersmith celebrated the completion of extensive restoration work to the building this weekend.

In a service to mark the 10 year anniversary of the church's re-launch, the Bishop of London, Dr Richard Chartres, led a service of thanksgiving and switched on the new lighting scheme. In the past decade the congregation at St Paul's has grown significantly and the church has developed numerous initiatives to help local people in need – from a debt advice centre, through to a successful training course, SPEAR, which enables local young people to find employment.

The three year restoration project involved repairs to the original stonework and roofs, replacement of the bell tower louvres and external conservation and cleaning. Throughout this time St Paul’s has been covered by a life-size image of the refurbished church. The restoration work was paid for by the sale of advertising space on the scaffolding of the building – an innovative funding model which allowed the Churches outreach and community work to continue unaffected.

A final phase of the redevelopment of St Paul's will begin in March 2010, when work commences on an extension to the building. The church's growth, combined with the many community initiatives it runs, has led to a critical lack of space which is restricting further expansion. The plans are to build a two-story building (plus basement) at the west end of the church.

Simon Downham, Vicar of St Paul's said:

"This is a momentous occasion for our church and for the local community. As the scaffolding has come down, many have commented on how moved they are to see the original church in all its glory, unveiled again. It's even more stunning than we could have imagined.

"This renewal is symbolic of our faith in the transforming power of God. Of course our vision is more than to conserve this building for the enjoyment of all. We are praying for our city. We want to create a sanctuary that speaks of a different order, a different reality to that which prevails.

"More than that our desire is to create a platform for mission where people will be restored and formed precisely for the sake of the city. We are so grateful for the patience of our congregations and local people. We hope the results of the restoration signify our commitment to the flourishing of this city."

The Bishop of London, Dr Richard Chartres said:

"It was thrilling to see St Paul's full of a cross section of the people of Hammersmith. It is a church that has been renewed by looking outside its walls to serve the needs of the whole community."