Our Heritage Awareness Programme was developed in 2017 in response to a requirement set by Heritage Lottery Fund organisers. St Thomas’ Church was awarded a considerable grant to repair and restore the tower and pinnacles which had been damaged during the storms of February 1963.  Lottery Fund policy stipulates that a proportion of the funding provided should be used to develop an ongoing sustainable programme of events and activities to engage people’s interest in Heritage – both of the church building itself, and its significance within the wider community; along with local Industrial and Social Heritage in general.

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Throughout the Heritage Awareness programme people enjoyed participating in ‘Traditional Crafts’, such as hand-sewn Crazy Patchwork and Peg Loom Weaving.  Others had their first taste of climbing 85 feet on the scaffolding, at our ‘Hard Hat Experience’.  We enjoyed ‘Organ Music, Tea and Cake’ and a NEW ‘Guide to the History of Our Church’ was printed and launched at a Heritage Open Day; where people also enjoyed guided tours of the church and bell tower.  The ‘Guide to the History of Our Church’ can be seen here as a pdf, but please note that it is designed as a double sided tri-fold, [so the front page seems out of sequence].