Committee formed to run St Madoc of Ferns

After 1,439 years of being used as a place of worship, St Madoc of Ferns announced it was having to close because of dwindling congregation numbers.

Options for the church, in Haroldston West, potentially include it being sold off and knocked down for holiday homes, or the roof taken off it to leave it as a safe ruin.

However, there could be light at the end of a very long tunnel.

A local history group has in the last few weeks managed to form a committee that has agreed in principle to take over the church at a peppercorn rate and attempt to turn the building around, leaving it as a community asset with multi-purpose use.

The new committee is being run by the Havens History Group.

The Western Telegraph spoke to one of the members, Shirley Norman, who said it's daunting to be taking on the church at such short notice but they are determined to save it.

"Our first meeting was good,” said Shirley. “To be honest, every time we have a meeting I think no one will turn up and then there are more people.

“After the initial public meeting we had a dozen names, the last meeting we had 12 people and we have managed to form a committee, with a press team and most importantly a professional fundraiser.”

The church, which has ancient artefacts inside, could have the roof taken off it and be turned into a safe ruin

The most daunting aspect for the committee is the electricity bill, which they will take over in July amid soaring energy costs.

There is scheduled to be a wedding at the church on the 30th of July and the final service will take place on the 31st. After that, Shirley explained the church is no longer a church but a community asset.

It seems such a shame. The church will fall into disrepair

Shirley says the committee is looking for ideas to use the space for things other than worship.

“The church could be used for art exhibitions, or history exhibitions, or musicians, choirs, young people with bands,” said Shirley.

“We are looking for ways to use the building and then, down the line we might be able to apply for heritage funding. What we want is people with ideas.”

For church warden Dianna, centre, it's personal, having been married there, burying her husband there, and seeing her daughter married there

There are also structural issues that need to be overcome including chronic damp on the west wall caused by insufficient pointing done by the Victorians in the 1880s.

What we want is people with ideas

READ MORE:

• St Madoc of Ferns on verge of closing due to dwindling congregation
• Funeral details confirmed following death of Dean Clarke

The church first hit the headlines in February, when one of only two church wardens left, Diana Thomas, said she was devasted to announce that the church, which she has attended nearly all her life and where she saw her daughter marry, was having to close.

The church has been potentially taken over by a new committee

At the time Diana told the Western Telegraph: “I just want it to be used.

“We have worked hard over the last few years to keep it going. It seems such a shame. The church will fall into disrepair.”

Since then church's plight has made the national press.

Got ideas to use the church, or want to help in its running? Get in touch with the Havens History Group at shirley@the-boathouse-gallery.co.uk.