South Lakeland church looking towards a drier future thanks to £5,000 Armistead Wind Farm fund grant

The future of an historic South Cumbrian village church building is looking more secure thanks to a four-figure grant from a renewable energy firm.

The long-term problems with damp and condensation that St Stephen’s Church in New Hutton has suffered have been exacerbated by the building being used less frequently in recent years, meaning the heating system is turned on less often and it receives less regular ventilation.

The interior has to be regularly redecorated to try to stop the building’s fabric becoming too badly damaged by condensation, but with the same problems reoccurring, the cost and time required to keep it in usable shape had been continuing to increase.

To try to find a permanent solution to the problem, St Stephen’s has been looking to install a new ventilation system in its north windows which will allow air to keep circulating around the building and thus reducing the build-up of condensation.

And now, the church has received a £5,000 grant from the community fund linked to OnPath Energy’s nearby Armistead Wind Farm which will enable it to get the required installation work carried out over the summer.

Once the church has properly dried out, a full redecoration will be undertaken which will help to better protect it from the elements and reduce the risk of further deterioration.

Built in the late 1820s, St Stephen’s Church is a Grade II listed building and is named on the National Heritage List for England.

There’s simply no way that we could have afforded to get this work done without the funding we’ve had from OnPath Energy

Michael Burke, treasurer at St Stephen’s Church, says: “The wind can really whip in off Morecambe Bay into the western side of the church building and the impact that this has is sadly all too visible, especially with it being occupied and heated less frequently than used to be the case.

“We do our best to keep the building’s fabric in the best possible condition, but it’s been a never-ending battle against the damp in recent years and the problems with condensation were never going to be resolved without substantial action.

“Adding this ventilation system will stabilise the situation by helping to stop water gathering in places where it can cause damage, and it will also make a big difference to the building’s appearance for our parishioners and other visitors.

“There’s simply no way that we could have afforded to get this work done without the funding we’ve had from OnPath Energy and we’re extremely grateful for their generous support in safeguarding our much-loved church’s future viability.”

Robin Winstanley, sustainability and community director at OnPath Energy, adds: “Churches like St Stephen’s play a crucial role in providing a focal point for dispersed rural communities, and the work of the volunteers that look after them is equally important.

“The ventilation system that’s being installed will hopefully make a substantial difference to the building’s condition and we’re very glad that revenues generated by the Armistead Wind Farm are enabling this work to be carried.”

Environmental and community projects in the vicinity of the Armistead Wind Farm which are interested in applying to its Community Fund should first contact the fund manager via apply@onpathcommunityfund.co.ukor on 0191 378 6342 to confirm that their group or project is eligible.