A CHURCH is celebrating some milestones in its journey to restoration – and celebrating its place at the heart of the parish.

In South Hill, the ‘St Sampson’s Unlocked’ project is raising the many hundreds of thousands of pounds needed for a full overhaul, including the replacement of the roof and ceiling, a task which alone will cost some £200,000.

It’s a long road for the fundraisers, but one they are determined and optimistic to see through, as the church is a thriving hub for the village and surrounding area.

One of the most recent projects has been the restoration of the 13 stained glass windows by Dan Humphries Stained Glass, and repair of the surrounding stonework that was necessary before the windows could be removed.

Good news had just come as the Cornish Times interviewed churchwarden Judith Ayers as a grant for £5,000 has been confirmed in order to make repairs to the church porch.

“We’re in the process of submitting a faculty – this is listed building planning consent for churches through the Diocese,” Judith explained. “The architect has drawn up plans for the roof, ceiling, a new kitchen, toilets, and a meeting room with underfloor heating.

“When we’ve got the permission, then we can start seeking funding for these big jobs.”

Judith says that the response to the appeal has been really good and that local donations keep coming in.

She and her fellow project coordinator Miranda want to quell any idea that the church is dying – certainly not in South Hill.

“We are absolutely not in decline! We have a thriving congregation that pays its way and are really eager and keen.”

The St Sampson’s story has recently been featured in the national ‘Save The Parish’ campaign, the aim of which is to protect the local parish structure and church buildings as being at the core of the Church of England, halt further amalgamation of parishes and centralisation, and to highlight the role that parish churches have to play in their communities.

“We are a deep rural parish of 500 residents and St Sampson’s church is a focal point over Christmas,” reads the South Hill entry.

“We had a wonderful atmospheric carols by candlelight service, with choir, organ, fiddle and cello. The smell of mulled wine permeated the ancient church and we heard the age-old words of the Christmas story, whilst raising the (in much need of repair) roof.

“We also had a cafe tingle service making our own Christingles and the following day hosted Sampson’s Supertots singing the jingle-ring and meeting Santa.

“Despite the snow and rain, we had nearly 100 people through our doors, not counting the daytime pop-in visitors. That’s 20% of our community.”

The St Sampson’s Unlocked project is almost half way to its target of £500,000. To donate and get updates on the project visit www.justgiving.com/campaign/StSampsons-Church-SouthHill-Cornwall