A LANDMARK building at the centre of Liskeard’s community life is about to undergo a major transformation.

St Martin’s Church Centre, once a Victorian National Board school and now a hub for thousands of local residents, is set for a £528,000 refurbishment that will future-proof it for generations.

With an estimated 30,000 visits a year, the Grade II listed centre is home to an array of church activities, community groups, meetings, and social events. For many in Liskeard, it is not just a building, but a vital gathering place that brings people of all ages together.

Now, thanks to a carefully pieced-together funding package, the 160-year-old site will be re-roofed, insulated and fitted with 81 solar panels and battery storage. The work will also see repairs to its cast iron rainwater goods, high-level stonework and windows.

Key to making this happen was a £230,000 grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, alongside £86,000 from the Church of England’s Net Zero Carbon Demonstrator Project Fund. Additional support came from over a dozen other grant makers, donations, fundraising events and church reserves.

This project isn’t just about repairs, it’s part of a national push to help historic church buildings achieve net zero carbon. St Martin’s is the first Demonstrator Project in the Church of England to move from the design phase into full implementation, setting a precedent for other parishes across the country.

Work begins in mid-September and is expected to continue until March 2026. A later phase in 2026 or early 2027 will see the 1989 gas boiler replaced with air source heat pumps, marking the Centre’s complete transition to net zero carbon.

Project lead Mike Sturgess, Churchwarden and Treasurer, reflected on the journey since December 2021.

“We’ve hit so many obstacles along the way,” he said. “First, bats hibernating in the roof delayed us and cost us a major grant deadline. Then we faced challenges getting listed building consent for the solar panels. Finally, the government’s new £25,000 cap on the Listed Places of Worship Scheme left us with a £65,000 funding gap. But now, everything’s come together and we’re ready to start.”

Alongside the main works, a “mini-project” will aim to further improve the main hall’s insulation through secondary double glazing. Running from August 10 to September 20, St Martin’s is seeking to raise at least £10,000 for this, with every donation matched up to £10,000 by the Church of England’s “Give to Go Green” initiative. The response has been immediate – over £5,500 was raised on the first day through donations, matched funding and gift aid.

For St Martin’s, the refurbishment represents more than just building improvements. It’s an investment in the community’s social heart, ensuring a warm, dry, accessible and environmentally sustainable venue for everything from support groups to public meetings, charity events to cultural activities.

As part of its role as a Demonstrator Project, the centre will also serve as a learning site for other churches and heritage buildings exploring the road to net zero.