National Churches Trust awards St Columbkille’s £15,000 to allow upgrade
A much loved Rutherglen church will receive £15,000 for an upgrade from the National Churches Trust.
St Columbkille’s Church on Main Street, Rutherglen, will receive part of the £607,000 from the National Churches Trust Community Grant to help fund the installation of accessible toilets as part of a major project to help make the church more accessible and reduce energy use.
The project also involves renewing heating, lighting, pews and the PA system, installing new boilers, building a new entrance porch and access ramps.
A total of 36 churches and chapels in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland will benefit from the latest grants from the National Churches, the charity supporting church buildings of all Christian denominations across the UK. Trust. Founded in 1953, the Trust has helped over 10,000 churches, chapels and meeting houses with funding for urgent repairs and to pay for the installation of kitchens and toilets to enable more places of worship to become community hubs.
Broadcaster and journalist Huw Edwards, Vice President of The National Churches Trust, said:
“The UK’s churches and chapels are a treasure trove of architecture, history and faith. But these buildings don’t belong to the past. They pay a vital role in our present and future too, acting as places of worship, community centres or simply somewhere to go for quiet contemplation.”
“The cost of keeping churches and chapels wind and watertight and paying for the installation of modern facilities is far beyond the means of congregations.”
“That’s why I’m delighted that the National Churches Trust has been able to provide a £15,000 grant to St Columbkille Church, Rutherglen.
“This funding will help ensure that this historic and much loved church will continue to serve local people for many years to come.”
Originally founded in 1851 the present Catholic parish church of St Columbkille was consecrated in 1940, being one of the few church buildings completed following the onset of the Second World War.
The building is recognised as being of outstanding architectural significance being a Listed Building with Category A status.
Designed by architects Gillespie, Kidd & Coia in the period 1934-40, the building is a modern interpretation of Italian Romanesque architecture a common feature being a tall frontal tower. It has a massive façade with five arcaded bays at ground level with tall windows and sculptured stone statues of Christ and the four Evangelists set in niches along with bas reliefs.
A treasure trove of architecture