Latest entries appear at the top
18 July 2016
HAVE YOU READ about the QUIZ planned for Saturday 5 September?
It may seem early to mention it but there’s the summer holidays to come before, and you don’t want to discover about this after all the spaces have been booked!
How about getting together with friends, family and neighbours for this fundraiser?!
The closing date for booking your team of 6 is 22 August 2026.
See the poster below for the email address where to send your booking.
15 July 2026
We are also pleased to report that we have secured an additional £8,000 in grant funding through successful applications. While we continue to pursue further grants, it is increasingly important that we can demonstrate strong local support for the appeal.
One of the key factors grant-making bodies consider is evidence of sustained
commitment from the local community. Regular donations made through a standing order provide exactly this kind of support and can significantly strengthen our applications for future funding.
If you have not yet considered making a regular monthly contribution, however
modest, this would be a wonderful way to support the appeal while helping us unlock further grant funding opportunities. To find out more about setting up a standing order for monthly donations, please contact stmarywivtreasurer@gmail.com
14 July 2026
This year’s Open Gardens event was again very successful despite the occasional threatening clouds. Almost 700 people visited 32 lovely gardens.
And of course one of the aims is to raise some money.
This year, the net profit was £4,400. This will be split 50/50 between St Mary’s Church, for its Roof Appeal, and The Wivenhoe Society.
Which means that the event has raised £2,200 for the Roof Appeal.
We are grateful to the event organisers and to all garden visitors, who helped us further along the way to our goal.
13 July 2026
UPDATE TO THE SPONSOR A ROOF TILE PAGE
It was recently brought to our attention that the Sponsor a Tile page did not provide an opportunity to leave one’s name or email address, so that a tile certificate could not be sent to the donor after a donation.
We are grateful for the feedback that has allowed us to remedy this situation.
The Sponsor page now has a form to fill in that requires name and email address before proceeding to the Give a Little donation site.
This means that the sponsorship can now be recorded in the Parish Records in perpetuity, as promised on the certificate, also when the donation is made on line.
Take the shortcut to the Sponsor a Roof Tile page.
4 July 2026
The Roof Appeal team had a busy weekend at the Broomgrove Summer Fair and the Wivenhoe Regatta, where they ran our ‘Sponsor a Roof Tile’ stall.
Thanks to the fantastic support of everyone who visited us, 137 roof tiles were sponsored, and we received a number of additional donations. This brings our total to 281 sponsored tiles, raising an incredible £1,405 towards our Roof Appeal project so far.
Thank you to everyone who has sponsored a tile, donated, or stopped by to support the appeal. Every contribution is helping to make a real difference.
If you haven’t yet sponsored a tile, you can do so after our Sunday service each week, or by emailing roofappealwivstmarys@gmail.com to make arrangements.
26 June 2026
We are delighted to share some positive news about the St Mary’s Roof Appeal. Since launching the appeal in March, we have raised already an impressive amount. This remarkable achievement reflects the generosity and commitment of our congregation and the wider community, and we are deeply grateful to everyone who has contributed so far.
This total has been boosted through generous donations and a variety of fundraising initiatives, including contributions from the Wivenhoe Society, FOSM, Open Gardens, The Way Teddy Bear Tombola, Colchester Chamber Choir concert and the sale of John Kevan’s beautiful artwork. We have also continued our efforts to secure funding through applications to grant-making bodies.
We have recently launched our ‘Sponsor a Roof Tile’ initiative. Tiles can be sponsored for just £5 each, making this an affordable and meaningful way for individuals, families and friends to support the appeal. Tiles may be sponsored for yourself, in memory of a loved one, or as a gift for children, grandchildren or friends. Sponsorship certificates will be available after the Sunday morning service each week or by emailing roofappealwivstmarys@gmail.com.
We will have stalls at the Broomgrove Summer Fair on Friday 3rd July and at the Wivenhoe Regatta on Saturday 4th July, where we hope to ‘sell’ more roof tiles. Come and see us there!
22 June 2026
Colchester Chamber Choir Concert Raises £900 for the Roof AppealThank you to everyone who joined us for the Colchester Chamber Choir’s performance of A Silver Swan at St Mary’s Church in support of our Roof Appeal.
It was a wonderful afternoon, enjoyed by around 100 people, and we are delighted to share that the event raised £900. This fantastic total was achieved through the bucket collection, generous donations, and sponsorship of roof tiles.
We are incredibly grateful to the choir, everyone who attended, and all those who contributed so generously. Your support brings us another step closer to preserving our beautiful church for future generations.
23 March 2026
Thank you to everyone who joined us on Sunday for the launch of the St Mary’s Wivenhoe Roof Appeal.
It was wonderful to see such strong support from the community as we begin this important project to preserve our historic church.
Your encouragement, generosity, and presence mean a great deal, and we look forward to sharing updates as the appeal progresses.
A message from the Rector
March 2026
Dear friends,
When we completed the annexe and nave refurbishment at St Mary the Virgin Church in 2021, we had hoped to redecorate as well.
Financially, that was not possible and, as it turns out, that delay was providential.
A recent inspection has revealed serious problems with the north, middle and chancel roofs. While the south roof was repaired some years ago, the remaining sections now require urgent and comprehensive work.
Leaks and falling plaster show that we must act now to protect this much-loved building.
The total cost of repairing the roof and completing the redecoration will be £300,000.
At the start of this appeal we have already raised £70,000 but we need your support to raise the remaining £230,000 to secure the church for future generations.
Please visit the Roof Appeal page of the website to find out more about the project.
Together, we can ensure our parish church continues to serve the whole community for years to come.
With thanks and every blessing,
Revd Canon Erwin Lammens
Your Rector at St Mary’s Church Wivenhoe
