House builder Bellway is supporting St Andrew’s Church in Wanborough as part of its commitment to helping the local community.
The company is building new homes at Redlands Grove on the edge of the village, near Swindon, and has donated £500 to the running costs of the Grade I-listed building.
This follows a previous donation of £500 towards an appeal to cover the costs of re-roofing the church’s nave. This work was completed last year (2023).
Church Treasurer Andrew Poppleton said, “We are delighted that Bellway is happy to support the church again. Whilst we had a number of donations when we were fundraising before the work to the roof started, they have tailed off since the work has been completed and we still have a large loan that needs to be repaid. Donations like this are vital if we are going to keep the church going.
“We only get a small amount of income from our regular services, weddings and funerals, so we rely heavily on donations. We are currently unable to cover our running costs with donations so are trying to encourage more people to donate.”
A new vicar, The Rev Steve Paynter, has been appointed at St Andrew’s and the other churches in the benefice and started his new role at the end of January 2024.
Andrew said, “We are hoping this will be a catalyst for making St Andrew’s a more vibrant part of the Wanborough community and that more people will come through the doors. There has been a church at Wanborough since at least the 11th century and it is one of only three in England with a tower and a spire, so it’s particularly important that we look after it for future generations.”
Christel Hawkins, Sales Manager for Bellway South West, said, “St Andrew’s is a beautiful church and it has exceptional significance to the village of Wanborough. Churches not only create and extend relationships with the wider community, but they also host events and activities and provide pastoral care. It is great to know that our donation, which is going towards church maintenance, will allow more individuals to continue to benefit from what the church has to offer.
“At Bellway, our commitment goes beyond building houses – we are also committed to supporting the communities close to where we build. This is certainly the case in Wanborough, where as well as supporting the church, we provided funding for Wanborough Village and Country Show in August. It’s not just about bricks and mortar, it’s about building stronger, vibrant communities.”
Bellway is building 81 homes in the first phase of Redlands Grove, as part of a wider new neighbourhood of up to 370 homes on the former Redlands Airfield.
For more information, call the sales team on 01793 393145 or visit: https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/south-west/redlands-grove.
Pictured from left, Nicky Pullan (Bell-ringer), Tony Pullan (Bell-ringer), Andrew Poppleton (Treasurer), Gaynor Halls (Church warden), Catherine Kosidowski (P.C.C member) and Chris Hunter (Current Reverand) at St Andrew’s Church in Wanborough near to Bellway’s Redlands Grove development
