‘We can’t do this on our own’: Urgent appeal to secure future of 900-year-old Staffordshire church

St Luke's Church has stood at the heart of Cannock for more than 900 years and, in that time, has been a place of worship, celebration, comfort and support.

It is a central landmark of the town and is recognisable to those who live in Cannock and those who visit for shopping and events.

However, it has faced troubling times recently, with costs beginning to grow for essential work to keep the building safe secure and weatherproof and, in recent years, works have seen cash reserves reduce, leaving little money available for further urgent work.

The Friends of St Luke’s Church have launched an appeal on JustGiving to raise around £50,000 to ensure the upkeep of the church, with Andy Brittle, who is a member of the parochial church council and Fabric team, explaining what work needed doing.

He said: “You have to monitor the structure and the foundations of the building because buildings of this age are not built as moderns ones are with all the associated standards.

“They are built, essentially, on clay, so you can imagine the foundations here and the mining and everything else underneath to keep that structure solid and there are constant demands.

“This also isn’t how you would plaster a home as it is a different type of plaster called lime mortar, which is very expensive, and we have what is called a quinquennial inspection every year that tells us what essential repairs are needed, and they come with a big cost.”

Mr Brittle said the last inspection had cost the church more than £100,000 and said it was proving almost impossible to cover the costs and ensure the building could stay open.

He said it was essential for it to stay open due to its significance within the community.

He said: “I think it acts as an anchor for everybody in the community, particularly with the regeneration that is happening in Cannock, as there is a despondency with the buildings coming down, but yet this remains as pivotal in people’s lives.

“It is somewhere that feels safe, carries a lot of memories for people and has a serenity attached to it that I don’t think you can put a price on.

“We want to share that with as many people as we can and what’s got to happen to make sure that the church continues is that people have got to help us as we can’t do this on our own.”

Lay Minister David Gethin had been part of the church for years and, since 2013, as Lay Minister and spoke about the importance of the church in the community.

He said: “It’s very important as we believe we’re here to proclaim the gospel of Jesus and so we need a place to do it.

“This building happens to be here and it has been here for 900 years and many people in Cannock have got some connection to this place through marriages, baptism, worship or funerals, so it’s very important that there is a building here.

“It is a community centre and the people have always turned to the church and found it to be a benefit, so I hope people are able to help us to keep this place viable for the next 900 years.”