Church is awarded £10k for repairs

A TORPOINT church which has been left severely damaged by extreme wet weather over the past six years has been awarded a £10,000 grant to make it watertight once more.

- By ANDY PHILLIPS

The grade II-listed Cornerstone Church in Torpoint is home to a single unified Methodist and United Reform Church congregation but there are concerns about the longevity of the building if repairs are not carried out soon.

The historic place of worship has been awarded the grant from the National Churches Trust, which is handing out more than £900,000 to keep UK churches open and in use.

But the trust has also issued a warning that changes to legislation which have imposed VAT on major repairs to churches risks seeing historic buildings fall into disrepair or close completely.

The National Churches Trust, through their foundation The House of Good, say that local churches generate £55 billion a year in social good through hosting and running community activities in their buildings.

They claim this would cost the NHS £7.4 billion to deliver the same level of service, which is the same as employing 230,000 nurses.

The Cornerstone Church delivers more than just sermons, as it is also used as a space for the community, including the Warm Welcome on Tuesday morning, where it becomes a drop-in space where anyone can come and enjoy free hot drinks and biscuits, aimed at combating isolation in the community.

Claire Walker, Chief Executive of the National Churches Trust, said: "Changes by the Government to the Listed Places of Worship Grants Scheme have effectively imposed VAT on listed churches that need any major repairs.