St. George’s Tufnell Park Church is fundraising £120,000 to replace their roof and fascia which are leaking and could lead to metal chunks falling and hitting pedestrians.
From grants received from the National Lottery Awards, the local charity Cloudesley and individuals, £710,000 has been raised.
The church hopes replace the deteriorating roof by next summer, and they may get a loan if they cannot reach the target in time.
Alexandra Lilley, vicar of the church, said: “I think it’s a very challenging time.
“I think a lot of charities are finding that it’s a difficult climate at the moment for fundraising, partly because of the cost of living crisis in individual lives.”
In addition, they wish to improve the roof’s insulation, install solar panels and refurbish the old kitchen for catering.
Lilley was afraid that without a safe roof, the church could not continue as a “real hub for the community.” For example, every Wednesday, they run a Wellbeing Cafe that provides free meals for residents. They also run sensory sessions for children with autism or other additional needs to learn and socialise with one another with toys and music.
Scarlette, who brought her child to the church’s free playgroup, believed the church is important to the local community.
She believed that the Church is not just for religious purposed, but “a nice place to come and just meet other people.”
Only 38% of charities in the UK were confident about affording to meet the increasing demand for their services under the economic hardships, according to Charities Aid Foundation’s research last year. At the same time, people donating food or money to charity fell by 15% between 2020 and 2024, government data shows.
Details about the fundraising and donation can be found on their website.
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