An 800 year-old church in Basildon is fundraising to complete vital refurbishments
They're having to raise thousands of pounds
An 800-year-old church in Essex has launched a fundraising campaign to pay for vital refurbishments.
Holy Cross church, in Basildon, is aiming to raise ÂŁ30,000 pounds to fix interior issues, particularly damp on the walls.
Reverend Jane Richards, the church's vicar, is leading the efforts: "It's not just about people giving us cash, although that does help us get the work done, it's also about Holy Cross being a place of history.
"It's been there for 800 years and we'd quite like it to be there for another 800 years."
Some of the money will also go towards restoration of historic artworks on display: "We have an 18th century wooden plaque with an inscription on it. We know that if we had that properly restored, it would look amazing and really reflect the history of the local area."
This money is on top of the ÂŁ36,000 which has been put towards exterior refurbishments which are due to begin in summer, which will better weather-proof the building.
The Reverend told Greatest Hits Radio Essex that the money is harder to come by than some people might expect: "I always get asked why the Church of England can't just pay for the works, but sadly it doesn't work like that.
"We, as a local parish, don't have access to central funding for the upkeep of our church buildings, so we have to raise it ourselves by applying for grants and various other things."
She says the building's been a community hub for years, and hopes people will want to support the renovation efforts due to fond memories: "Holy Cross really holds a place in the community's hearts.
"Often people will say 'Gran's buried there', 'My mum got married there' or 'I was christened there'. It holds a real place in, not just the local community's hearts, but also in people who've moved away from Basildon."
Jane says the church is a place for everyone, whether they're religious or not, and she hopes the refurbishments will mean this can continue: "Basildon is a new town, or was a new town. It's changed a lot over the past 70 years but some things haven;t changed and Holy Cross is one of those things.
"It's still important for the community to know that place is there, and that whilst other things might change, it doesn't."