The Church in a marquee to get a new roof

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Work starts shortly on a £500,000 project to repair the roof at St James in the City. This is the next stage of a multi-million pound project for the restoration of the church.

The restoration work will repair the nave and chancel roofs and other weatherproofing to the Grade II* listed church. The work has been funded thanks to a substantial English Heritage grant fund, supported by grants from the National Churches Trust, the All Churches Trust, the Wolfson Foundation and Garfield Weston. Members of the congregation have also given generously.

The present church has no heating, no water and no toilets, and the roof leaks. The growing number of members has been meeting in two marquees inside the building for the last couple of years. During the week, these 80+ members are involved in many different community activities.

While the works take place, the growing congregation will continue to meet in the Sir Giles Gilbert Scott Suite at Liverpool Cathedral every Sunday at 4pm.

“We're delighted with the news that we can get this work done on our roof,” said Vicar Neil Short. “It is a significant step in the restoration of the church, and while we won't be able to pack away the marquee just yet, we are coming closer to the day that St James in the City will shine as a beacon to the local community.”
A spokesperson from the National Churches Trust said, “We are delighted to support St James in the City with this grant. The project embodies the Trust’s commitment to vital conservation work hand in hand with projects that benefit communities, integrating places of worship fully into their local areas and enabling buildings to be open to the wider public.”
St James in the City was built in 1775 and fell in disrepair and was closed in 1972. It was then owned by the Churches Conservation Trust who maintained it until 2010 when they supported a visionary project from the Diocese of Liverpool and handed it back to their ownership.

“Neil Short and his energetic congregation are achieving a remarkable turnaround at one of Liverpool's most significant historic churches,” said Henry Owen-John, head of English Heritage North West. “Redundant for so many years, fresh life is being breathed into it. English Heritage is delighted to assist with urgent repairs to the roof, which is an essential part of securing a long term future for St James.”