Joint release: The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic England and The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St Andrew Soham.
Cambridgeshire church restoration and heritage skills project backed by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic England
Initial funding will help the church progress their plans to remove the church from Historic England’s Heritage at Risk register and engage local young people in the skills and crafts needed to care for historic places of worship.- Key activity taking place during the development phase will include preparatory surveys for building repairs and piloting heritage skills activities with Soham Village College.
- Over the last 30 years, The National Lottery Heritage Fund has invested over £1billion in places of worship across the UK and launched a targeted initiative in 2024 to tackle sector-wide issues
- Historic England has spent around £182 million on repair grants for Heritage at Risk sites over the past 25 years
- Download press images HERE
St Andrew’s Church in Soham has been awarded initial support totalling £315,000 (£270,000 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and £45,000 from Historic England) to progress plans to restore the building and involve young people in learning heritage skills.
Development funding will help St Andrew’s Church to plan the major project, including conducting specialist surveys and piloting activities with local community groups. This work will help them apply for a full grant from the Heritage Fund of £2.8million at a later date. If successful, the project aims to begin major repairs in 2027.
The church dates from the 12th century and in the flat fen landscape its huge tower is visible for miles around. Olaudah Equiano, a freed slave whose autobiography was crucial to the abolitionist movement, married in the Grade I listed church in 1792.
The church has been on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register since 2018 due to the poor condition of the church’s roof and the danger of falling masonry. With the church suffering extensively from damp, major repairs are needed to prevent further deterioration and make the church an inviting community hub.
Plans currently being developed for the restoration involve repairing leaking lead roofs and replacing rotten timber, as well as essential stonework repairs to the tower. New heating and lighting systems will reduce the church’s carbon footprint and running costs.
St Andrew’s will continue developing their partnership with Soham Village College to inspire careers in vital heritage skills like stonemasonry, carpentry, leadwork and blacksmithing. This ambition builds on previous successes of projects supported by the Heritage Fund, where heritage building skills workshops at the church resulted in two students actively pursuing careers in flintknapping and heritage carpentry.
The Revd Eleanor Whalley, Vicar of Soham said:
“This is such good news! Both The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic England told us they’d been impressed by St Andrew's Church's existing partnerships with Soham’s schools, local businesses and professionals working within the heritage buildings sector, and by the activities we host during Black History Month.”
“Soham is a fantastic place in which to live and work, and we hope this project will build on these links. Thanks to National Lottery players and to so many others from across our community for making this exciting project possible.”
Liz Bates, the incoming Director, England, Midlands & East at The National Lottery Heritage Fund said:
“We are pleased to support St Andrew’s Church with this grant of £270,000. Through our Heritage in Need: Places of Worship Strategic Initiative we are committed to supporting places of worship to build skills, partnerships and community involvement to care for their heritage.”
Tony Calladine, East of England Regional Director, Historic England, said:
“We’re pleased to be working in partnership with The National Lottery Heritage Fund and the local community to support St Andrew’s Church in Soham. This collaborative approach is hugely important for giving new life to our precious heritage. Together, we’re not only investing in the church’s restoration but creating opportunities for young people to develop vital skills, inspiring the next generation of craftspeople and strengthening community bonds. I look forward to seeing this important Grade I listed building thriving once again at the heart of its community.”
-ENDS-
Page Image Credits
- Top/First image: St Andrew's Church Soham fair credit Mark Fairhurst
- Second image: Tower of St Andrew's Church Soham with heras fencing, a protective measure against falling masonry credit Mark Fairhurst
- Third Image (wooden carving): St Andrew's Church Soham, Carved roof angel credit Peter Scott
- Fourth Image: Joe Orsi (SPAB) demonstrating flint-knapping to children at heritage craft skills fair credit Colin Ramsey
Press images
- Download press images HERE
For further press information contact:
- Clarissa Cahill, Marketing and Communications Manager (Midlands and East) at The National Lottery Heritage Fund on 07749 702714 or email Clarissa.Cahill@heritagefund.org.uk
- Esther Blaine, East of England Public Engagement Manager, at Historic England on 07584 365681 or email Esther.Blaine@HistoricEngland.org.uk
- The Revd Eleanor Whalley, Vicar of Soham 01353 725948 sohamvicar@gmail.com
About The National Lottery Heritage Fund 
- Grant applications over £250,000 are assessed in two rounds. The St Andrew, Soham: Building repairs and building skills for a brighter future project has initially been granted round one development funding of £270,199 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, allowing it to progress with its plans. Detailed proposals are then considered by the Heritage Fund at second round, where a final decision is made on the full funding award of £2,858,247.
- Our vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. That’s why as the largest funder for the UK’s heritage we are dedicated to supporting projects that connect people and communities to heritage, as set out in our strategic plan, Heritage 2033. Heritage can be anything from the past that people value and want to pass on to future generations. We believe in the power of heritage to ignite the imagination, offer joy and inspiration, and to build pride in place and connection to the past.
- Over the next 10 years, we aim to invest £3.6billion raised for good causes by National Lottery players to make a decisive difference for people, places and communities.
- heritagefund.org.uk
- Follow @HeritageFundUK on Twitter/X, Facebook and Instagram and use #NationalLottery #HeritageFund
About Historic England 
- We are Historic England, the public body that protects and brings life to the heritage that matters to us all, so it lives on and is loved for longer. From the extraordinary to the everyday, our historic places and spaces matter.
- From community centres to cathedrals, homes to high streets, markets to mills – there are special places we all choose to hold onto, the legacy we want to pass on and the stories we continue to tell. That’s why we work together with people across England to discover, protect and bring new life to our shared historic environment, providing advice, knowledge, support and services.
- Follow us on social media @HistoricEngland.