Restore Project National Lottery Heritage Fund Update

20 April 2026

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Restore Project National Lottery Heritage Fund Update
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St. John the Baptist Church, Old Malden

Restore Project National Lottery Heritage Fund Update

We ask for your prayers as we await the outcome of our application
After eighteen months of work, an important milestone for the Restore Project was reached on 8th March when the St John’s Grants Group submitted a 30-page application to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for a £250,000 grant.
 
The Heritage Fund supports projects that combine the conservation of historic buildings with activities that benefit the wider community, so our proposal includes not only essential repair work but also heritage, environmental and social care initiatives.
 
Many people beyond the Grants Group contributed their time, expertise and encouragement during the preparation of the application, and we are very grateful for their support.
 
We expect to hear the result of the application in mid-May. Here are two extracts from the application.

 
NLHF question: What would you like to achieve through your project?
 
The Restore Project will secure St John’s Old Malden as a safe, welcoming and sustainable building that serves as a lasting centre for heritage, environmental learning and community support.
 
We will protect the church for future generations and increase its value to local people. Schools and residents will benefit from accessible heritage and nature trails, an expanded website of digital historic and environmental resources, and a stronger understanding of local history and biodiversity. We will increase our inclusiveness through new social care programs in addition to our current range, which will be secured for the future. Increased engagement will lead to more visitors, volunteers and improved financial resilience, ensuring long-term sustainability.
 
Our legacy will be a transformation in the local perception of the Church. The local community will think of the church as a fascinating building with great people who provide heritage, nature and social care activities of great value.

 
NLHF question: What will you do during your project?
 
The conservation and renewal of St John's Old Malden is a multi-phase project spanning many years.
 
Phase One is the replacement of key areas of tower brickwork to remove an immediate threat and demonstrate to the local community that work is underway. This phase is in progress and is fully funded by self-fundraising and grants from the Surrey Churches Trust and Marshall's Charity.
 
Phase Two, for which this National Lottery Heritage Fund application is being made, is to complete critical work necessary to secure the building and allow us to expand our heritage and environmental activities as outlined in this application.
 
During Phase Two we will do the following:
  1. Carry out essential capital works to secure the building
  2. Digitise our historic documents archived in Woking into an expanded heritage section of our website
  3. Digitise our flora and fauna resources into an expanded environmental section of our website  
  4. Create heritage and nature trails for local schools and the public.
  5. Increase the local knowledge of our heritage by commissioning a new Church History booklet and distributing to some 4,000 local residences, plus libraries and schools.
  6. Support Kingston Borough Environmental strategy and boost our own knowledge base by commissioning ZSL Hogwatch to conduct environmental surveys.
  7. Increase the inclusion of people who need support and increase the value of the church to the local community by launching Dementia Carer’s Support and End of Life Planning.
  8. Continue our existing program of social care and environment activities which are otherwise at risk if the future of the building is not secured.
  9. Boost our organisational sustainability through an increased visitor base and a proportional increase in donations, church attendance and regular giving.
 
 Peter Wickenden, St John’s Grants Group
 
Copyright © 2026 St John the Baptist, All rights reserved.


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