A dilapidated 125-year-old community hall in Finsbury Park will be brought back from the brink, sealed against the elements and made more energy efficient – thanks to new funding.
The hall at St Saviour’s Church is so draughty, with water running down the walls, it’s known colloquially as ‘the barn’, usable only in the summer months.
Now, its distinctive gambrel roof is being replaced to stop heat getting out and water getting in – funded by £100,000 from City Bridge Foundation, London’s biggest independent funder.
The work will be the first stage in an ambitious £495,000 revamp at the hall, in Hanley Road, with solar panels and energy-saving heat pumps also planned for the future.
Giles Shilson, City Bridge Foundation chairman, said: “For generations, the hall has been a huge asset not just to the church but to the community of Finsbury Park.
“This funding will not only help bring it back to life but will also make the building more energy efficient, saving money and reducing the church’s carbon footprint.”
Unusually, the hall was built in 1899 with money raised by the congregation, rather than being centrally funded by the Church of England.
The hall originally served under-privileged parishioners and housed a Sunday school for working children, clothing clubs and a penny bank – a savings bank for those without the means to open a regular bank account.
It has had a colourful and vibrant history, having served subsequently as a theatre, gymnasium and venue for weddings, birthdays and celebrating life events in the community.
