Future of rare historic church safeguarded after grant awarded
THE future of a rare neoclassical church in Edinburgh has been safeguarded ahead of its 200th anniversary.
The share of a £1m grant will ensure the Category B-listed St
Mark’s Episcopal Church in Portobello “is ready to serve the community for generations to come”.
Built in a unique neoclassical style, St Mark’s was opened in 1826 and consecrated in 1828 by Bishop Sandford.
St Mark’s was one of the first Episcopal churches to be built in the Edinburgh Diocese after the repressions of the penal laws that followed the Jacobite risings in the 18th century.
The £100,000 grant – from the National Churches Trust – will mean that the church is able to make vital repairs to the floor, ceiling, external walls and windows.
Without these repairs, plans cannot proceed to improve the facilities within the church. These include a new kitchen and accessible toilets, which will ensure the church “can meet the needs of the local community”.
The church space is currently used for all sorts of community activities – including coffee mornings, yoga and pilates, book clubs, children’s drama and dance classes, concerts and exhibitions.
By improving the facilities, the church hopes to attract a wider pool of groups to rent the space out to and provide a vital income stream to keep the church open.
Claire Walker, Chief Executive of the National Churches Trust, said: “The National Churches Trust is excited to be able to support St Mark’s Church to enable them to carry out urgent repairs.
“This will safeguard the unique heritage of this historic church and keep it open and in use for the benefit of local people.
She added: “Whether seeking quiet reflection, access to community services or a place to worship, the National Churches Trust helps hundreds of churches each year and with the support of local people, keeps them thriving today and tomorrow.”
Rev Canon Dr Sophia Marriage, Rector of St Mark’s, said: “This marks a significant milestone in our fundraising as we move towards the 200th anniversary of the church and work to ensure that the St Mark’s building and congregation can serve the people of Portobello in exciting ways for the next 200 years.
“We are immensely grateful for this generous grant of £100,000 from the National Churches Trust, which provides a massive boost to our ongoing fundraising work and considerably helps towards the repair costs which were the starting point for the vision to make the church more accessible, flexible and welcoming for worship and for the many different community activities that meet there.
“We are also greatly encouraged by the partnership that this grant opens up.”
Rev Dr Marriage added: “This shows how much the National Churches Trust supports the vision for the renewal of community infrastructure at a time when increased fabric costs and the withdrawal of community funds threatens these spaces which are integral to the flourishing of people.”