Sandford Heritage and Community Project

Volunteers worked with the local school children to learn about woodcarving.
Volunteers worked with the local school children to learn about woodcarving Credit: Jim Wileman

Your Heritage

Date awarded
Location
Sandford & Creedy
Local Authority
Mid Devon
Applicant
Sandford Parish Church Council
Award Given
£44000
“It is good to see the church used regularly for community and heritage."
The Parish Church Council (PCC) of the Grade I St Swithun’s Church has made better use of the space beneath the 17th-century gallery by converting it into a heritage and community room.

St Swithun’s Church heritage and community room is a focal point for village activities – it's used by all members of the local community and visitors from further afield.

The Sandford Heritage Group worked with the PCC to develop the facility, and the room is used for recording and researching a primarily digital archive of the area.

The archive continues to grow, and includes film records of recent local events and village school projects. The church welcomes groups for events including heritage talks as well as visiting groups of children, tourists and bell ringers. The Heritage Group is planning regular weekend tours of the village, which will all end at the church for an illustrated talk and refreshments.

The church is now regularly used by the local school as an inspirational resource. A project based on a 16th-century carved bench involved children learning about traditional wood carving, and then designing their own bench ends. Another project involved children exploring the family histories of those who died during the First World War, using the village war memorial as a starting point. 

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