A campaign has been launched to save an iconic Wirral church. St James’ Church in New Brighton, which opened in 1856, has already undergone three phases of repair work in the last 10 years, totalling more than £1 millon and now a further £5 million is required for ‘significant repairs’.

Despite its welcoming charm, St James faces critical challenges due to the need for significant repairs, which threaten the survival of the remarkable church. A church boasting significant historical importance, it is a Grade II listed building in the ‘Heritage at Risk’ register. It serves as a national heritage site, a religious and spiritual hub for parishioners, and a cornerstone for the local community. It also features a beautiful Grade II listed organ.

These restorations are vital for safety and threaten to stop the church from serving the local community. The Parish provides social services such as the Wirral Foodbank, The New Brighton Heritage Centre, Welcome Wednesdays, and the Wallasey Gardening Society.

It is also paired with food banks and toilets abroad, offering help to those in need. Local initiatives it supports include offering services for local scouts, the RNLI, and support for Bridging the Wallasey Gap, which helps people with food hampers as needed.

Richard Wilberforce, head of PR and restoration for the church, said:- “Currently, the church is facing a lot of structural issues. Damp penetration, structural instability in certain areas, degradation of those fantastic wall paintings up there. It’s generally showing its age, and this is compounded by the very exposed location of the building. We’re just overlooking the Bay of Liverpool. We’ve been battered by storms for 170 years.”

The church urgently needs funding to fix its roofing, conserve its murals which are currently peeling from damp due to the proximity to the sea, and its masonry. The cost of heating the church is also a significant expense, as the building is large and temperatures plummet inside it, which has meant that many groups that used to rely on the church have had to abandon it as it is too cold for function, meaning they cannot cater to the community as needed.

The church has already undertaken essential works on the spire and the beautiful rose window, which were safety risks to the public and threatened to close the building down, and has had vital funding from Heritage Lottery Fund, Garfield Weston and Benefact Trust. A further £5 million is required, however, to cover the further restoration required.

Jenny Davies, a parishioner who ran the Church magazine for 20 years, says:- “It’s been very much a part of my life. And the family of the church is my life. It supports me when I’m miserable. When I’m happy, they’re happy for me. ‘It would break my heart if anything happened to it.”

Lynn Lloyd, who is Visits Officer for the New Brighton RNLI, and has been a parishioner at St James for over 30 years, added:- “We got a very warm welcome and we’ve been coming ever since. We’ve just been involved in lots of different ways…it’s a vital part of the community.”

The church boasts the tallest spire in Wirral (at 172 feet high) and was designed by iconic English Gothic Revival architect Sir Gilbert Scott in the 1850s. Sir Scott is famed for having designed the New Bodleian Library, Cambridge University Library, and Lady Margaret Hall in Oxford amongst others, and for having designed the iconic red telephone box.

The Church contains work from notable artists such as Alfred O Hemming, a great Victorian church artist who was commissioned to design murals, altarpieces, and stained glass, which is very rare to find in a small provincial church.

The Minton tiled floor is also a beautiful and interesting highlight of the church. The church holds a notable choir, and is 1 of the few remaining traditional robed choirs in the Wirral peninsula. They are often invited to sing in different cathedrals around the country.

Richard summarised:- “We’re asking anyone out there, whether you’re a business or an individual, to help us with fundraising in any way you can. We really need to save these iconic buildings that have so much history and heritage, and also serve the community so well. Please do get in touch if you can help in any way.”

To donate and help the church visit this website.  

Story written by Tania Zucconi Rui.