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Back from the brink – new roof for Finsbury Park’s barn’ community hub

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.

View of St Saviour's Community Hall, awaiting renovation
  • Published: 23 October 2024

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.

Dan Allwood, St Saviour’s Church operations manager, said: This funding is hugely important to us, and will allow us to open up the space to the whole community.

Our vision for the space is for it to host activities like a community cafe and events such as gigs, community theatre and dance classes.

It will also be really important in making us more sustainable – the community hall has been around for 125 years and we want it to be used by generations to come.”

In the three years to 2023, City Bridge Foundation awarded £5.9 million to projects which improve the environment or address climate change, including those which tackle poor air quality, boost open spaces or promote biodiversity.

It has also committed £15 million to meet the aims of the foundation’s ambitious Climate Action Strategy, which commits it to achieving net zero in its operations by 2027.