St Mary’s Church by Lytchett Matravers receives £10,000 grant

A GRANT of £10,000 has been awarded to help a 12th century church modernize by updating its decades-old technological systems.

St. Mary’s Church in Lytchett Matravers has benefited from the Talbot Village Trust donation with the installation of a new sound system, better wiring, better lighting and more.

This new equipment has allowed the church to livestream its weekly and monthly services to reach parishioners who cannot attend in person. Funerals, weddings and services such as the Light Party on Halloween have all benefited from the new system.

Stephen Partridge, Vicar at St Mary’s, said: “My greatest desire for our church is to be accessible to the whole community. This grant from the Talbot Village Trust has made this possible by enabling many more people to access the gatherings and services that are housed in our beautiful historic building.

The church had been without a specialized public address system for people with hearing aids for more than a decade after its previous hearing loop, dating from the 1980s, broke.

Vicar Stephen Partridge and Cloth Keeper Bill Carter of St Mary’s Church in Lytchett Matravers

The remaining funds were invested in updating the church’s wiring, lighting, sound and vision systems. Where previously the wiring was visible and unsightly, the new rewiring scheme has improved the aesthetics of the church interior, while complying with current safety guidelines.

An old floodlight system has been replaced by a modern, eco-friendly LED lighting track, which makes it easy to adapt the lighting to each service or event.

Nicholas Ashley-Cooper, Chairman of Talbot Village Trust, said: “Enriching our communities is our primary goal at Talbot Village Trust, and accessibility is a crucial part of that. We are proud to be able to provide this grant to St. Mary’s Church, enabling its longevity and enabling the community to gather and pray here for many years to come, both in person and virtually.

The church is home to a range of community groups including Beavers, a history group and an art group. Visit smlm.co.uk for more information.

To apply for Talbot Village Trust funding, visit talbotvillagetrust.org for the online application.

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