Teesside Church Renovation Could Cost £1.8m, Community Meeting Planned

A church in Teesside may need £1.8 million for repairs. Christ Church Coatham has been there since 1854 and is very important to the local community. The church is also a landmark for sailors.

A meeting will happen at the Redcar church tomorrow to discuss repairs and renovations. They want to explore how the community can help, as experts say the church needs major work. The building is old, and the weather has damaged it.

Teresa Newcomen helped build Christ Church in 1854, donating the font, pulpit, and windows. Gilbert Scott designed these items, and William Wailes made the glass windows. In 2020, they fixed the tower using lottery funds, a project that cost £230,000.

The church lists local war heroes, and twenty-two war graves are in the churchyard. The small church group already fixed some roofs. However, the main roof now needs serious help and could fail in about five years.

The meeting will explain the structural issues, including leaks, bad stones, and roof problems. The church gets no money from the government and must fund its own repairs. The vicar wants the church to help more people and aims to improve the building for group use.

To do this, the church needs to seek funding from the lottery but needs skills and time. The group is mostly older, so they need help from the community. Saving the church needs many people.

A meeting will be held at the church on Saturday at 11 AM. Attendees can ask questions about the needed work, and church leaders want community assistance. People can learn how to help the church.