Building to Serve 2025
St Mary’s Church was completed in 1958 following the design of Nugent Cachemaille-Day. In 2025-26 we are realising our vision to renovate and improve the building to prepare the church for the next phase of its life whilst maintaining the iconic 1950’s design. We are on the last 3 months of the work and it is exciting to see the amazing transformation of St Mary’s.
The nave roof is complete and the upper level inside is decorated, insulated and has secondary glazing. The kitchen and toilets are being installed and work on the side aisle roof and chapel are being renovated. New doors and lobby, paths and pointing are going on and the whole place will be plastered and decorated. Donations are still welcome as we need to raise between £30-50,000 is needed to compete all that we want to do.
For more details of how to give and updates of the progress see the photos below, watch the video linked lower down the page and see the details of how to give and in anticipation, thank you so much for your support.
We are very thankful and frankly amazed at the response so far from the congregation and from Trusts and Charities - Thanks to: Warner Benefit; Doris Field Charitable Trust; The Gladiator Trust; The Benefact Charity; Oxford Historic Churches Trust; Congregational and General Charity; Oxford Diocesan Development Fund; The Garfield Weston Charity, The Beatrice Laing Foundation, Awards for All
Building to Serve was budgeted at £900,000 and we are around £40,000 short thanks to £272,500 in grants and the rest given by members and friends of St Mary’s including £160,000 in interest free loans. We have raised all we need to do the essential work and a few extras. The final £40,000 would enable us love to renew all pathways, to landscape, renew signage and so on. We are very excited that the project undertaken by Tamsin Walmsley of BW Architects and we hope to be completed in time for Easter 2026.
