Birch InSpire are pleased to report that following the submission of an extensive Business Plan last week to the Chelmsford Diocesan Board of Finance, the Diocese have voted to support the next stage of their plan to save key parts of Birch Church! Critically, Chelmsford Diocese have also agreed to contribute £300,000 (about 10%) of the project’s estimated cost, at just over £3,000,000. This is vital because the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) will require them to match fund a minimum of 10% of the total grant amount. The diocesan contribution is on condition that the group are successful in securing NLHF funding.
The Diocese’s decision also took into account the positive positions of both Colchester City Planning and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, after a number of meetings with them in late 2025. The focus will now be on raising NLHF funding and on working to their timeframes. They shall be reporting quarterly to the Diocese on our progress.
Additionally, Chelmsford Diocese will be working with Church Commissioners to look at ecclesiastical law changes to the pastoral scheme associated with the church demolition. Birch InSpire would like to express their enormous gratitude to Chelmsford Diocese for their support over the last 2+ years and most particularly for their substantial offer. Without this offer on the table, they would have struggled to proceed with fund-raising work.
This is all a huge step forward in their mission to save the key parts of Birch Church from demolition! Being 45 minutes’ walk from the edge of Colchester, they look forward to creating a spectacular heritage destination for the residents of Birch, local villages and also of Colchester. The beautiful location will include a ‘café with a soul’ in the chancel area, together with a shop and some rentable space, stretching into the North Aisle. The iconic spire will continue to dominate the local landscape and the destination will ‘preserve the past, enrich the present and inspire the future’.
