Cheveley church's bid for improvement grant to be featured in BBC's One Day that Changed My Life

Cheveley will feature on national television on Monday when the BBC's One Day that Changed My Life programme as it follows the story of villagers attempting to get funding from the National Churches Trust to install an accessible toilet and a modern kitchenette.

The Grade I listed church of St Mary and the Host of Heaven was built in the 13th century. Unusually it has a cruciform shape design, shaped like a cross, somethingmore often seen in cathedrals, like Ely, rather than in a parish church. The dedication of the church to St Mary and The Holy Host of Heaven is believed to be unique.

The programme examines why the church needs to increase use of the building by local people for a range of community uses to ensure its long term future.

It also charts the nail-biting process of how villagers applied for a £30,000 Cornerstone Grant from the trust. The programme was granted exclusive access to a meeting of the National Churches Trust's grants committee and reveals the inside story of how decisions are made on which churches to fund.

The programme will be shown at 11 am on Monday.

Broadcaster and journalist Huw Edwards, vice president of The National Churches Trust, said: “The UK's historic churches and chapels are a vital part of our national heritage. But to survive, many need to carry out urgent repairs and install modern facilities. The cost of this work is far beyond what most congregations can pay for themselves.

"That's why the work of the National Churches Trust in providing funding is so important.”

In 2018 the National Churches Trust awarded grants of £1.2 million to help 202 projects at churches and chapels around the UK. Demand for funding from the National Churches Trust continues to grow, with 583 grant applications received in 2018, up from 473 grant applications in 2017, a 23 per cent increase. The Trust funds churches of all denominations throughout the UK.

Applications for grants can be made online at: www.nationalchurchestrust.org/our-grants