A 19th century church in rural Worcestershire has received a £1,000 donation from the South Midlands Community Champions scheme.

The church of St Philip and St James in Whittington applied for the money for its Elizabethan Room Project.

Caroline Mayfield from the Elizabethan Room Project explains: “The church of St Philip and St James is a small, Grade II listed building and was established in 1842 to serve the local rural community, but has no ancillary rooms apart from a small vestry.  In 2002 a portacabin was erected under a temporary planning permission, which has now expired, to provide a vital meeting room with a kitchenette and toilet facilities for users.

“We must now replace this with a proper, traditional style permanent building. The church has so far raised £150,000 from legacies, donations from the congregation and grants, but we still have a small shortfall of the total we need. Our main objectives are to ensure that the church can face the future, by maintaining its vital facilities, providing for the local and widening community and enabling it to continue in its function in ever challenging times.

“In particular, a larger meeting room will create a better opportunity to work with children and their families. We lack many of the facilities that urban churches have and we are stewards responsible for ensuring that the 1200 years'' Christian presence in Whittington is handed on in good order for those who come after us.”

Amanda Rogers, head of sales for South Midlands, said: “We are delighted to be able to provide this funding towards improving the facilities at St Philip & St James in Whittington. Church rooms and halls are very much at the heart of the communities they serve and this cause is exactly the type of project that Community Champions was created for, so we are very happy to help.

“We encourage charities and good causes from across our region to apply to Community Champions, even if they’ve tried and not been successful before.  The online form is very straightforward to complete and they could very easily find themselves as the next beneficiary of Community Champions.”