Anglican parishes cannot look after their treasures on their own

http://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2013/dec/31/anglican-parishes-treasures

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Your report (28 December) brings welcome attention to a remarkable group of 400 East Anglian parish churches containing pre-Reformation painted rood screens. It was because of their international significance that the Church of England's church buildings council, in partnership with the Headley Trust and Hamilton Kerr Institute of Cambridge University, set up a project to identify the conservation issues surrounding these screens. The intention is then to undertake further conservation to enable them to remain in the churches where they belong. The C of E's 16,000 parish churches are among Europe's finest historic buildings and display an unparalleled array of treasures, rivalling the collections of the world's great museums and attracting millions of visitors. Yet their care and conservation falls on local parishes, who need support to care for their treasures. The council through its 100 Church Treasures campaign is fundraising to conserve these national treasures (see www.churchcare.co.uk). Janet Gough Director, Church of England cathedral and church buildings division

• Whether the Church of England remains established, the future of its buildings remain a challenge. Once the generation of current 60- to 80-year-olds have died, who will be the volunteers to maintain these historic buildings when many local churches are not attracting people aged between 18 to 40? Church buildings at the local level need to have stakeholders from local communities. This means being able to develop church buildings that are multipurpose and open Monday to Friday. Rev David Woodall Heywood, Lancashire

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