The parish of St John with St Mary in Devizes has won a prestigious award for its plans for St Mary’s Church on New Park Street in the town.…
Last Friday, the town centre parish won the Innovation prize at the annual awards of the Diocesan Advisory Committee for Salisbury, the church body which examines and approves proposed changes to churches in most of Wiltshire and Dorset.
Nigel Carter of St Mary’s Devizes Trust said, “We were delighted to win the top prize for ‘Innovation’ for our plans to revitalise St Mary’s, making it fit for a wide range of community and artistic uses for decades to come while remaining a place of worship.”
The Rev’d Gerry Lynch, Curate of St John with St Mary, Devizes said, “Credit for the proposals for the future St Mary’s of winning an award is shared between many people who have put their time, energy, and imagination into ensuring this spectacular Grade I listed building is a blessing for the people of Devizes for generations to come. Both the parish and the St Mary’s Devizes Trust have played an enormous part.”
“Churchgoers and non-churchgoers from a wide range of interests, over many years, have worked so hard and all it’s a pity that all of them couldn’t have come down to Salisbury to receive the award together, as all of them deserved it.”
Devizine would like to congratulate everyone who has worked so hard on this ambitious and exciting project, and we look forward to a time when the work is complete and a programme of events is on the horizon. Nigel expressed, “we have a formidable fundraising task – similar to that associated with the Assize Courts – so maybe five years before completion.”