Building work is nearing completion
Our new dedicated crêche area is open and our organ refurbishment will be ready for Christmas
Our new dedicated crêche area is open and our organ refurbishment will be ready for Christmas
We believe it is part of our mission as a Parish Church to reach out and help make the world a better place.
As well as our regular services we support a wide range of projects in the Chiswick area that aim particularly to help those cut off from other sources of company, information and support.
Christians have worshipped at the site of St Nicholas on the banks of the River Thames, since the 7th century. Our church tower dates from 1424 and we are immensely proud of our history and heritage. William Hogarth, the father of English painting, is buried in the graveyard while the remains of Oliver Cromwell’s daughters are interred in the church.
Major investment is now required to restore our beautiful church and keep it safe and structurally sound for future generations of worshippers and visitors. We aim to meet the needs of the 21st century while paying homage to the past. This work will cost in the region of £1.1 million and the St Nicholas Chiswick Development Appeal has been launched in order to raise the necessary funds. This website details the essential work that needs to be done, the great benefits that this will deliver, and how you can help.
St Nicholas’ external stonework has been deteriorating for some time but a recent inspection has determined that renovation work is now urgent. Back in the 1920s, remedial work was undertaken but this exacerbated much of the current deterioration. The tower stonework was repaired and restored in 2002 and it is now essential that the rest of the church’s stonework be renovated. The work will take approximately three years but on completion the church will be structurally sound for future generations, and the appearance of this beautiful building will be restored to its former glory.
Investment required: £475,000
We do not have lavatory facilities in church but this will be remedied as part of an extensive interior development project. Toilets (including disabled access) will be installed, together with a revamped vestry and sacristy. A small kitchen, and office and storage space, will also be constructed. This will allow our archives to be stored safely, will free up extra space and will enable us to provide a proper ‘Welcome’ to all who come though our doors.
Investment required: £225,000
Originally built in 1828 and then rebuilt in 1915, the organ was purchased from the Church of the Holy Trinity in Islington after a fire damaged the interior of St Nick’s in 1979. It is now in need of serious restoration. A number of key elements are deteriorating, and there are issues with sound quality, volume and ease of use. The organ will be repaired and restored, with the console and a number of pipes transferred to the Lady Chapel to create more space. A new organ case will also be built. When the work is complete, we will have an instrument fully in keeping with our love of the English choral tradition and our on-going commitment to musical excellence.
Investment required: £250,000
Our 15-year-old boilers require updating: they are inefficient and expensive to run, and have exceeded their design life. We plan to replace them with models that will maintain an ambient temperature throughout the Church. The new boilers will be ‘greener’ and more energy efficient, and will provide substantial savings.
The lighting in St Nick’s is badly in need of an overhaul. Our current system uses halogen bulbs that ‘blow’ with increasing regularity, resulting in dark corners throughout the church. Scaffolding is needed when these bulbs are changed, causing added expense. We propose to install an LED system – the bulbs will last longer and, more importantly, this new system will be cheaper to run.
Investment required: £150,000
If you would like to make a donation please visit our JustGiving site.
Almighty God, as the people of St Nicholas Chiswick, we give thanks for your many blessings.
As we prepare to restore and renew our church we know that we cannot accomplish this ambitious task on our own but only with the support of your love and your inspiration.
Guide us along the way; give us wisdom, give us strength and form us in your love; help us to persevere, giving thanks for the past and looking forward to the future, as we strive to do your will.
In Jesus’ name we pray.
