Published on: 02/10/2025
Christ Church Hackenthorpe has secured Net Zero funding to help with insulation and comfort for members of the church and congregation.
The church, built in 1899, is often noticed by congregation members and visitors alike to be ascetically beautiful, with its exposed stone walls, wooden roof, and an inspiring stained-glass window (fitted in 1999). It also benefits from a well-maintained churchyard with views overlooking Owlthorpe, the valley towards Mosborogh. But the other thing congregation members and visitors notice, is that it is very cold in the winter. Despite having the radiators come on very early on Sunday morning, the church cannot warm up beyond 14 degrees, and for comfort people keep their coats, scarfs and gloves on. One of the causes is because cold air comes up from the church’s under-croft, through the gaps between the floorboards, meaning heat is lost. In its most recent Quinquennial Inspection (QI), Christ Church’s architect noticed that underfloor insulation would tackle this issue, ensuring the current heating system would run more efficiently and cost effectively.
Noticing that the Diocese was giving grants towards ‘Net Zero Quick Wins’, Christ Church applied for funding to go towards the work and secured £5,000, contributing to the work. The floor insulation was installed in September 2025, to be in place to tackle the upcoming winter months.
Rev Claire Welch says:
‘I was happily surprised by how straightforward it was to get permission for this work and to apply for the Net Zero Quick Wins grant. While it is only October, we can already feel the difference to the temperature of the church and we feel more optimistic going into the winter months that we will be warmer and maybe even able to take off our coats.’
