Historic Sheffield city centre church on new mission to raise £700,000

Coun. Gail Smith, Lord Mayor of Sheffield celebrates the role of the church and of the parish nurses in the city centre.

St Matthew’s Church on Carver Street, which was founded in 1855, has begun a £700,000 ‘Regenerate’ fundraising campaign which seeks to restore and renew the nave of the church and make necessary alterations for its future mission, ministry and community use.

At a London fundraiser on September 9, Lord Mayor of Sheffield, Coun. Gail Smith spoke movingly of her support for the campaign and the commended the role of Parish Nurses who work amongst the most vulnerable in the city.

The church’s vicar, Fr. Grant Naylor, said: “The parish nurses do outreach work for the homeless, they signpost them to other services and they give them some food. They combat isolation, one of them runs a walking group. At the moment there’s not really a proper base for them.”

Fr Naylor, Vicar of Carver Street addresses those assembled for the London fundraiser.

Improvements to the infrastructure of the church are intended to complement the work of the parish nurses and provide them with a permanent base.

The parish intends to improve access, renew the flooring, improve its facilities for hospitality, increase flexibility to the seating in the church through the use of new benches, introduce glazed-in spaces to the west end and finally restore the chancel flooring and the noteworthy arts and crafts stalls.

The Bishop of Sheffield, the Rt Rev’d Pete Wilcox, said: “It is because I sincerely believe this project will enhance and enrich the worship of God and the mission of God in heart of the city of Sheffield that I commend it to you without reservation.” Over £21,000 was pledged on the night.

Fr Grant said: “The past week has witnessed a wonderful start to our fundraising campaign and I would like to say a huge thank you to those who have contributed. Since the launch we have now raised £41,000, but there is a long way to go and the hard work starts now.

"St Matthew’s has always been a centre of worship, mission and blessing in Sheffield, acting as a centre for all those who are in need. Our work here is vital and I am supported by the most amazing team. We entrust this campaign to Our Lord and to the prayers of the saints."

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