Friday 23 September 2022

ST MARY’S Church in Beverley has been shortlisted for two prestigious national awards for its ongoing restoration work, including the Narnia carvings and those depicting women of influence. The first, the John Betjeman Award is bestowed by the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB); the second is the King of Prussia Gold Medal, awarded by the National Churches Trust and the Ecclesiastical Architects and Surveyors Association. 

The restoration project at St Mary’s, which dates from 1120 and is Grade I listed, saw 14 hand-made stone sculptures representing mythical creatures from The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis, installed; the Women of Influence project involves replacing crumbling stonework with carvings of local heroes and global pioneers, including author Mary Wollstonecraft, who lived in Beverley as a child, and solo aviator Amy Johnson (pictured), who was born in Hull – as well as other trailblazers like scientist Marie Curie, and the first British astronaut, Helen Sharman. 

A CRISIS FUND for East and North Yorkshire has been launched by the charitable Two Ridings Community Foundation, with £210,000 pledged to help local people experiencing the full brunt of the spiralling cost of living. The Foundation is also appealing to individuals and businesses to donate more money.

A spokesperson commented: “The fund will give grants to groups who give practical, financial and emotional support to people struggling to manage bills, with their day-to-day existence and the emotional impact of constantly worrying about finance, debt and their loved ones’ wellbeing.” The fund opens for applications from early next month. More details here