Thanks be to God! Together we have raised £420,000
Thats 54% of the total
Just under two years into our Regenerate fundraising programme we are pleased to be able to share that we have raised over half of our ambitious total.
In this update you can see more about how much we’ve raised so far, details of the design and plans, our next big fundraising event, and how you can pray with us.
Chair of the National Gallery Board of Trustees makes a contribution
John Booth, known to many of us as a Guardian of the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham, has made a significant gift of £15,000 towards our Regenerate project. Mr Booth has been a patron and supporter of the Catholic movement for many years and we are delighted to count him among our Regenerate supporters. St Matthews has become a flagship parish of the movement and many of those who come to faith here as students or young professionals go on to live out their Christian lives in other Catholic parishes around the country.
It is a blessing to enjoy the encouragement and support of many brothers and sisters here in England and even around the world as we seek to renew the sanctuary in the heart of the city.
Garfield Weston grant success
In September 2022 we received a generous grant of £30,000 from the Garfield Weston foundation. Garfield Weston are a major donor to all sorts of good work around the UK including tackling homelessness, increasing educational opportunities, enabling those who lack resources to access and enjoy the creative arts, and helping people turn their lives to the good.
Into the numbers? Here’s an overview of our current progress
Launch Funds
- £22,000 Raised in at the launch events
- £50,000 Investment and capital funds from St Matthew’s
- £33,000 From in-house fundraising and donations
- £7,500 From a private donor in the US
Grants
- £25,000 Ascot Priory
- £15,000 Diocese of Sheffield
- £50,000 Number One Trust
- £50,000 Fellowship of St John
- £50,000 Sheffield Church Burgesses
- £30,000 Garfield Weston £10,000 Priestman
- £14,565 Benefact Trust
- £25,000 Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament
- £500 Company of Mission Priests
Events
- £1300 Swing Zippers (Music Night) Autumn 2021
- £1000 New Year Raffle 2022
- £100 Pancake Party
- £450 Spring Fair
- £1100 Montage (Music Night) Spring 2022
- £240 Mothering Sunday Bake Sale
- £5,000 Moscar Lodge Afternoon Tea & Formal Dinner
- £1,600 Carver Street Beer Festival
- £200 Bake Sale Advent 2022
Architect’s Update
The Building Committee have been busy working with the Architect and other contractors to develop our plan. In these renders you can see the proposed floor, benches, chairs, decoration, and lighting. We have worked with a team of top quality craftspeople, artists, and designers we are well on the way to a full scheme which includes not only the major work of the new floor, and decoration, but also a kitchen/hospitality area and meeting room at the west end of the church.
Here you can see some renderings from the Architect showing the new scheme and decoration.
Picking up on one of our most unique historic design features, the Architect has drawn up plans for these spaces to be screened in with a design inspired by the exquisite ironwork around the Sanctuary.
If the interior of the church wasn’t enough to get excited about, the scope of this Regenerate project extends to enhancing our street access.
Currently, those who require step-free access need to enter via Backfields and use the lift in St Matthew’s House. This is far short of the warm and accessible welcome we want to offer, so we have worked on a plan to make our beautiful main doorway and porch more accommodating.
Sponsored Events
Thank you Fiona! Our Director of Music raises over £400
Fiona Law, our Director of Music, ran the Manchester Marathon for Regenerate. It’s really easy to set up a sponsorship through Justgiving. Let us know if you’re planning a run, triathlon, Iron Man, walk, skydive… anything!
The next Fundraising Event
The Carver Street Beer Festival
The Carver Street Beer Festival returns! Friday 29 and Saturday 30 September.
This year we are expanding to Friday night as well as Saturday afternoon. Live music, great food, and local beers. Traditional Blessing of the Beers opens the festivities on Friday.
Get your tickets today and help us Regenerate the Sanctuary in the Heart of the City. We are raising funds to make our church welcoming and beautiful for generations to enjoy. Scroll through the photos to see the architect’s rendering.
The Carver Street Beer Festival is an event by St Matthew’s hosted in our historic church right in the middle of Sheffield. We can’t wait to see you there!
