Ecclesiastical Insurance and Ecclesiastical and Heritage World spread the word

Following the latest successful front cover story, Ecclesiastical Insurance are continuing their marketing campaign with us in future issues.

Pictured here is Father Warren, of the successfully restored Church of the Ascension, Salford, as featured on the front cover sponsored by Ecclesiastical Insurance. He was delighted with the coverage and the additional copies of the magazine received from Ecclesiastical and Heritage World’s Richard Shepherd, helping to spread the word. 

With the expertise of their preferred suppliers, Ecclesiastical offer insurance with award-winning service across a broad range of specialisms - including faith, charity, heritage, education and art - across the UK, Ireland and Canada. 

Rising from the ashes - rebuilding the historic Church of the Ascension in Salford

At 11:20pm on Sunday 12 February 2017 a fire broke out at Grade-II listed Church of the Ascension in Lower Broughton, Salford, Greater Manchester.

Six crews from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service battled for hours to contain the blaze which ultimately devastated the building.

These are the facts of what happened to the building that night, but these buildings mean so much more to a community than facts or figures and the Church of the Ascension is no exception.

Much used and loved by young and old, the building is considered a key component of Lower Broughton’s identity and plays an important role in both spiritual and social terms as an inclusive community space and is accessible to all.

The church had recently undergone a £250,000 restoration project which people in the community had helped to fund. A Paradise Garden had been created aimed at delivering practical skills training, ‘learning by growing’ activities and work experience for volunteers within the community, greatly improving their confidence, skill set and employability as well as providing a sense of collaboration, shared ownership and social connection. There was a native species cottage garden, organic vegetable plots, fruit trees and lawns. There were also bee hives producing honey.

Many members of the local community gathered outside the church building to survey the damage, some reduced to tears.

Dealing with the immediate aftermath... and beyond

Immediately following the fire, Ecclesiastical carefully assembled the right team of experts to attend the site as soon as it was authorised by the fire service.

The team, led by Ecclesiastical’s Specialist Claims Consultant – Paul Humphris, including the loss adjuster and structural engineers attended the site to provide an essential preliminary assessment of the situation and on the ground support for the customer.

The local authority was concerned about the structure being unsafe and had sent a machine to demolish parts of it. We were able to work with them to assess and determine what could be made safe so nothing was demolished unnecessarily. We even managed to take the opportunity to remove the cross from the remaining roof so it could be restored and reinstated.

Paul understands the impact on the customers -

"In the immediate hours after a loss the focus is on offering reassurance to the vicar, PCC and other churchgoers, as well as making the church safe and secure for investigations to take place.

It’s always difficult for a community to see their church in such an awful state and it can be hard to look past the damage caused. However, we have a huge amount of experience in working with churches and understand the complex nature of a restoration of this scale."

Drone technology was used to assist structural engineers with the initial assessment of the structure. Further inspections took place with Ecclesiastical’s claims team visiting frequently over the months that followed to determine the best way forward for all concerned.

After the initial priorities then it is time to move onto what the restoration will look like. What should be kept? What can be modified to make the space fit for purpose in the future?

Few people volunteer to be on a PCC expecting to have to manage a church through a major restoration project, so this can feel like an overwhelming time for them. The experience and expertise that Ecclesiastical provides is much valued and we are always on hand to work with them, giving them time and space to think, walk them through the process and project manage throughout.

Paul explains “It’s not just the building work that is complex. We work closely with the church and other interested parties to ensure that the rebuild is undertaken in a way that preserves as much of the history of the church as possible. However, it is also important to consider the current and future needs of the church and wider community; it’s about reaching a solution that works for everyone.”

It’s often the little touches that mean so much to a church and community that Ecclesiastical take the time to understand. Helping them access the apples from the fruit trees when they were ripe, moving the precious beehives to another location until they were able to be moved back home again, was greatly appreciated by the church community.

The project was split into two phases and Ecclesiastical ensured carefully selected experts were appointed to complete the works. 

Phase one - the exterior

Repair work began in October 20

Specialist architects Buttress and consulting structural engineers Thomasons were appointed to work on the first phase alongside Seddon Construction who would lead phase one of the £2.46million structural works.

The work was preceded by a blessing ceremony led by Canon David Wyatt and the Bishop of Manchester, Rt Revd David Walker.

Phase one included reinstatement of the structural elements of the building, such as columns, roof structures and slate coverings; stone and brick repairs; stained glass window and window guard replacements; and ceiling finishes.

Specialist craftspeople are so crucial to the restoration of these types of buildings, keeping these skills alive is vital. Supporting initiatives like the Cathedrals’ Workshop Fellowship (CWF), University College London (UCL) Sustainable Heritage Masters Degree and The Princes Foundation's new Building Arts programme is something Ecclesiastical is very passionate about, helping to ensure that we have these traditional craft skills for future generations.

Overcoming challenges

The project's most challenging elements included replacing the columns, severely damaged in the fire. Internal scaffolding was needed to provide long term stability to the remaining structure, but it wasn’t safe to enter the building due to the stone columns being significantly weakened by the fire… the definitive catch-22 situation.

This needed complex engineering solutions. A bespoke fabricated cage was lowered into the building to provide a safe haven from which the columns could be sprayed. This work could only be carried out when low wind speeds deemed it safe to proceed. The concrete increased the mass of the columns provided sufficient stability to the walls above to allow the internal scaffolding to be safely installed.  

Further engineering input was required to design a system whereby the high level walls could be supported while the columns were removed.  A supporting framework was carefully jacked into position while precision monitoring was carried out to identify any slight movement in the building.  The columns were then removed two at a time, and replaced by central steel columns to take the load which were then clad with stone. 

COVID-19 lockdowns caused minor delays to the project as a result of supply chain issues, so the first phase was completed in December 2020.

Below you can see the progress made in drone footage produced by Seddon to show the completed works.

“We were there on day one after the devastating fire, offering our expertise and reassurance to the church and local community.

We have 130 years of experience in insuring churches and knew we could undertake the necessary repairs done – so it’s wonderful to see the first phase of the restoration work at the Church of the Ascension completed.”

Michael Angell, Church Operations Director, Ecclesiastical Insurance

“The completion of the first phase of restoration marks a major milestone on our journey to bring the church back to life.

The arson attack was incredibly upsetting for the community, so to see the hard work being undertaken to restore it to its former glory is truly inspiring."

Canon David Wyatt, Church of the Ascension

Phase two - the interior

Preserving heritage and future facing

Phase two began in September 2021.

Following a tendering process Accrington-based, Rosslee Construction was appointed to lead the  £2.5m internal refit of the church building.

As well as focusing on preserving the historical features of the church, as part of the restoration, Ecclesiastical work with customers to build in modernisations to enable them to make the space better serve the requirements of today’s use.

For the Church of the Ascension, heavy pews were replaced by movable chairs. The floor was levelled and toilets and kitchens were added to provide better accessibility to all.

The Eagle lectern was seen as a real symbol of the church – a connection to the past and a survivor of the fire, albeit a wounded one. The restoration of this was particularly special to everyone.

Thinking sustainably

When reinstating after a major loss, it does provide an opportunity to think about improving sustainability.

An innovative air source underfloor heating system and motion sensor LED lights were installed to help the church improve its energy efficiency.

A votive stand that makes it possible to recycle wax is also part of the new features.

Restoration of the building was completed by the end of September 2022 with their first service in early October, ahead of a rededication service on 19th November.

People often focus on the claims side of a restoration, understandably so when the transformation is so dramatic. But, none of this would be possible if the insurance cover wasn’t sufficient to carry out the rebuild. The valuations of churches carried out by our Ecclesiastical Risk Surveyors mean they can rest assured that, should the worst happen, they have the correct sums insured. Joe Cotterill, Ecclesiastical Risk Surveyor also visited the Church of the Ascension several times during the restoration as the sums insured changed from its derelict state to completion. Risk advice is also provided along the way to make sure that buildings are protected from harm as much as possible.

Heather Ford from Ecclesiastical also spent time with the church. At the time of the fire, Heather was the Church Buildings Officer with the Manchester Diocese so had supported the church through the initial stages of restoration. Heather says:

“The fire was incredibly painful for them and I know how much they appreciated the hand-holding and support from Ecclesiastical. The Eagle lectern became a real symbol of hope and they were delighted by its restoration and return."

Heather Ford, Ecclesiastical

Before and after...

On Saturday 19 November 2022 the church and community came together to mark the completion of the £5m restoration project with a rededication ceremony.

The Church of the Ascension is risen from the ashes now after five years. The presence of the church at the heart of the community is uplifting for the people of Lower Broughton. I am very pleased to be able to serve the people of God here.”

The Revd Canon Falak Sher, Incumbent of The Ascension

"The Ascension is an iconic building for the people of Salford and I am thrilled that the church has re-opened and will be formally rededicated on 19 November. Now the adventure is to rebuild the living stones of a worshipping community that brings the light and life of Christ to Lower Broughton.”

Mark Ashcroft, The Bishop of Bolton

"It has been a long five and a half years since the fire… we can now look forward to the future with a beautifully restored church which is fit for the 21st century."

Shirley Kehoe, PCC Secretary at the Church of the Ascension.

From the services and solutions we offer, to our culture and values as an organisation, we take a unique and specialist approach to the way we operate.

We don’t just care for bricks and mortar, objects or organisations, but what they represent to the people who love and depend on them. Our in-house underwriting, claims and risk management teams have a best-in-class reputation for providing specialist expertise, guidance and support.

We know that risk is always evolving, so we are constantly investing in our technology, our team and our proposition, to create imaginative risk and insurance solutions, designed to meet today’s challenges. Our specialist in-house team of risk managers offer practical guidance to help manage and mitigate risks to your property and staff, your volunteers and visitors. And when things do go wrong, our award-winning team of dedicated claims specialists is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

For further information visit www.ecclesiastical.com