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Northampton 'wigwam' church improvements funded from bequest

BBC Square church building with glass pyramid roofBBC
St Francis Church has been called "a matchbox with a wigwam on top"

A bequest from a grateful parishioner has funded vital improvements to one of Northamptonshire's most unusual churches.

St Francis Church in Duston is a square building with a glass pyramid in the centre of the roof.

The bequest has paid for much-needed lighting and heating updates, which is costing the church nearly £47,000.

A £3,000 grant from the Benefact Trust meant the project did not go over budget.

Churchwarden inside church with a cross on the wall and some stained glass in the windows
Churchwarden Ian Hanlon said the church had been "very fortunate" to get the funding

"One curate described it [the church] as 'a wigwam with a dome on top'," said Ian Hanlon, one of the churchwardens at St Francis.

"The wigwam [is] a glass dome with a cross on it and a very large open space [beneath] which is flexible for both church and community use."

He added: "We were very fortunate because one lady who'd been a member of our congregation for many, many years, after she died, left us a large bequest."

His fellow churchwarden, Rob Tavener, added: "We've replaced the two gas boilers which have been around since 1967 and were falling apart, and four fan heaters within the church.

"In addition, we've had all new lighting put in which has made quite a big difference to the lighting effect in here because we can move it around."

The church is used as a community cafe and as a space for several local groups, as well as worship services.

Rob Tavener said: "Everyone's been waiting for [the project] to finish and we'll have a big switch on later in the year when we start using the heating again."

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