A parish church which had been run-down yet managed to re-invent itself as a thriving community centre in London’s deprived East End has landed a heritage windfall to record its own story since 1878.
St Paul’s Old Ford has been given £10,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to research and store historic archive records, creating a touch screen with information about the parish, a phone app and a church trail for children.
The vicar, the Rev Philippa Boardman, who received the MBE in 2011 for services to Heritage in east London, is working with York University to create the programme.
She is inviting parishioners and others living in Old Ford and Bow today as well as those who have moved away to join the project to create a lasting resource for future generations, including old photos from the past, right back to when the church was built 135 years ago.
The first ‘photo sharing’ session is being held on March 1 from 1pm to 3.30pm at the church in St Stephens Road, behind Roman Road Market.
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