St Hilary of Pointers Church, Cowbridge

The church in St Hilary is a focal point of the community but was in danger of closure because the tower had deteriorated to a point where it is was a health and safety issue. The area outside was fenced off as was part of the inside of the church, and the community use was very restricted as a result.

The James Pantyfedwen Foundation part funded the repairs which included making access through the tower safe, making the roof and chamber floors through the tower structurally safe, repairing stonework  to stop falls and repointing to reduce rainwater penetration throughout. These are now completed and the church is again fully functional and being enjoyed by the many groups who use it.

The bell tower can now be accessed so the bell ringers are able to peel again, and ringers from other churches and cathedrals are now visiting to ring the bells. All of the external structure is safe and the volunteer groups can maintain the grounds. The choir, family services, film shows, and other community events are taking place again and the library and food bank can all function.

Both the church family and local community are very grateful to the James Pantyfedwen Foundation and other organisations for their support in enabling this very important part of the community to become a safe and welcoming place again.