{"id":46438,"date":"2026-04-21T16:03:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T15:03:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/?p=46438"},"modified":"2026-04-20T16:12:32","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T15:12:32","slug":"st-jamess-piccadilly-secures-4-75m-national-lottery-heritage-fund-grant-for-landmark-wren-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/?p=46438","title":{"rendered":"St James\u2019s Piccadilly secures \u00a34.75m National Lottery Heritage Fund grant for landmark Wren Project"},"content":{"rendered":"
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image for illustration: Westminster\u00a0: nave, Church of St James, Piccadilly by\u00a0Jim Osley, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

St James\u2019s Piccadilly has announced the award of \u00a34.75Mn from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to support of its Wren Project \u2014 a transformational \u00a324Mn initiative to renew and reimagine the historic church for the 21st century.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

St James\u2019s Picadilly writes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This major investment marks a significant milestone for St James\u2019s as it works to conserve its Grade I listed building, designed by Sir Christopher Wren in 1684, while expanding its role as an inclusive, creative and community-focused space in the heart of London. The Wren Project will revitalise the entire site \u2014 including the church, courtyard and gardens \u2014 improving accessibility, restoring historic features, and creating welcoming spaces for all. The plans include new entrances and arches to enhance connectivity, as well as the reinstatement of elements from Wren\u2019s original vision, such as the south door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside the conservation work, the project will deliver a re-landscaped garden designed for full accessibility and enriched biodiversity, ensuring the space supports both people and nature in one of London\u2019s busiest districts. At its heart, the Wren Project is about people. A wide-ranging public programme will accompany the redevelopment, including a digital archive, behind-the-scenes tours, and Peaceful Piccadilly \u2014 an initiative offering moments of quiet reflection beyond the city\u2019s usual pace. A new organ will also be commissioned for the historic Grinling Gibbons organ case, alongside a ten-year music scholarship programme to nurture emerging talent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Central to the vision is the Changemaker Programme, an innovative leadership initiative supporting young people committed to social transformation. Over the next decade, the programme will empower 50 young leaders across sectors including the arts, environment, civil society and business, equipping them with the skills, networks and values needed to drive meaningful change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Revd Lucy Winkett, said: \u2018As custodians of this living heritage, we believe the Wren Project is about far more than buildings. It is about creating a space where transformation can happen \u2014 in our communities, our environment and in the lives of future generations. We see this church, its courtyard and its gardens as a sacred public space for everyone, of all faiths and none. We are profoundly grateful for this support, which enables us to carry that vision forward.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The award reflects a growing recognition of the vital role historic places of worship play in community life. Through the Wren Project, St James\u2019s Piccadilly aims not only to safeguard its architectural heritage, but to expand its mission as a place of hospitality, creativity, justice and belonging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more here<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

image for illustration: Westminster\u00a0: nave, Church of St James, Piccadilly by\u00a0Jim Osley, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons St James\u2019s Piccadilly has announced the award of \u00a34.75Mn from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to support of its Wren Project \u2014 … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[57,349,698,668,193,681,795],"class_list":["post-46438","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sector-newsblog","tag-church","tag-grant","tag-historic-buildings","tag-listed-buildings","tag-london","tag-nlhf","tag-wren"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46438","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=46438"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46438\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":46440,"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46438\/revisions\/46440"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=46438"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=46438"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=46438"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}