Care for St Anne’s
In 1950, St Anne’s Limehouse Parish Church was acknowledged as a national monument deserving of the highest level of protection and listed as Grade I Ecclesiastical. St Anne’s Church Conservation Area was created in July 1969.
Care for St Anne’s (CfSA) was launched in 1978 under the Rectorship of Rev Christopher Idle. It is an independent charitable trust set up to raise and hold funds for St Anne’s major programme of building conservation.
The Trust has many friends who have generously supported our work over the years. We have a set of distinguished Patrons, with a variety of interests and skills – faith-based, architectural, academic, historical, musical, and community. This is a highly effective group of people who are committed to the restoration and ongoing maintenance of Nicholas Hawksmoor's great church. The charity is also committed to the ambition of opening St Anne’s to greater engagement with the local community.
Come and see why we love St Anne’s. We are looking for volunteer hosts to join our new volunteering programme. Care for St Anne’s is also keen to hear your views on our plans, including new ideas to help with our fund raising efforts. We welcome your participation.
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How we are working to refurbish and open up the crypt for use by the whole community.
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St Anne’s Church has been a landmark in Limehouse since its construction. It is surrounded by a significant group of other listed buildings, all low scale and many of historic character. Designated in July 1969 to safeguard the visual setting of the church, the Conservation Area contains Grade II listed buildings such as the Limehouse Town Hall and Library.
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In 1984, Care for St Anne’s was set up as an independent charitable trust (registration number 288889). The Trust Deed of CfSA (revised and updated in 2016) declares its charitable objects to be the restoration and future maintenance of Limehouse Parish Church as one of the major examples of European baroque architecture. In pursuing this object the trustees have the power 'to foster, promote and organise such civic, cultural, educational and musical activities as are by law charitable'. They must work with the responsible ecclesiastical authorities and 'have due regard to the primary use of the building being proclamation of Christ and the worship of God in the scriptural and reformed traditions'.
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We have started a training programme for volunteer hosts, who explain St Anne’s fascinating history and complex restoration to groups of visitors. We are excited about continuing to develop our team of volunteers as our community engagement project moves forward. We are always need more volunteers. Please email us if you are interested.
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Chair: Dr John Buscombe*
Rev Richard Bray (Rector and trustee ex officio)
Peter Hogg
Philip Reddaway
Charles Ng*
Krishna Mistry
Bob Bowman (Treasurer)
*parishioners on the electoral roll of St Anne's
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The Management Committee comprises the trustees plus other expert volunteers. It is currently chaired by Dr John Buscome.
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Spencer Down (founder and conductor of the Docklands Symphonia)
Jim Fitzpatrick (former Member of Parliament for the area)
Lady Green of Hurstpierpoint (who also serves on the funding subcommittee)
The Venerable Rod Green (Area Bishop of Stepney)
Julian Harrap (former architect to St Anne's)
Owen Hopkins (architectural writer and Hawksmoor biographer)
Rev Christopher Idle (former Rector of St Anne's)
Lord Thoby Kennet (son of the Hawksmoor revivalists Wayland Kennet and Elizabeth Young)
Lord David Owen (long-time Limehouse resident)
Sir Charles Saumarez-Smith (architectural historian, gallery curator, Hawksmoor scholar)
Sir Roy Strong
Admiral Lord West of Spithead
Prof. Ian Ritchie CBE, RA Hon FRAM Hon FREng