A dilapidated community hall that has water running down the walls will be brought back from the brink thanks to new funding.

The 125-year-old hall at St Saviour’s Church in Finsbury Park is known as 'the barn' and currently only usable in the summer months because it is so vulnerable to the elements.

Its distinctive gambrel roof will soon be replaced, funded by £100,000 from funding body City Bridge Foundation.

St Saviour’s Church community hall before the beginning of its renovation project and having been tidied up ahead of having a new roof installedSt Saviour’s Church community hall before the beginning of its renovation project and having been tidied up ahead of having a new roof installed (Image: City Bridge Foundation)

This work will be the first stage in a £495,000 revamp of the hall, with solar panels and energy-saving heat pumps planned for the future.

St Saviour’s Church operations manager Dan Allwood said: “This funding is hugely important to us, and will allow us to open up the space to the whole community.

“Our vision for the space is for it to host activities like a community cafe and events such as gigs, community theatre and dance classes.

Dan Allwood in the community hallDan Allwood in the community hall (Image: City Bridge Foundation)

“It will also be really important in making us more sustainable – the community hall has been around for 125 years and we want it to be used by generations to come.”

The hall, in Hanley Road, was built in 1899 with money raised by the congregation. It originally served underprivileged parishioners and housed a Sunday school for working children, clothing clubs and a penny bank – a savings bank for those without the means to open a regular bank account.

The hall has a colourful history and was once used as a gymnasiumThe hall has a colourful history and was once used as a gymnasium (Image: City Bridge Foundation)

It has since served as a theatre, gymnasium and venue for weddings, birthdays and celebrating life events in the community.

City Bridge Foundation chairman Giles Shilson said: “For generations, the hall has been a huge asset not just to the church but to the community of Finsbury Park.

“This funding will not only help bring it back to life but will also make the building more energy efficient, saving money and reducing the church’s carbon footprint.”

Original plans for the building, which opened in 1899Original plans for the building, which opened in 1899 (Image: City Bridge Foundation)

In the three years to 2023, City Bridge Foundation awarded £5.9 million to projects which improve the environment or address climate change, including those which tackle poor air quality, boost open spaces or promote biodiversity.

It has also committed £15 million to meet the aims of the foundation’s ambitious Climate Action Strategy, which commits it to achieving net zero in its operations by 2027.