It is planned to carry out the following work to the fabric and fittings of the Church:

(a) The installation of a lightning conductor in May 2006. Professional advice indicates that lightning protection is desirable as the Church has a relatively high risk of being struck and, in addition, it will soon become an insurance requirement. The work is being carried out, in accordance with BS6651, by a well recognised company in this field and in consultation with the Lightning Protection Adviser of the Diocese of Chichester.

(b) The restoration of the Church bells in about May & June 2006. There are three medieval bells dating back to the 14th century and Kingston Church is one of only 20 churches in the country with three ringing medieval bells. Little has been done to repair the bells over the years and, if this restoration work is not carried out, the bells will become unsafe to ring and liable to crack at any time. The work is being carried out by a very well established company of bell contractors and in consultation with the Bells Adviser of the Diocese of Chichester.

(c) The renovation of the organ early in 2007. The organ is just over 100 years old and more than meets the Council of Churches’ definition of an historic organ. It is now in urgent need of renovation, as it is nearly 50 years since it received any significant attention. Unless this is done, we will soon no longer be able to use it and this historic organ will be lost to the community and our heritage. The work will be carried out by a well respected firm of organ builders (early 2007 being the first available time in their work schedule), in accordance with a report prepared by an independent specialist organ consultant.

(d) Repairs and Redecoration of the Church Walls. The Church walls suffer from damp ingress. During the past few years, some repairs have been carried out to the outside of the walls and inside the bad patches have been rendered and redecorated. It is hoped that this work has improved the situation and the current position is now being monitored by our architect with quarterly damp measurement readings. However, it is likely that more repair work will be required and then a full redecoration of the church walls will be carried out when fully dry. Therefore, at present, it is not possible to estimate the timescale or cost of this project.

The Church does now have the money available to meet the cost of at least the first three of the above projects. For this, the Church is extremely grateful to a large number of people in the village and beyond (many of whom are not Church members), who have contributed by way of legacies, donations and by supporting fund raising events. In addition, the Church has been awarded grants in respect of the bells (the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme and the Sussex Churches Bells Restoration Fund) and the organ (The Council for the Care of Churches).

The grass is cut during the Summer by a local contractor and steps are being taken to keep under control the areas deliberately kept wild. The PCC is concerned by the apparently dangerous condition of a number of the trees in the churchyard, particularly the large ash tree overhanging the public path leading to Mushroom Field. A report has been prepared by a tree specialist and this recommends that some of the trees do need cutting back. Application is now being made to the Lewes District Council for permission to do this work in the Autumn. The Parish Council tree representatives will also be consulted.