Ōtaki’s All Saints Anglican Church in Te Rauparaha Street is getting a new roof and repairs to external cladding.

The restoration work is to fix a leaky roof, which has been made possible by a Heritage NZ grant. Further funding by anonymous donors is allowing re-rendering to the exterior of the concrete walls at the same time.

The church was designed by pre-eminent ecclesiastic artchitect Frederick Jersey de Clere, who pioneered reinforced concrete design in New Zealand. The Heritage NZ grant was from a fund that supported restoration of the architect’s historic buildings.

Frank Averes, a vestry member and the project liaison for the restoration, says while the roof had a few leaks, investigations had shown the church was still in good condition.

“There are no major problems, but it’s good to get the work done to future-proof the building,” he says.

The work is expected to be completed by mid to late February. While the church is closed, services are continuing as normal in the hall.

Meanwhile, the church’s ministers, Simon and Jessica Falconer, have moved on to a new parish in Upper Hutt. The vestry is in the process of recruiting a new minister.