St Lucia’s Church, a Grade II Star listed church in Upton Magna, Shropshire was in danger of being closed but has now been fully restored and re-opened following a successful heritage Lottery funded restoration project. Now as well as being a hub  for the community the church is also accessible to blind and partially sighted people through collaborative work with the RNIB on large print and Braille Guides.

St Lucia is the patron Saint of sight and it seemed an obvious idea when working on the Heritage Lottery funding application to make contact and link up with the RNIB to ensure that the restored church would be accessible to blind and partially sighted people too. 

RNIB Connect Radio’s Toby Davey was joined by Sue Woods, Church Warden at St Lucia’s Church, the main person behind the funding bid who worked closely with Michelle Lee here at the RNIB on the large print and Braille guides. 

Toby began by asking Sue what sort of state St Lucia’s Church was in at the time of putting in the Heritage Lottery funding application and why it was maybe obvious to make contact with the RNIB.

Sue then gave Toby an outline to how the church has been brought to life through the large print and Braille guides for blind and partially sighted people. 

Sue also talked about how the re-opened St Lucia’s Church has become a real hub for the local community and in many ways brought the village together with now lots of events going on in and around the church. 

St Lucia’s Church also has a sensory garden and Sue talked about how a young artist from the village along with a visually impaired man from the village worked together on a Braille plaque for the sensory garden too. 

Sue ends by telling Toby about the final part of their Heritage Lottery funding bid to create an interactive media point in the church which will be able to display film and audio on the history of the church which will also be available online n the not too distant future.

If you would like to find out more about St Lucia’s Church and maybe book a visit or a tour you can email Sue via [email protected] or visit the following websites- 

https://www.haughmondandwrekin.org.uk/#churches 

https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/4664/

Image: St Lucia church with the graveyard in the foreground and the blue sky with a few clouds behind