RENOVATION

THE VISION

Owners of a magnificent Grade II* listed building designed by Sir Aston Webb, we are constantly committed to maintaining it to ensure its preservation for the future.

Our main objective is to position the Church at the intersection of its dual heritage: serving as both an active place of worship for London’s French-speaking Protestant communities and as one of the key buildings of the Huguenot refuge. As the direct descendant of the first church of the strangers founded in 1550, the Soho church also stands as one of the oldest French landmarks in London.

[ultimate_spacer height=”13″]

OUR PRIORITIES :

Oﬀering a modern, welcoming and secure environment for our congregation to pray, meet, share, volunteer and engage.
Opening our Church to the Soho community, local charities, historical societies and businesses with a perfect environment for events, conferences or meetings in a prime central and historical location
Sharing our wealth of history by providing greater access to our unique collection of rare books and manuscripts.

Support the RENOVATION

A FIRST PHASE OF WORK COMPLETED IN 2020

Affected by time, weather but also endless constructions around it (buildings, Crossrail), the building had many issues: leaks damaging the roofs, cracked stained glass, humidity creating inﬁltrations in the building’s terracotta walls and the original organ.

To address those issues, a major renovation project was launched in 2016, just before the referendum on the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union, and was completed for its first phase four years later (while negotiations between the EU and the UK were still ongoing), amidst the Covid-19 epidemic. Quite a journey!

At the beginning of the project, our objective was to create a “versatile and welcoming space, meeting all safety and accessibility standards, and designed to benefit a wide audience”.

All these objectives have been achieved, and even exceeded. Indeed, we had no expectation for our basement spaces to become so bright and welcoming.

They are now accessible to all, thanks to a new platform lift serving the two lower levels. Gentle sloping paths have been created – as well as fire refuges – to allow safe and independent access for wheelchair users. They will also be able to use the new accessible toilets, which will also be useful for young parents thanks to our new changing table!

You can find a complete description of our renovated spaces here.

THE FIRST PHASE OF FUNDING

The church had an initial investment of £261,000, primarily thanks to financial compensations obtained thanks of a settlement on right of light after the building of new office spaces on Oxford Street. In addition to this sum, the church saved approximately £130,000 over three years.

Our fundraising campaign raised £1,073,000, with over £346,000 donated by members of the community, but also the generosity of former members of our extended community, with donations totaling over £285,000 between 2017 and 2020. The rest of the funding mainly came from grants, with two in particular: City Bridge Trust for accessibility compliance (£98,500) and the reimbursement of VAT for eligible works in places of worship (£188,146 cumulative from 2017 to 2020). Added to this is the Gift Aid received on eligible donations (£46,527).

As for expenses (nave, basement, and roofs, excluding the library project), they amounted to a total of £1,424,892 between 2018 and 2020, including VAT.

The entire team of volunteers is very proud to not have requested any reimbursement for expenses incurred during this period (such as food, transportation, or others). The only fundraising expenses were limited to printing brochures and costs related to event organization, often sponsored by our friends and partners, especially Wine Story, La Librairie La Page, or Les Fauristes. They are deeply thanked for their support.

Renovation team: Cindy and Stéphane Desmarais, Bénédicte Fougier, Ghislain Leugue, Carole de Saint Affrique, and Clément Salmon.

HOW TO DONATE

By Total Giving

By cheque : Please send your cheque payable to The French Protestant Church to ‘ Huguenot Church Appeal’ – French Protestant Church, 8-9 Soho Square, London W1D 3QD

Download the Gift Aid declaration

By transfer : Please quote the reference ‘appeal’ and your name.

Lloyds Bank – The French Protestant Church

Sort code 30-84-51 – Account number 32015160

IBAN: GB97 LOYD30845132015160 – BIC: LOYDGB21760

THEY SUPPORT US

The French Protestant Church of London is very grateful to its generous donors (individuals, companies and foundations), for their support of the renovation plan of the Soho temple. We would like to thank them wholeheartedly.

Our donors

Major benefactor

Supported by City Bridge Trust, the funding arm of The City of London Corporation’s charity, Bridge House Estates (1035628)

Guillaume Fonkenell

Bertrand Meunier

André-Pierre Visser

Benefactor

Jacques Boissonnas

Terrévent Foundation and Eric de Turckheim

Patron

Isabelle et Thierry Baudon

Ariane Braillard

Laurent et Marine Charbonnier

Ly Dumas

Fonds de soutien au tissu associatif des Français à l’étranger

The French Huguenot Church of London Charitable Trust

Martin Harcourt Williams

Francis Lang

Amélie and Bruno Mourgue d’Algue

In loving memory of George and Yvette Orawski

Antoine and Carole de Saint Affrique

The Scaler foundation

Donor

Albane and Stephan Caron

Laurence Colchester

Dr Elizabeth Courtauld

Antoine and Eléonore Dresch

Anne and Denis Faure

The Huguenot Society of Great Britain and Ireland

Bénédicte and Gilles Moëc-Fougier

Nicolas and Véronique Raynaud

Christine and Ulrich Sigwart

Société Genevoise en faveur des Protestants Disséminés

Isabelle and Olivier Wolf

Friend

Thibaut Adam

JR Asprey charitable foundation

Maartje Bonda

Tini Brodie

Reginald Carlier

Magali et Xavier Demierre

Stéphane and Cindy Desmarais

Sabine Duchemin

Pierre-Alexis Dumas

Les Fauristes, Choir

Fabrice Gaussen

Catherine Giger

Lena and Jérôme Hadey

Cyrille Kabadjeu

Thibault Lavergne and Wine Story

Ghislain and Nelly Leugue

Cécile Monfort-Bidet

David John Montier

Caroline-Laure and Guilhem Nègre

Notre Dame de France

The Lady Phillimore

Emmanuel Probst

Anne Roberts

Saint Patrick’s Church (Soho square)

Jean-Philippe Vernes

As well as,

H. Adams, John Adamson, Irina Arnold, Stéphane Audran, Hélène Bamba, Richard Bancroft, Jesse Beaumont, Annette Bell, Luc Benjamin, Marie Bohl, Claire Bonniol, Céline Bordarier, Jean-Noël de Bouillane de Lacoste, Tim Bouquet, Peter Bourdillon, Véronique Brazier, Joannah Brear, James Brebner, Georgina Briody, Jennifer Butler, VG Butler, Manon Carbiener, Steve Carrie-Simon, Peter Caton, Bernard Cazenove, Barbara Cheroutre, Mathilde Chiesa, Communauté malgache (Malagasy community), Katleen Cook, George Courtauld, John Critchley, Dr Katherine Danceney, Guilhem Darricau, Malcolm Debonnaire, Denis Desert, Carol and David Di Matteo, Elaine Du Lieu, Elisabeth Durand, Yvette Easton, JG Ellis, Hilary Evans, Laurence et Sébastien Fonlupt, JH and Isabelle Gaulard, Florence Giger, Mayeule Graff, Chantal Grand d’Esnon, David Griffiths, Colin Hadley, T.G.Hall, Leila Hamrat, Robert Hanrott, P Houssemayne du Boulay, Peter Haynes, Robin Howells, Chris Howlett, Hywel Harris Hughes, Huguenot Society of Australia, Michel and Barbara Julien, Xavier Kreiss, Jean-Luc Laloe, James Larminie, Friends of Lambeth Palace Library, Fabien Lerède, Daniel and Françoise Levesque, Aino-Leena Levillain, Kemel Mabiala, Elisabeth Maddison, Peter Malindine, Harry Martineau, Victorine Martineau, Cédric Marx, François Masson, Brian Matier, Katrina Matthews, Moira Mifsud, Mc Intyre, Angèle and Gustave Monod, Lady Monson, David John Montier, Marc and Sandrine Morawek, Jean Murat, Sabri Nasr, Caroline Negrel-Russell, The Nugee foundation, Jeremy Ouvry, Rasa Owondault-Berre, Nicholas Page, Martin Perkins, Clive Radley, Claire and Luc Raynal, Catherine Rainey, Antony Ratcliff, Catherine Rawlinson, Brian Rice, Andrew Ritchie, Frédéric Roman, Clément and Hélène Salmon, Robert Scallon, Mrs Snowden, Société Féminine Française, Blanche Tetmen, Laure Thomas, Geoffrey Treasure, Fiona Tremethick, Suzanne Trocmé, Maurice Vassié, Géraldine Visser, Richard Walker, Richard Wapp, Marcia Watson, The Weavers’ company, J. Young, Dorit Zak.