All Saints Church in Mudeford is seeking donations to rebuild after a fire in July 2022 destroyed the building.
Chris Green is a church warden there. She called the fire “heartbreaking” and got a call about the fire that evening. When she arrived, the church was totally engulfed. Over fifty firefighters came to the site and used twelve fire engines to stop it. Chris said it all happened fast.
It was a really hot day, she told me. The church had old wooden beams inside, which caught fire almost instantly. They still don’t know what caused it. Chris said you can guess, but you’ll never know. Some people think it was electrical, but no one can prove anything now because the fire destroyed all potential evidence.
Chris said it was a “community church” that was open every day for events, giving the community a space to use. After the fire, groups had no place to meet. Chris said finding new places was a “struggle” and mentioned facing many obstacles.
Chris is proud of the people who helped raise money and said they are dedicated and committed, having spent so many hours on aid. “It’s the people that make the church,” she said. Chris talked about the old stained glass, where sunlight made beautiful colors in the room. Now, the windows are just boarded up.
They plan to change the entrance when they rebuild because the old entrance was not accessible. Chris says progress is happening at last, and she feels they are finally moving forward with it.