St Peter’s twice reborn

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20th century rebirth and 21st century transformation

The 20th century rebirth: Under the care of the Friends, St Peter’s hosted concerts of so many kinds; fairs and markets; town and civic events; receptions, celebrations, school holiday clubs, flower festivals, Christmas tree festivals, fireworks off the tower, cookery demonstrations, fashion shows, horticultural shows, historical exhibitions, art exhibitions, model railway exhibitions, medieval banquets, medieval fairs, Christmas card shops, farmers’ markets and so much else, even a group juggling with flaming torches. For many years Churches Together in Sudbury ran a very popular drop-in cafe on Thursday lunchtimes.

The Friends increased the number of visitors each year to St Peter’s to the many tens of thousands. No wonder that much of the equipment wore out. The Friends did indeed manage to “prove the use… for the benefit of the town” and enabled St Peter’s to find a way back into the hearts and minds of the townsfolk whose lives it had enriched for hundreds of years.

21st century transformation: The Friends proved that St Peter’s could sustainably enrich the lives of local people but the fabric of the building, in particular the roof, needed significant repairs. After these much needed repairs were completed St Peter’s re-opened in late 2023 as Sudbury Arts Centre under new management and a new ethos. The Friends now take a back seat but are still there just in case St Peter’s stumbles when ambition meets financial reality .

Meetings with the Churches Conservation Trust – in 2025

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Since February 2025 we have a number of meetings with the Churches Conservation Trust (the CCT) to discuss a number of issues which included those set out below.

The organ: the organ in St Peter’s is struggling at the moment with sets of pipes becoming inoperable due to long term damage, caused either through damp, temperature changes, sheer old-age or a combination of all three. Short term fixes are being made where possible but overall the organ needs substantial repair works to be undertaken and this is likely to cost a substantial six figure sum. This will though give us the option of installing an electric console to replace the current keyboards which would have a number of advantages including increasing the variety of sounds that the organ can produce and being able to move the keyboard out of its current almost invisible cubby hole so that the player can actually see the audience or even the other musicians the organist is mkaing musi with.

We are now starting to look at fundraising for the organ repairs and also getting CCT approval for the major works required by the organ. Neither of which are exactly small tasks!

The Humidifier: there has been no resolution on this issues. We were initially advised that a humidifier was necessary to protect the organ from drying out but to date (December 2025) readings of a hygrometer have shown that the humidity in the building is not so high or so low that it would cause damage to the organ. The CCT has not been convinced of the necessity of the humidifier and so currently we are not looking to install one.

The Ringing Chamber: Plan B is now that there may be a chance to ring all 10 bells from the mezzanine floor by judicious re-hanging of some of the bells. We look forward to more detail from the Suffolk Guild however this is taking more time to progress than we had hoped but we are still hopeful that it will happen.

Community Bookings: the difficulties encountered by some community hirers in booking St Peter’s were raised by the Friends with the CCT when the Bridge Project were in place. The CCT were not prepared to intervene at that stage. These difficulties still persist even where the CCT is running St Peter’s directly. It is clear that the CCT does not consider itself in a position to take any action on this point so for now this issue is not being pursued by the Friends. Obviously we are hopeful that if there are changes in the management approach once the funding from the Lottery Fund runs out (currently likely to be in October 2026) that substantial improvements in this area can be made. Overall though a disappointing situation given all the promises given for the renovation project.

Churches Conservation Trust takes back Sudbury Arts Centre

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Following the failure of the Bridge Project Sudbury in March 2025 the Churches Conservation Trust, which had leased St Peter’s to the Bridge Project, took back the day to day running of St Peter’s and the three staff previously employed by the Bridge Project to run Sudbury Arts Centre transferred to The Churches Conservation Trust. WIth just a couple of weeks closure the building continued to run as a vibrant event venue in the middle of Sudbury. This was great news and everyone in Sudbury was very happy that the CCT (or Churches Conservation Trust to give it its full name) has taken this step.

Fast forward to October 2026 and the future is not so clear cut. On-going funding for Sudbury Arts Centre from the Lottery Fund is not forever and as of December 2025 there is no additional funding secured after October 2026 to run Sudbury Arts Centre with its now four staff members. The community will need to work together with the CCT to make sure this venue can continue to run while on a financially sustainable business model.

But at least for now the venue is still operating and that in itself is an accomplishment.

December 2025

Bridge Project announces closure

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On 14 March 2025 the Bridge Project Sudbury announced it was closing due to financial pressures. We believe their final day of operations will be 28 March with all staff being made redundant shortly after. This is a really really sad event for the users of the Bridge Project, the staff and volunteers at the Bridge and Sudbury Arts Centre and for Sudbury for whom the Sudbury Arts Centre was establishing itself as the go to venue.

What we will do: We, the Friends, will do our utmost to keep the Sudbury Arts Centre open after 28 March. We are working in close coordination with the Churches Conservation Trust, who are responsible for St Peter’s, to ensure the staff are kept on, the building kept open and for all events including those already booked and those yet to be booked to take place. For now a short term solution is required to ensure the building stays open, the staff stay employed and the venue continues to operate until a longer term solution can be put into place.

We have already spoken to the Sudbury Arts Centre staff to say that they have our full support to keep the venue going. We have been in contact with the Churches Conservation Trust who have assured us, at the highest level, that they are committed to keeping the building open and we have offered them our full support so this happens. Here is their most recent media release on their support for Sudbury Arts Centre.

We are sure that everyone in Sudbury and the nearby communities will be joining together to make sure this wonderful building continues to be a welcoming and exciting venue for everyone to enjoy. So – stay tuned for more news on how we can together make this happen.

This post .has been updated as of 22 March 2025 and we will update it as things develop.

Meeting with the Churches Conservation Trust – 19 February

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Following on from our September meeting with the Churches Conservation Trust (the CCT) we had another meeting on 19 February 2025 to discuss a number of issues which included those set out below.

The Humidifier: finally Roger Green from the Friends has been able to arrange a date to meet the CCT architect to discuss this. We are hopeful that the architect will be able to convince the CCT that the installation is a minor item, completely reversible and should not require detailed and expensive plans in order to get CCT approval.

The Ringing Chamber: Plan B is now that there may be a chance to ring all 10 bells from the mezzanine floor by judicious re-hanging of some of the bells. We look forward to more detail from the Suffolk Guild.

Community Bookings: the difficulties encountered by some community hirers in booking St Peter’s were raised by the Friends with the CCT. The CCT stated that they had an arms length relationship with the Bridge who had to run Sudbury Arts Centre as a commerical venue. A disappointing response given all the promises given for the renovation project.

Meeting with the Churches Conservation Trust – 18 September

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Following on from our June meeting with the Churches Conservation Trust (the CCT) we had another on 18 September to discuss a number of issues which included:

(i) follow up on the installation of a humidifier for the organ
(ii) follow up on the repairs needed to the bell chamber as a result of the renovation project
(iii) installation of solar panels

At the start of the meeting the Friends reported on the St Peter’s Day Service in St Peter’s which had been very well attended, over 180 people were there and the community spirit in St Peter’s was almost touchable.

The Humidifier: the CCT asked the Friends to provide a technical specification for the humidifier and its installation and to work with the CCT architect on this. We explained we had already provided the technical specification for the humidifier and it was now just for the water supply and drainage and the electrical supply to be confirmed. It was agreed that a meeting with the architect, the plumber, the electrician, the Friends and the CCT would be arranged so that plans could be drawn up and then submitted to the CCT conservation department for approval.

The Ringing Chamber: The Friends will arrange for a local contractor to design and quote for the repair work across the floor of the bells chamber and the Suffolk Guild will then be able to recommend a suitable contractor.

Solar Panels: the Friends asked for details of the electricity usage of the building to assist in the feasibility of such a project.

Garden Area: the Friends noted this was looking somewhat sad. The CCT reported that the Bridge are working with their volunteers to upgrade the area.

Meeting with the Churches Conservation Trust – 18 June

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We had a meeting with the Churches Conservation Trust (the CCT) on 18 June to discuss a number of issues which included:

(i) the holding the St Peter’s Day service in St Peter’s
(ii) the installation of a humidifier for the organ
(iii) trip hazards in the bell chamber as a result of the renovation project
(iv) installation of solar panels.

There had been much correspondence between the Friends, Churches Together, the CCT and the Bridge Project to ensure the St Peter’s Day Service in St Peter’s went ahead in late June. Initially there was resistance by the CCT and the Bridge Project to this Service taking place. Once however the depth of community feeling on this was fully communicated by the Friends and Churches Together it was agreed the service could go ahead. It was also agreed that this Service could take place annually. A good result for everyone and the Friends thanked the CCT for making this happen.

The Humidifier: the Friends explained the urgent need for this (the organ will dry out over during the heating season and this will damage the instrument) and what the installation required which was an electrical supply, water supply in and water supply out (i.e. a drain). It was agreed that a meeting between the CCT, the Friends and the organ builders (who would supervise the installation of the humidifier) would be useful. Installation would need to fit in with the Bridge activities.

The Ringing Chamber: There are trip hazards from the guidance of the bell ropes in the floor of the ringing chamber and with a cable running about 9 inches above the ringing chamber floor level from which the rope spider above the mezzanine hangs. It was suggested that a false floor would resolve the issue. It was also requested that the CCT raises this as a snagging issue as it seems very unlikely that these works would have been specified by the architect. A report on this prepared by Peter Upson (Friends trustee and bell ringer) was presented to the CCT.

Solar Panels: the Friends will investigate the feasibility of such a project to understand time, costs, logistics, accessibility and listed building consent so that a Community Initiative Plan can be proposed to proceed.

Peter Gray, long term trustee, steps down

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Very sadly for us, Peter Gray stepped down as trustee in June 2024. He joined us back in the early 2010s and was very active managing events in St Peter’s and in working with the CCT on the renovation project. He was appointed Vice-Chairman, then Chairman and then stepped down to Vice-Chairman again as his personal work commitments mounted up.

Peter was always a joy to work with, a fine sense of humour, a very consensual style when dealing with people and a love of proper beer. Plus if there were any issues with the plumbing, the locks, the roof alarms or anything else at St Peter’s he was your go to man – if he could not fix it then he always knew a man that could.

We are very pleased that Peter will continue to be a volunteer for us and St Peter’s – but equally sad he is not part of the trustee team any longer.

Meeting with the Churches Conservation Trust – 8 May

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We had a meeting with the Churches Conservation Trust on 8 May to discuss fundraising requirements, specific issues with the building and the process for initiating projects for building improvements. We also discussed how issues relating to the internal operation of the building can be dealt with in a pro-active and constructive manner.

Humidifier: One of the specific issues relating to the building was the urgent need for a humidifier to be installed to protect the organ now that the building is heated on a new constant basis which can dry out various parts of the organ and cause serous damage. We have raised this issue with the the conservation department of the Churches Conservation Trust and also submitted a Community Initiative Process document to their regional team. Hopefully progress can be made on this before there is serious damage to the organ.

The Bellchamber: We also discussed the issues with the bell chamber – changes made in the bell chamber so that six bells can be rung at the gallery level have in turn raised safety concerns about using the bell chamber when all 10 bells are to be rung. As a result of these concerns, St Peter’s has been downgraded from a 10 bell ring to a 6 bell ring which was never the intention of the St Peter’s project. We have asked the Suffolk Guild of Bell Ringers to summarise the issue so that this can be formally raised with the Churches Conservation Trust. It may be that the cost of rectifying this issue can be covered by the contractors as a snagging issue.

The Great Name Debate – Part 2

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So is it St Peter’s or is it Sudbury Arts Centre? And the answer is that the building is St Peter’s and the operations inside it run by the Bridge Project is well, whatever the Bridge Project wants to call it and they have chosen the name Sudbury Arts Centre.

If you ask the Churches Conservation Trust, the landlords for the Bridge Project’s operations in St Peter’s, they say categorically the name of the building is St Peter’s. If you ask most of the people of Sudbury they will refer to the building as St Peter’s. But you might notice there is absolutely no signage on the building to say what the name of the building is and if you look at the Sudbury Arts Centre website they say “Sudbury Arts Centre, formerly St Peter’s Church”.

There are good reasons to use the name Sudbury Arts Centre if you are trying to attract new footfall into the building. Footfall that might not be attracted into a church building – but maybe the Bridge Project and its advisers could be a little less dogmatic on this point. They could allow St Peter’s signage on the building and they don’t need to punish hirers of the building referring to it as St Peter’s. These though are early days for St Peter’s new management team and we are confident this issue will be resolved in the fullness of time with goodwill on all sides.

We hope to meet with the Churches Conservation Trust soon and this will be one of the topics to be discussed.