The roof of the church of Annunciation is nearly finished

155- YEAR OLD GREEK CHURCH CELEBRATES COMPLETION OF ESSENTIAL REPAIRS THANKS TO HERITAGE AND LOTTERY FUND GRANT AND IS NOW READY TO CONTINUE AS RELIGIOUS AND COMMUNITY CENTRE FOR YEARS TO COME

The wardens’ committee of the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation of Manchester on Bury New Road , Salford announce the completion of essential conservation work to restore this magnificent 155 -year old grade 2 listed building.

The church was built by Greek immigrants mainly from Chios who arrived in the wake of the Greek War of Independence which began in 1821 and was inaugurated in 1861. The building is particularly important since it was the very first purpose- built Greek Orthodox church in the UK . It is an imposing structure in the classical basilica style , quite unlike the common Byzantine architecture one associates with churches on the Greek mainland. The style was chosen because of its simplicity of design and to reflect the wish of the Greeks to assimilate into the surrounding community. The interior of the church is of particular historical significance. The iconography was painted by Theodoros Vryzakis considered to be the very first Modern Greek painter. The church is under the auspices of the Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain and is the centre of Greek Orthodoxy in Greater Manchester and its cultural hub. It is independent financially and completely self –sustained through subscriptions and donations from parishioners attending the Sunday liturgy. The church nowadays attracts an increasing number of people who have immigrated from Greece as well as Eastern European countries ; essential parts of the Sunday service are held in both classical Greek and English. Adjacent to the church are the presbytery and the community hall used for the many social and ecclesiastical functions . 

The recent conservation work included essential repair work to the roof, guttering , replacement of decaying lintels as well as delivering heritage related community activities such as guided tours for school classes , presentations for University students , lectures , exhibitions and improvements to the church website.

The project cost was in excess of £350,000 and has been mainly funded by a £240,500 grant from The Heritage Lottery Fund ; the rest was raised through donations from parishioners and functions.
Mr George Georgiou and Dr Michael Pantelides from the church wardens’ committee who have co-ordinated the fund raising and repair work, wish to express the gratitude of the entire Greek community to The Heritage Lottery Fund for their support, which will enable the continuing use of this church as a religious and cultural centre for generations to come.