History
From St Michael and All Angels Church to St Michael's Lodge – the History of St Michael's
In June 2023, a structural survey of St Michael’s Church was conducted, concluding that despite evidence of weathering, water ingress, and erosion, the church’s structural integrity remains sound. However, significant investment was required to convert the building into a hostel. The survey recommended replacing the roof, which was included in the proposed renovations.
Hudswell Community Charity who now own the building transformed the church’s interior into a hostel with 17 beds across six bedrooms. The ground floor rooms will be fully accessible, and the hostel will feature a resident’s lounge and a kitchen. To achieve this, a mezzanine floor was inserted into the nave, supported by a wooden frame to preserve the church’s existing fabric.
The design, created retains all existing windows and doors. Church pews were repurposed as seating in the lounge and for the bunk beds. Other features, including the pulpit, font, and altar rails, have been preserved and reused. St Michael’s Lodge was opened in late May 2025
Who is behind the enterprise and why?
Hudswell Community Charity, established in 2015, builds on the legacy of a much older local charity founded in 1672 to benefit deserving and necessitous residents of Hudswell. This historic charity became an Incorporated Charity Organisation in 2015, with its original objectives reinterpreted to address 21st-century needs, focusing on the prevention or relief of poverty in Hudswell and surrounding areas. The charity achieves this through grants, provision of items and services, and loans to individuals in need, as determined by the Trustees.
Since its establishment, Hudswell Community Charity has aimed to promote rural regeneration and enhance public amenities in Hudswell. Its primary activity has been providing affordable housing for rent to residents with strong local connections who cannot afford to buy homes in the village. The charity inherited three cottages from the former Hudswell Charity, converted from a former school, and built three new homes in 2017 and in 2024 it secured funding and planning permission to construct three more eco homes on its land. The Trustees manage the existing properties and oversaw the new builds which were completed in 2025.
The former Hudswell Charity had strong ties to the local Church of England Parish of Richmond with Hudswell, a connection maintained by the new charity, with one trustee being the Rector of Richmond with Hudswell. This link underscores the appropriateness of Hudswell Community Charity taking responsibility for repurposing the Parish Church. Other trustees are drawn from the local community, serving five-year terms with the possibility of re-election. The charity reports its activities to the AGM of Hudswell Civic Parish Council, and trustee appointments must be approved by the Parish Council, ensuring accountability to the elected Parish Councillors.
Susan Ferns-Williams: Chair of the Board of Trustees
Susan moved to Hudswell in 2013, following her retirement after 30 years as a secondary school teacher, during which time she held several management positions. She has been a trustee of Hudswell Community Charity since 2017 and volunteers at the Little Shop in Hudswell
Annie Sumner: Treasurer
Annie has been a trustee of the Hudswell Community Charity since April 2014. Her last employment was helping to establish a northern manufacturing branch in West Yorkshire for a company specialising in medical equipment. Previous employment has included many years in the NHS, latterly as Complaint Manager for the General & Orthopaedic Surgery Directorate. Annie was treasurer of Hudswell Community Pub Ltd from 2008 to 2019 and played a leading role in the building of three new houses by the Charity in 2017. Recently she has as Project Manager overseen the building of 3 more affordable rent homes and the conversion of the village church to St Michael’s Lodge, a walkers and cyclists hostel.
Martin Booth: Secretary
Martin has been secretary of the Hudswell Community Charity since April 2014. He has worked in the field of community development and social enterprise all his life. His last full-time employment was as Assistant Director of Hartlepool New Deal for Communities – a £50 million, 10-year regeneration project. Since then, he has worked in part time roles largely concerned with fund raising, for the Sunderland Bangladeshi International Centre and Justice First Ltd. He was until recently an advisor for the Plunkett Foundation on rural community enterprise. Martin is also a director if Hudswell Community Pub Ltd and was company secretary for most of this time, having recently stepped back from this role
Rev Martin Fletcher: Trustee
Martin is the Rector of Richmond with Hudswell and Downholme and Marske. He is honoured also to be a trustee of the Charity with its proven record of community-focused projects. Committed to community engagement of the local churches, he is delighted that St Michael’s Lodge will safeguard the village church building whilst benefitting the village in a creative and sustainable way.
Ian Whinray: Trustee
Ian spent 34 years in sales and marketing management within the Industrial distribution and outsourcing sector, latterly as a shareholder and Operations Director for Active Integrated Supply Ltd with responsibility for a £40m operation across the UK and Singapore. Following his retirement in early 2019 Ian became Trustee of Hudswell Community Charity and in 2020 a director of Hudswell Community Pub Ltd. He also volunteers for the community shop and more recently the National Trust.
Phil Simmonds: Trustee
Philip spent 34 years in the RAF as an aircraft engineer, predominantly specialising in fast jets and held devolved airworthiness authority for both Tornado and Tristar aircraft. He has wide experience of postings throughout the UK and Germany, as well as exercises and operations all over the world. As a resident of Hudswell for the last 19 years and, prior to that, 10 years in Richmond, he has been: an Assistant Swimming Teacher and Vice Chair of Richmond Dales Swimming Club, Vice Chair of the Cycling Club, and Coach and Chair of the Triathlon Club. He is currently volunteers in the Hudswell Little Shop, for the National Trust Volunteer and as a bike mechanic with the Army Welfare Bike Library.
Heather Swettenham – Director
Heather moved to Hudswell in 2013 but has had family ties to the village going back 25 years. She retired in 2011 after 20 years working in Local Government in various child protection roles, during which she qualified as a Legal Executive. Prior to that she had spent several years working in the NHS, and also three years as a Sales Director of a small manufacturing company. She has been a Hudswell Parish Councillor since 2018 and is a on the management team of the Little Shop and also volunteers in the shop. She has recently become the Secretary of Hudswell Community Pub Ltd and is a trustee of Hudswell Community Charity since 2021.
