A £4.75m National Lottery grant is transforming one of the most historic – but deprived – towns in Britain.
Admiral Lord Nelson's body was brought into the dock at Sheerness, Kent, after he was shot and killed at the Battle of Trafalgar.
Once one of Britain's busiest naval dockyards it was closed under savage Tory cuts in the 1960s.
But now an extraordinary project – spearheaded by Will Palin – son of Michael – is breathing new life into the town.
A £8m development project of the derelict seafront church is underway and when finished will provide new facilities for youngsters in the town.
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And it's hoped it will regenerate worldwide interest in the famous Historic Dockyard.
“The people of the town and this island are intensely proud of their heritage,” said Will.
“They are really excited about this project and recognise its potential to transform the town.
“They want this re-investment and as part of this to see these beautiful buildings properly cared for and managed."
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The church closed back in the 1970s and was burnt out after an accidental fire 20 years ago.
The Sheerness Dockland Preservation Trust was launched in 2014 and made the church its first project.
Mr Palin added: “A lot of people here feel we are a forgotten part of England - when we say we are from the 'Isle of Sheppey' most people think we are off the coast of Scotland not in the Thames estuary and not that far from London!
“It really is a special place.
“Many of the old buildings here have faced an uncertain future.”
The magnificent church was just a burnt out shell a sad memory of what a great dock this once was.”
The area never really recovered from the brutal closure of the dockyard with the loss of 2500 skilled jobs but a strong sense of community remains to this day.
In 1958 the Mirror ran a story headlined “Navy is to axe two dockyards.”
Despite being in the county of Kent - known as “The Garden of England” - Sheerness on the Isle of Sheppey is one of the poorest towns in the country.
There are five food banks operating each week to feed the poor.
But the Trust is determined to help give the island a lifeline with the new project.
The Trust was given a £4.75m grant from National Lottery Heritage fund and managed to raise another £4m from various other Trusts and Foundations to restore the church.
Tommy Stower, 21, a local lad from Sheerness, has a job as a trainee carpenter and labourer on the project.
He said: “I've loved working here and it's so good the church is being restored as it was such an important part of the town's history.”
Trustee Amicia de Moubray said: “Will has been a true visionary. His work has made an incredible difference to Sheerness and the Isle of Sheppey.
“And it will have a positive impact on the youngsters of this area for decades to come.”
