St Mary’s Church on Edward Road is appealing for funds after its most recent ‘quinquennial inspection’ – the inspection of church buildings carried out by the Church of England every five years – found that the church would need a substantial sum for repairs.
The inspection, conducted last summer, found that parts of the church roof are in need of immediate repair, and the rest will need replacing over the next few years.
A spokesperson for the church said: “The inspection report found that parts of our church roof are in need of immediate repair, while the rest of it will need to be replaced at some point in the next few years. We don’t have a precise cost for this work yet, but it is likely to be in the hundreds of thousands of pounds.
“This, combined with the dramatic increase in the cost of energy – approximately tripling in our recent bills – means that we face a significant challenge keeping those who use our building warm and dry this winter. We are undertaking this work on the fabric of our building while also discerning a new call to welcome and serve our local community. The long-awaited servery installation this autumn will help us use our church building as a part of that mission.”
Reportedly problems have been caused by overhanging trees blocking the old gutters, particularly over the organ loft where the roof will need to be replaced. Tiles have also been slipping and some were even blown away by storms.
The repairs are estimated to cost somewhere between £250,000 and £500,000.
Vicar Jimmy Holden said: “It is a formidable target. Some of that we can get through grants and trusts, but a large part we will have to fundraise ourselves.
“St Mary’s is a popular venue for concerts, baptisms and weddings for folk in Dorchester, as it’s a large and flexible venue with an excellent acoustic for live music.”
The spokesperson added: “Any special donations you feel able to make on our Gift Day Sunday, September, 10, or in the season of fundraising ahead, will help keep us warm and dry, but more than this: they will help us continue to serve the community and people of Dorchester.”
If you want to donate to support the church you can visit: pay.sumup.io/b2c/QPIGYSMP?utm_source=qr&utm_medium=digital&utm_campaign=image