Roof grant lets church put buckets away

St John the Baptist Church in St John’s Square has been given the £80,000 funding following a lengthy campaign. The money is a large percentage of the cash needed to pay for the vital repairs.

The project will see a complete new roof installed, which will cover the north aisle and will make the north aisle water tight.

This will mean the area below will be able to be fully utilised for exhibitions, as well as protecting the early 20th Century organ built by Harrison and Harrison of Durham during the Great War.

Rev Canon Ian Black, Vicar of St John the Baptist, Peterborough said: “This is fantastic news. We have literally had to have buckets put out in the aisle when it is raining to stop the water damaging the woodwork.

“The leaks are near where the organ and the piano are as well, and we do not want them to get damaged.

“We have had plenty of ‘spot repairs’ on the copper roof over the years, but they are just leaking, and we need it finished.

“We are hoping to have the work finished at some point in the next 12 months. There will be scaffolding on the side of the church nearest Carluccios while the work takes place, but it should not affect anything inside the church.”

Despite the grant from Government-funded Listed Places of Worship: Roof Repair Fund, Rev Black said there was still work to be done.

He said: “We need to raise the balance (£31,967) and if anyone would like to contribute toward this we will be extremely grateful for whatever they can give.”

Donations can be sent to the Church Office, St John’s Church, Church Street, Peterborough PE1 1XB.