Passionate plea for help to save YOUR church
Published on 3rd May 2007 in News
In need of community support: St John’s Church.
Help is desperately needed from the community if Goole is to enjoy St John's Parish Church for another 150 years.
People driving or walking past St John's, on Church Street, will have seen workmen on ladders scaling the church, high above the street.
They are in the process of carrying out 'make safe' works, which involves descaling loose masonry, and filling in and repointing some of the stonework.
A net to keep the birds out of the belfry is also being repaired.
The current work is costing nearly £8,000 - but another £42,000 is needed for the work on the spire.
Beryl-Beck Taylor, church warden, said: "We're only doing part of the work at the moment.
"We don't have the other £42,000.
"The church is used for a lot of things, like weddings and baptisms and I want to say to people: 'Look, this is your church'.
"We really do need help from the community to raise the money and businesses.
"If they want the church to remain standing for the next 100 years, they have to help."
St John's came into existence in 1848, when it replaced a large 'shed', which was provided by the Aire and Calder company for their workers.
It was nicknamed 'the cathedral'.
The current church has several attractive features, including the great east window, which depicts the life of St John the Evangelist.
Mrs Beck-Taylor said: "We had a wedding in the church on Easter Sunday and it was absolutely lovely."
The church receives no state funding and has to pay their share to the diocese.
"I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the people of Goole can help out," said Mrs Beck-Taylor.