Death-watch
beetles have caused a huge amount of damage
in the church, which will close on 2 June so that repair
work can take place. Three crucial problem areas were
highlighted in a survey by the church architect, Robert
Montgomery:
- Much of the floor of the nave is damaged
by beetle, other infestation and rot – it needs
repairing or replacing.
- The organ (and the floor on which it
stands) has been damaged and needs to be removed,
restored and reinstated.
- Many of the pews are badly damaged
and in need of replacement.
The
total cost will be of
the order of £175,000 to £180,000. This
sum needs to be raised in a short space of time to pay
for the urgent work needed to save the church for the
village.
An
appeal was launched in
April 2008 to raise funds for this work. The appeal
is co-ordinated by the Friends of St James the Great
– Rev Pam McKellan, Graham Steinsberg, David Handscomb
(treasurer), Jo McDougall, Emma Moore, Simon Birkett
and Judy Harris. The committee has approached a number
of other possible sources of funding and is planning
a series of fund-raising initiative. They have written
to church members and everyone in the village to seek
support. All gifts received are being held in a separate
fund and treated in confidence.
By
the end of May, generous donations from within the village
and outside added up to about £54,000. With a
legacy and a grant for £10,000 from the Oxford
Historic Churches Trust, the total stood at over £80,000.
Update:
Total now around £100,000 (end of June
2008). July 2008: the total continues to rise but £50,000-60,000
is still needed.
See the calendar
for details of fund raising events.
To make a donation
please contact Rev Pam McKellan, The Vicarage, Radley,
Oxfordshire OX14 2JN (Tel: 01235 554739; email p.mckellen@btinternet.com).
Sponsor
a pew or a chair: it will be possible to sponsor
new pews and chairs. Chairs would be £150 and
pews £2000. If you are interested, please contact
Pam McKellan or one of the church wardens.
What's
happening in the church
The
architect's proposals were agreed by the Diocesan Advisory
Committee on 13 May and the work has been put out to
tender.
The
last services in the church were on Sunday 1 June.
Work
began on Monday 2 June to remove the organ. Some of
it will be stored locally and the rest taken away for
repair. The extent of the damage is not yet known.
The
entire floor in the nave and the south transept will
be levelled. The original good stone will be kept in
position because much of it is too fragile to be moved
and some of it is memorial stone that cannot be removed.
Replacement stone will be used to fill the gaps.
New
pews and chairs will be custom made for the church.
Their design will take into account the comments made
by those who tried out samples. A combination of pews
and chairs will be ordered to give maximum seating and
flexibility. There will be chairs at the front and pews
behind. A chair costs £150 each. Pews cost
much more.
Arrangements
during the closure of the church
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