Bishop John held a service of thanksgiving for the completed works on the Tower Room roof at St Nicholas, Dunnington.
Originally built in 1988, the Tower Room had slate roof tiles, though these had cracked recently and needed to be replaced to ensure longevity.
The Revd Kath McBride, Rector of the Benefice of Rural East York, said, “The project cost over £110,000 and I would like to start by giving my thanks to all those who donated and helped to find grants to reach the total. The long-term plan is that this was Phase 1 which involved improving the insulation in the roof space, as well as the tiles, and this will help our building to be more energy efficient. Phase 2 of the project will be to replace the heating system with something more sustainable.
“As Bishop John reminded us, the building provides a great place for ministry and mission, but the church is built of living stones – the people of Dunnington who live out their faith and share Christ’s story.”
She added, “It was a lovely afternoon of celebration with our local community – there were plenty of scones for everyone, and the weather was both warm and dry enough to allow people the opportunity to wander around the churchyard and see the roof from the outside.”
Treasurer Helen Pomfret added “The £110,000 seemed like such a large total but we were blessed that £88,000 came from fundraising activities in the village. With some grants from local sources, we were able to reach our target.”
The Tower Room is used as a venue for many church events as well as the Community coffee morning, every Saturday at 10.00am, the Dunnington Parish Council meetings, and the Dunnington village art group.
If you would like to know more about the ministry and mission at Dunnington and its benefice, please click here.
