East Window Appeal Update 24th August 2017

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to our appeal so far. We now have slightly in excess of £5,000 towards the repair costs.

Unfortunately, further inspection of the stonework has shown that the work required will be greater than originally thought and will likely add several thousand to the total cost and will necessitate the use of scaffolding.

For this reason, we will now be keeping the appeal open for the foreseeable future.

As you may already be aware, we have had problems with our beautiful East Window. The overall cost of repairs will be in excess of £20,000. We are therefore issuing this appeal, asking for your help to assist with meeting the cost of repairing the East Window and its surrounding structures.

The damage

Our volunteer church cleaners spotted that the glass in the window was coming away from its supports. As a result the window has been inspected by our church architect and major repairs are necessary. The saddle bars which attach the windows to the stone are rusty and causing damage to the mullions and jams. Repairs will involve the removal of the glass, the replacement of much of the lead tracery and any cracked glass as well as general cleaning of all glass. At the same time the saddle bars will be replaced with a non-ferrous metal and any damaged stonework repaired.

Our Appeal

The overall cost of this project will be in excess of £20,000. This is on top of our parish share (over £67,000) and all the other ongoing costs that are incurred in keeping the Church going. Though we have the “cash in the bank” to meet the cost of the project, we are keen to ensure that the Church’s finances remain in a good shape, so that we are prepared for any eventuality. We have applied for grants in respect of this work, but even if successful, they will meet just a fraction of the cost.

We very much hope that you will wish to be associated with this project by making a donation towards the cost.

If you can help, there are a number of different ways in which you can make a donation:

Cash/Cheque Donations – You can donate by either cash or cheque (cheques should be made payable to “Bodicote PCC”) by enclosing the gift in an envelope and either giving it or sending it to Revd Sarah, or either of our Church Wardens, Claire Roberts and Ann Sansom.

Revd Sarah Sharp, The Vicarage, 2 The Rydes, Bodicote.

Claire Roberts, 15 Elton Road, Banbury.

Ann Sansom, 30 Woodhall Drive, Banbury,

If you are a tax payer please consider filling in the gift aid donation form (available here if you have not yet received one), so that each £10 donation becomes £12.50 once we are able to recover the tax. 

Online Donations – We have established an online donations page for this appeal:

https://www.justgiving.com/campaigns/charity/stjohns-bodicote/eastwindowappeal

Text Giving – If your mobile operator allows, you can make a text donation of £10 by texting “EAST04 £10” to 70070.