Support needed to save the roof of an historic West Sussex village church

St Luke’s Church in Linch, has been standing for more than three centuries, and volunteers are now calling on the community support support it in raising vital funds.

Lea Grocott, a member of the parochial church council, said repairs to the entire roof would cost something in the region of £120,000 – but cracked slabs and loose tiles over the organ chancel are a more immediate danger.

He told this newspaper: “The church is subject to a five-year inspection by an architect and our recent inspection found the whole roof needs replacing in the next five to ten years.

"Part of the roof, the organ chancel, that part of that has started falling off and that has accelerated the project. We can’t afford to wait five or ten years. We need to fix it this year. If we don’t, more of the roof will come off and it will start to leak."

The PCC is also seeking funding from grant bodies but will still rely heavily on local funding.

The Reverend Trish Bancroft said expressed the importance of preserving the building not only for the worshippers, but as a community and historical asset.

She said: “It’s very important because the roof is falling off and the organ is right underneath. Its a good organ and its more than 100 years old. We don’t want anything to happen to it. It’s a very little church in a small community and we really need to preserve it for us to use for worship but also for the community. It has always been a busy little church but since Covid things have changed so we have been struggling since that time financially. We really feel that we need to have a push to maintain the church so we can carry on as we are.

“The original church dates back to 1086, before this one which was built in 1700 so it’s a bit of history.”

Anyone who wishes to make a donation should call 01428 741397