THE MEARNS Coastal parish is embarking on a three-year fund-raising campaign to meet the cost of vital repairs and alterations to its two churches.

The parish is the result of a union of Benholm and Johnshaven with Garvock-St Cyrus in 1998 since when the congregations have agreed that it is not possible to maintain four places of worship.

Garvock and Benholm churches were closed and subsequently sold along with St Cyrus Church hall while St Cyrus and Johnshaven remained in the two centres of population.

The kirk session now intends to carry out major repairs and alterations to the St Cyrus and Johnshaven buildings.

In St Cyrus the 150-year-old roof needs to be completely refurbished and it is hoped to electrify and repaint the clock and possibly install an automatic winding mechanism.

“It keeps quite good time but we have to be realistic,” said session clerk John Gavin.

“The mechanism is very old and if anything breaks, parts would have to be specially made and this would be expensive, so electrification is the sensible option.”

Inside the church the plan is to create a vestibule-social area underneath the existing gallery with a glass partition between it and the front of the church.

There will be a small kitchen in the vestibule and the partition will open up so that chairs may be placed there on special occasions. The front part will be retained for worship and be largely unchanged with the pews and pulpit. The gallery will remain and be available if required.

In Johnshaven the plan is to improve the hall under the church by installing a new kitchen and toilets as well as re-pointing the walls.

Mr Gavin said, “We have enough funds from the sale of church buildings to cover about half of our requirements. We hope to get some grant aid from various organisations but we will still need to raise more money ourselves.

“We intend raising funds over the next two or three years to cover the shortfall but we must be sure that funding is in place, or pledged, before we start. We would like to involve the whole community, whether churchgoers or not, since the church is the focal point of the village.

“There will be two or three major fund-raisers but we would encourage individuals and organisations to run events.

Information on the proposals, including plans, will be put on the internet.

The rolling fund-raising programme of events will begin later this month with a Burns Supper in St Cyrus Hall.

Possible ways of raising money include a “talent scheme” in which the church lends up to £10 to help the recipient use their talents to raise more money by organising, for example, a whist or scrabble party, a garden party, coffee morning or a meal, baking or jam making. Also under consideration is a buy a slate with your name on it; sponsorship, and donations in lieu of presents.