Campaigners battling to save and restore St Ninian’s Cathedral in Perth are on the brink of hitting their first, crucial fundraising target.
They are within touching distance of the £750,000 needed to go ahead with the first phase of a project which will ultimately cost more than £3 million.
It means that work to repair the roof and the leaking rainwater drainage system on one of Perth’s few A listed buildings is expected to start early next year.
The fundraisers are now guaranteed the continued support of the Heritage Lottery Fund and Historic Environment Scotland for the first phase and are well placed to make a second round of applications for help with phase two which will concentrate on repairing the water damaged stonework of the cathedral, at an estimated cost of £2m.
Longer term, it is hoped that a third phase will see the restoration of the Scottish Episcopal cathedral’s unique windows and finally returning the building to its former glory.
The threat to the fabric of the 19th century building first came to light in 2014 and the full extent of the damage was confirmed last year during a major survey.
Despite the help of the Heritage Lottery Fund, Historic Environment Scotland and a number of trusts, the congregation was faced with raising £140,000 for the urgent roof and drainage repairs alone.
Since then the restoration committee has worked tirelessly to find ways to raise money.
The latest major success was receiving a grant of £50,000 from the Scottish Landfill Communities Fund, but according to the Provost of the Cathedral, the Very Reverend Hunter Farquharson, the inspiration for the members of the congregation and people all over the country to help, came from a pair of pensioners Jennifer Irving and Ann Yates.
It was Jennifer, a member of the congregation, who recruited lifelong friend and pedalling partner Ann to tackle the 1,107-mile, 41-day fundraising cycle journey from Land’s End to John o’ Groats.
The pair, with a combined age of 141, were hoping to raise “a few thousands, rather than a few hundred pounds” but latest donations have taken the total above £17,000 and cash is still coming in.
“When the idea of a couple of women in their seventies cycling from one end of the country to the other was first raised, I must admit it seemed unlikely, but they have amazed us all,” said the provost.
“Jennifer has caught the imagination, not only of the congregation of Perth Cathedral, but of people up and down the country.”
The Cathedral Church of St Ninian is the “mother church” for congregations across the Scottish Episcopalian Diocese of St Andrews, Dunkeld and Dunblane.
