A multi-million-pound campaign is under way to save a historic church at risk of collapse.
The campaign aims to rescue St John the Baptist Church in Bishop’s Castle, Shropshire, which was recently added to the Heritage at Risk Register.
Heritage conservation professional Sue Cooper MBE has been appointed as community outreach ambassador and lead fundraiser for the project.
Reverend Stephanie Fountain, priest-in-charge and project group chair, said: "It is a true blessing to have Sue living here in Bishop’s Castle.
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"Her prominence in community and heritage mean she brings a professional level of guidance to this project.
"While the need for physical repairs is deeply urgent, this is also a beautiful opportunity."
The project involves repairing the building and redesigning it as an inclusive community hub.
This vision was shaped by a community consultation held two years ago, which showed strong public support for making the church accessible to all.
Ms Cooper, who was awarded an MBE in 2018 for services to heritage conservation and founded the national charity Caring for God’s Acre, said she is 'delighted' to be involved.
She said: "For the last 40 years, I have loved living in South Shropshire and Bishop's Castle and am delighted to be involved in this project, which has the potential to be transformational for the community.
"We already secured £10,000 from lottery Community Fund to support some development work and we know that the approximate costs to professionally restore the fabric of the building and reorder the interior for wider use by Bishop's Castle’s residents will be over a million pounds."
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