Oswestry church to launch friends group
It's hard work looking after one of Shropshire's historic churches.
St Oswald's Parish Church in Oswestry dates back to 1200. That creates a huge amount of upkeep.
Now its vicar, the Reverend Simon Thorburn, is calling for the community to step up to help – whether they worship at the church or not.
Mr Thornburn says his parishioners cannot sustain the maintenance of the parish church alone.
A Friends of St Oswald's Parish Church is being launched so that those who don't attend services but want to ensure the building's long term future can help support its upkeep.
Mr Thorburn said it was vital that the friends group represented the town of Oswestry and not simply the congregation and Parochial Church Council. A launch will be held on June 12 from noon when all are welcome to go along.
The main objectives of The Friends will be to promote public interest in the church, its history and cultural activities and to support the Parochial Church Council in its preservation and maintenance.
Mr Thorburn said: "We believe that St Oswald's plays a very important role in the life of this town and it is important to engage the support of the wider community for its long term well-being."
He said the church was the venue for many significant occasions from Remembrance Day to Civic Services and that it hosts many local schools who mark their special occasions there.
"St Oswald's remains the main worship centre where the people of the town and its environs come for baptism, marriage and funerals and, as such it provides fundamental support to the community at key points in their lives.
"It is a beautiful and historic place and it open nearly all day, every day, for anyone to visit throughout the year. It is an ancient and large building the regular maintenance costs that exceed the means of the regular congregation and certainly rule out needed improvements to its facilities."
The friends group would, he said, be able to support the upkeep of the historic building and to raise its profile.
"To do this it will need to draw on the goodwill of the wider community and in particular raise funds from a variety of sources. It is vital that the Friends of St Oswald's, from the start, represent the town of Oswestry and not simply the Parochial Church Council and congregation."
The parish church dates back to around 1200. During the English Civil War the tower was used as an observation point by Parliamentary forces and the church suffered great damage at this time although much of the Medieval fabric remains.
Features of the interior include a 17th century font celebrating the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, and a memorial to Hugh Yale and his wife, whose family founded Yale University in the United States.
In the churchyard there is also a timber framed lychgate which was erected in 1631.
