THE BISHOP of Worcester will visit a city church to celebrate the restoration of its historic Victorian clock after campaigners raised £15,000 in just ten months.
Bishop John Inge will visit Barbourne’s St George’s Church on Saturday, October 29 to mark the iconic 1903 clock’s restoration, after renowned clock repairer Smith of Derby took it away in May for a complete overhaul, including the numerals being re-gilded with gold leaf.
Last May, St George’s Parochial Church Council discovered the clock had stopped working and needed repairing, so The Friends of St George’s charity group started raising funds through their ‘Just a Minute’ scheme, whereby people could sponsor a minimum of £10 for a particular time on the clock.
Each donor then had to say in no more than 100 words why that minute meant so much to them.
The Bishop is patron of the Friends of St George’s and was one of the first to support the appeal by donating a sum of money and choosing 3pm in memory of his wife Denise, who died at that time after losing her battle against cancer.
The appeal was boosted by a number of grants and also won £2,000 when it was named one of six finalists in the ‘Ecclesiastical and Church Times Fund-raising Idea of the Year’ contest – which attracted a record 424 entries from churches throughout the UK.
The campaign was also supported by former members of the church who had moved away from the area, the St George’s Square Residents’ Association and house builder McCarthy and Stone, who have built a new retirement development nearby.
Michael Silvey, chairman of The Friends of St George’s, said: “We’re celebrating the generosity of the people of Worcester at this service of thanksgiving and rededication.
“The clock needed a complete overhaul as too much friction and rust had caused the hands to stop. It’s been a good 50 years since the clock was last serviced.”
The church is now compiling a book about the project, which will include each story from everyone who sponsored.
The service will take place on the church’s square at 10.30am.
