National Lottery Support
St John’s Church of Scotland, Gourock,
wins National Lottery support
St John’s Church of Scotland in Gourock has received initial National Lottery support for its Church History through Stained Glass project, it was announced today.
Made possible by National Lottery players, the project aims to engage young people and the wider community in detailing the church heritage, the centrepiece of which will be the creation of a stained glass window designed by local school children to commemorate the church’s 175th anniversary.
Development funding of £10,400 has been awarded by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to help St John’s Church of Scotland progress their plans to apply for a full National Lottery grant at a later date.
The building, with its iconic tower, is a focal point for the local community and is currently used by the church members, adult and youth organisations and many community groups. It was built in 1857 and has been used for various purposes over the years.
Commenting on the award, assistant Session Clerk, Alan Aitken, MBE, said: ‘We are delighted that we’ve received this support thanks to National Lottery players. The project will enable us to showcase our historic Stained Glass windows within St John’s church sanctuary.
‘Our church volunteers will be trained as tour guides to enable visitors to enjoy guided tours of our church sanctuary.
‘Additionally, in the Year of Young People, local schoolchildren will be introduced to stained glass as an art form through workshops hosted in our church buildings.
‘As we celebrate our 175th anniversary, this award will also enable us to cost the necessary repairs to our iconic clock tower and to ensure St John’s Church remains an active, vibrant and relevant community organisation.’
https://www.inverclydenow.com/news/local-news/gourock-church-receives-10-000-towards-stained-glass-project
http://www.greenocktelegraph.co.uk/news/16610651.gourock-church-celebrates-10k-cash-injection/
Notes to editors
St John’s has been in existence since 1843, and this year we welcomed our new Minister, Reverend Teri Peterson, as we celebrate 175 years serving the community of Gourock. As part of those celebrations, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, the Right Reverend Susan Brown, will conduct morning worship on Sunday, 9th September, at 11am. As well as holding morning worship every Sunday at 11am, St John’s is at the heart of the community, with our minister, as well as offering pastoral care to the congregation of parish, being Chaplain to Moorfoot Primary School and Clydeview Academy and she is very actively involved with Gourock Schools and Churches Together.
Reverend Peterson is also the Chaplain to the 2nd Gourock Company of the Boys’ Brigade, whose three sections hold their meetings in the church halls, as do the Brownies, Guides and Smurfs. Many local organisations also use our facilities, while local drama groups hold concerts within our sanctuary.
*HLF applications are assessed in two rounds. The St John’s Tower Project has initially been granted round one development funding of £10,400 by the Heritage Lottery Fund, allowing it to progress with its plans. Detailed proposals are then considered by HLF at second round, where a final decision is made on the full funding award of £216,800.
Thanks to National Lottery players, we invest money to help people across the UK explore, enjoy and protect the heritage they care about – from the archaeology under our feet to the historic parks and buildings we love, from precious memories and collections to rare wildlife. www.hlf.org.uk. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and use #NationalLottery and #HLFsupported.
For further information, images and interviews please contact Alan Aitken, MBE, at St John’s Church on 07757 102744 or alanandrewaitken@gmail.com
