Council Donation Helps Save Union Chapel Tower

6.00.00pm GMT Mon 4th Jan 2010

The emergency council funding will pay for urgent structural work to the tower.

The campaign to save the much-loved Union Chapel Tower near Highbury Corner received a massive boost this week when Islington Liberal Democrat council bosses agreed to hand over a cheque for £200,000 for urgent repairs.

The Grade 2* listed Union Chapel has been running a fundraising campaign for the Tower works since June 2007 when the Tower looked in danger of collapse and temporary works were immediately carried out. The state of the Union Chapel forced national conservation campaigners English Heritage to put the building on their 'at risk' register.

The council funding will ensure the emergency structural work at the upper part of the tower and the repair of the spire can now take place. This will prevent the tower from collapsing. These works will then allow the scaffolding at high level on the spire to be removed and fundraising to continue for works on the lower parts of the tower.

Islington Liberal Democrat council leader Terry Stacy said:

"The Union Chapel has a very special place in Islington residents' hearts and is a fantastic venue attracting thousands of people to our area every year.

"It would have been a tragedy to see this amazing building demolished or fall down. So I am delighted the Liberal Democrat council can now show its commitment to preserving the best of Islington as requested by English Heritage.

"Local Liberal Democrat councillors promised local residents that we would help save Union Chapel and we have kept our promise."

Pete Stapleton, Project Manager of Union Chapel said:

"We would like to say a huge thank you to the Council for helping to save the tower and supporting our work in this fabulously generous way. This will mean so much to the many thousands of people who come each year to use the chapel for charitable and social activities and for the broad range of cultural events that we are able to offer as an independent venue."

Philip Walker, Chair of Union Chapel Project said:

"This is an amazing contribution from the Council which, with the generous grant from English Heritage, will save the upper part of the tower from collapse and will allow us to concentrate on raising the £1.5 million needed to repair the lower sections of the tower. Everyone who visits, uses, works or volunteers at the chapel is enormously grateful to the Council for their financial support and endorsement of our activities and achievements."

The Revd Fionnaigh Reid, Minster of Union Chapel said:

"I am delighted to hear the excellent news of the Council's generous grant towards the critically urgent repairs of the tower. Union Chapel Congregational Church is pre-eminently a community church where people of all Christian denominations are welcome and where we are always pleased to share our church for inter-faith events and commemorative occasions. I hope that councillors and members of the council's staff will accept our warm invitation to join us in the chapel for our Christmas services."

Anthony Richardson, Chair of the Friends said:

"This is very exciting news and a testament to the achievements of the Chapel and its commitment to the local and wider community it serves. We would like to thank the Council for this support and encouragement. The Friends will continue to run free Thursday organ concerts and to raise funds for the restoration of the important Father Willis organ. We hope that new volunteers will come forward to join the Friends' quarterly working parties which are fun and effective in improving the appearance and facilities of the Chapel."