Video: church in West Sussex calls for donations to help restore ‘mighty and impressive’ pipe organ

Vicar Father David Charles, of St John the Evangelist Church in Civic Way, said the church has wanted to restore the organ for two decades.

But he said the amount of money needed is ‘substantial’ at around £80,000.

Fr David said: “We had a real push on this about 20 years ago and managed to get a fair bit of money to a restricted fund for it. But we simply weren’t able to proceed given the magnitude of the project. Over the past year we have been fortunate to have got in a couple of substantial legacies, which were specifically given for the organ fund and we have been successful with a couple of grant applications.”

He said the church is now able to proceed with most of the works.

But he said: “The things still on the wish list include an oboe stop and trumpet stop to boost the organ that bit more and we’re still looking for funding for at the moment. We’ve been able to proceed with the restoration in terms of getting the bulk of it done but we’re still a bit short to get it fully restored to the stature we would like to see it in.”

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St John the Evangelist Church is the only Grade II* listed church building in Burgess Hill. Its organ was built by James Jepson Binns (1885-1929) and installed in 1889. It has three manuals and pedals with 27 stops.

Fr David said the church and its members have always had church services accompanied by organ. He said: "We feel quite passionate about wanting to make this investment in the organ for the future so that we can continue that tradition.”

He said it would also enhance what they can do in the wider community. The church provides regular services for all occasions with the organ accompanying them. The church also hosts the town’s civic services, as well as local schools’ carol services, concerts and recitals. People can donate by cheque or cash or by using the QR code at stjohnschurchbh.org.uk and donate via smartphone.

Fr David said all services are currently accompanied on a grand piano, which will probably continue until Easter. But he said the piano cannot ‘fill the space’ of St John's church like the organ, which he described as a ‘mighty and impressive instrument’.