| |
ST LUKE’S CHURCH SALFORD UNDER NEW THREAT OF CLOSURE
|
|
Star date: 20th November 2020 THE LAST CHRISTMAS FOR ST LUKE'S? The historic Grade II listed St Luke's with All Saints Church is again under threat of closure. The Church, set on a huge mound off Liverpool Street in Weaste, was added to the Historic England Heritage at Risk Register in 2018, but the COVID-19 pandemic has slashed income from the parish hall lettings. "Without serious intervention, we shall run out of money by next Easter" says the Team Rector, Reverend Daniel Burton and Team Vicar, Reverend Charlie Gorton. Full details here...
|
.JPG)
|
The Grade II listed St Luke's with All Saints Church, on Liverpool Street, Weaste, designed in 1865 by renowned Victorian architect George Gilbert Scott, is probably most famous for hosting the marriage of suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst (nee Goulden) and Richard Parkhurst in 1879, although thousands of Salfordians will have their own memories of the 'church on the hill'. In 2018 the building was placed on the Historic England Heritage at Risk register, due to a leaky roof*, and there have been constant rumours about its potential closure ever since. In March this year, in response to a Salford Star question, the Diocese Of Manchester stated that "There are currently no plans to either close or demolish St Luke's, Weaste. There is a statutory process to be followed to close any parish church, which is instigated by the parish itself, following consultation with the congregation and other interested parties." Now, things have apparently taken a turn for the worse, due to the COVID-19 pandemic which has cut off vital income for the Church from its parish hall which hosts lots of community events including shows by the much acclaimed St Luke's Arts and Drama Society, or SLADS. The Church doesn't have enough money to sustain itself into the New Year and the Diocese is unable to provide support. The Team Rector, Reverend Daniel Burton and Team Vicar, Reverend Charlie Gorton, have now issued the following statement: "At St Luke's Church, Weaste we have faced a number of challenges over the last decade, but the COVID-19 pandemic has been by far our most serious, cutting off essential income from parish hall lettings. With no certainty about when normal activities can resume, 2021 may well be the last year for St Luke's unless new sources of income and community support can be found. Without serious intervention, we shall run out of money by next Easter." There is, however, a JustGiving page that has opened up to try and raise £10,000 to keep the Church open until at least 2021, which has already raised over £2,000. To donate – click here For more information see the St. Luke's Church with All Saints Facebook page – click here
*See also previous Salford Star article St Luke's Church at Risk – click here
|
|
|
|
Felsey wrote
at 15:11:57 on 23 November 2020 |
|
|
| Of course there is a respect return to be repaid for saving the community assets such as St Luke’s which includes opening opportunities and doors to conquer homelessness, loneliness, eradicating social injustice, more adult care and public spaces to meet local needs by turning these well positioned buildings over to better public engagement uses fit for the modern society that I am certain Emily Pankhurst will discover are socially approving. |
|
|
?
|
ROSSI wrote
at 20:33:48 on 22 November 2020 |
|
|
| I love you Felsey, and I absolutely understand and respect what you are saying. I always do, after all, you're the man that I want to be the next Mayor of Salford - but the Council, and all those Party Aparatchiks at Clown Hall, they can't piss away tax payers money on keeping a church open that almost nobody goes into, just because it is a nice bit of Victorian architecture. That would be an outrageous squandering of Salford council taxpayers's money. Especially with this building being owned by the Church of England, who is the second biggest land owner in the UK, just behind the Duke of Westminster, and which, as an organisation, has billions of pounds invested in the markets. Salford City Council bailing out this building, which when it was open would have been lucky if it got forty people turning up to a Sunday Service, would be a misguided step in the wrong direction, and one which with the Church of England being the Tory Party at prayer, I'm hoping that not even these simple minded Clowns will contemplate. |
|
|
?
|
Felsey wrote
at 16:30:10 on 22 November 2020 |
|
|
| I admire the Rossi alternative views but myself as a Christian and having been blessed by visits to St Luke’s marvellous church it is my view our Salford Council should step in with substantial grant aid with a 25 year community bond. The amount to be spread all across Council Tax payers including from all elected Councillors amounting to £1 a week each residence. That would generate a £40million pot for saving community assets. In addition if I was City Mayor we would adopt all high rise cladding to collectively get the government and builders to spread the cost of cladding safety in a similar approach by surcharging all future buildings by a 6% level amounting to £85million bonded value for spreading across current and future building safety making Salford the best safest and sound City In the UK that would trigger investment. |
|
|
?
|
wrote
at 16:17:30 on 22 November 2020 |
|
|
| Rossi, You’re definitely a person that agrees to building thousands and thousands of apartments for the rich and driving the people of Salford away and yes the homeless I support the homeless go out and work with them stop talk to me about the homeless you want to get your backside and do it yourself |
|
|
?
|
ROSSI SAYS IT LIKE IT IS ...😎 wrote
at 11:02:00 on 22 November 2020 |
|
|
| Typical, Christmas isn't a Christian holiday, it's a Roman pagan one, that was then conveniently turned into a Christian one. The Christmas tree thing is a Victorian add on, and the fat bearded bloke in the red suit was invented by coca cola. Equally, Easter comes from Ishtar, the Babylonian Goddess of war and fertility, this is one of the reasons that eggs are given out as presents. You know nothing, do you? Getting back on topic, St Luke's is simply a building, now if the Church of England can't do what's needed, then sell it to a developer and turn it into some flats. Or maybe it could, as old Daz said, be turned into a homeless shelter for the unfortunate amongst us who have no abode. Now that would be poetic irony. Just think of the Nativity Story itself. |
|
|
?
|
Typical wrote
at 07:44:32 on 22 November 2020 |
|
|
| ROSSI, I think you must work for Salford city council because like them everything is turned into flats , and then you say church is rubbish but you will celebrate Christmas with you and Easter and have your holidays remember these are Christian holidays you pillock , typical of you cross all the heritage of the rubbish , bit like you all mouth and all rubbish , doesn’t surprise me if you’re not even from Salford |
|
|
?
|
ROSSI SAYS IT LIKE IT IS ...😎 wrote
at 18:06:47 on 21 November 2020 |
|
|
| Church is rubbish anyway. The worst thing that ever happened to Christianity was when the Roman Empire under Constantine, chose it as the State Religion. Prior to that Christianity was underground, with Believers, born of water and the spirit, living clean and Christ-like lives. When the State took over Christianity it became corrupted and watered down. With regard to St Luke's, it is just a building. It doesn't really mean anything. It's just a man made temple, real Believers worship in spirit and truth, not in a man made temple, built by a State controlled religious denomination that only came into existence because King Henry the Eighth wanted a divorce, and the Pope wouldn't let him have one, ie, the Church of England, also known as The Tory Party At Prayer. |
|
|
?
|
Darren born bred Salford. wrote
at 17:44:22 on 21 November 2020 |
|
|
| This lovely old church is known locally as the church on the hill and was built in 1865. I've been in once for my mates wedding and it's mint inside and we should try keep all our beautiful buildings, not knock em down. Sadly due to this Chinese flu bollocks, people are staying in and most old people are still shit scared to go out and this will go on to next summer and many churches sadly will shut down for good. Last week I went up Blackburn rd in Bolton and I looked to my right, i stopped and i admired this lovely old little church which has been converted into a restaurant. Lots of churches all over the UK are being used for different stuff. On Hyde rd the inside of a church has been converted into the Manchester climbing centre and in Hulme the inside of st George's church has been converted into flats and down on the south coast the inside of a church has been converted in a kids play area. Maybe use this lovely church for the time being as a homeless shelter for all our homeless people. |
|
|
?
|
ROSSI wrote
at 12:47:20 on 21 November 2020 |
|
|
| Nobody cares about this building. Just turn it into flats. |
|
|
?
|
wrote
at 10:09:42 on 21 November 2020 |
|
|
| Organised religions, are rather like corporations, plenty of money at the top, very little at the bottom. Churches for many are a place of horror, reminding them of years of abuse. We are still hearing if the disgraceful abuse cover ups, and whilst we are still hearing this, we will stay away from the church. |
|
|
?
|
the truth hurts wrote
at 09:14:15 on 21 November 2020 |
|
|
| @Arnold Rimmer -- they are probably coughing up £2bn a year on paying the people they abused to keep quiet. I gave up my imaginary friend when I was about 7 and have managed quite well without him for over 40 years |
|
|
?
|
Annpyed wrote
at 08:50:06 on 21 November 2020 |
|
|
| Arnold Rimmer ,The big and know it all, you’ve not mentioned the parish share what churches have to pay out, obviously you don’t know nothing about what churches have to put up with and its people like you think you know it all but really you don’t so please look into what a parish share is and what the costs are to the church to be quite amazed
A person who knows it all but never darken the doors of the church yet a joke |
|
|
?
|
Arnold Rimmer wrote
at 00:02:36 on 21 November 2020 |
|
|
| The Church only makes 1 billion quid a year on their 8.9 billion endowments and another 400 million from donations. How on earth could they afford to pay to fix this church... |
|
|
?
|
brian f kirkham wrote
at 20:47:50 on 20 November 2020 |
|
|
| Like other churches before it, St Lukes relies on donations from its parishioners. That ultimately means bottoms occupying seats. With Non-attendance at places of worship increasing its leading to church leaders being creative in organising parishes. COVID hasn't helped. |
|
|
?
|
|
|
|
|
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
(3).jpeg)
.png)
(1).JPG)
