York Guides

(Yorkshire Post)

THE Yorkshire Post today gives its backing to York Minster's £30m campaign to fund the most ambitious restoration of an English cathedral for more than two decades.
The multi-million pound fundraising campaign will help to pay for urgent repairs to the Minster's magnificent East Front, the centrepiece of which is the largest expanse of stained glass in the world.
The programme of repairs is expected to last 10 years and the campaign has already been given the Royal seal of approval by Prince Andrew, who flew to New York last month to launch the transatlantic arm of the appeal at a black tie dinner hosted by Christie's.
The Duke of York today urges the Yorkshire Post's readers to give their support to the fundraising drive to help to conserve one of the world's finest examples of medieval architecture.
Prince Andrew said: "It's going to be a huge project, it's probably one of the most important architectural projects in the world.
"I have been up on the Minster to see some of the stone masons and glaziers and to understand the complex problem of restoring the whole of the east face, which is a monumental project.
"It's not until you go and stand up on top of this thing that you get an impression of the work these guys do.
"Quite a lot of it is unrecognised because it is so far up. People on the ground don't understand the corrosion. The stone is structurally sound, but it loses 1.5mm for every 100 years. They reckon it is 7mm thinner in some places.
"It is a project that is going to last 10 years and I will be taking a very deep and personal interest as patron of York Minster Trust as to its continued success.
"I'm delighted that the Yorkshire Post is backing this appeal. There are 120,000 businesses in this region, it would only require 10 per cent of them to buy a stone and it will pay for the work."
The Duke of York said the approach to raising money for the work had to be similar to playing cricket, and confirmed that he
would be financing the restoration of an individual stone – something he encouraged the public to do as well.
He added: "It is exactly the same as cricket – a sport that is a religion here – if you count the singles then the twos, fours and sixes will come."
Architects have been involved in drawing up a detailed study since the late 1990s which has shown that both stonework and glass on the East Front need vital repair work.
The East Window, which is as large as a tennis court and portrays biblical scenes from Genesis and Revelation and dates from as far back as 1405, has been described as the "Sistine chapel of stained glass" by the Dean of York, Keith Jones.
The fundraising campaign was launched in March, and efforts are underway to secure Lottery funding which it is hoped will meet a large part of the costs. However, the Government will not be contributing directly to the cost of the restoration.
The Bishop of Birmingham John Sentamu, who will become the new Archbishop of York later this year, today welcomed the support of the Yorkshire Post.
Bishop Sentamu was announced as Britain's first black archbishop last month when he was selected for the second highest position in the Church of England.
He said: ""I believe historic buildings like York Minster can be extremely significant centres of faith in the 21st century. The years of worship, prayer and faithfulness create something sacred that is much more than stone and mortar.
"But for these buildings to flourish we have to look after their upkeep, and this £30m campaign is very important to the Church, the city and the wider community.
"I am very glad the Yorkshire Post is backing the campaign and I am looking forward to being part of the life and worship of the Minster."
Alongside the major programme of repair works planned for the Minster, the £30m will also help to establish a world-leading centre of excellence for restoring ancient buildings.
Working in partnership with York University, the academy of excellence will take on and train apprentices in skills which have evolved throughout the centuries, such as stonemasonry and glass restoration.
Plans are being drawn up to endow bursaries to train choristers to sing with York Minster's choir as the fundraising campaign aims to build on the cathedral's reputation as a church for the community rather than simply an ancient monument.
The restoration programme is the most demanding to be undertaken at any of the nation's cathedrals since fire ripped through the Minster on July 9, 1984.
A lightning strike is thought to have caused the blaze which destroyed the roof of the South Transept, leading to £2.25m of repairs with another £350,000 raised to install modern fire protection systems.
And the restoration of the East Front follows in the wake of another major programme of works which was undertaken at the opposite end of the cathedral and completed in 2000.
The Dean of York said: "We are faced with what feels like a mountain to climb. But what we are doing now is in line with what every generation has done for York Minster.
"We have been faced with having to contend with major jobs at the Minster in the past, but the people of Yorkshire have always been very generous and concerned that the Minster should be properly cared for.
"The sheer scale of the figures involved can scare you out of your wits. But what buoys us is that we are talking about a place of world fame and world quality."
It is hoped that the New York launch for the campaign on June 23 will be the first strand in a global effort to raise the multi-million pound target.
Strong ties already exist between the American city and the Minster, thanks partly to the name which is shared between the two locations.
The Americans' love of heritage and history is also likely to provide a strong platform in the fledgling stages of an international fundraising campaign.
Other nations which
could be asked to help include Holland and Germany, although the Dean of York stressed that the Minster held a place in people's hearts across the world.
He said: "Prince Andrew has shown a lot of goodwill over time for the Minster and Yorkshire as a whole. As we have been fostering our links in America, it was natural to suggest he should be involved.
"It is a great opportunity for us to draw attention to what York Minster gives to the nation at large, both in terms of the beauty of the actual buildings but also the services we offer to so many people.
"In 10 years time it will be marvellous to hopefully look at the East Front of the cathedral and think that we have opened so many people's eyes as to the work we do here."