A PRE-CHRISTMAS miracle has occurred at a stricken church which is aiming to raise a six-figure sum to fund urgent roof repairs.

Grade I-listed St John’s Church, a cherished heritage building at the heart of Penistone, needs to raise another £35,000 on top of the £140,000 already generated to fund an all-new canopy following a costly lead theft almost 20 years ago.

In an effort to protect the building, felt was installed as a temporary measure but given it’s been failing over recent years, a huge fundraising drive was launched in order to protect its future and save it from water ingress.

However, after an enormous effort this year which has seen £40,000 raised in a matter of months, scaffolders have now arrived at the site to allow access to specialist workers for the first phase of the work in the new year.

Reverend David Hopkin told the Chronicle: “On behalf of St John’s Church and the community of Penistone I am delighted to announce that scaffolding has been erected near the church tower to begin work of the roof of the nave.

“At this stage, I would like to thank members of our community and local businesses for their tremendous support so far.

“The overall project consists of re-roofing the nave and making water-tight the church tower in due course, so that we can continue to be ‘a roof over our community’ in both good times and bad, offering a quiet space as well as many community activities.

“We look forward to the ongoing support of the community so that this ancient building can be preserved for generations to come.”

There have been several structures across the century, with it having been previously destroyed by William the Conqueror in 1069 during the ‘harrying of the north’.

It was rebuilt in the 13th century, with further work taking place on the building, including the tower, in the 16th century.

However, almost two decades ago, the church faced a significant setback when the lead from its roof was stolen.

Since, temporary patch-up measures have protected it, but they are now failing, leading to the main £175,000 fundraising bid to be launched.

Its windows also contain a large amount of stained glass, much of it many hundreds of years old.

Some newer panes have been installed, most notably in 1992, to celebrate the 600th anniversary of Penistone Grammar School.

Rev Hopkin added: “The church has stood as a beacon of hope and unity in Penistone for up to 1,000 years.

“The support we have received so far has been incredible and I am confident that, together, we can overcome this challenge.

“This roof is not just about preserving a building, it’s about safeguarding a place where our community comes together in times of joy and sorrow.

“This appeal is crucial to preserving the fabric of the building, which has been a cornerstone of our community for generations.”

Penistone and Stocksbridge MP Marie Tidball praised the congregation and the community’s fundraising efforts for the ‘integral’ venue.

She said: “One church or another has stood at St John’s location in the centre of Penistone since the Anglo-Saxon times.

“Following the theft of lead from its roof in 2007, volunteers across Penistone have been raising the funds required to provide a permanent fix for the roof, which requires highly specialist work due to the church’s status as a Grade I-listed building.

“It is such an important place right at the heart of Penistone I’ve been coming here since I was a child.

“It’s a treasured part of the community and it holds so much heritage within its walls.”