From every direction as you approach Standish, the spire of St Wilfrid's Church is the most visible landmark, symbolising the continuous presence of the church in our village through changing times and passing generations.

The present church dates from the 1580s and is the only Grade One listed building in the Borough of Wigan – it is an architectural gem in our community of which we are all rightly proud.

However, a recent survey has identified a number of urgent issues with the structure of the church spire which we need to address quickly and a full restoration of it is needed.

The estimated cost of this essential work is £500,000 – so please support us to Save Standish Spire!

Through generous donations and grants, we have now been able to fund the start of renovation work at the church, with with spire now being clad in scaffolding while it takes place. But we are still fundraising for this project to reach our target.

Architects discovered a need for vital repairs to the inside and outside of the 130ft spire – and you can continue to raise money for the restoration project, which also includes repairs to the broken church clock.

The Rev Andrew Holliday, Rector of St Wilfrid’s CE Church, said: “The spire is an important part of our village’s heritage and is a landmark for Standish people which can be seen for many miles around.

"It is essential that we preserve it and by ensuring this vital restoration is carried out as soon as possible.

“As the spire is dear to everyone in Standish, we are hoping people and businesses from across the village and beyond will be able to make a donation, no matter how small, so that we can conserve the spire for future generations to enjoy.

“Obviously, our own parish funds built up to maintain the church will contribute to this urgent restoration, but the scale of the repairs needed means we have to to reach out across the community for support.”

We have already raised £5,000 through generous crowdfunding donations, but we are hoping to bring in another £45,000 this way. Please help by contributing as little or as much as you are able to.

Thank-you!