PARISHIONERS at St Peter's Church, Darwen, are being urged to help raise £250,000 to repair the building's leaky roof.

A campaign group has been set up to organise and co-ordinate fundraising, and an appeal will be officially launched to the community at a Spring Fair on May 7.

People will be encouraged to hold money-generating events and donate to the appeal, to finance an extensive refurbishment of the church nave's roof.

Team rector the Rev Andrew Holliday said: "We need £250,000 to do the essential repair work which is a major undertaking for us.

"We have had a gift day which received a good response and we raised £1,500. We also had a lunch last week which raised £250.

"We are working towards having a Spring Fair in May to encourage the community to support our fundraising efforts."

There will also be a coffee morning at the rectory next Saturday, between 10am and 1pm and plans are in the pipeline to organise an abseil down the church tower in September.

Mr Holliday said: "We will also be looking at other sources of funding but the onus is on us to make a good start on it.

"The roof is in a very poor state and if the wind and rain is in a certain direction it leaks into the church.

"We haven't quite got the umbrellas out yet but we could have eventually."

In the future, the project group will also look at carrying out further projects.

They include painting the ceiling, refurbishment and renewal of the windows and stained glass, and redevelopment of the parish centre.

There are also plans to renew church wiring and the electrical keyboard, service the church bells and bell tower, and design and build a community centre to support the parish and local community.