I WAS so sad to see your front page of August 10 on the situation at St Peter's Church at Heysham. The thought that this wonderful place would no longer be there for the spiritual needs of local people would be very hard to take.

There must be hundreds if not thousands who have used this lovely church for baptism, marriage and funerals all still living in the area or could be reached through relatives to be told how the church now needs them.

For myself, my only connection is I have loved and visited St Peter's since childhood to now being 66. There is not a year goes by when I don't make a visit to feel its love and sense of ongoing life. As a child I'd sit in a seat looking out onto the rocks and sea and think of fishing boats and their crews. It's possible that the reason my best loved hymn is still Eternal Father Strong to Save is because that was how I've seen the church serving the village in its early days. I gave thanks for the safe return from the Gulf War of a young man who was married there on Boxing Day, delayed from the summer because he was called away.

There must be many who are not of the parish, but we could help by sending what we can afford no matter how small, even the widow's mite will help.

Mary Dodd

Ashfield Avenue

Lancaster