RED Rose Magic 999 DJs are putting their money where their mouths are - and backing our Divine Light Appeal to light up a piece of Preston's history.

Led by DJ Craig Beck, pictured (right) with Briane Moore, the station's Magic 999 jocks are putting their weight behind the campaign, which aims to raise the £35,000 needed to help Parish Prospect Preston (PPP) transform St John's parish church into the centrepiece of the town.

And they're not alone. Since the appeal appeared on our front page last week more than £1,000 has been pledged to the cause.

A single donation of £100 was handed to the Citizen by a Preston pensioner.

The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, breezed into the Citizen office, handed over a brown envelope and said: "When I saw your article I was so moved by it, I thought I would give you this towards the campaign." Magic's Craig Beck said: "I've lived in at least a dozen towns during the past few years; but when I moved to Preston I was amazed by the number of spectacular buildings it has.

"The people of Preston should be proud of their town and its magnificent architecture. St John's is a typical example.

"We're backing this appeal because it will help to highlight that heritage - which should be cherished by local people."

His sentiments echo those of PPP fund-raiser Roger Argall, who believes that St John's has been hidden in Preston's shadows for far too long.

He said: "I'm thrilled that Magic 999 DJs are backing the appeal as they are a big part of Preston's community.

"We have had a great response since the Citizen carried the article last week - more than £1,000 has been donated - and we want to thank everyone for their generosity. But, with just a few weeks to go before our deadline, we need even more people to support the appeal."

The £35,000 lighting system will highlight St John's dramatic architecture from every angle. The scheme will also light up Church Street and involve landscaping the church grounds.

The Churches Floodlighting Fund has already promised to pay £30,000 towards the total cost of £65,000.

But now the PPP has just FIVE WEEKS to raise the remaining £35,000 to get the lighting installed in time for a New Year's Eve switch-on.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.