The historic Dumfries church where Robert Burns and his family worshipped – and has his final resting place – has launched a £25,000 fundraising appeal.
It coincides with an annual commemorative service there on Friday for the poet, who lived, worked and died in Dumfries.
St Michael’s and South Parish Church attracts thousands of visitors a year. But cash is urgently needed for the first and immediate ‘facelift’ phase of improvements to the building’s entrance which currently “looks sadly neglected and in need of both paint and repair” and the exterior landscape of the churchyard, which is also the resting place of more than 3,500 people.
Fiona Lee, St Michael’s Church development officer, said the works have been planned in partnership with the council, but the church needs to find £25,000 so that it can go ahead and be ready as it moves to both grow its congregation and its annual visitors.
She said: “We believe that our congregation, along with the hundreds of global visitors that come to experience this historic site, and the Mausoleum of Robert Burns, should receive a welcoming and respectful entry point.
“There has been a Christian church on the site for more than 1,000 years and it is embedded in the psyche of the town as one of worship, heritage and community.
“As stewards of our faith and this sacred space, we invite people to join us in ensuring the church continues to be a beacon of hope, a centre of service, and a place where God’s love is shared. Every gift, no matter the size, makes a difference.”
Burns spent the last seven years of his life in Dumfries and the town will be joining thousands around the world on Saturday’s Burns Night in marking the 265th anniversary of his birth. St Michael’s will be central to celebrations in the town on Friday when it hosts Dumfries and Galloway Burns Association’s service at 1.30pm. It will be followed by wreath laying at the Burns Mausoleum in St Michael’s Kirkyard.
Prior to that will be Dumfries Burns Club’s public commemoration of music, verse and wreath-laying at Burns Statue on Friday at 10am – led by their president David Baird.
Fiona added: “We’d like the whole site to become a place where people can come and discover connections with Dumfries, either through family or the myriad of interesting and influential people who have called Dumfries home for so many years. We are hoping to encourage research into the graveyard but we also need to make sure the church building is fit for the future and that the whole site is a welcoming and attractive place for tourists or anyone on a journey of pilgrimage.”
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