REPAIR AND RE-FURBISHMENT OF THE ORGAN

The organ at St Laurence’s was built in 1872 by Forster and Andrews of Hull and rebuilt in 1953 by Rushworth and Dreaper of Liverpool and further refurbished in 1990, a replacement would cost at least £750,000.
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Under the leadership of the Rector, Fr Neil Kelley, himself a graduate of the Royal College of Music, musical performances, both religious and secular, have become a key element in our ambition to build the role of St Laurence’s as a cultural and social centre engaging with a community audience beyond the immediate congregation. The organ plays an important role in traditional and modern Anglican liturgies and its modern derivatives and is an essential instrument for recitals and other forms of musical performance. The established series of Light Classics concerts by up-and-coming musicians from Lancashire and further afield has attracted regular audiences of 60/80 on Sunday afternoons. Repairing and upgrading the organ to the highest possible quality is essential if we are to build on these foundations.
Our organ project is divided into four phases to be delivered over an eight year period and will cost £102,000 at present day prices. Work starts on the first phase – repairing the roof of the organ chamber - on August 30 and will be completed in six weeks before the weather deteriorates. The budget for this stage in the project is £40,000 and we have the funds available thanks to grants of £12,000 from the National Churches Trust and the Wolfson Foundation and £8,000 from Chorley Borough Council’s Communities Fund. The remaining £20,000 will come from our current balances and we are more than grateful to our corporate and individual donors whose generosity has made this possible. These figures exclude VAT which is recoverable under the Government scheme for local Place of Worship.
You can find out more about the role the organ plays in our vision for the church and full details or the project by click the button below. ​
​Our organ project has been divided into four Phases to be delivered by 2030, taken together they amount to a wholesale refurbishing of the organ with an indicative cost of £102,000.

Phase 1: Roof Repair

The roof over the organ chamber on the north side of the church is in a poor state of repair with the ever present risk of rainwater leaking into the chamber and damaging the organ itself. The work involves sheeting the organ to prevent any damage while work is in progress. The roofs tiles will then be removed in small sections to minimize risk from rain damage and re-set replacing damaged tiles where necessary, the whole area will be re-leaded using existing material wherever possible. Architects drawings and further details of the work can be found on the Organ Roof page
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Sheeting will be provided by David Wells, Organ Builders of Liverpool, the architects are John Coward and Co of Cartmel and the roof works will be carried out by Walker Conservation Services.
Funding arrangements are as follows:
Budget
£40,000
Lowest Tender
£34,665
Sheeting
£1,631
Contingencies
£3,704
VAT
£7,259
recoverable under Listed Places of Worship Scheme
Financed by: 
FOSL Current Account
£20,000
NCT/Wolfson Grant Offer
£12,00
Chorley BC CIL grant (applied for)
£8,000*
Total
£40,000
St Laurence's PCC Standby Credit
£5,000
if required

Phase 2: Organ Repairs and Upgrade

​Our contractors, David Wells Organ Builders have devised a schedule of repairs and upgrades to be carried out over an eight year period as funding becomes available. This involves the replacement of worn out parts notably the sheepskin bellows which are close to the end of their natural life and upgrading some of the components. Once the roof is fixed, work can start as soon as funds become available.
Phase 2 - Short Term
£40,000
Grant Under Action
£8,340
Bellows
£30,000
Phase 3 - Medium Term
£22,000
Swell Organ (2 Years)
£8,340
Choir Organ (5 Years)
£8,340
Pedal Organ (5 Years)
£5,000
Phase 4 - Long Term
£40,000
Replace solid state electrics by 2030
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