REPAIRS are set to start on the roof of a Witney Church in the coming months following a huge fundraising campaign.

The ‘Raise the Roof’ project, part of the overarching Inspiring Change development programme, has been raising cash to fix the Victorian roofs of the chancel and organ chamber of St Mary’s Church, as well as repairs to guttering and drainage.

Work will start in March and is hoped to be completed within a few months. The community will then come together when the roof is blessed in September to celebrate raising £1m over the past two decades.

Witney parish rector Reverend Toby Wright said: “We’re really excited about the upcoming work. As spring comes things will spring to life at the church and it’s a very exciting step for the community.

“We can’t wait to crack on with the project, which has been a great achievement from the local community and others.

“We’re very grateful to everyone who has contributed.”

St Mary's Church needs urgent repairs to the roof of its chancel, with at least 85 per cent of the slates in need of replacing, followed by a paint job.

When done, it will mark the end of nearly two decades of fundraising to weatherproof the whole building. Between 2000 and 2012, the congregation of St Mary’s and Witney raised £750,000 to waterproof the medieval roofs and windows.

Then, after learning that the limestone slates on the chancel roof had been damaged by successive winter frosts, the church applied for support from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and on the second application were successful. HLF earmarked £143,500 towards the £224,000 estimated cost at the time. This estimate has since risen by about £40,000 after more damage was found.

The rest has been raised by the church. One initiative offering residents the chance to sponsor a slate on the roof brought in £33,000.

Based on the increased cost, HLF will recalculate how much to grant the project in early March. The roof will be taken off in March and should be completed by July.

The longer term plan will see restoration work conducted inside the building, including the laying of a new floor with underfloor heating and the development of a meeting space for community groups.

Robin Brunner-Ellis, of the parishes Inspiring Change team which aims to renew the church, said he was amazed by the level of generosity.

He said: "It's their building. It's a building for everyone in Witney. It's a place of worship but also a community space."