Opened in 1911, St Cuthbert's Chapel is a magnificent building that proudly stands at the heart of our community and holds a special place in the hearts of many of our former students. Following a recent survey that was commissioned, a number of structural repairs have been identified that need to be carried out both internally and externally to ensure the future integrity of the building.

We are grateful to those who were able to attend the recent zoom presentation, outlining our plans for the Chapel as we move forward. Our ambition is to fulfil the immediate works needed to make the recommended external and internal repairs that will safeguard the integrity of the building. We have established a separate fund for the Chapel and are seeking support from our alumni community to assist with the necessary works required.

In the long-term, I hope to build a sustainable fund that will help support ongoing annual maintenance, which will also be supported by a portion of the maintenance budget that will be allocated specifically for Chapel works. The fund will also help with future projects that would be of benefit to Chapel life.

Feedback following the evening is to establish a committee of members from the OW community that would help to manage the funds, thus providing further transparency and involvement from our alumni community; I am in complete accordance with this and will be taking the necessary steps to put this in place – please do get in touch if you would be interested in being a part of this committee.

Following an independent survey that we had carried out in January, the immediate works needed are broken down below. Please note, we are waiting on two further quotes which are being carried out this week by Tanbry Construction and Bonser Restoration.

External work
- Roof repairs east and west
- Pointing external walls east and west

£21,469 including VAT (guide quote).

Internal work
- Render/plaster
- Fall arrest system

£14,436 including VAT (guide quote)

To date, we have raised £13,209 towards the work and would like to reach the target which would allow the external work to be completed during the summer.

Thank you so much to those who have already donated, we are incredibly grateful.

To donate please click HERE