ST LAURENCE'S CHURCH is situated in the centre of Chorley; there has been a church on this site since Anglo Saxon times. Its fifteenth century tower is by far the oldest building in the town and for some hundreds of years it was the centre of local administration. This long tradition of community service continues with weekly OPEN TABLE providing free meals for the homeless and others in need. We also provide a Christmas lunch each year for those who may not otherwise have a hot meal and those who may spend Christmas alone.

THE FRIENDS OF ST LAURENCE is an autonomous group that aims to raise funds to support the Church in its mission to engage with the local community, providing a range of facilities and services that everyone can use. Projects involve maintaining the fabric of the Church and its unique collection of stained glass and other artefacts which are integral to Chorley’s history and to improve facilities that we can offer to local organisations enabling St Laurence’s to continue its role as an essential hub for a dynamic and expanding community.

Friends of St Laurence Chorley

Projects supported by the Friends are additional to the routine building maintenance that is the responsibility of the Parochial Church Council; we raise finance to do things that are beyond the resources of the current congregation.

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THE CHURCH ORGAN was built in 1872 by Forster and Andrews of Hull and is used for concerts and organ recitals as well as for regular worship, it has three manuals and pedals with 40 speaking stops Rebuilds were carried out in 1952 and 1990 and the organ now needs a refurbishment to replace worn out parts and improve the quality of sound and performance. Necessary work includes replacing the secondary action and re-leathering the bellows. This will enable the Church to achieve its ambition of becoming a local centre for musical excellence, building on the existing program of regular Light Classic Concerts. Prior to the refurbishment the lead covering the roof of the organ loft needs repairing to prevent rainwater leaking through and damaging the organ.

The estimated cost of repairs to the roof is £9,000 and the refurbishment £18,000; replacing the organ with one of equivalent size would cost over £1 million!

By supporting this appeal for crowdfunding you can make an important contribution to the organ project.

PLEASE HELP US MAKE A DIFFERENCE