Community / Fundraiser launched as community buys Skerries church
THE SKERRIES kirk is now in the hands of the local community – and the island’s development group has launched a fundraiser to cover its costs and maintain the building for the future.
The plan is to turn the church, which was built in 1896 and is described as being at the heart of the community, into a combined kirk and heritage centre.
The historic building was put on the market last year by the Church of Scotland for offers over £20,000.
But it is understood that it going on the open market had left the community surprised, leading to members of the Skerries Development Group deciding to use funds within the group to try to purchase it.
Their bid was successful, but the development group member Davie Anderson said the process was “rushed” due to the fact that it had gone on the open market.
This meant the development group did not have time to apply for funding.
“We are therefore asking the wider community if they feel they can contribute in any way to help recoup the funds and progress the required maintenance to this beautiful building,” Anderson said.
The kirk was built in the late 1890s with funding raised by the people of Skerries, along with the help of the Whalsay minister.
The development group’s fundraising page continued: “The Skerries residents gave what they could afford, but more funding was needed, so an appeal was sent out asking for donations for the remainder of the required funding.
“Within a few months the target funding of £300 needed to build the new Kirk was reached, with donations coming in from all over the country to help the Skerries community reach their goal.”
The group said the kirk has “always been at the heart of the community” on the island, which has a population of around 35.
It was also the school for Skerries bairns from when it opened to 1965.
When the local primary school opened Skerries folk held fundraising events for the refurbishment of the kirk, while they carried out the work too.
The development group also said when the kirk was built the population of Skerries was 167, dropping these days to 35.
The fundraising campaign has a target of £40,000, and an online donations page can be found here.
Development Trusts Association Scotland (DTAS) said recently that one third of church buildings in Shetland are now under community ownership.
It said six of these were purchased through direct donations and grassroots fundraising for as little as £10,000 to £68,000.
Back in 2018 the Church of Scotland announced it would be selling off around one third of its property in Shetland.
This was due to falling congregation numbers as well as wider pressures such as fewer candidates training for ministry.
One of the other churches now under community ownership is the kirk in Brough, Whalsay.
Chairman of Whalsay Kirk Development Company James John Tulloch, said: “We are deeply committed to preserving our local heritage.
“Without bringing Whalsay Church into community ownership, we risked losing an important part of our history.”
He added: “The real challenge has been in navigating planning, securing funding and carrying out restoration.
“The building has suffered from years of neglect, with damp and a failing roof, but DTAS has been a great support throughout the process, helping us bring it back to life.”
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