The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
New-look old kirk a revelation after its £1m makeover
Forfar’s Big Kirk is fit for the 21st century after a £1 million makeover. A six-year transformation of the East and Old Parish Church in the centre of the town is now complete.
Later this month, locals will have a chance to see for themselves the new look for the historic building and the kirk’s minister hopes it will bring more Forfar groups across the door to maximise the use of newly-created community spaces.
The church dates back to 1760 and its steeple is one of the town’s most prominent features.
East and Old minister the Rev Barbara Ann Sweetin is only the eighth to serve the congregation in 261 years, and the first woman.
She said: “The building is looking fabulous, the congregation are delighted and members of the local community will be extremely surprised by what they see.”
Refurbishment work started six years ago and was carried out in two phases, largely funded by money raised by members and generous donations from local businesses.
Free-standing chairs have replaced the pews in the ground floor sanctuary, opening up the space for a wide variety of activities.
The old kirk organ has also gone and the space it occupied converted into a reception area.
A new upstairs activities hall with a sprung floor, ideal for dancing and gymnastics, has been created along with another
Members of the local community will be surprised by what they see
large room that can be subdivided into two.
The new rooms will be available for hire to community groups and for exhibitions, concerts and other events.
The church has been completely redecorated, fitted with new roof tiles, new carpets, a state-of-theart heating system, audiovisual equipment and wi-fi.
Mrs Sweetin said many groups have already expressed significant interest in hiring space in the building.
A jazzercise class will run there three nights a week.
“If people in the Forfar area are looking for stateof-the-art facilities to hold concerts, events and parties, they should look no further than East and Old Parish Church,” she added.