Benefactor’s £6m gift to renovate church where Fawkes was baptised
ITS LONG history dates back to the 16th century and is intertwined with one of the most notorious figures in Britain’s history.
And now an anonymous benefactor has helped to ensure a church in York will be conserved for future generations after donating almost £6m to finance its restoration.
The multi-million pound windfall for St Michael le Belfrey, the parish church where Guy Fawkes was baptised which lies next to York Minster, will help pay for the conservation of its stonework and stained glass windows as well as a replacement roof. Alterations to the interior will also make it more accommodating for worshippers. The donor approached the Rev Matthew Porter, the church’s vicar for the past decade, last summer to suggest the idea.
A previous donation was made in 2017 and a finance board has been set up to manage the funds.
The Rev Porter said: “I am one of only two people who know who the donor is. I can’t say whether they’re an individual, a family or an organisation, or whether they’re from the UK or abroad.
“We are going to restore the stone, and our stained glass windows, along with York Minster’s, are some of the best in the country. We are also going to install some new features. We’re excited not just for ourselves, but for the whole city.”
The funding boost will allow the church to host conferences, concerts and events as well as outdoor baptisms, and free up members of the congregation to spend more time on outreach projects working with young people and the homeless.
I am one of only two people who know who the donor is.
The Rev Matthew Porter, vicar of St Michael le Belfrey, York.