How You can help...
Donations can be made direct to:
St Andrews Strathalbyn Restoration Fund
BSB: 105-019
Account: 047 416 240
All funds in this dedicated account will be used for Restoration work.
Our accounts are independently audited each year and records held at Synod.
Whilst Strathalbyn Uniting Church (St Andrews) is a charity
registered with the Charities Commission (ACNC),
the Tax Office does not give DGR status (‘deductible gift recipient’) to churches,
meaning we cannot offer tax deductions to donors.
But if you wish to have a receipt,
or to have your gift acknowledged on our website,
please let us have your contact details:
The Restoration...
Since early 2021 we have raised over $284,000 for urgent restorations on the 176-year old St Andrews building (costed at $1.8 million in 2020 prices, which have since escalated greatly). $182,000 has been spent so far on a Survey by structural engineer John Bowley and heritage architects Hosking Willis, on making the front Spire safe, allowing the front door to be re-opened after 18 months' closure, and on restoring Roof, Gutters & Masonry at the western end of the Church.
We now are aiming to raise another $1 million towards fully restoring the rest of the Roof, Gutters, and then the Spire and Masonry.
The Clock Tower ($25,000 already donated) and the Interior are later projects, which can only be costed when the time comes.
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Donations can be made to St Andrews Strathalbyn Restoration Fund, BSB: 105-019, Account: 047 416 240.
Further information is below.
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Funding sources: Three State Heritage grants have been received, for the Roof & Gutters ($20,000), for the Spire ($10,000), and for the Survey ($5,000) as well as an Alexandrina Council Heritage Grant ($2,000) for the Spire. We are most grateful for generous donations from the congregation and community, including: $25,000 from Robert & Janet Rankine and family designated for the Clock Tower, $2,000 from the Strathalbyn Tourist Association, $2,584 from an Alexandrina Singers concert, $516 from the Strathalbyn Players and $516 from Gilberts Motor Museum (both proceeds of a High Street History Tour), $500 from the Senior Citizens' Club, $500 from Meningie Uniting Church, $350 from the Strath Collective, $300 from customers of Maidments Meat Service, and many others including our own congregation. Three donors have connections with our history: a descendant of Rev R Drummond who conducted early services in the 1840s, a great-great nephew of Edward Stirling who donated the church bell in 1869, and a very generous donation from Scotland as a tribute to the life of Edward Stirling and his schoolmaster John Bowman of St Vigeans. This was from William Clark who lives near the village of St Vigeans by Arbroath in Scotland, where Edward was educated.
Fundraising events: A series of 'Save Our St Andrews' concerts, history tours and other events from May 2021 up to the present time has so far raised nearly $50,000.