The Friends of St Margaret Pattens Church is launching an Appeal to raise funds to restore its historic organ. The Church was built by Sir Christopher Wren shortly after the Great Fire of London and the organ dates from 1749. Originally the work attributed to Thomas Griffin, who supplied a number of organs to City Churches, the organ retains its original fine 18th Century wooden casework and some of its original pipes. On account of the stupendous quality of the casework (especially the carving and elaborate serpentine form) the organ was awarded a Grade 1 Historic Organs Certificate by the British Institute of Organ Studies in 2008.

With the passing of time, the organ has needed significant attention to maintain it in top condition and general working order. Unfortunately, over the centuries, this has not always been possible. A significant rebuild of the organ took place in 1886, much of which remains today. Sadly, the organ was damaged during the Second World War and some repairs to the pipework and casework took place soon after the War. Some further maintenance and alterations were undertaken in 1956 but little has been done since. As a result, the beautiful organ now requires a substantial restoration to give it a new lease of life for the next hundred years. While several ranks of the eighteenth century pipework do still remain, they are in urgent need of repair. We need to spend substantial funds to stop the organ deteriorating irreparably, and to bring it back to good working condition.

The Friends of St Margaret Pattens needs to raise about £200,000 to protect this important organ from catastrophic decline and restore its original beauty and sound for generations to come. The Friends are currently seeking some substantial ‘founding commitments’ from interested parties, to get the Appeal underway. This is also to support our applications for grant aid from various bodies over the next year or so. The Friends will be also be launching appeals to individuals to support our campaign to keep the organ in operation, including some specific fund-raising events and sponsorship opportunities.

If you are interested in finding out more about how you can support our Organ Appeal, in the form of a donation or sponsorship, or by helping as a volunteer fund-raiser, please contact us as below:-

Telephone: 020 7623 6630 or Email: info@friendsofstmargaretpattens.org.uk