A DESPERATE appeal to raise £30,000 to save a parish hall in Horwich has been launched.

The Holy Trinity Church parish hall in Church Street needs extensive rewiring, repairs to rotting window frames and work to remove asbestos in the basement.

Campaigners are worried the building will become unfit for use if the repairs are not carried out this year.

The hall, which was built in 1793 and is used for toddler sessions, Sunday schools and uniformed groups, became part of the church in 1996 and an appeal to redevelop it in 1997 raised £70,000.

A spokesman for the campaign said: “This historic building has undergone many changes, but throughout its history it has served many thousands of local people in their educational, recreational and spiritual pursuits.

“We owe it to present and future generations to build on this fine tradition.”

Over the last 18 years maintenance work on the hall has cost another £70,000, which has mainly been paid for by church funds.

The routine maintenance and utility costs of the hall – which total £10,000 a year – are met by hire charges but any significant repairs have to be paid for by other means.

The spokesman added: “In recent years, because of increasing repair costs, it has become more of a struggle to maintain this historic building and – while we have unsuccessfully sought heritage and community grants to do so – we are now facing some urgent repairs to the Parish Hall that the Church cannot afford alone.

“We want to see this wonderful building kept for our current and future church and community groups to use and develop, but unless we can raise the costs urgently needed for these repairs within the next six months, the future of the hall is at real risk.

“Unless this essential work is done this year the building will deteriorate and become unfit for use, which is unthinkable given the proud history and current use of this building by both church and community.”

For more information or to help: contact Reverend Stephen Fletcher on 01204 468263.