The Friends of Jurby Church have been given initial permissions to restore the exterior of the building, after a £20,000 donation from a local visitor to the church.

The permission [from the church authorities, not planning] allows the charity to apply for a means to carry out repairs and renovation to the exterior of St Patrick church’s north, east and south elevations, and to the roof.

The guttering, downpipes and plain glass windows will also be refurbished.

However, another permission must be granted before work on the church, which was built in 1829, can begin.

At the end of August, an exhibition of themed postcards in the church, ’More Manx Cats with Jurby mice’ was launched by the charity to raise funds for repair, and has now been extended.

However, it said that it had realised another £20,000 would have to be raised before any progress could be made. Secretary Sandra Kerrison said that the benefactors’ generosity and donation of this sum ’not only freed the logjam which had been created but also gave the friends the will to continue in their mission to save this special and unique place’.

The benefactor wishes to remain anonymous.

Funds were also received from Manx Lottery Trust and the Elizabeth Clucas Trust.

She said there was now ’more than enough money’ to complete the Phase One works, with ’all at Jurby church’ being hopeful that permissions for the repairs will be granted by the church authorities and work will be able to begin later in the year.

Additional funds are now being sought to repair the tower and west elevation, and to make the church watertight and windproof, with Mrs Kerrison adding that ’when the wind blows from the northwest the church is certainly well ventilated through cracks in the walls’.

An organ concert will take place at 3pm on Saturday, November 13, followed by tea and cake and a collection.