A series of special services is being held at All Saints Church, in Douglas, before its closure on May 1.

Last year it was announced the Anglican church faced closure with the estimated cost of repairs and refurbishment needed to the building said to be ’unjustifiable’ at £400,000.

Couples who were married in, or have any connection to, the church are invited to renew their vows at a service on Saturday, March 18.

The service will start at 3pm and be followed by afternoon tea and prosecco.

Anyone interested in attending is asked to ring Catherine Cringle on 626097.

Anyone who was baptised or who had their children baptised at All Saints is invited to a Mothering Sunday service on March 26.

The service starts at 10.30am and will incorporate the renewal of baptismal vows.

All Saints has been a popular concert venue due to its excellent acoustics.

In celebration of this, there will be a ’Musical Farewell’ concert on Thursday, March 30 at 7.30pm, with performances by a number of groups and individuals who have performed in the church over the years.

They include the Manx Gilbert and Sullivan Society, Musicale, Castletown Silver Band, Kristene Sutcliffe, Ballakermeen High School choirs and special guests.

Admission to the concert is £5, which includes refreshments.

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the consecration of All Saints on April 20 1967, there will be a special service of thanksgiving on Sunday, April 23 at 3pm.

The final service will be a Parish Communion on Sunday, April 30 at 10.30am.

Although the church building will be closing its doors, parish life will continue,with worship moving to St George’s and All Saints hall becoming the parish centre following a major refurbishment.

Messy Church, Celtic Communion and more informal services will be held in the hall, along with parish meetings and social events and it will continue to be available for hire to the wider community.

With its high roof and revolutionary steel frame and concrete construction, All Saints was hailed as an outstanding example of modern ecclesiastical design when it was listed in 2001.

But the church roof is leaking and needs replacing and the walls are wringing wet with condensation.

Vicar and Archdeacon Andrew Brown has described the church as ’a victim of its own design’.

And he stressed the closure of the building did not mean the closure of the church: ’The church is not the building, the church is the people and they will go on.’

For further information about all these events call the parish office on 679189.