St Paul’s hits £40m target for cleaning and restoring

CHURCH leaders at St Paul's Cathedral announced today that they have reached their £40 million restoration fund target to coincide with its 300th anniversary.

The money has been raised solely through donations and without any support from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Businesses from Australia, Bermuda, Canada, China, Morocco and Taiwan contributed as did charitable trusts, City livery companies and more than 850 individuals.

One donor, who wanted to remain anonymous, gave £10.8million, and six donors each handed over £1 million.

Since the project commenced, the once-blackened exteriors of Sir Christopher Wren's masterpiece have been cleaned and restored. Restoration of the north side of the Cathedral is expected to be complete in 2010.

The Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral, the Right Reverend Graeme Knowles, said: "In today's turbulent economic conditions, [St Paul's] provides a place of calm, escape, rest and reflection from the maelstrom of daily City life."

To mark reaching the target, donors will attend a celebratory Evensong tonight.