Chair restorers praised for saving cathedral £333k

A "super-skilled and fastidious" team of volunteers have been commended for their work restoring hundreds of chairs in a cathedral.

They have renovated nearly a third of Coventry Cathedral's collection over the past 18 months, saving it about a third of a million pounds, according to a cathedral spokesperson.

The "care, craftsmanship and faith they pour into every chair" led to them being picked as runners-up in the Newgate Cathedral Volunteer of the Year awards.

"Their skill, commitment and spirit-led service have been vital to the continued welcome and comfort of all who visit the cathedral," a spokesperson said.

The chairs, which have been seating visitors since the opening of the new cathedral in 1962, were coming apart and in urgent need of repair before the volunteers stepped in, according to the spokesperson.

Led by property services manager Andy Shelley, the team restored a total of 600 chairs, preserving their heritage for congregations of the future.

Without their help, the cost of replacing each chair would have been £555, the cathedral said.

Volunteer manager Jackie Skipp added she was "so proud" of the people who helped out.

"The restoration team are super-skilled and fastidious in their attention to detail when repairing the chairs," she added.

The group was pipped to the post in the awards by a cafe project at St German's Cathedral on the Isle of Man.

Follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.