York Minster

Shepherd Building Group supports Minster Campaign

Published Friday 13th January 2006 by Eleanor Course

Shepherd Building Group has given £100,000 to support the York Minster Development Campaign. Shepherds has had a long-standing relationship with the Minster: when the central tower was in danger of collapsing, the Group’s contracting arm, Shepherd Construction was the contractor who was responsible for the underpinning of the whole building.  This stupendous piece of engineering led to the creation of the Undercroft, allowing visitors to the Minster to gain access to layers of history previously buried.

The York Minster Development Campaign is aiming to raise £30,000,000 to fund the restoration of the East Front of the Minster.  The centrepiece of the East Front is the Great East Window, the largest expanse of medieval stained glass in the world.  The medieval glass and stonework of the East Front are badly in need of restoration and structural repair.    

Patrick Shepherd, Deputy Group Chairman of the Shepherd Building group said, “York Minster has immense significance. It is York’s most important building and, just as certainly, is one of Europe’s finest examples of Gothic architecture. Shepherd Building Group is a York-based business and we are proud to extend our links to this great church by supporting the Minster Development Campaign. A successful campaign will ensure that future generations can be inspired by this wonderful testimony to human aspiration and technical achievement.”

The Director of Development for York Minster, Dr Richard Shephard said, “This is a most significant donation from one of the City of York’s most important companies. Needless to say, we are all extremely grateful for the large sum of money given, but almost as important is the message which this gift sends out. York Minster belongs to the City, the County and the whole of the north of the country. If we are to attract national and international financial support – which we must – it is clearly vital that potential funding bodies can see that there is strong local support for the Development Campaign. The Shepherd donation sends out the important message that the people of Yorkshire are strongly behind the whole project.”

Anyone wanting to help keep York Minster in its full glory can send a cheque, made payable to ‘York Minster Fund’ to The Development Office, Church House, Ogleforth, York, Y01 7JN.