Lockerbie's Tundergarth Church wins UK title

Get the latest Daily Record breaking news on WhatsApp

Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info

Join us on WhatsApp

Lockerbie’s Tundergarth Parish Church is the overall winner of a prestigious church tourism award.

The Open for Visitors Award looks at how churches, chapels and meeting houses provide a wonderful welcome to visitors and share their building with others.

The Dumfriesshire place of worship was named as the winner for Scotland in the National Church Awards before seeing off three other organisations from Northern Ireland, Wales and England to take the UK award.

Treasurer of Tundergarth Kirks Trust, Michael Thompson, who was accompanied by trustee Jessie Richardson, spoke at the ceremony and gave a heartfelt thank you on stage: “This is a humbling award. We work hard in the trust, not only to keep our wee kirk open but also to continue to ensure the innocent victims of the UK’s biggest-ever terrorist attack are never forgotten.

“This award reinforces that we are carrying out valued work and providing a place of pilgrimage and solace for so many people across the world.”

Afterwards, he said: “It was an absolute honour to attend the National Churches Trust awards and to be chosen as the overall winner was icing on the cake.

“We want to thank our board of trustees, volunteers and all those who continue to support our work.

“We have had a huge amount of repair bills to pay this year and we are working extremely hard to fundraise at the moment. We welcome anybody who’d like to join our fundraising team to get in touch. Thank you to the National Churches Trust for continuing to support our beloved church and remembrance site at Tundergarth.”

Around 200 churches were nominated this year for The National Church Awards.

A judging panel for what are hailed as the BAFTAs for churches whittled them down to 55 finalists from which came 15 winners across five categories, with several awards reserved for churches in the four home nations.

At the ceremony in the ancient Chapter House of Lincoln Cathedral, co-host Canon Ann Easter – former chaplain to Queen Elizabeth II – shared some of the history of the building which houses a memorial to the victims of the Lockerbie Air Disaster. Used as a staging post for emergency responders at the time of the tragedy, three of the victims are buried in the kirkyard.

She said: “What makes Tundergarth Parish Church truly unique is its connection to the Pan Am 103 tragedy in 1988.

“The nose cone of the aeroplane landed just across the road, and the church has become a place of pilgrimage for many around the world.

“The judges were very impressed and touched by what the church has done.”

They said they were also impressed with how Tundergarth Kirks Trust has taken ownership of the church and has community support in keeping it open as a warm and welcoming space for visitors to visit, remember, and pay tribute.

The awards were co-presented by the new Dean of Lincoln, Very Revd Dr Simon Jones.

He said: “The judges were enormously impressed that amid stories of closure from across the UK, volunteers here are working very hard to keep the building open.

“Tundergarth Kirks Trust was formed to take ownership of the church and to keep it open as a place of worship.

“It’s a great testament to the resilience of the community as well as the remembrance of the horrendous disaster.

“The trust has great plans for a museum and the judges hope that this award will help them on their way to do even more.”

Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.