Bishop of Sheffield abseils 45ft down Rotherham Minster as part of £3m fundraising bid

The Bishop, the Rt Rev Dr Pete Wilcox joined the vicar of Rotherham, Rev Canon Phil Batchford in the unusual fundraising effort at the start of a £3m campaign called Building Hope in the Heart of Rotherham, a plan to make the 500-year-old building fit for the 21st century.

And it is not the first the 62-year-old Bishop has found himself abseiling in his cassock, having descended down the west front of Liverpool Cathedral, where he was Dean some years ago.

"Then I was probably 10 years younger,” he told the Yorkshire Post. “But I believe in the cause of the appeal.”

For Rev Batchford, persuading the Bishop to take part was not a difficult sell.

"The Bishop is just back from a sabbatical and spent Easter with us,” he said.

"Towards the end of Easter weekend I told him about the abseil and asked, ‘how do you feel about joining in?’ He just said yes.”

He said the money is being raised to remove the pews from the nave, relay the floor and put in underfloor heating, restore the 1770s’ Snetzler organ, put in two meeting rooms, and enclose the Jesus chapel with glass so worship can continue while other things are happening in the church.

The leap into the minster yesterday was via a hole in the ringing room floor, where the bellringers stand, he said.

As the community emerged from Covid, the minster started a social supermarket for vulnerable families, a catch up cafe and community singing group.

Rev Batchford hopes the money will be raised over the next 12 months so work can start in summer 2025. Donations can be made via the church’s website​​​​​​​.