Large numbers of Britain's pipe organs are languishing unused in otherwise functioning churches, often as a result of minor, easily-repaired faults.

We want to make them playable again by correcting these faults.

Churches with borderline or unplayable organs usually can’t face the expense or effort of a full repair project costing hundreds of thousands of pounds.

But these faults are sometimes exaggerated and the costs over-estimated.

If we could get some of these organs playable again, either in whole or in part, the instrument is heard again, the spiral of decline is halted… and the church gets the chance to reconsider the options.

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BRING 'SLEEPING BEAUTY' ORGANS BACK TO LIFE

We are going to pilot a scheme to give a small number of churches a 100% grant to pay for the visit of a professional organ builder who is briefed to do enough work to get the organ playable again.

Typically, this will take two days and cost less than £1,000, including labour and parts.

The pilot scheme will fund up to six churches.

If the scheme works, we will fundraise to extend it.

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GRANT CRITERIA

There are some criteria for getting a grant:

• The organ should be a one-or two-manual tracker-action instrument built before 1915

• It should not have major faults such as soundboards damaged by water ingress and be in reasonably clean condition​

• The blower needs to be working or capable of straightforward repair, and asbestos-free.

Above all, there must be evidence that the church community is committed to using the organ regularly once it is made playable, and is willing to discuss with us making the organ available to local organ players.

There will be no complicated applications or red tape.

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HELP US GET THIS GOING

There is no time to lose. With four pipe organs a week being destroyed, time is not on the side of unplayable organs sitting disused.

Our initial appeal is for £6,000 – enough to get six or more borderline instruments back into regular use.

If you would like to help, here are three ways:

• Donate to the Sleeping Beauty fundraiser on our JustGiving page,  

• Join Pipe Up as a member

• Tell us about an organ that might be a candidate for such a grant, using this form