Local Trust keeps Ely Cathedral leaf free

Ely Cathedral has been given a helping hand to keep it in perfect working order as the winter draws in.

The East of England Building Preservation Trust (EEBPT), formerly the Cambridgeshire Historic Building Preservation Trust, has recently donated £700 to the Cathedral towards the cost of clearing and maintaining the gutters.

Chairman of the Trust Stephen Conrad presented a cheque to the Dean of Ely, The Very Rev. Dr Michael Chandler, at the Cathedral which was recently listed in the Times as one of the ‘top 20 must see buildings in the UK’.

The gesture coincided with The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings' (SPAB) Annual National Maintenance Week which this year took place between 20th to 27th November 2009. 

The week, supported by TV's Phil Spencer, culminated with National Gutters Day on Friday 27th November where there is an expectation that building owners, and especially those of historic buildings, spend time and money clearing out gutters which are a major cause of expensive disrepair.

Phil Spencer commented, "The plain fact of the matter is that maintaining your property makes good sense and saves money. However, the sad truth of the matter is that many people put property maintenance way down their list of priorities. It's like dealing with your health - try to remember that prevention is always better than cure."

EEBPT is an organisation that has been in existence in and around Cambridge and Cambridgeshire for many years and has, in the past, successfully undertaken the repair and refurbishment of a number of historic buildings.  Mr Conrad noted that this donation will not only lift the profile of the Trust, to co-incide with the launch of its new website (www.eebpt.org.uk), but also help promote the need for both maintenance and repair of our irreplaceable listed buildings.

Dr. Michael Chandler warmly welcomed the donation and said that the money would be used wisely as there is always a need for ongoing maintenance of the Cathedral and it is good of the EEBPT to recognise the needs of such an important and historic building as Ely Cathedral.