During this pandemic key community groups as such the St John's Church Preservation Group survive have been hit hard. The St John's Church (1840) was designed by the same architect, William Bourne, who designed a number of churches and schools, including Dudley Guest Hospital.
Marco Longhi MP said, “As the local MP for Dudley North, a number of polling firms ask me for my opinions on many issues – as result they sometimes offer an ex-gratia payment. If so, I always reach out to local charities/groups to offer them support.”
“It is an honour to support such hardworking community groups. I know so many that are facing challenging times and I am more than happy to help. I believe the preservation of such an historic building in Dudley is important, but it's not just about the building its about what it can provide to the local community. This is a multi-purpose facility that helps support local group, including providing key advice sessions to residents.
Deb Brownlee, Chair of the St John's Church Preservation Group thanked Marco for choosing to donate the £200. It was described as an absolute Godsend.
Deb Brownless stated: "The telephone call from Marco offering to donate the £200 to St John's Church Preservation Group was heaven sent, as we were literally at that moment feeling quite despairing having just banked £67.80 for the whole month. The £200 plus the income from our loyal Friends of St John's kept us afloat for December. The second lockdown shut our fundraising down completely again, incredibly damaging and we know Marco understood that and responded in the best possible way."
