A CHURCH warden has thanked the community after a storm-hit window was replaced following thousands of pounds in donations.

Matt Clark said around £4,000 had been raised in the 18 months since the front window at St. John’s Church on Barrow Island was ravaged by a storm.

Since then, scores of people have given money to the church to fix the window, which was boarded up before now being replaced.

Mr Clark, who has been the church warden for six years, said he was grateful to people from across the town.

He said: “18 months ago a big window blew out and a lot of people have been donating towards it.

“We’ve had around £4,000 come and we’re very grateful for it.”

The new double-glazed window replaces a single-glazed window on the front of the church.

“People thought the church was closed because the window was boarded,” he said.

“Now people are saying how nice it looks and I would like to thank everyone who has helped.”

The new window cost around £6,000.

Describing the damage in December 2018, he said a strong gust of wind smashed several panes of glass, leaving shards shattered over the pews.

He said: “Luckily it happened in the evening so no-one was in the building at the time.

“It happened at the start of winter and it couldn’t have happened at a worse time.”

Mr Clark hopes more of the large single-glazed windows at the Island Road church can be replaced with more funding to prevent the hall becoming too cold.

The church recently hosted one of the first weddings since lockdown restrictions were lifted.

At the beginning of July, Andrew Barker, 37, and Katie Wilson, 35, tied the knot at the church.

Only the bride’s father and the groom’s mother were present at the socially-distanced ceremony.