AN ambitious £24,000 fundraising appeal is underway in Watchet to ensure the rafters continue to echo to the sound of organ music at St Decuman's Church.

The historic church organ needs a costly overhaul and local people are being invited to sponsor a pipe to help cover the cost of the work.

Church council secretary Cynthia Webb has named every single one of the organ's 888 individual pipes and drawn up a dedicated sponsors' list.

Some of the bigger 16 feet-long pipes are being offered for sponsorship at £10, with smaller pipes ranging from £5 to £1.

Watchet resident Tony Knight is helping to spearhead the fundraising campaign and said he was hopeful work would be able to start on the restoration in January next year.

"We need to keep the organ in good order but the cost to restore it is in excess of £24,000 and we have been working towards raising funds.

"We will be doing lots of fundraising events and grants will be applied for as we move forward.

"At the moment, we are asking people to sponsor a pipe, an idea that was put forward by Cynthia who has now gone on to produce an entire file about all the individual pipes," Mr Knight said.

The organ boasts 436 pipes in the upper manual, 392 in the lower manual and a further 60 in the pedal board.

It was built by George Osmond, of Taunton, for the princely sum of 1,000 guineas and was donated to the town by William Wyndham in 1923.

Anyone who would like to make a donation or sponsor a pipe can do so through local churchwardens, local vicar Bethan Guttridge or via the wall safe in the baptistry.

Alternatively, donations and sponsorship can also be sent to Mr Knight at 39 Doniford Road, Watchet, TA23 0TG.

Photo: Steve Guscott