Kensal Green church celebrates turning 175 with QPR’s owner and special evensong
Tony Fernandes with Joziah Bignall, 4, who is one of the youngest members of the congregation at St John's. Picture: St John's Church - Credit: Archant
Ahead of its 175th anniversary, the vicar of St John’s Church in Kensal Green, has thanked QPR owner Tony Fernandes for helping it to finally fit six bells.
The bells were planned for the church's 1844 opening, but never materialised.
The church is also giving thanks for a total of £70,000 in donations to projects - including planting trees around the church to protect it from pollution, a major renewable energy project, and a restoration of the church itself - to marking its anniversary.
Father David Ackerman, said: "Tony's donation is special because the first Vicar of St Johns started two boys' football teams which merged to become QPR. His donation marks our church's role in the formation of the team all those years ago."
Along with Mr Fernandes, Sunday's ceremony will also be attended by the lord mayor of Westminster, the mayor of Brent, and a representative of the Queen.
It begins at 5pm on Sunday 8 September and marks a new chapter the vicar said was "all about the future".
