Water has been seeping through the flat roof at St Andrew's Church in Barrhead causing widespread damp.

The problem is so bad that volunteers have had to set up buckets around the church to try and contain the leaks.

The failing roof (Image: Sourced) If the roof is not fixed soon, the building will become unusable.

Fortunately, however, the National Churches Trust has now stepped in to provide £25,000 to fund urgent roof repairs.

As well as a new durable roof to replace the current failing roof, existing drainpipes and gutters will be reviewed and upgraded where needed to ensure that rainwater can be properly drained and not enter the building.

Barrhead St Andrew's Church (Image: Sourced) Tim Mineard, Minister of Barrhead St Andrew's Parish Church, said: "We at St Andrew's Church are immensely grateful for the generous support of the NCT.

"We are a congregation that is doing our best to reach out into our community and to make the most of our buildings for the people of Barrhead.

"We run a number of community outreach projects and holiday programmes, and we also employ a full-time youth and community worker.

"This transformative repair project will enable us to continue providing our valuable services."

The church is badly in need of repair (Image: Sourced) The Ralston Road church was built in 1967 to replace the 1796 'whitewashed kirk' that was present on the site.

Brutalism is an architectural style characterised by simple, block-like forms and raw concrete construction.

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The church boasts a stained-glass cross feature that is the entire height of the building, which was designed by distinguished 20th Scottish stained glass artist Gordon Webster.

It also has an admirable collection of war memorials from the First and Second World Wars, marking the lives of local people who made the ultimate sacrifice.

The church is an important hub for community groups (Image: Sourced) As well as its architectural and cultural importance, St Andrew is also a thriving community hub, hosting everything from Girl Guides groups, Boys' Brigade and youth groups to support groups that help the community with issues such as dementia, addiction and mental health.

They also host a blood transfusion service.

Barrhead St Andrew's Church (Image: Sourced) Once the problem is fixed, the NCT says heating bills will significantly decrease as a waterproof and windtight building is much more energy efficient.

"Our buildings are in use constantly by a wide range of community groups," added Tim.

"We are delighted to be able to provide free weekly accommodation to three local youth organisations - a huge asset to the town.

"We see our buildings as an invaluable legacy through which we can bless our neighbourhood and make a difference.

"We're also excited at the potential to make our buildings more energy-efficient and are looking forward to seeing how these works will reduce our carbon footprint and make us more sustainable for the longer term."