Brontë students will help raise funds to preserve two key Haworth sites

A group of York St John University students will be asked to develop fund-raising plans to support work to preserve two key Brontë sites in Haworth.

The university has struck up a three-year partnership with both Haworth Parish Church where most of the famous family are buried and the Old School Room where the Brontë sisters once taught.

The Brontës’ father, Patrick, was the vicar in the parish church and built the school room in the 1830s to educate local children.

Six students have volunteered to work with fund-raisers in Haworth to support restoration schemes.

The pilot Working with Words project is aimed at helping English Literature students to develop skills to make them more employable. One of the first students volunteers, Heather Boswell, is related to the last rector to live in Haworth Parsonage from the 1920s to 1940s, the Rev JC Hirst.

Haworth Parish Church has a five-year three-stage restoration plan which will cost around £1.25m. It has received £115,000 from English Heritage towards the first stage, which will see the south roofs and tower waterproofed. The church needs to raise another £38,500 to complete the first stage.

The charity Brontë Spirit is looking to raise funds to restore the Old School Room where the Brontë sisters once taught.

The Rev Peter Mayo-Smith, the priest in charge at Haworth Parish Church, said: “Both Haworth Parish Church and the Old School Room are living links to the Brontë family and it is good to have [the university’s] support as we seek to secure both buildings for the future.”

Prof Gweno Williams, at York St John University, said: “It is very important for arts and humanities students to explore and develop skills relevant to future employment. This is a fantastic opportunity to do so, as well as directly helping to sustain Yorkshire’s literary heritage.”