Save Lunna kirk petition passes 1,000 signatures

A petition to save the Lunna kirk from sale has been signed more than 1,000 times in just three days.

It was started by Virginia Childs, the daughter of Shetland Bus veteran David Howarth, after she discovered the kirk’s impending sale last week.

She said it would be a “tragedy” if Lunna kirk was to be sold, and has urged “the whole community to pull together” to save it.

Her petition accrued over 450 signatures within its first 12 hours on Wednesday, and crossed the 1,000 mark on Friday night.

“I have had signatures from all over the world, and so many emails from folk saying, ‘I’m so grateful someone is doing something about this’,” she said.

The number of signatures in such a short space of time “represents the strength of people’s feelings” about losing Lunna, she added.

Mrs Childs said the church “means a lot” to not only her family and the community in Shetland, but to people all over the world – especially in Norway.

Anyone who wishes to sign Mrs Childs’ petition can do so here: https://www.change.org/p/church-of-scotland-save-lunna-kirk