A CAMPAIGN is gaining momentum to save a historic building at the centre of Selby and raise funds to transform it into a community space.

The Abbot’s Staith, a 15th century medieval storehouse that is believed to have been built by the Benedictine monks and used as a storage space for the abbey, has been empty for 25 years and is now falling into disrepair.

The historic landmark has been in the family of Jonathan Woodhead, owner of Woodhead seeds, since 1911 and the owner is now keen for the building to come into community use.

A group of volunteers, who organised the group Save the Abbot’s Staith, have set out to raise £1.9 million to restore the building and another £150,000 to ensure the building can pay for itself.

The volunteers hope to transform the Staith into a community space as well as a commercial enterprise to guarantee its sustainability.

Eva Lambert, project coordinator, said: “The project has to be community-led because if it isn’t we won’t have people to use the building.”

The building’s fabric needs a complete restoration following weather damage. The floors are rotting, the walls are cracking and the concrete roof is pushing the Staith into its foundations.

The Woodhead seed shop, which abuts the building, has been converted into an information point and renamed the Counting shop. It was inaugurated on April 20 by the Bishop of Selby and mayor Rosie Corrigan.

Two primary schools have already visited the Staith and two archaeologists are going into schools to tell children about the history’s building, encouraging them to discover this part of Selby’s heritage.

“The smallest contribution can be to visit the Staith and share ideas about what it could become,” said Mrs Lambert.

Save the Abbot’s Staith hope to organise at least one event a month to raise awareness and funds. On Saturday, for the Tour de Yorkshire, volunteers will hold an information point and invite people to visit the Staith.

Funding bids have already been made. The project is supported by local community groups and it is actively backed by six patrons.

To contact Save the Abbot’s Staith, e-mail abbotsstaith@yahoo.co.uk.