Ex-chaplain, 82, lifts 200kg in church fundraiser

A retired prison chaplain has lifted a total of 200kg (441lbs) to raise money for a new heating system at his local church.

Reverend Vernon Lidstone, from Saul in Gloucestershire, achieved a 100kg (220lbs) deadlift, 50kg (110lbs) squat and 50kg (110lbs) bench press at the powerlifting event at Crazy Strength Gym in Salisbury, Wiltshire on Saturday.

The 82-year-old said he wanted to raise the £40,000 needed to replace the ageing heating system at St Peter's Church in Framilode, Gloucestershire, which broke last month.

Lidstone said the strength training helps in everyday life as "you can do things that you couldn't believe you could do before".

"You can walk around the garden, pick up paving slabs, you can do all sorts of things that you couldn't do before if you're strong," he added.

Lidstone started taking fitness classes at the age of 70 and moved onto powerlifting about a year ago.

He was previously a chaplain for HMP Leyhill near Wotton-under-Edge, and the honorary assistant priest for Severnside South Benefice.

Lidstone said he hopes the event on Saturday would have raised enough money to replace the church's oil-fired boiler with a clean air-source heat-pump system.

"About a month ago, I walked into the church vestry and found that the floor was soaking wet, and the boiler which sat in the corner wasn't running and it had obviously broken down," he said.

"It turned out that it had actually rusted through and was beyond repair. I had to start thinking about how we're going to raise some funds, because by the time next winter comes, we'll need a new heating system."

Lidstone said he believes the sum of money raised will be in the thousands, although he will not know the exact figure for about two more weeks.

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