Devon man donates pension to church project

Michael Gunn, a member of St Luke’s Church at Newton Poppleford, one of the first people to cash in his pension under the government’s reforms, has donated a sum of it to the church building repair fund.

Mr Gunn, 57, received his funds yesterday (April 7)  under the new scheme allowing over 55s to cash in a defined-contribution pension fund. He will also pay for his daughter’s wedding and take his wife on a cruise.

Churchwarden Haylor Lass explained that, following a fire in 2011, the repair plans have been slow and that Mr Gunn’s donation will give them the “kick-start” they need.

He said: “It is the action rather than the amount which is important. Michael has given generously and sacrificially. It’s a brilliant kick-start for our fundraising effort and might challenge the rest of us to dig into our nest eggs.”