YORK Minster bosses say cheques and pledges of support have been arriving every day since they launched their biggest ever appeal last week.

Now they are looking for businesses to help in the £23 million fundraising campaign by sponsoring repairs to the Great East Window.

The Minster director of development, Richard Shephard, urged groups or individuals to take on responsibility for one of the 311 separate panels of glass in the huge medieval stained glass window - each of which portrayed a different person or scene.

"For example, I can imagine a group of lawyers wishing to sponsor the restoration of the picture of Solomon - whose wise judgements were a model of legislation."

"Perhaps doctors might consider restoring their patron, Saint Luke. And hairdressers might take pity on the portrayal of Absalom, caught by his hair in a tree."

Mr Shephard revealed last week that a massive ten-year programme of repairs was needed to the Minster's masonry, which has been badly affected by centuries of wind, rain and frost.

The scheme will cost a total of £23 million, with the Minster also seeking to raise another £7 million to invest in an endowment fund to secure the long-term future of the choir, library and educational activities.

Mr Shephard said there had been an encouraging response at this very early stage. "Every day, I have the pleasant task of opening letters which contain cheques or pledges of financial support," he said.

"Inevitably, we are only now putting together applications to grant-giving bodies, but so far the indications are that this campaign has captured the imagination of the general public, and there is a great willingness to help in a variety of ways. The citizens of York and Yorkshire have started to donate and, equally pleasing, we have had gifts from Derbyshire to Bedfordshire."

He said the Minster would be looking for substantial donations from businesses and various trusts, several of which had already indicated an interest.

He said: "But it is vital that all donors, no matter what the size of gift, should feel that they are an integral part of this great project."

Meanwhile, the Dean and Chapter have invited several national experts, Sarah Brown of English Heritage, and Professor Richard Marks and Dr Christopher Norton of York University, to advise on the best way of restoring the window.

Updated: 08:46 Wednesday, March 23, 2005