A LEGO model is one third of the way to reaching its £350,000 fundraising target for Durham Cathedral’s £10m Open Treasure appeal.

Open Treasure will transform the visitor experience at the 900-year-old cathedral, with new world-class exhibition spaces capable of showcasing the most precious artefacts from the cathedral’s vaults and across the globe.

Work is well under way and about £8m of the £10m needed has been pledged, including £3.9m from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The Lego cathedral initiative was launched in summer 2013, inviting supporters to buy £1 plastic bricks to help build the 350,000-brick, 12ft long, 5ft wide and 5ft high scale model.

Eighteen months on, more than 116,000 bricks have been bought – about one third of the total.

Gaye Kirby, head of development at Durham Cathedral, said: “We always hoped that the Lego model would prove to be an eye-catching and popular way for us to raise money towards our £1m public appeal, but we continue to be overwhelmed by the generous donations coming in from both members of the public as well as businesses.”

Major donations of 2014 include the bricks for the miniature organ from Durham-based organ builders Harrison and Harrison, the miniature Durham Light Infantry chapel from the DLI Trustees and the DLI Memorial through the generosity of Second World War hero Jim Mulhall, who invited friends and family to donate to the project rather than buy him gifts for his 95th birthday.

The 100,000th brick was bought by Rev Ted Drayton, a priest from Filey, North Yorkshire, and the limited edition mini Lego cathedrals sold out within days of hitting the shelves.

Gifts have also come from across the world.

Catherine Hodgson, a cathedral marketing officer, said: “We have records of visitors from all over the world, with some of our farthest-flung visitors coming from places including Alaska, the Seychelles, the Solomon Islands and the Cook Islands.

“It is amazing to see the spread of pins on the world map and think that our little Lego model will be being talked about and having its photo shared in countries and cultures all over the world.”

For more information, visit durhamcathedral.co.uk/donate