ADAM Luke’s still a schoolboy; some might say an Old School boy. At 15, he still signs himself “Adam Luke (Master)”, still faithfully attends and enthusiastically supports his parish church, still insists that his studies come before promoting his new book.

A face-to-face interview? “Sorry.

I’m at school all day and have so many commitments at night.”

It’s back to the drawing board, or at least to the interactive white board, then.

Adam’s been fundraising for the 12th Century St Mary Magdalene’s church, in Trimdon Village, since he was six. The first event was a raffle.

“Don’t put that in the paper,” he says – over the telephone – “you’re supposed to be 16 before you get involved with those”. He also helped raise £75,000 for improvements designed to make a medieval building more 21st Century-friendly.

The book – a history of the church, the village and of County Durham from a St Mary Magdalene perspective – has a postscript by Tony Blair, well known in those parts, and a foreword by broadcaster John Grundy, now almost as familiar.

Grundy had first met Adam at a meeting of the Friends of Beamish Museum. “He was a young teenager and had needed to cross half of County Durham on a particularly cold and unpleasant day. You can imagine that I was impressed with such dedication to history, local culture and the built environment,”

he writes.

MP Phil Wilson, Blair’s Sedgefield successor, will launch the book on Saturday evening at a church event attended by 80 of Adam’s family and friends.

“I’ve always wanted to write a book, but never thought it would be published so soon,” he says. “I also had to put the funding package together, but I had a week off school when the weather was really bad. It gave me a bit more time.”

He’s a member of the district church council, helps in the community allotment – especially the older folk – has attended St Mary’s since he was two. So..?

“I often get asked that question.

It just sort of happened, a passion for fundraising, I think. I’m very committed to the church, but I don’t feel I’m missing out on anything. I still have plenty of friends, still do plenty of other things.”

The church, he supposes, is “not all that special architecturally” – a view to which Mr Grundy may or may not subscribe – but is historically magnificent.

The book’s called Doves, Pigeons and Masonry Bees – the latter a reference to the little critturs that make their home in the walls. It’s a symbol, says Adam, of the fact that all Trimdon people are always welcome at St Mary’s. It costs £4.99 and is available through the Trimdon Times website or from Jane’s hairdresser’s shop in the village. A percentage of proceeds goes to the church.