Refurb Phase One is nearly finished
Time to RefurbCountdown
Work on Refurb project Phase One started in May. Here's the story.
Short of all the funding we need landing in our lap at once(!), we have long recognised that we need to break the Refurb project down into phases and move through them as funds become available. After some advice-taking, thought and prayer we decided that Phase One should consist of new heating and the work on the hall. This would mean we have use of the hall for church and other meetings while subsequent work is going on in other parts of the building.
Short of all the funding we need landing in our lap at once(!), we have long recognised that we need to break the Refurb project down into phases and move through them as funds become available. After some advice-taking, thought and prayer we decided that Phase One should consist of new heating and the work on the hall. This would mean we have use of the hall for church and other meetings while subsequent work is going on in other parts of the building.
This will include:
- New replacement boiler(s). For some of you of a certain age from the church congregation you will know the significance of this decision!
- New heating in hall and worship room.
- New insulated hall roof.
- New hall (‘Youth’) entrance.
- Additional new toilets off the hall.
- Revised car park.
- Beginnings of new church garden.
- Additional storage.
After getting the necessary permissions and accurate pricing, we began fundraising. As a church we committed most of our reserves (there is a legal requirement to keep some back); the congregation have given sacrificially; the local community have also chipped in generously, as have many of our ex-members who have made donations. Several applications to funding bodies were successful... all great, but meantime we had a 40% jump in costs to swallow, taking our target to over half a million pounds. More prayer!
Through 2020 and the Covid lockdowns everything slowed down, but the building has remained in use serving community through the Brunswick Beestro and further underlining its value. But more successful bids came back edging the total up. Then in January we received £150,000 from Sport England which in one jump takes us to over 90%. That was quite a moment. It meant we had enough raised to actually start building work in early May.
All the hard work, consulting, praying and planning is now taking shape in front of our eyes, as Phase One building nears completion. Still two phases to go though... Please pray for the Refurb project and think about how you could get involved. To support us click here, or for more info contact the church office: email or phone 0161 273 6608.