Buildings, Money and Outreach

23/10/2009 by admin.

Granted that ‘it’s the people wot makes the Parish succeed, and not the Buildings’, I, as Chairman of the Buildings Project Group, have been asked to provide a brief update in relation to the title of this piece.  By way of confirmation with regard to Buildings, the PCC have required that we seek, with immediate effect, full Planning Permission from Hart District Council for the projects:

1) To remove the present All Saints Meeting Room and replace it with a modern user-friendly wooden building, light in concept and warm in insulation plus a P.A. system, to be known as ‘The Fleet Parish Community Centre’.  This to contain a slightly larger Hall area than now, the Parish Office, a Private meeting room, and a ‘coffee shop’ area, with a kitchen and toilets (both in hall and entrance lobby) so that parallel use by separate events in the church and hall are serviced.  There will also be a small parking area to the front of the new centre so that anyone wishing to ‘drop in’ to the Parish office can do so with ease of parking.  Cost c£400k.

2) To add to the ‘Fernhurst’ side of St. Philip and St. James an area accessed and visible from within the Church to provide a meeting/crèche area, a kitchenette facility, and a ramped exit to the hall past a new disabled toilet – all of which can be used while the existing Hall is in use – the hall users being able to use the new kitchen and toilet areas that are now in place. A new exit door at the North end of the Hall will give access to a garden area, vital for the playgroup and usable for other church events as well.  The Fernhurst garden being shortened to provide enough space.  Cost c£175k.

The PCC have taken the clear decision to sell ’Fernhurst’, a provisional marketing plan to realize c£300-£350k from this is in place to be actioned in March/April 2010.   

A successful future for our Parish clearly requires a solution to the very serious problem of our current £50k annual deficit and the creation of a continuous 7 Day Church Outreach to the Community.  We have the opportunity of seeking advice from our friends at the Church on the Heath whose level of financial commitment far exceeds ours and who have made giant strides in establishing their 7 day church outreach.  But meantime a group of us under the leadership of Nick Doran have met to start ‘facing the future’ in terms of finance and outreach.  Roy returns this month (November) from his sabbatical where a major study was on the ‘creation of 7 day church outreach’.  With his input on board the PCC will debate the future during their Away-day this month.  Clearly, and despite the current credit crunch affecting our country, we need to pray and think long and hard.  Spending our capital – an act of faith – is easy; providing a realistic future for our Parish isn’t. 

Chris Waller

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