Progress report – 5th January 2023
Stone laying continues and will do for several weeks. Just add a few more triangular tiles and imagine the bride and groom walking down the aisle in this very impressive space.
Most of the contractors had ten days holiday over Christmas but the people building the partitions in the utility area worked right up until 23rd December. We now have the walls for all the cupboards and the two toilets (far right and middle of the picture).
Our fund raising continues and so did people’s giving over Christmas, putting over £600 into our buckets at the Christmas Experience and carol singing around the Christmas Tree, much of it gift aided, the Christmas cards donations amounted to £475, and the bric-a-brac stall raised nearly £200. Two very generous donations amounting to £10,000 helped the main appeal significantly: we are now just over half way to our £120,000 target).
With a few extra sales in December, Hazel Matthews and her colleagues raised nearly £600 for the organ appeal from the beautiful decorations they made. Other significant donations helped the organ funds reach £29,000, well on our way to the £48,000 target. Christmas carols need an organ – lets make sure we have one in place next year.
Thank you to everyone who is giving to the appeal, to the chairs, the organ and the main appeal. Please help us get there quickly – details of how to donate are on our web site.
Although the building itself is closed, worship continues in The Cornerstone on Sundays (8, 9.30 and 11.15am) and on weekdays (Tuesday and Wednesday at 10 am and Thursday at 9 am) and the bell ringers will have access to the tower again. There is still access to almost all the churchyard either through the lychgate in London Road or the double gate in Norreys Avenue. The memorials by The Cornerstone and by the vestry door can be accessed by arrangement with the Parish office.
