Community Annexe & Cafe project
The works are well underway on phase 1 and started on phase 2 - see our letter here for information!
Many more details can be found at our history and future website here.
After working on the plans for 6 years, planning permission was finally granted in 2021 and a faculty issued by the chancellor. This new annexe will provide space for community groups and activities to take place even when the church is in use. Containing a full catering kitchen, it will also enable us to set up a community cafe and provide many more meals to groups, including our lunch club that is severely limited by our current facilities.
Fundraising is now ongoing for some cafe start-up costs and PV panels.
This project is part-funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund* and the Community Ownership Fund.
We are thankful to God for the generosity of so many local people and church members, as well as numerous grant making trusts.
By God's grace, we have raised an amazing amount of money to fund the main phase of works and the heart of phase 2, utilising a small loan.
The tender prices came back with an unprecidented level of inflation compared with the QS estimate. We knew inflation was high and had budgeted for a substantial increase, but the level that hit us could not have been predicted. We went through a Value Engineering process and cut out parts of the project, some of which are now being done in a seconed phase.
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Work started on September 18th and should be complete by mid 2024.
We are utilising reserves to cover the contingency, but ideally we still need around £15-20,000 for the second phase of the project and around £25,000 for some additional green measures.
We are grateful to the hundreds of people already supporting this project and Benefact Trust, Sir James Knott Trust, The Beatrice Laing Trust, the Neighbourhood Capital Investment Capital Fund of Sunderland Council, the Community Lottery Fund, Bernard Sunley Foundation, the Community Ownership Fund, William Webster, Garfield Weston, The Catherine Cookson Charitable Trust, The Rothley Trust and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund* (UKSPF) through Sundreland Council, plus a couple that choose to remain private, for their grants.
We still have a couple of applications outstanding where we hope the rest of the funds will be obtained. If you would like to join them and support this community project financially or sponsor it through providing materials, etc. please download these forms (or click the link below for online giving), fill them in and return them to us with your gift, or set up a regular gift to the bank (bank details on form).
Gift/pledge form & gift aid declaration
Standing order form (to send to your bank if you do not bank online)
If you wish to give anonymously or online, this can be done through our crowdfunding site (stewardship) or through Givealittle.
If you have any questions, many are answered on our history and future website, but you are most welcome to contact us and ask.
*The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda and provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. For more information, visit UK Shared Prosperity Fund: prospectus - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
