Here are the activities we uploaded for Messy Church at Home on 20th June....
Here are the activities we uploaded for Messy Church at Home on 20th June....
Here are the activities we uploaded for Messy Church at Home on 20th June....
SHIRLEY PARISH
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KNOWING CHRIST, MAKING HIM KNOWN
So many people say what a wonderful welcome they receive in our churches. That is of course a credit to everyone. But buildings play their part in the welcome we offer as well.
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Currently those visiting the St James' Church building have to cross the road to Church House to access refreshments or toilet facilities. This is far from ideal - the road can get very busy, and sometimes other activities are going on in Church House which can make access difficult.
So we're working to upgrade the facilities in St James' - so we can offer even more of a welcome to everyone who comes into the building.
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Please read on to find out more about the project - and how you can get involved....
or click here to go straight to an update.
The Project
We have plans to add a toilet and a small kitchen facility to make it easier to serve teas and coffees and other light refreshments. These will be situated in the South transept (the wider area on the left as you look from the main entrance) – the area where we currently serve refreshments after our Sunday services.
The toilet will be fully accessible and meet all disability requirements. The kitchen will be a ‘cupboard kitchen’ with storage units, work surfaces, a sink and a small fridge, concealed behind doors which can be opened fully when the kitchen is in use.
The construction will be a pod type construction – essentially a “building within the building” which will minimise any structural work.
The plans that our architect has drawn up are here.....
Artist's impression of the pod in place in the South transept, showing the side of the entrance porch on the far left, the side of the toilet in the centre, and the closed doors of the kitchenette unit on the right.
Plan of the pod, again showing the the entrance porch on the left, with the entrance to the toilet facing the cleaners' cupboard, and the layout of the kitchenette.
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Drinks and other refreshments will be served from free-standing tables in front of the kitchenette.
What's happening now?
Pod Update: March 2024
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We now have a Faculty (permission from the Diocese), permission under Buildings Regulation and an engineer is planning the drain connection with Severn Trent. All we need is the funds!
The Parish has made a magnificent fundraising effort, raising £14,800 with donations, a variety of events and activities and we have yet to receive Gift Aid on some of this, which will boost the kitty.
We are very grateful to the Grimmitt Trust, a charity based in King’s Heath, for an early donation which got us started. We have had a pledge from the Beatrice Laing Trust and very generous donations from the Edward Cadbury Trust, the Benefact Trust and the Solihull MBC CIL Fund. (CIL stands for Community Infrastructure Levy and is a charge on building projects which creates funds for local improvement schemes.)
Other grant applications are being considered and a generous donation from the Friends at their recent meeting means that we now have over 50% of the project costs. This allows us to apply to the National Churches Trust, a major grant-giver for projects such as ours.
We can be cautiously optimistic about being able to start the project in late summer/ early autumn and we are very grateful to the contractors, who are holding their quotes until August.
This is a very big undertaking and your support with fundraising, encouragement and especially prayer is greatly appreciated.
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How can I donate to the project?
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Online
Via our secure ‘Give a Little’ page accessed here​. You can select one of the options available, or choose you own amount. You will be given the option to Gift Aid your donation if you wish to do so.
By cheque payable to Shirley Parish PCC.
Please place in an envelope labelled “the Pod Project” and hand in to the Parish Office, or post through the Parish Office door. Cash donations may be made in the same way.
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Please use the Gift Aid scheme if you pay tax.
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Thank you very much.
What's Gift Aid and how do I do it?
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Donating with Gift Aid means we can claim an extra 25p for every £1 you give at no cost to you.
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If you have not already completed a Gift Aid form for Shirley Parish, please download and complete the form available here and include it with your donation, or post it through the Parish Office door. The registered name of the charity is "The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Shirley."
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Gift Aid forms are also available at the back of St James'.