A Bath church is celebrating the halfway point of their ambitious building project to build a ‘Community Hub’ with four rooms for use by the wider community across Bath.
St Saviour’s Church in Larkhall has so far raised a staggering £344,000 and is raising further funds through a Charity Auction, with lots donated by businesses across the Larkhall and Fairfield Park communities
The funds raised from the Auction will go towards the glazing of a spectacular upper room. This room will be constructed 30 feet up, near the ceiling at the rear of the church.
In January this year, the congregation had to leave St Saviour’s, built in 1832, to enable the exciting internal development to take place.
Sunday morning services are currently taking place at St Saviour’s Infants’ School. The Hub project is now halfway through and the re-opening of the church is planned for September 2016.
A variety of exciting donations have been given for the Charity Auction, including £2,000 voucher from a local Estate Agent towards the sale of a property.
Fundraiser Leila Grabham said: “The response from the local community and businesses has been amazing. They are wishing us well with the Community Hub project and giving so generously for the auction.”
The auction will be held on Friday 6th May, at 7.30pm for an 8pm start in New Oriel Hall, BA1 6RA.
There is free entry and free parking. Food and drinks will be available to purchase on the night.
The Catalogue of Lots is available to pick up from Langbridge Home Hardware in Larkhall.
It can also be accessed online through www.stsaviours.org.uk.
The ‘St Saviour’s Community Hub’ includes modernising the ground floor and kitchen, adapting the space at gallery level on the first floor to make three rooms and including a lift for easy access.
The builders, a firm local to Larkhall, have made great progress: the lift shaft is in, the steel girders to rebuild the balcony are in place, and the walls will soon be rising on the first floor rooms.
Revd Michael Norman, Rector of St Saviour’s explained: “We have had plans to adapt the church to make facilities for children, youth and community groups for 15 years. Then the parapets, started to fall down. We had to raise money to replace them.
“After that, bits of the pinnacles on the tower started dropping off! But over the last year, donations from individuals, trusts and charities have finally enabled us to realise our dream and get started.”
“The icing on the cake will be an additional fourth room on a second floor making use of the spacious dimensions up near the roof.
“The view from there of the rest of the church 30 feet below, will be amazing! The plans will be displayed at the Auction so I hope lots of people will come and see what we’re up to.”
