Encouraging News! As a PCC and Building Team we are really pleased that we can write to you now with encouraging news about the building project. Many of you will know that for many years we have had a vision of an Emmanuel Neighbourhood Centre that would serve our community as a place of welcome, friendship and growing relationships. Now we have reached a threshold, which can enable us to start building within 12 months.

Where are we up to?

The immediate priority - phase 1 - is a single storey Emmanuel Neighbourhood Centre, connected to our main building. This will replace and significantly expand the area occupied by our worn out portacabins. The plans are below for you to see. (In the future we plan to extend the main hall as well, and we have planning permission for both phases.) We already have half of the money we need for the Neighbourhood Centre. Another generous gift day will take us into the home straight and then our project becomes very appealing for grant-making organizations.

What will it give us?

As a church we will gain much needed and far better facilities for childrens work, for youth work, for meals and meetings, for worship, prayer and outreach ,The wider community and local organizations will have quality facilities to hire on at affordable not-for-profit rates. Well have more room for our café area, a second hall, a large kitchen and better toilet facilities. What we build in the present will provide a legacy for generations to come. Overall, Emmanuel will become more of a hub for our neighbourhood and be enabled to reach out to more people with the love of Jesus.

Keeping the Momentum going

We are confident we can start the building work by March 2020. It is with this sense of expectation and progress that we are making our appeal to every member of our community to give prayerfully and generously. All funds raised will go the building project.

The Financial Details

To date we have raised in gifts and pledges £120,750. We think we need to raise £240,000 to fund the Neighbourhood Centre, so we are just over half way there. We are confident that we can fill the remaining gap be through a mix of church giving and external fundraising which is already in progress.

Working Together this will happen

We know everyone at Emmanuel has different abilities to give, What we see time and again is that when a local community gives with a sacrificial spirit and with joyful generosity, which we are really thankful for.

More than just a new building

The Emmanuel Neighbourhood Centre is ultimately all about people and relationships. It is about providing a safe, warm and welcoming place where people and relationships can thrive. we hope that we will be united in having a growing sense of excitement and togetherness as a community as we seek to the project enabled in this way. We truly hope you will be excited to be a part of it!

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and to consider your response. Please feel free to contact any of the signatories below if you would like to discuss this or find out more.

With every blessing, on behalf of the all the PCC and building team.

Sean Riordan (Vicar), Sonia Hall (Treasurer), David Woolnough and Adam Wingrove (Church Wardens), Steve Hogg (Building Team Leader)