Building up and developing the Catholic community of Redcar for the future: a project to create community and meeting spaces by altering and extending Sacred Heart Church.

In 2011, a consultation was initiated to reorganise the parishes in Redcar, Marske and Saltburn, in order to address parish life in the changing circumstances of the modern world. From this, it has been determined that the Sacred Heart Church in Redcar would be established as the single parish church to serve this coastal area.

As part of this project, funds need to be raised in order to create a hall for meetings and social gatherings to accommodate between 80-100 people. This new area will fit between the existing church and presbytery building (as seen in the architect’s drawing above). This would also create a new entrance area to the church, new sacristy, proper toilets and good kitchen facilities. The new entrance would create a welcoming space for gathering before and after Mass and the position of the kitchen will make the offering of tea and coffee (to encourage people to stay and socialise) a much simpler process. The new sacristy and meeting room would also be available for smaller group meetings, for example SVP, Legion of Mary and RCIA. The creation of these new rooms and meeting spaces will ensure that the church building is in much greater use throughout the week and able to contribute more fully to the local community in which it is set.

This project will be to the benefit of all who worship in Redcar, other local catholic parishes and the wider community of Redcar. We hope that our new building will also contribute to the local community by providing meeting space for local organisations in an area of significant deprivation.