February 2021 update and brochure
23 February 2021
Dear Friends,
We are writing to you to let you have a copy of the new Pilgrim Project Brochure which has just been published, and to give you some up to date information about how the Project is progressing. The brochure is available to view here:
https://issuu.com/spirechurchfarnham/docs/project_1_brochure
The Steering Committee has continued to meet, via Zoom, during the lockdown and work has continued throughout, despite the fact that major fund raising events have not been possible. As you will see from the brochure included with this letter, we have managed to raise £500,000 to date, including a major grant from the URC Wessex Trust, for which we are extremely grateful.
The first project is now known as the Welcome Centre, and covers construction of our new foyer and café, together with the new kitchen, toilets, and mezzanine floor in the current Large Hall. The total cost for this project is estimated at £950,000 and we are now approaching external grant giving bodies to help us with the remaining £450,000. We need to have raised 90% of the cost before being able to go out to tender for construction.
The Fundraising Team are working hard on completing grant applications with the aim to have raised the remaining funds so as to be in a position to commence building work in the second half of this year.
A number of important milestones were achieved in 2020 including
- Listed building consent was reaffirmed by the URC on our revised drawings.
- Architect and Professional Consultants have been appointed.
- Technical design commenced.
- A small team have been working on the new kitchen design.
- Significant progress has been achieved on the legal Sharing Agreement for the URC building.
We very much appreciate the ongoing support of our members, friends, and supporters and ask you to continue to provide this, in any way that you can, as the project reaches the final push to raise the money for Project 1 to commence.
Information about how you can provide support for the Pilgrim Project are included in the brochure together with contact details should you wish to find out more or discuss the project in any way. You can keep up to date with developments via facebook.com/pilgrimfarnham or our website pilgrimproject.org.uk
Thank you.
Yours sincerely
Michael Hopkins and Philip Simpkins
Ministers
