Project 21

Project 21 is a major modernisation scheme by Wolstanton Methodist Church. When completed, it will provide a set of buildings suited to today’s world that the community might continue to be served.

THE PRESENT SITUATION
Wolstanton Methodist Church has a large set of premises that are now showing signs of age. The various buildings are on different levels making access to all a major difficulty. The rooms are costly to maintain and heat. A major re-modernisation is needed if we are to continue our current work realistically and develop new work. If we do not modernise our existing work will be under threat.

Wolstanton Methodist church is a Christian faith community with a long history of caring for people of all ages and conditions. We provide not just rooms for the community but groups that offer love and care – from our parent & baby groups, parent/carer & toddler groups, uniform organisations, youth clubs, pre & post school club, to luncheon club for older people as well as providing a place of worship, prayer and fellowship.

We intend to re-develop and renew, creating premises that can be accessed by all with a new main entrance on Grosvenor Place. There will be a modern suite of rooms including toilets and kitchen. There will be an outdoor courtyard that will enrich all our work, especially our work with young children. The main hall and existing worship centre will be refurbished with greater opportunities for concerts. A modern efficient heating system will be installed enabling rooms to be heated separately. These changes will enable us to have greater security while developing our services to reach out to people in the community who currently do not have access to such facilities.

The scheme is projected at £1,450,000. Currently we have secured £523,000 and so we have the challenging target of £927,000 to raise through grants and general fundraising. The Church community is committed to raising 50% £463,000 of the target while the management team seeks to raise through grants 50% £463,000

The purpose of this document (and its appendices which are on the enclosed disc but we are happy to provide hard copies if requested) is to provide prospective funding organisations with an overview of the Grosvenor Centre ‘Project 21.’ Trusting that the information will help them decide if they are able to support this project

THE BUILDINGS
The Wolstanton Methodist Church and Grosvenor Centre is set on a sloping location at Grosvenor Place and occupies a substantial site comprising:

The Church has seating for in excess of 250 people and is used as a worship centre for religious services mainly at the weekend, funerals, weddings and for large meetings and concerts.

A Main Hall complete with raised stage and an ante-room seating 30 people. The stage is mainly used for storage. The hall will seat 200, but is well used primarily for parent baby, parent/carer & toddler group and pre- & post school care club.

A Lower Hall is used in conjunction with the main hall and is connected to it by a steep staircase. Capacity for child care is forty children, with a maximum seating of perhaps 70 people. A games room is located beyond the lower hall and can accommodate 20 in its current formation. All rooms have to be accessed by going through the others. Running from the Lower hall & games room to the front of the building is an under- utilised area. This includes two further meeting rooms each accommodating some 30 people; a kitchen; vestry; office; toilets; three storerooms and a quiet area adjacent to the church which is little used due to its narrowness and steep staircase. These areas are the focus of the proposed redevelopment.

All areas of the premises present us with major DDA compliance challenges. The exterior of the site consists of a large car park beyond the main hall and a plot of land to the north west of the church. This plot is destined to be sold for residential development as part of the capital funding of the proposed project.

It was decided unanimously, at a meeting of the Church Council 3.2.05 to radically modernise the premises to provide both the church and Centre with a set of premises that could serve the community for the next fifty years.

The project has the backing of the Methodist Church who see the need for the continued presence in Wolstanton and Catchment area of a community building (see Appendix c - letters of support)

This then is the project: - to build in Wolstanton a Modern Centre of care for all ages in the Community, fit for the 21st Century, -partly through new building and partly through the adaptation of existing buildings.