Monthly Message (February 2008) - Henleaze at Heart Challenge

Dear Friends,

This is the year that really matters! It is the year when the challenge to make the Henleaze @ Heart Project, to renew our aging community buildings, comes to a focal point. This year is about making it happen!

When I look at the records of this ambitious project, our hopes and aspirations began in the year 2004. They have not changed ... then as now, we're working to renew the buildings in our care so that through them we might serve the people and community of Henleaze. Our existing community facilities are reaching the age and stage when repairs are not enough and the need for renewal is becoming urgent. This project is about enhancing the quality of local life by providing a warm welcome for all sorts of people through social, educational and artistic activity in the community. We have recently received encouraging letters of support from some of the organisations that regularly use our buildings. There are a great number of people looking forward to seeing this project come to fruition.

I have always believed that all of the people in a neighbourhood should have reason to be pleased that the Church is there on the corner of the street. We are here to share the welcome of the Kingdom of God .... A deep and joyful challenge in this world.

So, as I've said many times, the plans are drawn and ready to go, planning permission is in place ..... and with the funding in place we could be seeing phase one taking shape within months!

Money, of course, is the big challenge now.

Before Christmas we heard that our application to the Lottery Community Buildings fund was unsuccessful. While financially this is a significant sum that we can no longer hope for, as our optimistic project manager said to me, at least we won't have to wait for the Lottery now - we can get on with it as soon as the money becomes available! We continue submitting grant applications to charitable trust funds and plan greater and wider appeals, events and invitations to give, in the coming months.

The presentations we made at the end of last year, where we were able to show the computer model of the planned buildings, proved very helpful. In response people both within the church and from the local community have given very encouraging gifts to the Henleaze @ Heart project fund using the donations form on our publicity leaflet.

If you are planning to give a donation to the fund - this is the time to either do it or make your pledge.

The other question people ask me is about timing. When do you think building work will begin? The Church Meeting has set a target date for the phase one work, on the Waterford Hall. We are aiming to begin the redevelopment of the Waterford Hall in the spring of 2009 (May). This is a target date for our fundraising ..... on which there will be progress reports, and updates if need be, nearer the time.

So, this is the year that really matters .... And as the year progresses I hope that you'll all get involved in the fundraising effort in some way. On the last Sunday of every month, after the morning service, there will be a 5 minute update on progress. I hope you'll be able to stay, (just 5 minutes!), to hear how much has been achieved and how you can be part of the project as this year unfolds.

Yours,

Tracey.