Monthly Message (May 2009) - Henleaze at Heart

Dear Friends,

The time has come for bricks and stones to fall and rise again.

The Henleaze at Heart project, to renew the community buildings that the church has to share with the many people who use them throughout the week, has reached a critical stage.

As I write we are in the final negotiation stages with building contractors ... and the plan is that by the end of May we will see the Waterford Hall being demolished.

The hall has been a great place within the broad picture of the life of our church and local community. Planned in the 1950s, when post-war building was at its height, the Waterford Hall was constructed on the piece of land alongside the church which had been used as a vegetable plot during the war years. Originally it was just called the New Hall ... and over the years it’s been the place for parties, morning markets, plays by the drama group, concerts, social evenings of wide and imaginative variety(!), the badminton club, youth club and many other events.

In the local community, it has served the life of many people in Henleaze ... toddlers and pre-school children at the playgroups and Jack-in the box, brownies and scouts, sports clubs, dance groups, educational classes and adult groups of flower arrangers, gardeners, singers, artists and weight watchers ... as well as being a place where many families and friends have held gatherings and celebrations over the years. If the walls could tell their stories I am sure that we would be greatly entertained - and come to appreciate the value added to the lives of people and community by a simple open and welcoming community hall in the heart of a neighbourhood. It is a testimony to the treasure that these four walls have been that even now, after 50 years and with signs of wear and tear in the very fabric of the building, it is still a lively, busy place and in demand every week.

The new hall, to be called “The Bradbury Hall”, will take around 40 weeks to construct. In the community around Henleaze, as well as within the church, there is a great sense of excitement about seeing this new building really coming into being. The planning and fundraising have been a long road .... nearly five years since we began! But here we are within sight of hopes and plans becoming reality.

And our hopes for the Bradbury Hall? ... echo and build on the rich history and contribution made by the Waterford Hall over the last 50 years. Lets hope, and plan, that the Bradbury Hall with be an enriching, open, welcoming place for people across the broad spectrum of society in our neighbourhood. That it will serve to enrich the lives of many by being a place where in a whole host of ways friendships are made and community is built. The new beginning that this Hall and its vastly improved facilities offers us brings with it the ever present challenge to us as a church to be at the heart of and in touch with our community and the people who come and go throughout the week. Buildings are an important element of our mission.

So ... we are here .... but we have not yet arrived at the final destination! There is still more fundraising to be done (we are near the totals for this first phase but more is needed!) And ... when the hall is built the community space we have to offer and use will bring new opportunities and directions for growth.

Yours,

Tracey.