Progress on the project has accelerated in the last 3 months.

Key project milestones of Invitation to Tender (ITT) to contractors and Tender returns were achieved in the period.

A significant amount of work was required by the Project delivery team in order to issue a detailed and robust ITT to our contractors. Thanks go to John Cunnington, our Architect, our subconsultants Tim and Anca of Shearstone Mechanical and Mason Clark Associates respectively and Lewis and Alex of RLB, our commercial consultants. The CCD project delivery team welcomed Steve Clarke as our project treasurer. While overall responsibility for all of CCD accounts naturally remains with Alison, Steve will have day to day responsibility for the project finances reporting through to Alison.

Comprehensive and detailed tender returns were received from 3 contractors at the end of September and a process of review and interviews is underway now. We plan to have concluded our due diligence and nominate a preferred contractor by the end of October.

Also at the end of August, Practical Completion of the Vestry roof replacement contract occurred. A number of additional items were added to that project scope which extended the contractors period on site and impacted the final value: these included removal of the church safe through the roof, renewal of a blocked and broken drain in the churchyard, the re-building of an unrecorded collapsed manhole and a long overdue replacement of the lead piped water supply to the church building.

During September, the fundraising team continued their tireless efforts to attract grant funding. Unfortunately, to date with mixed success due to an altered economic landscape. However, that was outshone by the generous giving of the church congregation and a number of individuals in the wider village community in the recent “Step into the Light” 11 days of celebrating God’s gifts. These efforts have taken us beyond 75% funding at the time of writing. Exceeding this benchmark opens the door for us to be able to access further grant opportunities that are conditional on achieving 75% funding.

Finally, we discovered recently what information would be required by the Diocesan Advisory Committee (DAC) to allow them to understand and approve our revised plans. This will entail a re-draft of the Statement of Needs and a site visit by representatives of the DAC in early November. The DAC then meets at the end of November to make a recommendation. This meeting is so close to Christmas that this has required us to delay the likely commencement of construction until early January 2024. Although this delay is unwanted, there are benefits that accrue from a delayed start: it allows us to organise ourselves well to commence the work, it provides an extended procurement and mobilisation period for our preferred contractor, it allows us to hold our Advent & Christmas services in the church building this year, it extends the window for grant submissions and, according to programmes submitted by our tenderers, should allow us to hold our Advent & Christmas services 2024 in a shiny new and re-ordered building.

There are a growing number of positive signs that lead to increasing confidence in our ability to realise the delivery of the long planned Church re-ordering project. But there are some significant imminent hurdles to overcome too- the most important of which are DAC approval and achieving a fully funded project. Your continued generosity and prayerful support will be welcome as we seek to clear all the obstacles in lie in our path.