We are very sad to share the news that Alison Saxton died peacefully and surrounded by those who loved her on Thursday 28 March 2024.Alison was a much loved and respected member of our church family. She was very active in church affairs; most recently holding the positions of Treasurer and Churchwarden during the Covid 19 epidemic and our last interregnum. Working with Julia Stevens, she was influential in the choice of our current Vicar, Andy Patrick.The thoughts and prayers of the church family are with Mark and all the family as they grieve her loss.We were so blessed to have known Alison and grateful for all that she has been and shared with us.May she rest in peace and rise in glory
Health and Safety There have been no reported health and safety incidents or accidents in the period. The church path entrance has been blocked off and there is now no thoroughfare between Church and Vicarage Lanes. Access to Dore Old School has been established for parents and children attending First Steps Nursery via the Vicarage Lane entrance. Wider access to the churchyard by visitors is available at this point in the works but this may change as and when external work commences. Progress and Programme Progress on the building project has been slower than anticipated in the period. The reason for this is that high severity asbestos was discovered at the front of the nave under the raised podium floor in a supplementary, planned, asbestos survey. The nature of this asbestos and its location required a further (third) survey to be carried out to ensure it was not present under the existing nave floor. This survey took an additional 2 weeks to organise and complete. The positive was that the asbestos was limited to the area under the raised podium floor. A further two weeks programme time was lost in mobilisation of the asbestos removal company and the removal work taking an additional 1 week to complete from that originally forecast. The asbestos removal exercise is due to be complete at the end of w/c 4 March 24. However, T&C Williams have progressed the Enabling Works element of their package in the period by removing the pipe organ, the pulpit and the choir vestry cupboards and disconnecting and draining the existing central heating system. This work has revealed that the internal choir vestry/nave wall is in good condition with no water ingress and that there is a substantial existing opening in the wall between the nave and the former organ chamber. The nave pews, rood screen, organ pipes, a lectern and a Bishops chair have been removed and auctioned in the period as well as a number of surplus hassocks. Activities in the Next Period · Completion of asbestos removal · Removal of existing ceramic tiles in the chancel including investigation into the floor construction. · Removal of central heating radiators and associated pipework · Obtain a final version of the Written Scheme of Investigation from ARS · Issue instructions to Northern Power Grid regarding moving the permanent electrical supply to the Church. · Trial cores in choir vestry floor to prove construction and thickness.
Less progress than planned occurred in the period since January 24 due to the presence of asbestos being recorded in an underfloor area at the front of the nave. This area only became available for inspection when the church building was vacated at the beginning of January. After a 2 week mandatory standdown, it is planned for the asbestos to be fully removed starting in week commencing 26 February with a two week duration.However good progress has been made in removal of the pews, the organ, rood screen and choir vestry cupboards as well as uncovering an existing opening between the nave and the former organ chamber. All this work is necessary to enable the actual construction phase and has gone without hitch.With asbestos removal starting and to be followed by the building works ramping up, the pathway between Church Lane and Vicarage Lane will be closed for pedestrian access until November 24. The pathway between the Lych Gate on Vicarage Lane and First Steps nursery located in Dore Old School will remain open to form safe access for children and parents visiting First Steps. General access to the churchyard by members of the public will be allowed at the weekends and public holidays only (i.e. when the Contractor will not be working). These arrangements will be kept under review and may be subject to change depending on the work being carried out and the feedback we get.
The church building of Christ Church Dore has shut its doors for approximately 9 months to allow modernisation, access improvements and refurbishment to start in mid January 24.The pattern of weekly services has changed with effect from 21 February 24 to:5.30pm Sunday: main weekly family service held now in the Christ Church Dore Community Centre on Townhead Road, Dore10.30am Thursday: mid week Holy communion service held in Dore Methodist Church, High Street, Dore (by kind permission of Dore Methodist Church).For further details of services, please contact the Parish Office.
