Christ Church is an open, friendly church and we are delighted to keep our doors open every day of the week. The 420 pupils of the local primary school use the church for their end of term services, concerts, carol services and festivals. Teachers often use the church as a teaching space, and Open the Book and Collective Worship run by the church is a regular part of the school week. We also run a toddler group and a weekday morning coffee group. But while we have full disabled access and hearing induction loop, as a Victorian building, we don't have a toilet (having to rely on the use of toilets in the nearby Mount Pleasant Centre) and the only sink is in the vestry. Following open meetings and consultations with the local community and having obtained the relevant permissions from the Diocese of Salisbury, we have been fund raising for these renovations so we can offer the church building as a community space with opportunities for use by local groups. The work has been split into two projects, Discover Christ Church! and Future for Christ Church.
Discover Christ Church! aims to become a thriving community hub for the people of Bradford on Avon that is fit for the 21st century. The funds for this community project to explore, restore and celebrate the heritage of this fine Victorian landmark building began on 17 April 2023. A big thank you to The National Lottery Heritage Fund for a grant of £239,761, together with generous contributions, donations and grants from the Bradford on Avon Preservation Trust and the Pilgrim Trust/Church Care, our community and Parochial Church Council, our own fund-raising events and members of our congregation. Bradford on Avon Town Council has awarded a £2,000 Environment Grant award towards improving the biodiversity of the churchyard. And huge thanks to all of Christ Church’s School’s Year 5 pupils whose ideas underpinned our application. The Community Outreach Officer and Project Coordinator for the Discover Christ Church! project began work on 17 April 2023 for a two-year period.
Restoring and repairing the building: Restoring, regilding and restarting our landmark spire clock. # New energy efficient lighting. # Repairs to the spire and tower. # Biodiversity work in the churchyard. # Conserving & cleaning the nave walls and rare wall paintings (our newly cleaned archangels look wonderful).
Running alongside the work on the building is an 18-month programme of inter-generational and inclusive community activities, which has been co-designed with young people. 'Open House' during restoration work, both in church and online, enables people to follow work in action. Celebration days have demonstrations by craft workers and information on progress. Conversation & Craft sessions in church bring together primary school students and older people to make items such as bug houses, decorating plant pots and and making cards with silk paintings. Enhancing the churchyard. The young people have surveyed the plants in the churchyard, designed a new bench for the churchyard, planted native snowdrops, daffodils and bluebells, and planned new planters at the west door. And having allowed the grass to grow in 'no-mow' May for three years, some native early purple orchids have appeared; it is thought they were here when the churchyard was a pasture field. The churchyard is much appreciated by the many passers-by who walk through the churchyard every day.
Future for Christ Church. Our aim was to install toilets (including an accessible one), a kitchen, an office and storage space at the rear of the nave, with flexible open spaces for community use between these areas and the pews, as well as repair work to the bells and bell tower. This work is part funded from proceeds from the sale of our parish rooms (no longer health & safety compliant), and needed substantial repair and redecoration too. In addition we have raised a substantial amount through local effort. By July 2024, we had raised 86% of the total needed through promised grants, donations and our congregation using their talents.
The parable of the talents has inspired the congregation to be creative in using their talent over the past two years. Sales of homemade marmalade, jams and chutneys (sold out very quickly), a range of greetings cards, knitted scarves and packets of flower seeds have all proved popular and added to our total. The Ark Toddler Group parents were very supportive and keen to see the improvements to Christ Church go ahead. Their successful January coffee morning and bring & buy sale raised £320.00. Our 2023 Crib Scene Christmas Cards made a profit of £81 after printing costs. Leaflets sent out with the benefice Christmas Cards helped raise awareness of our projects as well as contributions.
Coronation day on 8th May 2024 saw us celebrate with a community fun day with a plant stall outside and stalls, games, teas and a raffle inside the church. Brave soft toys took the Teddy Zip Wire from the tower room to the end of the central aisle. Result? Just over £1,000 towards the toilets and kitchen. July 2024 saw us reach 86% of the funds needed, and April 2025 reaching our target.
However, we will still need to pay for things such as our energy and water bills, in order to continue to serve our community.
Can you help?
So if you know Christ Church, maybe were baptised or married here, attended Sunday School or got to know us through our close links with the school, could you please consider helping our efforts by donating via our Give A Little campaign.
https://givealittle.co/campaigns/348fecb5-74e7-4c75-90ad-be78d59210da
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