Urgent repairs to a Stockton community church have been carried out after it hit the five-figure target that it needed to pay for the work required.
During its most recent building inspection, the concrete window surrounds and sills at St Andrew’s Methodist Church on Hardwick Road were found to be in urgent need of repair, with the building potentially being at risk of closure if the required work could not be carried out quickly.
A fundraising campaign was launched by the church to bring in the £10,000 required to make the building safe again, with funding being secured from the Benefact Trust, the Tees Foundation and the Stockton Methodist Circuit.
A £2,000 grant from North East employer the Banks Group’s Banks Community Fund was added to a similar contribution from the church’s own fund which took the fundraising campaign past its target, with the work required to replace the rusted metal inside the window surrounds right around the church now being complete.
Alongside its regular church services and functions, St Andrew’s also hosts the Stockton Hope project, a community larder which is used by around 30 people every week who live in what is one of the most deprived parts of the area.
The church also offers a free weekly Warm Space session that anyone can attend, while it also hosts meetings of the local Scouts, Cubs and Beavers, chair exercise sessions for local older people and a monthly Women’s Friendly Circle group.
Gillian Carr, senior steward at St Andrew’s Methodist Church, says: “Our five-yearly inspection revealed some serious structural issues and it was clear that if, we didn’t tackle them urgently, we might not be able to carry on using the worst affected parts of the building.
“The community larder and warm space that we offer is a real lifeline for lots of local people and there’s would be a real impact on their quality of life if we weren’t able to continue welcoming them into the building.
“The response to our fundraising campaign has been heartening, from both individuals and the likes of the Benefact Trust, Stockton Methodist Circuit, the Tees Foundation and the Banks Group, who have all provided invaluable grant funding.
“To be in a position to get the repair work carried out has given us peace of mind about the building’s fabric and its long-term future, as well as confidence that the services we provide can be maintained.”
Kate Culverhouse, community relations manager at the Banks Group, adds: “St Andrew’s has a huge community impact that goes well beyond its walls and it’s great to hear that the work required to repair and strengthen these walls has now been finished.”
Anyone from a community close to a Banks Group project who is interested in applying for funding from the Banks Community Fund should contact the company via the enquiry form on its website (www.banksgroup.co.uk/contact-us/) to find out if their group or project is eligible.