Why the change
Why do we need Project Shine?
There are three reasons why Project Shine is needed now…
1. The Lantern Church is growing
Since Covid the Lantern has began to grow again. An exciting new venture has been the employment of a Children’s and Youth Worker. We are also now a training Church for new Clergy. These additional staff posts have helped facilitate growth in the church.
The number of children we have on a Sunday in our Services means we need more space to continue offer quality age related Sunday School groups. Our Baby and Toddler group regularly now feels full or even sometimes too full.
But perhaps more importantly space constraints stop us offering additional support to these families such as Parenting Advice, Brest Feeding Clinics, Child Healthy Eating classes, Child First Aid etc. Community Corner, our ministry that brings Pre-School age children and the Elderly together in a wonderful all age community now fills the space available. No break-out groups can be offered, no quiet corners or one-to-one space.
2. Community Space in Marlow Bottom is insufficient for the growth in need for rental space
With the closure of the Methodist Chapel there is added pressure for space to hire for clubs, children’s parties, exercise groups and after school activities. The village hall has an excellent pre-school that fills the space during the week and so space for any other daytime groups is very limited in The Valley.
Marlow Bottom has a lot of creative people, keen to support their local community by offering things to do. We are currently turning bookings away which this new building will be able to serve.
3. The current building is ‘tired’ and insufficient
“It is a building designed to last 35 years that is celebrating its 50th birthday”, this was said by an Architect inspecting our Church building in 2015. It’s cold in the winter, very inaccessible to people with mobility issues, its environmental credentials are poor, it uses space inefficiently, commits the hideous crime of not having enough storage space and is not big enough for the needs of its users. The kitchen is too small to serve more than the most basic refreshments and there are not enough breakout rooms of sufficient size and flexibility for the current needs of the church and community.
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