Renewal Discussions

Burial ground mapping & research

2012-02-02T16:45:00.000Z

We have prepared plans of the burial ground to the north side of the leisure centre in order to survey the graves and monuments located there. Since the slope to the existing building is so steep, we are investigating alternative ways to access a new building which we hope to put up in early 2013.

This may involve re-locating a small number of stones to adjacent parts of the burial ground. We have created the plan, a photographic record and full transcription of the most likely to be affected graves so that surviving family members can be contacted and consulted on the moves.

We have no intention of moving or disturbing the graves themselves and where moves are to be made, we will try to put them in more prominent positions and at the same time, make efforts to restore and clean the stones.

No firm design or plans have been made yet, research is still underway to find interested parties, we expect to begin to firm up plans towards the middle of 2012.

If you think that you may be affected by this plan or know of someone who may have an interest in it then please contact Stephen Grosvenor s.grosvenor@gmail.com or 01793 341034.

You can download:

the plan here
the monument transcriptions here

and see the photo graphic record here

Christ Church, Swindon Development and Renewal Strategy

2011-08-25T10:50:00.003+01:00

This paper sets out the strategy for progressing the revitalisation of Christ Church and its Church Centre. The strategy was approved unanimously by the Parochial Church Council on 25^th July 2011.

Church Centre

We have agreed that the redevelopment of the Church Centre should be progressed using moneys from the “106 fund” available from Swindon Borough Council and the currently “restricted” fund that arose from the sale of the former Church Hall in Devizes Road.

The existing Church Centre would require extensive repairs in the near future if it were to continue to be used, butthat option has been discounted because it would extend the life of the building for only a limited period.

The total redevelopment of the Church Centre offers an exciting opportunity to provide a modern facility for both community and Church use.

A co-ordinated redevelopment of the site has many advantages:

Potential to use the restricted funds from the sale of the former Church Hall.
Eligibility to use the Borough Council’s available “106 fund” (£200,000).
Updated and improved facilities (better disabled access, toilets, kitchen etc).
ILower running costs through more efficient heating and insulation.
Accommodation of a purpose-built parish office on the Church site, allowing the sale of the existing office at 36 Cricklade Street.
More storage space and less clutter
Improved facilities for greater and a wider range of community use.
It may be possible to attract additional community grant funding for this option.

Christ Church

While the Church Centre is being redeveloped, plans will to be consolidated for the revitalisation of the the Church building.

Previous efforts have focused on replacing the roof first. Although there would be some merit in this, it would cost approximately £450,000, but has so far attracted very little support from grant and other funding bodies. This is partly because of the value of the assets currently showing in the Church accounts. It would take a huge effort to raise that level of funding in the current financial climate, while offering no obvious or immediate benefit to the Church or the wider community.

We therefore recommend that works inside the Church, which would have a more tangible impact and benefit for the Church (and community), are progressed ahead of work on the roof that is not urgently required.

Heating/Floor

Our preferred option is for under-floor heating. This would be zoned and supplemented by wall-mounted radiators. The heat source would be provided by two coupled gas boilers located in the old boiler room under the vestry.

This would require the removal of the existing floor, and the laying of a new floor which would contain insulation and the heating matrix. It would also have the advantage of providing a level surface throughout the main body of the Church, which would allow free disabled access and greater flexibility in the use of the building.

The new Church Centre would be available to use for worship while this disruptive work iscarried out in the Church.

Seating

One our key concerns in the renewal plan is to create a more flexible and more comfortable seating space in the Church. Work to replace the heating and level the floor would require the removal of the existing pews. Surveys have indicated a range of views amongst members of the congregation about the possibility of permanently removing the pews. We propose to replace the existing pews with lighter, more comfortable and portable stacking pews in the body of the Church. We would also remove the remaining aisle pews and replace them with the existing chairs. This would provide greater flexibility in the use of the Church and more comfortable seating, but would require careful consultation with the Diocesan Advisory Committee and other interested parties such as English Heritage and the Victorian Society..

Insulation

Further investigation is required into the merits of possibly installing a glazed screen across the west end of the Church. This would provide an area for meeting and greeting before entering the main body of the Church, and reduce heat loss and draughts from open doors.. The design of a screen would need to be compatible with any revised layout of the building to avoid compromising its flexible use. IIn addition, there is a need to improve the draught-proofing on the main west and south porch doors. We are committed to ensuring that the renewed Church interior is cost effective and efficient to run, but this aspect requires further thought before recommendations are made.

Lighting

Further research and costings are needed before recommendations can be made, but in keeping with our commitments to reduce energy costs and environmental impacts, and improve the interior of the building, we consider it to be an important part of the development process.

Audio/ visual

Because of changes to the frequencies at which radio-microphones may be operated, we will be legally required to make changes to the Church’s existing audio system in 2012 in order for it to continue to be used. In making those changes, we are also considering additional options to upgrade the system and enhance our audio/visual facilities.

Cleaning Internal Walls

The internal walls of the Church are dirty and stained, and would benefit from thorough, professional cleaning. This would lighten the interior of the building and provide a more inviting atmosphere. However, there would be little merit in carrying this out until roof repairs have been completed, as further water staining from leaks would occur before and during the roof works. It is recommended that this work is deferred until after the roof works have been completed.

Funding for interior Church works

Although further analysis is required to confirm the estimated costs of the proposed works, it is felt that some of them could be undertaken using funds made available from pledges, fund-raising events and existing resources that could be released from within the Church accounts. The latter are:-

The remainder of any moneys from the sale of the former Church Hall that could be de-restricted.
Proceeds from the proposed sale of the existing Parish Office.
Proceeds from the proposed sale of the house owned by the Church in Upham Road

Removing those assets from the Church balance sheet would make it more likely that we would be able to apply successfully for grants towards the costs of other aspects of the development and renewal programme

Church Roof

The past 5 quinquennial reports have commented on the condition of the existing slates and lead gutters, and the latest recommends re-roofing within the next 5 years. Currently the Church is managing this by undertaking reactive repairs as necessary. Although this approach cannot be continued indefinitely, the roof is not currently showing signs of significant leaks or deterioration.

It is recommended that the current maintenance regime is continued with annual provision being made for patching and repair as necessary. While the interior works are underway, drawings, specifications and contracts will be progressed. These will add support to any grant applications that are to be submitted for the roof works. Consideration will also be given to installing photo-voltaic cells on the roof to help reduce future electricity costs. These could be demountable to allow future maintenance of the roof.

Summary of proposals

1. Use the contribution available from the Borough Council’s “106 fund”, and some of the “restricted” money from the sale of the former Church Hall, to replace the existing Church Centre with a new and larger modular building incorporating a hall, kitchen, toilets, meeting rooms and Parish Office.

A small group has been formed from members of the Development and Renewal Group and the wider community to work with our architect and Swindon Borough Council to plan and progress this project. The group will report back to the Development and Renewal Group and the PCC.

2. Sell the existing Parish Office (and possibly the curate’s house in Upham Road) and use the proceeds, together with any residual funds that can be de-restricted from the sale of the Church Hall, grants and fund-raising income, to carry out the proposed work to the interior of the Church, commencing with the heating, seating and floor.

3. Following the interior works, concentrate efforts on fund-raising and grant applications for repairs to the Church roof, external walls and rainwater goods. The work to the roof could be carried out in phases as funds permit.

This report marks the end of a long period of investigation, discussion and research. It outlines the approach that we plan to take to develop and renew the Christ Church site.

Plans are being developed for the design of the new church centre, and work has started to evaluate the scope and costs of the above proposals, on which we would very much welcome your comments and suggestions.

If you would like to find out more or get involved in the project, please contact any member of the Development andRenewal Group or the Parish Office (01793 522832) or read and contribute to the Renewal Blog at http://christchurchrenewal.blogspot.com/

Members of the Development and Renewal Group

Pam Bridgeman

Lynda Fisher

Peter Ford

Stephen Grosvenor

Gareth Hutchinson
Norma McKemey

Bernard Oxborrow

Mike Palmer
Ailsa PalmerDaniel Pitt

SImon Stevenette

Trudie Wigley

Update on Renewal Plans for our Hall

2011-07-11T19:41:00.001+01:00

As a part of the Renewal and Development of the Christ Church site, we are planning to build a new community centre. This will replace our current leisure centre which has served the community for the past 40 years. Our intention is to create a larger, better equipped and more flexible building that will meet the needs of the local community for years to come.
We have been discussing with local councillors, an opportunity to make an application for 106 Development funds which, if successful, will give us a substantial contribution towards the costs of the new building. We intend also to release some of our own funds and apply for further grants from other bodies to complete the works.

We have the full support of the Old Town Church leaders and are consulting with other Old Town community groups, and other interested parties to ensure that we can reflect their needs in our designs.

We are setting up a working group, a sub group of the Christ Church Development & Renewal group, who will manage the development stages of the project. This will include members from the church, council and community representatives.

As an important feature of the Old Town conservation area, we are mindful or our responsibilities in preserving the unique and historic qualities of our site and will be working closely with Conservation and Heritage experts to ensure that our development is both sensitive and effective. Later on this year we will also host an open day to provide more information on our plans.

Although at an early stage, we are working towards submitting a fully costed plan to council planning by the end of this year. If you would like to find out more or get involved with the project, then please contact Stephen Grosvenor on 01793 341043, email him on mailto:s.grosvenor@gmail.com or read and comment on our Renewal Blog at http://christchurchrenewal.blogspot.com/

The Development & Renewal Group

Repairing the roof and Solar energy use

2011-02-04T19:06:00.000Z

I’m sure the Church would look very nice with all the stonework cleaned but since joining Christ Church back in 1959I have always been hearing about the problems we are having with the roof. As we get high winds up on the hill one feels the roof is an ongoing problem we have to live with. With this in mind, and I’m all for having it cleaned,but I wonder will these stains turn up again in five to ten years time.

Having said this I like most of the other proposals, especially replacing the pews with chairs. I was very impressed when I met our PR Lady Sara at the first meeting we had at Christ Church. So I feel with God’s help we will get all the funds that we will need for these projects.

There is one thing that worries me and that is no mention of renewable energy. A few years ago when I invested some of my money in a wind farm I found people were very negative towards the project. I would like to say now that the return is better than I’m getting on some of my building society accounts. Now I’m going to have solar panels (PV) to generate electricity put on my roof and still getting the same negative feedback like “I suppose you know what you are doing“.

The way I look at it, is that this great energy we get from the sun, wind, and also these fast flowing rivers is God given and free so we should harness it. I know Christ Church is a listed building but I heard of a church that is a lot older than ours in London and they have there solar panels put on a building very near to the church.

By the way, I will be getting paid for some of my electricity that will be fed into the grid so I feel it could be a good investment for Christ Church. As the price of electricity is not likely to go down over the years I feel as time goes by it’s becoming a better investment all the time.There are now a lot of churches in the UK that are enjoying the benefits of solar panels, so I hope
Christ Church will be joining them.

Very Best Wishes with all the projects and looking forward to seeing the improvements.

An Interesting article about Pews

2010-12-29T17:25:00.000Z

Many churches have been refurnished through the centuries, and parishes will rightly wish to consider whether their existing furnishings are suitable for their needs. But changes to seating will make a significant alteration to a church and will need careful thinking through to make sure that the best solution is reached. Read More at churchcare.co.uk

Governance and Responsibilities - Renewal & Development Committee

2010-11-07T11:00:00.001Z

We have formed a number of different committees and groups over the past few years to manage the day to day running of the various fund raising, planning and development activities at Christ Church. These have made valuable contributions to the Development and Renewal process and have set the stage for where we are now.

It is important to have a clear committee structure so that everyone knows who is involved and what the decision making process is, so we have simplified our existing committees and groups and below, provide a list of the current members of the group.

The Development & Renewal Committee
Chair: Sara Tye mailto:sara@redheadpr.co.uk
Members: Dave Godfrey Dave.godfrey@blazie.co.uk
John Michaux johnteresamichaux@hotmail.com
Teresa Michaux johnteresamichaux@hotmail.com
Daniel Pitt fdPitt@yahoo.co.uk
Gareth Hutchinson Gareth.hutch@Yahoo.co.uk
Claire Beaton clairebeaton@waitrose.com
Ian Walters Ianwalters21@sky.com
Mike Palmer Michael.Plamer@networkrail.co.uk
Ailsa Palmer michaelailsa@O2.co.uk
Peter Ford Peter_Ford@sky.com
Simon Stevenette Simon.stevenette@tiscali.co.uk
Stephen Grosvenor s.grosvenor@gmail.com
Pamela Bridgeman pamelabridgeman@btinternet.com
Lynda Fisher lyndaefisher@hotmail.co.uk

A subcommittee of the P.C.C that exists to provide, both strategic and detailed, planning recommendations to the P.C.C. on aspects of church development and renewal. This covers:

Development target setting and measurement to enable us to measure the success of our plans.
Managing a strategic overall plan to deliver the renewal vision.
Liaising with specialist suppliers and consultants to get ideas and ultimately costs and plans for roof repairs, heating, lighting and sound systems, sustainable energy such as Solar panels.
Organising and managing fund raising appeals
Communicating progress both within the church community and in Swindon and beyond.A more detailed description of our full governance process and our other committees and groups is available in the introduction to our Annual Report which you can find on the website at: (or from the parish office) http://www.christchurchswindon.co.uk/PDFs/annual%20report%202009%20final.pdf

Comments received about the Christ Church Renewal Proposals

2010-10-27T21:29:00.002+01:00

We received a number of written comments via various means. We have summarised them in [this document]. We have also included comments received about the Christ Church development plan.

If you would like to comment further on any aspect of the renewal process then please contact us either by commenting on these pages or by email to the parishoffice@christchurchswindon.co.uk

Caring for the planet - Renewal

2010-09-18T13:09:00.003+01:00

Following the architect's draft proposals and our congregational review and consultation, we are seeking to get a firmer idea of what has been done elsewhere in churches across the country. We are particularly interested in understanding more about using God's resources more effectively.

Have a look at some of the links below for more information about what is being done

Saint Silas - Solar Panels Project

St Mary's Ealing

http://www.lightperceptions.co.uk/studies.htm

http://www.lukehughes.co.uk/galleries/index.html

Comment on the pews

2010-08-26T14:22:00.005+01:00

I think that we should have a better idea of why we are moving the pews. They form an important part of the traditional church and whilst uncomfortable are integral to the Sunday experience. I like the idea of a entrance area at the back of the church - this will avoid the scrum we often get a the end of services. I don't think the toilet pod is a practical idea - it will be too big for the space we have.

Renewal 2010

2010-07-15T23:53:00.008+01:00

For some time we have been thinking and praying about future plans to ensure that our Church Building remains at the heart of the community and is able to continue to be fit to serve our worship and the community in the coming years.
It is important that everyone understands and is able to input to the decision making process about any changes that may be made .We will soon be embarking on a further major consultation with our friends and congregation to decide how best to ensure that Christchurch remains at the centre of the community in Swindon for the next 160 years. Please pray for all those concerned with trying to put across a clear vision and keep an eye on the website for more details.

Read the architects Proposal Read the architects Brief