Building Project
In today’s society it is deemed un-acceptable that any public facility should not have appropriate disabled access and adequate toilet and baby changing facilities. The lack of community venue in our village is regularly pointed out and the need for meeting / venue space for various activities is a constant restraint on what can be provided for the residents. Unfortunately, our current facilities of a small vestry and outside toilet, mean we are unable to adequately meet the needs of the public and congregation, due to their size, location and outdated facilities.
We also have no suitable area for communal gathering following a service so that the congregation may spend time chatting over tea/coffee and developing fellowship which we wish to encourage within our church family.
Presently, the very poor facilities do not encourage people to see the church as a “go to space” and for the majority of the time it sits idle waiting for the next service to give it some life. As things stand, although the church doors are open every day, the building is under-utilised and often forgotten by the very many people who walk or drive by on a daily basis. Sadly, whilst being one of the largest buildings in our community, and due to its current ‘layout’ the building is often seen as not usable for many user groups; due to lack of modern facilities, uncomfortable seating, poor heating and accessibility
Through lots of hard work and perseverance we have received (or been pledged) several funding grants, which together with local donations and fund-raising over the past couple of years, means Bosley Parochial Church Council are now able to set a provisional date for starting work on the extension to our Parish church of St. Mary’s.
It is envisaged that the local contractors will start in April 2020. Most of the building work will be external and not interfere with current planned activities and church services until the new door opening into the rear of the church is made.
The re-organisation of the internal elements of the church will then take place; the font re-positioned and some of the Victorian pews sold-off – if you would like to make a donation to buy one of the pews and make it into benches for your home or garden, please get in touch.
The last 12 months have for many of us been frustrating and just so for the Bosley church community; cancellation of services, events and fund-raisers, restrictions on funerals & weddings and also delays for our much-anticipated improvements project. Last April we were due to start work on the kitchen & toilet extension, but COVID delayed this and it wasn’t until late August that the builder finally came on site and demolition of the old lean-to commenced.
On the whole, the build has been straight-forward and although an archaeologist was required on site, it didn’t hold up progress. We now have a beautiful extension, very in-keeping with the main church building with leaded windows, light stone plinths & keystones. The bricks have come from a local Congleton chapel being demolished and so look of a similar age and will blend very well in time.
Inside, the extension houses a light and functionable kitchen with a new boiler to service the church more efficiently and two toilets, one being fully accessible and having a baby-change unit. Our builder has managed to retain, between the new build and tower, a visible section of the original Norman stonework.
The extension build and replacement boiler were Phase 1 of the Improvement Project and together with the initial sale of some of the old Victorian pews, we are now thinking forward to Phase 2 where the flooring & seating will be enhanced by the purchase of chairs and some tables. This will enable us to make the church a more versatile community building. It is anticipated that we will host coffee mornings, luncheon club, pilates, toddler & local groups, as well as weekly worship. If you’re interested in using our new space & facilities do get in touch with the vicar, churchwardens or any member of the church.
Although current government restrictions won’t allow for a celebratory event yet, keep your eyes open for details of when we can! The church is open for private prayer every Wednesday & Sunday (10-4pm) and the toilet facilities are available. Our first service for some months will be held on Easter Sunday at 10am, led by Phil Williams and we look forward to seeing our friends.
This project would not have been possible without the generosity of local benefactors & fund-raisers, or the time and skills of our architect, builder and project team. We are also very thankful for the grants which have been given for the project from the following funders...
Our Mission
The mission of the church, as Jesus commanded, is to go out and make disciples. In order to do that we need to have somewhere we can bring people to. A place that is fit for mission in the 21st century which offers the facilities the modern world requires.
Sadly, our lovely church building fails to meet those needs today. We therefore need to adapt the building so that it is fit for mission! Our aim is to make our church welcoming to all, a place where people feel comfortable and relaxed.
At St. Mary’s we wish to see an active church within the community, with regular meetings of our youth group, parent and toddler group, craft group, drop in meetings, lunches for the elderly & isolated, family friendly activities, community groups, coffee mornings, bell ringing, art/IT/exercise classes, information evenings, concerts, school activities, choir practices, etc.
To take us forward to our next stage of mission development we need a modern functioning space that facilitates community gathering, fosters the concept of a welcoming church and provides the facilities that will enable our community to flourish. We need a space that allows us to be flexible in our worship and use of the building so that it is used as a tool to reach out into the community in fellowship and friendship
We also have no suitable area for communal gathering following a service so that the congregation may spend time chatting over tea/coffee and developing fellowship which we wish to encourage within our church family.
Presently, the very poor facilities do not encourage people to see the church as a “go to space” and for the majority of the time it sits idle waiting for the next service to give it some life. As things stand, although the church doors are open every day, the building is under-utilised and often forgotten by the very many people who walk or drive by on a daily basis. Sadly, whilst being one of the largest buildings in our community, and due to its current ‘layout’ the building is often seen as not usable for many user groups; due to lack of modern facilities, uncomfortable seating, poor heating and accessibility
Through lots of hard work and perseverance we have received (or been pledged) several funding grants, which together with local donations and fund-raising over the past couple of years, means Bosley Parochial Church Council are now able to set a provisional date for starting work on the extension to our Parish church of St. Mary’s.
It is envisaged that the local contractors will start in April 2020. Most of the building work will be external and not interfere with current planned activities and church services until the new door opening into the rear of the church is made.
The re-organisation of the internal elements of the church will then take place; the font re-positioned and some of the Victorian pews sold-off – if you would like to make a donation to buy one of the pews and make it into benches for your home or garden, please get in touch.
The last 12 months have for many of us been frustrating and just so for the Bosley church community; cancellation of services, events and fund-raisers, restrictions on funerals & weddings and also delays for our much-anticipated improvements project. Last April we were due to start work on the kitchen & toilet extension, but COVID delayed this and it wasn’t until late August that the builder finally came on site and demolition of the old lean-to commenced.
On the whole, the build has been straight-forward and although an archaeologist was required on site, it didn’t hold up progress. We now have a beautiful extension, very in-keeping with the main church building with leaded windows, light stone plinths & keystones. The bricks have come from a local Congleton chapel being demolished and so look of a similar age and will blend very well in time.
Inside, the extension houses a light and functionable kitchen with a new boiler to service the church more efficiently and two toilets, one being fully accessible and having a baby-change unit. Our builder has managed to retain, between the new build and tower, a visible section of the original Norman stonework.
The extension build and replacement boiler were Phase 1 of the Improvement Project and together with the initial sale of some of the old Victorian pews, we are now thinking forward to Phase 2 where the flooring & seating will be enhanced by the purchase of chairs and some tables. This will enable us to make the church a more versatile community building. It is anticipated that we will host coffee mornings, luncheon club, pilates, toddler & local groups, as well as weekly worship. If you’re interested in using our new space & facilities do get in touch with the vicar, churchwardens or any member of the church.
Although current government restrictions won’t allow for a celebratory event yet, keep your eyes open for details of when we can! The church is open for private prayer every Wednesday & Sunday (10-4pm) and the toilet facilities are available. Our first service for some months will be held on Easter Sunday at 10am, led by Phil Williams and we look forward to seeing our friends.
This project would not have been possible without the generosity of local benefactors & fund-raisers, or the time and skills of our architect, builder and project team. We are also very thankful for the grants which have been given for the project from the following funders...
- Allchurches Trust
- Bernard Sunley Charitable Foundation
- Bosley Parish Council
- Cheshire Community Foundation
- Garfield Weston Anniversary Fund
- Historic Cheshire Churches Preservation Trust
- National Churches Trust
Our Mission
The mission of the church, as Jesus commanded, is to go out and make disciples. In order to do that we need to have somewhere we can bring people to. A place that is fit for mission in the 21st century which offers the facilities the modern world requires.
Sadly, our lovely church building fails to meet those needs today. We therefore need to adapt the building so that it is fit for mission! Our aim is to make our church welcoming to all, a place where people feel comfortable and relaxed.
At St. Mary’s we wish to see an active church within the community, with regular meetings of our youth group, parent and toddler group, craft group, drop in meetings, lunches for the elderly & isolated, family friendly activities, community groups, coffee mornings, bell ringing, art/IT/exercise classes, information evenings, concerts, school activities, choir practices, etc.
To take us forward to our next stage of mission development we need a modern functioning space that facilitates community gathering, fosters the concept of a welcoming church and provides the facilities that will enable our community to flourish. We need a space that allows us to be flexible in our worship and use of the building so that it is used as a tool to reach out into the community in fellowship and friendship
Our Vision
The proposal is to improve the space and facilities of the church through the building of a small extension to the South-West corner; in which to house new kitchen and toilet facilities. The project will also include installation of a modern heating boiler and radiators, re-siting the font to the front of the church, replacing some of the Victorian pews with flexible seating, upgrading the sound system with projection equipment, improving the lighting and flooring and installing heritage information boards.
It is envisaged that the project will be undertaken in 2, or maybe 3, phases over the coming years, as and when funding permits. The first phase is to build the extension which will provide a suitably sized kitchen and toilet facilities with the provision for baby changing and disabled use. Phase 2 will see the installation of new heating pipework and radiators throughout the church and restructuring of the church internal layout to provide flexible worship and meeting space, with the building utilizing its potential to be used by everyone in the village for a variety of social uses.
The adaption of the nave into a versatile space enables the PCC to provide the congregation with a mix of the traditional and the contemporary, that understands the needs of its parishioners, respectful of the history of the building and paves the way for the future, whilst enabling the building to be an active part of the community and welcoming to residents and visitors.
The proposed plans and architects’ drawings are available to see at the back of church and will be available online shortly.
How you can Help
If you’d like more information about the plans and the redevelopment, or would like to be involved in the project, please speak to a member of the Church Improvement Project Team;
If you would like to make a financial contribution, please speak to a member of the Fund-raising & Finance team;
Donations can be handed to any church member, or send by cheque to
“St. Mary’s Church”, Bosley, SK11 0NX, or direct BACS payment to –
BARCLAYS Bank, Account No. 83966275, Sort Code 20-53-77
Our Prayer
Dear Lord,
We give thanks for Your goodness. We pray for Your guidance, wisdom and provision as we embark on this exciting new project – ‘Space to Grow’.
Give us courage to step out in faith, a boldness to give and a hunger to see Your church transformed, that St. Mary’s will truly be a ‘Space to Grow’ in faith!
Amen
The proposal is to improve the space and facilities of the church through the building of a small extension to the South-West corner; in which to house new kitchen and toilet facilities. The project will also include installation of a modern heating boiler and radiators, re-siting the font to the front of the church, replacing some of the Victorian pews with flexible seating, upgrading the sound system with projection equipment, improving the lighting and flooring and installing heritage information boards.
It is envisaged that the project will be undertaken in 2, or maybe 3, phases over the coming years, as and when funding permits. The first phase is to build the extension which will provide a suitably sized kitchen and toilet facilities with the provision for baby changing and disabled use. Phase 2 will see the installation of new heating pipework and radiators throughout the church and restructuring of the church internal layout to provide flexible worship and meeting space, with the building utilizing its potential to be used by everyone in the village for a variety of social uses.
The adaption of the nave into a versatile space enables the PCC to provide the congregation with a mix of the traditional and the contemporary, that understands the needs of its parishioners, respectful of the history of the building and paves the way for the future, whilst enabling the building to be an active part of the community and welcoming to residents and visitors.
The proposed plans and architects’ drawings are available to see at the back of church and will be available online shortly.
How you can Help
If you’d like more information about the plans and the redevelopment, or would like to be involved in the project, please speak to a member of the Church Improvement Project Team;
- Rev. John Harries
- Alison Tottle
- Neil Wain
- Tom Collis
- -
- -
If you would like to make a financial contribution, please speak to a member of the Fund-raising & Finance team;
- Richard Savage
- Angela Shuker
- Jane Nixon
Donations can be handed to any church member, or send by cheque to
“St. Mary’s Church”, Bosley, SK11 0NX, or direct BACS payment to –
BARCLAYS Bank, Account No. 83966275, Sort Code 20-53-77
Our Prayer
Dear Lord,
We give thanks for Your goodness. We pray for Your guidance, wisdom and provision as we embark on this exciting new project – ‘Space to Grow’.
Give us courage to step out in faith, a boldness to give and a hunger to see Your church transformed, that St. Mary’s will truly be a ‘Space to Grow’ in faith!
Amen