Central Hall Update

It’s almost four years since we launched our Central Hall Development Fund to enable us to refurbish Central Hall. On Sunday 1st June, an update report was available at each service to let everyone know where we are at the moment. The content of this report is below:

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who contributed to this project either through a one-off gift or a regular monthly contribution.

In May 2004 we outlined our refurbishment plans over three phases:
Phase 1 – Electrical upgrade
Phase 2 – Entrance foyer and Main Hall
Phase 3 – North & South wings

Our estimated costs for Phases 1 & 2 were £1.2m. We set a target of £700,000 to raise by donations, borrowing the balance up to an agreed limit of £500,000. To date, over £672,000 has been raised from donations, gift aid and bank interest, with a small number of pledges still to
be completely redeemed. Expenditure to date is £1,139,673. We have been able to complete the work in the Main Hall including new seating, heating, lighting, electrical infrastructure, carpets, curtains and redecoration as well as a new baptistry. We have also completed the work in the entrance foyer, added new signage, fire and burglar alarms and resurfaced the car park. The proposed plan to redevelop the stage area proved to be prohibitively expensive because of structural challenges.

      

We have started to do some of the work as part of Phase 3 of our refurbishment programme. The Coffee Shop has been developed in the north corridor and we have refurbished Room 14 as a dedicated training room. Rooms 11 and 12 have been upgraded and are currently in use as office space for two of our partner organisations, Oasis Community Learning and Mayflower Services. All this work is being financed through specific donations, rental income and Coffee Shop income streams.

We have drawn up plans for improvements to the toilet facilities to include more disabled provision, refurbishment of the various ancillary rooms, replacing the existing electrical heating with gas-fired heating and providing child friendly, low surface-temperature radiators. We estimate that the likely costs for these developments will be in the region of £100,000.

We are planning to have a number of Building Development Fund gift days this year (the first being July 13th) to facilitate the ongoing development of Central Hall, Aster House and the potential building in Eastleigh. We appreciate your ongoing committed support and look forward with great excitement to all that God will do in the future.

The Future...

The vision for Central Hall as stated in the leaflet for the opening ceremony in 1925 was, that it would become “a busy hive of positive ideals and interests with CHRIST as the CENTRE.”

This continues to be our vision for this great building. With all that God is leading us to be involved with across the city and region we believe Central Hall has a key part to play in our ongoing strategy.

Currently the building is used to host:
· Our regular church gatherings
· Youth activities
· Central Counselling Service
· Regular prayer gatherings
· The administration for New Community Network
· Training and equipping courses
· H2O Homeless Day Centre
· Solent University’s Performing Arts Course
· The Community Café
· Concerts and other events for the wider community

. Office facilities for a number of Christian organisations – (Miracle Street, Oasis Community   

  Learning and Mayflower Services)
· External groups and organisations for one-off events and longer term hires
· A variety of one-off events and conferences for the wider church
· Central Hall Community Gospel Choir
· Weekly Craft and Toddler Groups

As we look to the future we have identified our key objectives for Central Hall are:

1. The development of two great gatherings here on a Sunday

2. A range of events to equip and serve the church
· Training programmes
· Conferences
· Outreach events
· Youth events
· Regular worship and prayer events

3. Opening the building to the whole community as much as we can
The development of the Coffee Shop has enabled us to open the building to the whole community much more often. Currently it is open to the public from 8.30am until 3pm Monday to Friday and on Friday evenings from 6pm to 8pm. Our aim is to extend those hours from 8am until 8pm, 6 days a week and to be open before and after our meetings on a Sunday.

The development of the Community Café on Sunday afternoons has also broadened our work into the community. We feel this will be a key part of the development of Central Hall into the future. We are exploring the possibilities of locating more services here including:
· Well-being Health Clinic
· Pregnancy Crisis & post-Abortion Counselling
· Debt Counselling
· A regular Pastoral Clinic

4. Making the venue available to the wider community for training events, conferences and other events

5. To provide an incubator for Christian organisations to develop

To download a pdf of this report, please click here.