Linacre Methodist Mission

Beacon Project Receives a Major Grant

Linacre Mission stands in the heart of the Sefton Housing Market Renewal area of Litherland and has been awarded £500,000 in lottery funding to totally revamp the community areas.

Used by the community since its birth in 1905 the Linacre Mission provides everything from bible study to Brownies and toddlers groups to Tae-Kwondo.

But funding has been sorely needed to improve the vast amount of community space the Linacre Road building has to offer, so that it can be used more widely by people in the area for conferences, exhibitions and community groups and bring the centre into the 21st Century.

The capital work will include two social enterprise spaces which will house not-for profit businesses creating jobs in the local community, a kitchen that will be able to cater for more than 80 people, new modern facilities such as central heating and toilets, access for disabled people, a revamped games hall and refurbished meeting rooms.

It has taken the volunteers two years work to secure the funding which is the maximum they could have hoped for. Phase 3 development is set to start in January 2010 and we have other applications pending to Charitable Foundations for the remaining finance needed.

Linda Wills, the Beacon Project Manager said:

“The Mission is a key centre within the Linacre community and has been since the days of the Lighthouse Café at the turn of the last century. We have more than 500 people using the building each week and really need now to be meeting the new needs of the community in 2009 and onwards.

The lottery funding is going to help us achieve that aim and we are delighted that we have been awarded the maximum amount. We still have some match funding to find to complete the amount required but we can’t wait to see the finished centre when the work is completed next year.”

Hundreds of local people in Litherland and the surrounding South Sefton Area, will benefit from this major Community Buildings Big Lottery Grant, for the Beacon Project, which firmly establishes the community rooms of Linacre Mission as a versatile Neighbourhood Centre with accessibility and facilities for the disabled on all floors.