LINACRE METHODIST MISSION

We are delighted with the completion of Phase 1, which has given us a new entrance in Bowden Street, with a levelled floor and lift into the building. This means that all the ground floor is now easily accessible for everyone, with a new reception area directly opposite the Main Hall entrance leading into the Lower Hall. The children’s toilets have been upgraded and the office corridor leading to the Wesley Lounge boasts new Ladies toilets and a unisex disabled toilet with baby changing facilities. The Wesley Lounge is upgraded as are the Minister’s and Church offices on this corridor. This has made a warm and welcoming entrance which has attracted many more people into the building and a number of community groups are already using the premises. We have a Tae-Kwondo group three nights a week, Slimming World twice a week, Sefton Youth services run a youth group and the Sefton Youth Offending Team have a Parenting group once a week. Child and Family Connect have an office on the first floor and a contact centre on a Saturday morning. Alongside these run our Uniformed organisations, Inters Club, Lunch club and Tiny Steps Pre-Nursery group.
Phase 1 would not have been possible without the generosity of two legacies as well as the continued giving of the Church community and we thank God for the way he is leading us in the vision for the future at Linacre.

Phase 2 was to install a new heating system for the building and in particular to heat our large Main Hall worship area. Four boilers have already been installed to heat the refurbished areas and Main Hall with the capacity for two more boilers to complete the heating of the whole building. This is a Gas installation working from radiators and blow heaters. We have taken out a Chapel Aid Loan of £79,000 to complete payment for this and have five years to repay in six monthly instalments.

Phase 3
See vision statement on separate attachment

The Housing Market Renewal Initiative consultation within the Sefton Area, outlined Linacre Mission as the community facility most used within the locality, with few people venturing out of the Linacre Road Area to use community facilities in wider vicinities. HMRI for South Sefton has subsequently identified Linacre Mission as “an important community building, not only in terms of the range of activities it facilitates, but also in its latent capacity to expand. The building has been identified as an important land mark within the heart of the Linacre Village and is a ‘listed building’. In view of its importance, the council will encourage high quality interior and exterior improvements to maximise its capacity and use as a community focus.”
To enable the refurbishment of the community rooms at the back of the worship area, we have applied to the Community Buildings Big Lottery for a grant of £500,000 and are delighted to have been successful in reaching Stage 2 of the application. The lottery have awarded us a grant of £25,000 to assist us in the preparation of the architectural plans, surveys, Capital Project Delivery Plan and Business Plan, along with community consultation that are needed to support the Stage 2 application. We have also been successful in receiving a grant of £10,000 from Merseyside Expanding Horizons to cover the costs of some community consultation and Business Planning. We will be seeking match funding from other charitable organisations and grant funders to complete the project.
We have appointed Social Regeneration Consultants to work with us in preparing the community consultation and Business Plan and are continuing to work with Byrom Clark Roberts architects for Phase 3 of our work.
The Stage 2 application to the Community Buildings Big Lottery has to be completed by
2nd. September 2008.

Phase 1 and 2 have been managed by the Redevelopment committee, as a sub committee of the Church Council. This committee will continue to manage the building project for Phase 3, being answerable to the Church Council for decisions made. They are however working alongside our Steering Group, which is made up of Church and community representatives from Linacre One, CVS, HMRI, and other local community groups. Karen McComish, from HMRI, is leading a Management Training course for all Leader’s using the premises, to put in place an effective management structure for the future.

Acknowledgement of grants received:-

We are very grateful for the support that we have received from a number of grant bodies, enabling us to improve a number of areas of the building.